So, I fell off the wagon a bit on the weekly blogging concept.  I will keep trying.  A good analogy opportunity for LSAT studying.  It is hard to maintain the intensity to prepare for this test when it is still months away.  Take the time now to schedule LSAT study time.  It doesn't have to be a lot, just an hour or two a day but make it every day.  Schedule it like you would an appointment and treat it as such so that other obligations won't get in the way until you find yourself two weeks out from the test wondering where the time went.  If you miss a day or two, don't compound things by telling yourself that you will make up for lost time until you are staring at a day with 8 hours of LSAT studying in it.  Just get back on that wagon, so to speak, and spend an hour or two studying.  Not unlike blog writing.  :)

Our next class starts in the next couple of weeks.  If you are thinking you might want to go to law school but are scared by the stories in the news, come talk to us.  We promise, we have never forced anyone to go to law school that didn't want to.

Sandy

So, I made this New Year's resolution to write in this blog every week.  As you can tell, I fell off the wagon a bit.  It has been a couple of weeks.  It turns out, I don't really like writing blogs because I don't feel like I am very good at them.  That makes them feel hard.  I don't know what to say or how to write it in an way that connects with others.  Hear comes the LSAT connection (you knew it was out there), just like reading comprehension or any part of the test you don't like, shying away from it won't make it any easier.  It is tempting to give it up altogether or just cross your fingers and hope it won't matter that much but the reality is, that working at it a little bit every day is what makes it easier.  Practice will make you more comfortable and where the insights will come from.  So, I will get back at doing this every week and you will get back to reading every day, whether pre or post-LSAT.  Even if you are post-LSAT, law school is going to make great demands on your reading skills so keep them sharp.

Sandy

Congratulations to all of you who took the February 2013 LSAT.  We should see the scores come out about the 4th of March.  Because this is an unreleased test, you will only get an email with your score in it, not a copy of the test.

If you are thinking about taking the test in June or later of this year, you have plenty of time to get prepared.  One of the best things you can be doing while you wait for the class to start is to be reading.  If you are not a reader at all or only read things on the internet, go find a book that has sounded interesting to you and start reading every day.  Reading is a skill set that has to be practiced just like any other skill set.  The more you practice it, the better you will become. Students always ask how they can get faster at reading comprehension.  This is one of the best ways to do this.  It isn't so much that your eyes will move faster but you will be more effective with your time.  You will read more smoothly, understand the concepts more quickly and get less fatigued.  It doesn't matter what kind of reading - fiction or non, law-related or not, just as long as it does not have pictures.

Sandy

We want to wish everyone of our students who are taking the LSAT this Saturday, the very best of luck.  Know that you have prepared well for this and you are ready to take this.  Just a little review for the next couple of days and mostly resting and building your mental strength.  While important, the LSAT isn't going to define your life so go in knowing that if Saturday doesn't go well, you can always take it again.  I am not saying that you aren't going to do well but by removing that extra pressure on yourself you are much more likely to perform at peak efficiency.

If you are wondering what you are going to do with your time when you are no longer spending it studying, there is a West Coast Law Fair being held at Seattle University School of Law on Saturday, February 23.  It will take place from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.  There are a number of law schools from the west coast that will be in attendance.  You can find out more by going to www.law.seattleu.edu/x10572.xml.

Sandy

We are in countdown mode to the February 9 LSAT.  It is hard to believe that it is almost February.  For the next 11 days, be sure to do 30 to 60 minutes every day of logic games.  No matter how easy they have become for you.  It is like learning to ride a bike.  You may never forget but you can be wobbly when you start back up again.  You don't want to be wobbly next Saturday.  Be very purposeful with your practicing.  Focus on the 4 question types of logic games, think through why the answer is right and the 4 others are wrong.  Think about why you have chosen to set up the game the way you did, review the 3 main types of games.  Work on building your stamina - do everything in 35 minute increments.  Every time you sit down to study, set a time for that long and don't let anything distract you.  Go through all of the logical reasoning question types and make sure you have a game plan for each type.  If you are unclear on anything, bring that with you to class on Wednesday.

Congratulations to last year's group.  We are already seeing students get into a number of law schools, including quite a few into our favorites, Seattle U and the UW.  We like keeping you around!

Between the February LSAT rapidly approaching and law school application deadlines looming, there is much anxiety in the air.  It is easy to feel defeated and to create a negative feedback cycle.  Remember that you have worked hard and still have time to make this happen for you.  The key, in either situation, is not to quit because of lack of work in the past.  Make a commitment to yourself to work a hour or two every day on it.  You don't need to put in 8 hours in on sitting.  Just some every day.  Law school applications are way down which is good news for both fall of 2013 and fall of 2014.  Just keep focusing on what you are bring to the table, pick a couple of focused areas that you can work on this week, whether it is logic game types, necessary and sufficient logical reasoning questions or finalizing your resume and filling out applications.

Sandy

I had the opportunity to meet with some high school seniors lately and they demonstrated that they were ready to graduate by asking the unanswerable life questions.  How do we establish connections with other human beings without labeling them?  How do we measure progress without creating limits?  And, how do we deal with the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day?  Meaning, how do we do all the things we want and have to do?

I think a career with a law degree gives you the opportunity to look for answers to those questions. It certainly forces you to address the last one.  There is so much bad press right now about law school, some of it right, that it is important to take the change of the calendar to think about if this is the right next step for you.  Go visit law schools in your area.  All law schools will set up times for you to come in and sit in on classes.  They will connect you with current students so you can ask questions.  Also, think of anyone you know who has a law degree and take them to lunch.  Find out what they do, do they like it, what don't they like and would they get a law degree today, especially with the price of tuition?  If you can't think of anyone, contact the state bar, they have groups that lawyers can join based on areas of practice.  Ask to talk to someone who practices in an area or areas that might be of interest to you.

On a more practical note, the date to sign up for the February test without paying extra money has passed.  You can sign up by paying extra through January 15.