How to Best Use Your Summer for LSAT Prep
For law school applicants, summer can provide a prime opportunity to prepare for the fall LSAT.
Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach and contributor at US News, recently offered a few tips on how applicants should best utilize their summer months for efficient and effective prep.
SET A STUDY PLAN
The first order of business, Kuris says, is to develop a summer study plan that will make the best use of your limited time.
“Your first decision will be how you plan to learn the foundations of the test,” Kuris says. “Some people learn best in a structured environment like a class, others prefer to work personally with a tutor. More self-directed applicants might choose self-study using prep books and apps. Making the right choice upfront can save precious time and money.”
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
When it comes to LSAT prep, how you practice is more important than how much you practice. That’s why Kuris says it’s important to master the fundamentals before jumping into practice tests.
“Whether you study on your own or with the help of a tutor or instructor, early practice should be focused on learning the right approach to each section and getting a handle on basic skills like breaking down an argument into its component parts,” Kuris says. “Once you have learned the fundamentals, turn to untimed practice to consolidate those lessons and put them into practice. Getting questions wrong in untimed practice is the quickest way to identify the areas you should focus on most.”
RECHARGE
LSAT prep can be draining and tiring, so it’s important to take good care of yourself and ensure that you’re taking proper time to recharge. Like, Kuris says, “LSAT prep is a marathon, no a sprint.”
And here’s another nugget from Kuris: “Take advantage of long summer days to exercise regularly, eat nourishing meals and get enough rest,” Kuris says. “Relieve the stress of practice with reading, socializing with friends and other activities that relax your brain.”
Next Page: Positioning summer internships to boost your law school application.
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