Effective studying techniques

[athleteathlete]

So I just got the 3 powerscore books and they are very detailed! I fear my studying habits/techniques may hinder my ability to do well on the LSAT however. For ex I've never learned how to power read but I've noticed the powerscore book does go over it and the importance of being able to power read. But I fear that I wont be an effective power reader because Ive never learned or practiced to power read. The same goes for other studying techniques. Is there any books or content that will teach me to be a better student, teach me how to learn more effectively. I fear that even though the powerscore books are top notch study material my studying habits will hold me back. In college I was able to simply scan over material and remember class notes and that was enough to get through as long as you have a room temperature IQ. My competition on the LSAT exam, however, will be much higher thus I fear my abilities or rather lack thereof.

TLDR: Any site or books that will teach me techniques to be a better student so I can take full advantage of the Powerscore LSAT books.

Thank you!

[Dave Killoran]

Hey Athlete,

Thanks for the question! First, I know those books look really dense, and that can be a bit worrisome. But the nice thing is that they mix strategies with problems, so often you are learning about a strategy and then seeing how it works on a problem, and that helps the reading go faster. In other words, it's not just page after page of abstract discussion. I also try to throw some humor in there (although let's be honest, it's the LSAT and not exactly the funniest test out there ).

Second, you don't really want to try to power read through those books. I'll lay out an approach for you below, but the idea of trying to absorb huge amounts of that material in one sitting is somewhat contrary to the best way to learn these types of ideas. So, you can rest easy, because you really don't need to learn a new way to study just to read those books!

So, with that in mind, here's what I'd do:

• 1. If you haven't already, go to http://students.powerscore.com/self-study/index.cfm. There are free study plans there, as well as the ability to score all of your practice tests. The plans will help give you some structure to your studies, and the will also help you track your performance, because it's less about how much you read and more about how many more questions you answer correctly.
  
  2. As you go through each chapter, don't worry about how fast you are reading. The key is to not try to pound through the material, but to read it at a pace that allows you to get the concept or technique down 100%. So, as you read each section, use the examples and practice problems to test yourself. How you perform there will tell you if things are going well or not.
  
  3. Take notes. This could be as simple as using a highlighter and underlining, or it could be keeping a separate notebook and making notes about each chapter. Regardless, have some system that allows you to see what was covered in each chapter.
  
  4. Review the notes regularly, and make sure to do problem sets based on the areas of difficulty. For example, if Assumption questions cause you problems, don't just bypass it. Stop and address it, and first focus on the ideas, and then do sets of Assumption problems until you start feeling better about that question type.
  
  5. The nice thing about studying for the LSAT is that each questions is a mini-test, and one that tells you how well you are learning. While missing questions is expected and normal, if you miss too many it's an immediate signal that you need to stop and review. Thus, the whole process is far less of a "scan and hope" scenario like the one that concerns you.

The good news is that you already have some concerns about how you will study, and that makes it far more likely that you will go about it the right way! Start with the approach above, and then keep in touch with me as you progress, and if we need to make changes to you approach, we can do that. you've got plenty of time, and the fact that you are already thinking about the best way to study is a great sign!

Please let me know how that sounds. Thanks!