Becoming a lawyer remains one of the top career choices among the youth today. But there is one hurdle that every aspiring lawyer must face before getting admitted to law school — the LSAT.
Do well on this standardized test, and you’d probably see a couple of T-14 doors open up for you. On the other hand, getting a low score means you probably have to say goodbye to your dream job.
The bad news is — there’s no easy way to ace the LSAT. You really have to spend a substantial amount of time preparing for it. Now, the good news is that all you really need to get an impressive score are good study habits. Here are some of the best tips for future law students to prepare for the LSAT.
1. Assess yourself.
Diving into your studies headfirst without knowing where you stand is perhaps the biggest mistake you could make while preparing for the LSAT. That’s where assessment comes in.
Practice tests are available to help you determine your strengths and zero in on your weaknesses. By doing so, it will make your review a lot more efficient and sensible.
2. Make a study schedule and stick to it.
After figuring out what you need to improve on, it’s time to make a study schedule that will work for you.
This tip is not only applicable to aspiring law students, but to anyone who is preparing for a big exam. However, enthusiasm wanes. And as the days and months pass by, you’ll find yourself deviating from your schedule. You’ll probably enjoy the time you’ve spent procrastinating, but you’ll hate yourself for it by the time you’re taking the LSAT.
To avoid this, make a reasonable study schedule. Don’t overwork yourself by scheduling 15 hours of study per day. That is simply unrealistic.
3. Find the right tools and resources.
With so many online resources to choose from, picking the right study materials for the LSAT has become quite a difficult task.
But this is also a good thing. Utilize the online space to find the right study materials for you. If you can’t study by yourself, then get an online tutor. If simple reading exercises don’t work for you, try looking for audiobooks to help you absorb knowledge.
4. Brush up on your vocabulary.
An English degree is one of the Top 10 best pre-law courses in a lot of law schools. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be a lawyer without an English degree.
The reason a lot of English majors do well in the LSAT and law school is simple: they have an excellent vocabulary. To remedy this, try reading the dictionary or learning at least 10-15 new words every day.
5. Address your weak points.
Assuming you answered a practice test and made a self-assessment on your current skill set, it’s now the time to address your weaknesses.
You can deal with this in multiple ways. First, you could allot more study time for your weaknesses than the rest of the topics. You could also ask a friend or atutor to help you out if you don’t understand it.
6. Take practice exams seriously and regularly.
Practice exams should take center stage in your LSAT review. Luckily, there are now a lot of online resources that feature a simulation of the actual LSAT. It will help you familiarize yourself with the list of questions that are typically asked during the exam proper and it will also help you get used to answering the questions within the allotted time.
Remember, each LSAT section has a time limit of 35 minutes. You must learn how to make use of each minute you have.
7. Make time to relax.
Resting is a crucial study habit for any student. This must be incorporated in your study schedule to keep yourself sane and recharged. If you relax yourself hours before the LSAT, it will help your brain work better during the exam proper. Just remember not to overdo it or you might forget everything you studied about entirely!
These seven tips all boil down to two crucial things: discipline and determination. You must have the discipline to start preparing for the LSAT, and at the same time, you must be determined to see this through no matter the result of the exams. Good luck!
