Preparing For The Law School Admission Test (Lsat) 2015-2016, Michigan State University College Of Law (Page 6 of 12) in pdf

Law School Admission Test

PREPARATION TIPS

The following suggestions are provided by Michigan State University College of Law students who

achieved a score of 158 or higher on the LSAT.

GENERAL ADVICE

You can learn the LSAT. At first it seems very intimidating, but once you find the patterns and know what to look

for, it becomes easier and easier. The only way to learn the test is to set aside time to do it!

Be realistic! Some people are not able to get a 175+. After one or two pretests, set an achievable goal for yourself.

Put the time in. Acceptance to law school and many scholarships rely heavily on the LSAT and undergraduate

GPA. You spent four years building a GPA, so put proportionate effort into preparing for the LSAT.

WHEN TO TAKE THE LSAT

Take the test in June, especially if you are still in undergrad. You’ll still be in the mindset of studying and doing

academic work. Also, you won’t have to try to schedule time to study for the test and for your other courses as

you might with the October test. Lastly, it’ll give you plenty of time to retake the test if you need to.

Don’t take the LSAT in the winter if you live in a northern climate. I ended up driving in an ice storm to take

mine—it was very stressful and took me some time to get focused on the test.

STUDY METHODS

Don’t assume that an expensive commercial prep course is a requirement for doing well on the LSAT. If you have

the self-discipline to study on your own, you can create your own individual prep plan.

If you learn best from classroom study, enroll in a commercial prep course. They are expensive, but your LSAT

score will determine your scholarship amount. A higher score can save you thousands.

I recommend having a study partner. It kept me on track and we were able to bounce ideas off of each other when

we came across a difficult problem. My partner also gave me feedback on why I was getting questions wrong.

Ignore what other people are doing to prepare. One of my friends took a practice exam a month before the LSAT,

while I took three practice exams over the two months before the test, and we got the same score. There will

always be someone working harder than you; don’t let that person cause you to doubt yourself.

PREPARATION SUGGESTIONS

Start by learning about the test itself—the structure, different sections, and timing.

Work on both strengths and weaknesses. Strengths are where you should expect to gain points, so maximize

your score on those questions.

Learn diagramming strategies for solving the logic games questions from a commercial test guide.

Practice in a higher-stress and higher-distraction environment than the actual test; you do better on the test

when you’re relaxed.

Take as many full-length, timed practice tests as you can!

Take your results with a grain of salt. Don’t assume you’re prepared enough just because you have one great

practice test—do it consistently.

Don’t let a low score on a practice test deflate you; use it as an opportunity to see specific problems you’re having

and spend your time correcting them.

Preparing For The Law School Admission Test (Lsat) 2015-2016, Michigan State University College Of Law Page 6