- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 907
- Joined: Apr 11, 2011
- Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:38 pm
#33130
One of the most common questions students ask as test day approaches is how to behave the morning-of to maximize success. We've addressed this concern before—http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/bid/325 ... f-the-lsat and lsat/viewtopic.php?t=4066 are both great discussions from Dave Killoran—but the issue came up again on reddit recently and I want to share my reply (and the discussion thread) with you.
The thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/comments/ ... up_day_of/
The question:
Do u guys do any section to warm up the day of? Tomorrow I'm not doing anything but last test I didn't do a warm up and I think it could maybe help me to get me in the zone before the real thing.
My reply:
I'm a big fan of doing some warm up the morning-of, but am governed by two chief concerns: confidence and stamina.
To the first, I only warm up with material I've seen previously and that I crushed. Maybe a recent, tricky Logic Game that went particularly well. Maybe a string of recent LR questions where I felt totally in control and dominant. The key is to get your brain in LSAT mode, and remind yourself that you can succeed on this test (and precisely what success feels like). Carry that sensation into the test center so you're ready to rock at the outset.
What I absolutely MUST avoid is an error. A missed question. Anything that would rattle my confidence when I need it most. So stick to sure-things, focus on the process that produced a favorable outcome, and trust yourself to reliably repeat it.
To the second, stamina, be mindful of your energy levels, both as you take a typical test, as well as the morning of the real thing. If you usually run out of steam too soon, or you're feeling notably drained day-of, be wary of too much warm up. Some can actually get the juices flowing, so to speak, and help boost your energy...but too much runs the risk of sapping your much-needed reserves so that you're fading earlier in the test than normal. I doubt reviewing a game or a handful of LR questions is going to drain you too badly, but still something to keep in mind.
Test success at this point is 99% psychological. Get your mind right and your performance will reward you with the score you deserve.
I hope that helps!
The thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/LSAT/comments/ ... up_day_of/
The question:
Do u guys do any section to warm up the day of? Tomorrow I'm not doing anything but last test I didn't do a warm up and I think it could maybe help me to get me in the zone before the real thing.
My reply:
I'm a big fan of doing some warm up the morning-of, but am governed by two chief concerns: confidence and stamina.
To the first, I only warm up with material I've seen previously and that I crushed. Maybe a recent, tricky Logic Game that went particularly well. Maybe a string of recent LR questions where I felt totally in control and dominant. The key is to get your brain in LSAT mode, and remind yourself that you can succeed on this test (and precisely what success feels like). Carry that sensation into the test center so you're ready to rock at the outset.
What I absolutely MUST avoid is an error. A missed question. Anything that would rattle my confidence when I need it most. So stick to sure-things, focus on the process that produced a favorable outcome, and trust yourself to reliably repeat it.
To the second, stamina, be mindful of your energy levels, both as you take a typical test, as well as the morning of the real thing. If you usually run out of steam too soon, or you're feeling notably drained day-of, be wary of too much warm up. Some can actually get the juices flowing, so to speak, and help boost your energy...but too much runs the risk of sapping your much-needed reserves so that you're fading earlier in the test than normal. I doubt reviewing a game or a handful of LR questions is going to drain you too badly, but still something to keep in mind.
Test success at this point is 99% psychological. Get your mind right and your performance will reward you with the score you deserve.
I hope that helps!
Jon Denning
PowerScore Test Preparation
Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jonmdenning
My LSAT Articles: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/author/jon-denning
PowerScore Test Preparation
Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jonmdenning
My LSAT Articles: http://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/author/jon-denning