Advice - 2 Weeks Until Course Begins

[demk26]

Hi all,

I have two weeks until my Live Online Course begins on May 17. I have already purchased all (3) of the PowerScore Bibles and the Question Type Trainers, as well as the LR Bible Flashcards. I was hoping to use these to get some practice in before the course begins, but obviously I won't be able to get through all of these resources in just 2 weeks.

I have already taken my Diagnostic Practice Test and am in the process of reviewing my results now. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how I should approach these two weeks before the course (i.e. what I should be focusing on or allotting my time to) and/or how to best use the resources I already have in conjunction with the course materials (even after the course begins)?

Lastly, I am gearing up to take my LSAT in August - Will the focus/approach of the course beginning May 17th change at all since we don't yet know if this exam will be a Flex exam or a regular exam?

Thanks so much in advance!

[Adam Tyson]

Welcome aboard, demk26! Our courses are designed so that no pre-work is required, and when your course book arrives I strongly suggest that you NOT start going through it. I've found that students who attempt to work ahead are the ones who end up the least satisfied with the class, perhaps because they are not focused on going through the materials together with the instructor but are instead thinking about what the things they did not understand the first time around. They come to the class a combination of bored ("I already know this, I wish we were looking at some new material") or frustrated ("that explanation didn't work for me the first time I read it, so what is the point of listening to it again?" or "I'm already ahead of these other students, their questions are just dragging me down!") For the same reason, I would suggest that you set aside the self-study materials that you purchased and save those for additional practice after the course ends.

You've taken a diagnostic, which is great, and you're reviewing the results, which is a good idea too. I would also suggest you use this pre-course time to do things like begin working on your personal statement for your law school applications, and start figuring out who will be your best choices for writing letters of recommendation. If you think you might qualify for special accommodations, like extra time, this is a great time to go through the paperwork and get the ball rolling on that request. Do some research on law schools to figure out where you might want to apply, and see what their median LSAT scores are so you can set reasonable goals for your progress. You might want to start reading some of our Blog articles and listening to our podcast, both of which provide information that is outside of what we cover in the course. Find those at https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/ and https://blog.powerscore.com/lsat/category/lsat-podcast/.

Another area you could focus on is LSAT Writing, which is the essay portion of the LSAT that is given separately. There are some materials about it in the Online Student Center as well as in the Blog. Read up on it, practice it a few times, and make a plan for when you want to do it for real. Give yourself plenty of time to get it done long before you submit your applications, just in case there is a problem that requires you to re-do it!

Finally, this would be a really good time to focus on lifestyle factors that can affect your performance on the test. Do you exercise? Do you have good sleep habits? Can you do a few things to improve your diet? What are you doing to manage stress, especially in these highly stressful times? Self care is a critical component, and the sooner you take steps to develop better habits to take good care of yourself, the better!

Don't worry about learning the material - we have you covered there. Use this time to focus on the things that we can't help you with in our class sessions. And yes, we will definitely talk about how you might make adjustments in case your test turns out to be a Flex test! You'll be ready for either by the time we finish the course (and we hope by then we will know which one you will be taking!)

[demk26]

Thanks so much, Adam! This post was incredibly helpful. I'll be sure to follow your tips below before my course begins.