LSAT Study Habits To Avoid

While the LSAT recently went digital, one thing hasn’t changed: having a stringent study plan is still essential to performing well on the exam.

Gabriel Kuris, the founder of Top Law Coach and contributor at US News, recently discussed a few study habits test takers should avoid if they want to do well on the LSAT.

DON’T RELY ON MEMORIZATION

While there are aspects of the LSAT that memorization is beneficial for, such as logical fallacies, Kuris says the exam tests skill over content.

“On the bright side, this means no stacks of flashcards,” Kuris writes. “But on the downside, cramming won’t get you far. The only way to get better at the LSAT is to practice taking the LSAT. However, even practice has limits.”

QUALITY IS GREATER THAN QUANTITY

Echoing the sentiment that practice has its limits, Kuris says ceaseless drilling of daily practice tests can actually be harmful if it doesn’t have purpose.

“Practice matters only if it is useful,” Kuris writes. “The only scientifically proven way to better your skills is through deliberate practice. Practice should be purposeful and combined with review and reflection. It’s not enough to mark wrong answers – you need to learn why you got those questions wrong and how to avoid repeating the same mistakes.”

FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE LEARNING OVER SCORE IMPROVEMENT

Practice tests can give you a snapshot of what the real exam is like, however, Kuris warns students to not get hung up on practice test scores.

Rather, she says, the only way to improve your skills is to grow, experiment, and take risks. In other words, it’s better to focus on what you can improve upon rather than your current score.

“Practicing new techniques will take more time and energy at first,” Kuris writes. “But once you master them and add them to your repertoire, they will become automatic. By drawing on a wide range of skills, you can accomplish feats that once seemed impossible – like that whole reading comprehension section.”

Sources: US News, Tipping the Scales