Study time

[Tj2464]

For the October LSAT, do you think it is logical to focus on one topic at a time, for review and learning such as RC one week, etc?

[Clay Cooper]

Hi tj,

Thanks for your question - many have wondered this same thing.

In my experience, students do best and get the most out of their prep when they follow the general progression of concepts and ideas in the PowerScore materials. The books are formatted the way they are based on experience, and the concepts discussed often build upon each other, so following the course of the curriculum is important.

Beside that suggestion, i have seen students who have completed the books do well using the approach you mentioned - taking a week or so at a time to focus on each particular section in rotation. I think that approach is effective, just remember two things:

1. Don't do that in the immediate run-up to the test. In the week or two which immediately precede the test, make sure you work on everything, because knowledge and comfort in each section can stagnate over a week in which you don't look at that section.

2. Make sure to base your choices for each week's focus on data; work on the sections in which your work will increase your score the most. Generally, that means work on whichever sections you are comparatively weak within.

Hope that helps, keep working hard!

[Tj2464]

Awesome information! Thank you...so do you think I can still be effective in my studies hardcore this late in.. I have been gradually studying since about June?

[Clay Cooper]

Hi again TJ,

Definitely. In fact, because your preparedness has a shelf life, I would say that now is the best time to be studying at full speed.

Hopefully, the major concepts (conditional reasoning, causality, argument parts, logical opposition, etc) are familiar to you know. That is not to say necessarily that you need to have mastered any of them; ideally, what you would spend your study time doing right now is first ascertaining (preferably by practice test data) what you are comparatively weak at, and focusing your efforts on correcting and improving your understanding on those areas.

But absolutely, it is not too late to be studying hard. My full-length course only just completed lesson three (of twelve) last night - if you've been steadily preparing since June, you're likely far ahead of us.

Keep working hard, it will pay off.