How to Stay Motivated When Preparing for the LSAT

For most people, preparing for any standardized test can be somewhat stressful. The LSAT is a very challenging test, and in a competitive field, the stakes can be high. For a lot of people, even beginning to prepare can seem daunting. With so much potentially riding on your LSAT performance, here are a few suggestions to get and stay motivated. 

Commiserate 

It can be very helpful to know that you don’t have to take on this daunting test alone. Get together with others who are preparing, or join an LSAT forum such as this one). Even better, take a class—that can be a great way to avoid reinventing the wheel. I recommend one of our classes. 

Pat Yourself on the Back 

This is a difficult test, to be sure, and it’s easy to get annoyed—that is what the test-makers want. Take some pride in the fact that you are rising to a pretty serious challenge—picture the test-makers as your worthy adversaries if that helps. Most people would agree that the LSAT is one of the toughest reasoning skills tests around, and even getting through it the first time can be a pretty impressive feat. Check out some comments from past students here. 

Focus on the Value of Your Efforts 

It’s not fair, but the LSAT is generally the primary factor considered in admissions decisions—more than even your GPA, which is typically the result of four years of work. Think about the one class in college that required the most time and effort—what with assignments, papers, tests, and final exams, your performance in that class barely registers when your GPA is determined—as far as your Undergraduate GPA is concerned. The difference between an A and a C in that class would be almost imperceptible. If you were to invest anything near that time and effort (from just that one class) into your LSAT preparation, you would almost certainly earn far greater returns on that investment.