Some university students may plan to enter the workforce straight out of university, while others may choose to apply to graduate programs. For those of us who do not want to take either of those paths, law school or medical school may be prime choices to consider. As for me, I decided to buckle down throughout the past few months and put my all into studying for the LSAT, hoping to get into law school for the 2020 cycle. While it has been a rewarding process thus far, I have learned many difficult lessons as well. Below are the three most crucial things I have learned from studying for the LSAT.
1. It is crucial to focus your energy This doesn’t mean what you’re probably thinking. When I started studying, I was also working full-time and taking a summer course. With all of this on my plate, I quickly realized it was not going to be feasible to keep up with my gym routine and make time for friends several times a week. My room became a complete mess and I put off doing laundry until the last possible second. At first, I felt bad that studying for this test reduced me to living this way. But then I realized that we as humans only have a finite amount of energy to invest however we may choose to do so. When I was trying to do it all, nothing I did was to the best of my ability. After getting over this, I truly invested my willpower into studying as hard as I could in my free time and I let the less important tasks slip a bit. While this isn’t how I would recommend living life during the school year, when preparing for a super big test or exam such as the LSAT it may be in your best interest to prioritize the tasks that truly require the greatest amount of your energy.
2. Having bad days is okay There were some days when I couldn’t force myself through more than a section or two of studying. There were also nights when I needed a tall glass of wine to destress from a particularly grueling study session. When my studies began, I would get really discouraged if a section was super difficult or if I kept getting questions wrong. But as the days and weeks progressed, I realized these tough days were just as important for my progress as the good days. This applies to much more than studying for the LSAT; whether you’re preparing for a really tough exam, putting together grad school applications, or anything in between, it is okay to have bad days. Try your best not to let them get you down and take your mistakes as a lesson for the future.
3. Online communities can really provide support when you need it most This is also one piece of advice that can apply to various aspects of your life. Whether you’re struggling with your calculus course or you’re training for an upcoming track meet, online forums and communities can be a great place to seek support from others going through the same situation as you. I found Reddit to be very helpful as a resource for LSAT and law application information, since I don’t know many other people who are currently going through this process. On these platforms, I found people both less prepared and more prepared than me, and each point of view was helpful to me. There are subreddits for every topic under the sun; if you’re looking for support in a specific area, this can be a great place to find it.
Whether or not you are planning to take the LSAT or a similar test in the future, the lessons I learned from my preparation are easily adaptable to many other facets of life. The most important thing is to stay focused on the goals that matter most to you, and work as hard as you possibly can to achieve these.