The following should be viewed as a supplement to and NOT substitute for in-depth LSAT prep. Book recommendations (in alphabet order): Loophole, LSAT Trainer, Princeton Review, PowerScore.
Course recommendations: 7Sage or perhaps LSAT Lab, but only due to their very reasonable prices. Other courses can be great for a lot of students, but due to their price, no specific recommendations.
Here we go now
Carefully review all questions, not just those answered incorrectly.
Questions can always be answered more efficiently. All LSAT prep will have curriculum that directly addresses each question. Think about how to use that curriculum to answer the question more quickly the next time around.
Think about how to teach LR to someone who’s never seen this material. What would you tell them to look for? What would you tell them to do? Why is this answer right and the others wrong?
…..
Make sure that you are taking almost no time in properly(!) identifying the “question type” (that is - what the question truly asks).
While this is partially about saving time (something that needs to be done wherever possible), it’s also about creating the right mindset. YOU are the one in charge here, meaning you don’t need more than a second to identify any question type.
A good exercise is to see how long it takes to simply identify question types in a particular section. I just did so myself, didn’t rush - took me 32 seconds.
…….
Have not-pleasant music playing in the background while doing untimed practice (not during review though).
As of this writing, I’m standing outside in 42° weather, barefoot, wearing nothing but sweatpants. And while I might be a bit nuts, that’s not why I’m doing it. I’m doing it because the right kind of stress is healthy (in this case, known as cold therapy).
The latest neuroscience is the concept of neuralplasticity, which suggests that the brain is a lot more like the body than we might imagine. Specifically, that putting the brain under the right kind of stress will make it stronger and faster.
This is why you want music playing in the background while doing a untimed practice. Not with headphones, if possible. And It should be something like Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 by The Beastie Boys (no Part 1).
The idea is to challenge your focus. The concepts of living heavier weights or running faster are easy ones. But what does it mean to work harder? Or focus more? Well, it means having obnoxious music playing in the background, stressing your brain more than usual.
Timed practice will be a relief.
Of course, too much stress can certainly be unhealthy. According to some websites, right now I’m supposed to be wrapping myself with a bedsheet drenched with cold water. Yeah, screw that noise.