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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.

Throughout my time at Boston University, the possibility of law school has lingered in the back of my mind. Still, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go straight into it after graduating until late in my junior year. That meant I needed to start planning for the Law School Admissions Test, or the LSAT, almost immediately.

As a senior wrapping up my final fall semester, I’ve taken the LSAT twice and received a score I’m happy with. I’m not quite the next Elle Woods (she got a 179 out of 180 in Legally Blonde), but I will be using my score to apply to some top schools!

With that being said, here are the strategies I used to prepare for my LSATs.

Make a Personalized Study Schedule

If you search online for advice about when to start studying for your LSAT, you’ll find a wide range of timelines. There are too many factors for there to be a one-size-fits-all study schedule.

One factor to consider is the time of year you choose to take the test. The Law School Admissions Council offers LSATs in most months, so register for the test administration that works best for you and build your unique study schedule around it.

person studying
Green Chameleon via Unsplash

If your test is in August or September, a few months of studying over summer break may be sufficient. However, if your test falls somewhere in the middle of a school semester, you may need to start studying earlier because you may not be able to dedicate as much time each day or week as you would during a break.

Also consider that you may need more or less time than other students depending on your experience with standardized tests, either in general or from past LSAT attempts.

Know Your Learning Style

There are countless options for LSAT prep out there, but they won’t work for every student!

Students who struggle with time management may benefit from a tutor or prep class that will hold them to a strict schedule. Alternatively, students who are confident in their ability to work independently may prefer to use a prep book. Others may absorb information better by watching videos or using trial and error with practice problems than by reading.

Two women looking at laptop
Photo by mentatdgt from Pexels

Figure out the kind of student you are and choose your study materials accordingly. LSAT prep can get pretty pricey, so don’t waste money on a tutor if you think you’d work just as well alone.

Take Advantage Of Free Study Materials

As I just said, studying for the LSAT can get expensive quickly. Luckily, there are plenty of free study materials out there that can be just as helpful as pricier ones!

While prepping for my LSATs, I used the Law School Admission Council’s test prep website, LawHub. This website has a paid premium version, but the free version includes four practice tests that are formatted exactly like the real thing. It also gives you one practice argumentative writing prompt, 21 drill sets, and a ton of written and video lessons breaking down each type of question you may encounter on your LSAT. 

Another free resource I used was Kaplan’s LSAT Question of the Day, which is exactly what it sounds like! Each day, Kaplan posts a question from a previous LSAT on its website. After you answer, it shows you whether you got it right and breaks down the question-and-answer choices in detail. I especially like the Question of the Day because you can sign up to get it emailed to you each morning.

Kaplan offers other free materials on their website, so be sure to check them out.

Take It Easy Right Before Your Test

Last but not least, it’s important not to push yourself too hard leading up to your test day. I know this advice is cliché, but that’s because it’s true!

Just like an athlete takes it easy the day before a game or race, you should take it easy the day before your test, and possibly the whole week before if you can manage it. The day before each of my tests, I didn’t do any studying. Rather, I made sure to eat well and go to bed as early as possible.

blue bed and mattress with pillows
Photo by Greg Rivers from Unsplash

The morning of my test, I ate a full breakfast, drank plenty of water, and focused on keeping myself calm. If you get test-day jitters too, I’d recommend breathing exercises, a stress-relieving tea, or even just some positive self-talk!

While every student is different, I hope you can apply some of this advice to your LSAT journey!

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Devan Colby is an editor and contributing writer for Her Campus at BU. Her main duty is to edit articles weekly, but she also writes some of her own whenever possible. She was formerly the senior editor and writing director for her chapter. Outside of Her Campus, Devan is also a feature writer for The Daily Free Press, the independent student newspaper at Boston University. She has also interned with her local Nexstar-owned TV news station as a member of their digital team, where she helped produce content for the station's corresponding website. She is currently a junior at Boston University majoring in both journalism and political science. Writing is Devan's main pastime, and even when not working for a publication, she loves to write creatively. She is also a hobbyist visual artist with an interest in photojournalism. When she's not creating, she can be found going for runs around the city with friends or fawning over her quartet of houseplants.