…but first, some last-minute tips 🙂

It’s a busy day for those taking the September LSAT: They have only one more day until their months-long nightmare has ended.

Based on my experience teaching the LSAT, almost no one feels ready for test day when it finally arrives. After all, there’s always something else you could have studied if you’d had just a little more time; you didn’t get around to reviewing Must Be True questions containing exactly 3.5 conditional statements, and what if LSAC decides to make this test one based entirely on Must Be True questions???!!!

Point being, if the thought of taking the LSAT at last fills you with fear rather than relief, you’re in good company. It’s fairly likely that no matter how long you studied, you would never feel ready for the test. But at some point, you have to rip the band-aid off and go for it.

And if you don’t feel ready now, you’re probably going to feel differently when you actually get into your test center. The mere fact that you’re reading this blog suggests that you have put at least some thought into the LSAT prior to taking the real thing. You will be shocked by the number of people in your test center who have never even seen an LSAT question in their lives. When I took the LSAT, I was nervously chatting with the people seated next to me pre-test, and more than one of them said, “Yeah, I didn’t really study, so I’m just going to take it and see how it goes.” Yes, great idea, what could go wrong!!

One final comment: Feeling a little bit of nerves is a good thing. That little rush of adrenaline will help keep you laser-focused on the LSAT. You’re going to be a lean, mean, flaw-spotting machine.

As far as practical advice, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: DON’T. STUDY. TODAY. We mean it! There’s nothing that you can teach yourself in one day that you haven’t already learned in your prior studies, and you’re more likely to freak yourself out than actually improve your skillz. Take a well-deserved day off and enjoy yourself.

Try to go to bed early tonight, but don’t stress if you can’t sleep all that well; personally, I woke up literally every hour the night before my LSAT because I was so nervous that I’d sleep through my alarm. It’s fine! The same adrenaline that will help your focus will also prevent you from falling asleep during the test.

Make sure you have all your ducks in a row — pack your Ziploc bag, print your admissions ticket, review the directions to your test center. Make your morning as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Soon, the LSAT will be a distant, bad memory (replaced by the memories of all the stressful tests you’ll have to take in law school and beyond! Woohoo!). So head to your testing center tomorrow feeling confident in your abilities, and get ready to kick some ass.