By this point, most of the students in our live classes have gotten through Lesson 2. If you’re one of those fortunate souls, congratulations on making it this far! There’s a lot left to cover, but you may be feeling overwhelmed from all the meaty goodness in those first two lessons. (Are we not doing ‘phrasing’ any more?) If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and would like to regroup, here’s what to do.
1) Re-watch any portions of the lessons you still don’t quite understand.
All of our students get full access to Blueprint Online Course. It’s exactly the same material as the stuff covered in the live lessons, but if you’re still struggling with a concept, re-watching the lesson videos is a great first step. You may find that hearing another explanation helps clear up any confusion you may be experiencing.
2) Memorize those handy conditional keywords.
Conditional reasoning is an essential skill on the LSAT, since it appears in all sections of the test. Yes, it’s tedious, but you really need to memorize the key words that indicate sufficiency and necessity. If I ask you for the four words that translate to “if not,” you should be able to rattle them off at the drop of the hat. When you hear the Spice Girls’ classic “Wannabe,” you should reflexively be figuring out the contrapositive of the chorus in your head. (If you don’t get with my friends, you can’t be my lover, am I right?!)
Do whatever it takes – back in my LSAT prep days, I wrote the key words on a post-it note on my bathroom mirror, and then repeated the words in my head while brushing my teeth. It might be tedious, but it will help you immensely throughout the entire course of your LSAT studies.
3) Finish your homework.
Sure, it sounds obvious, but completing your homework is essential to mastering the concepts in the first two lessons. Don’t neglect your homework, especially in these key early lessons, when you’re learning the fundamental skills that you’ll use throughout the LSAT.
4) Ask your instructor if you’re still confused.
Our instructors live for the LSAT.
Anyway, your instructor is a great resource for anything you’re feeling uncertain about, and you should never hesitate to ask her for some additional clarity. The more specific you can be about your problem, the more helpful your instructor can be, so come prepared with a couple specific examples – perhaps some homework questions that you found especially tricky. (You’ll want to email your instructor the question information – including the practice test, section, and question number, all of which can be found on your MyBlueprint account – in advance so that your instructor can take a gander at her copy of the test.)
Your LSAT journey has only just begun, but you’ve already covered a lot of ground. Burnout sucks, so make sure you’re sleeping enough, eating well, and exercising. Your future self will appreciate it.
