Signed up for course...now books?

[efwalsh]

Hello! I just signed up for the classroom course that starts April 10th to prepare for the June 2014 LSAT.

Seeing that it is now only January... would you suggest I buy all the bibles and start working through them on my own or wait until April so I learn the concepts in a classroom environment and don't burn out before June?

I was told the bibles basically cover the course but in a self-study format.... so would buying them before taking the course just be really redundant?

[Jon Denning]

Hi efwalsh,

Thanks for the question and congrats on the upcoming course! The course is designed to be all-inclusive (that is, even people with zero LSAT knowledge/experience will get all of the info they need as part of the course itself), so certainly I think you would be fine waiting the next few months for it to get going.

That said, I also know it's tough to sit still and feel like you're not doing any prep-wise. With that in mind, I'd probably encourage you to take a practice test to determine exactly where you need the most help (or consider a recent practice test taken under timed conditions), and then start working on the Bible relevant to that area. So if you feel like LR is a section that could use some work, grab the LR Bible and begin slowly working through it.

There's no real "danger" in that strategy, as the books are designed to help you avoid bad habits and burnout. The only thing you'll want to keep in mind is that there will be a good bit of conceptual overlap with the course itself (intentionally, of course), so be aware that some of what you'll cover in class will already be at least partially familiar. The beauty of that is (1) repetition of ideas is really the key to mastering them, and (2) experiencing the content with an instructor to guide you through it and answer questions is critical. Take advantage of both.

Others may have additional thoughts and weigh in, but that's my two cents. Hope it helps!

Jon

[efwalsh]

Thanks Jon, I took your advice and just went in blind and took a practice test in a timed session. I scored a 154. Problem is, I pretty much missed the same amount of questions in each section. So I guess I have to get all of the books at this point since I am not really lacking in any one area. Would that be a good plan?

[Jon Denning]

Thanks for the follow up! If you're missing about the same number in each section it probably suggests that the LR Bible is the best place to start, since there are two sections of LR and thus twice as many total questions missed.

However, don't let that dissuade you from considering all three Bibles! Sometimes it's nice to be able to take a break from one section/topic and study something else, and having more than one book allows for some variety.

We actually have a pretty comprehensive 3-month study plan for students who own the Bible trilogy, and you can certainly use that as a general guide before the course starts. In fact, I’ve found that many of my students do better in class if they are at least somewhat familiar with the concepts discussed in the Bibles. Don't feel like you need to finish all three books by April necessarily, but it should give you a good framework for pre-course prep:

http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/help/stu ... e-lsat.cfm

Thanks again!