If you're on this page, it's because you have probably thought of taking the Law School Admission Test, otherwise known as the LSAT.
The LSAT is a requirement for admission for all US and most Canadian Law Schools, but you probably knew that already...
Kaplan? Oxford Seminars? Prep101? Knewton? Powerscore?
If any of these company names sound familiar, it's because you have sought help. These companies and many other will be glad to help you, for a very handsome fee. But are they necessary? There is no doubt that they can help, but how much fuss is the LSAT and all the stress associated with it worth?
Well I've decided to see for myself and take the December 5th, 2009 LSAT. I have little more than 30 days, no money for any of the prep courses listed above, very little test taking skills and even less attention to detail.
Am I out of my mind? Maybe... make that probably... but I am convinved that perceptions about the LSAT are completely wrong and I want to prove it!!
I took the LSAT two years ago with little to no preparation = about 5 practice LSATs that I printed out and did in my own time without timing myself and always getting a score in the 160s... I thought that I was golden!!
Not being a morning person, I made my way up those dreaded stairs to the testing site at 8:30am, with nothing but coffee and a bowl of cereal is my stomach and all the hopes and dreams associated with admission to law school... Alas, lack of preparation, insomnia and a million other factors left me a month later, confronting my fate with a 143 score.
My hopes and dreams were dashed and I sank into oblivion... Disillusioned, I suppressed all dreams of becoming a lawyer until now.
So what did I learn from my previous experience:
1. The LSAT measures reading comprehension (period). You don't need math skills, you don't need to take a course in logic... all you need is to understand what's being asked of you and more importantly how it is being asked.
2. The LSAT is a race - against the clock. If you, like myself, are a slow test taker (I don't remember finishing a single test on time in college.), than the clock is your worst enemy!!
3. The LSAT is a test of mental and physical endurance - You're present in the testing room at 8:30am, at best the test will begin at 9:00am... hope to be done by 13:30 with only a 10-15min break to eat, use the restrooms, etc. You need to know how to pace yourself.
But wait a minutes, the test is all about reading comprehension, speed and endurance, what is it really about? Aren't lawyers supposed to be uber-smart?
Read the next post :)
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