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Sound-Tracking Your LSAT Study Montage

BPPalex-lsat-blog-soundtrack

I’ve said it once, I’ve said it dozens of times: test prep is a sport, not a science. You’re not studying; you’re training.

And what does every good training montage need? A killer soundtrack.

Choosing the right music can help pump you up and clear your mind. Of course, you don’t want to listen to music while you’re taking a practice test – you have to simulate those game day conditions! But a well-balanced playlist can help you warm up for and wind-down from an LSAT workout. Here are my picks:

The Warm-Up
“Till I Collapse” – Eminem
“Sometimes you just feel tired, feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up. But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength…”
Was Eminem thinking about the LSAT when he said this???? We’ll leave it to rap-genius to say. But LSAT students can certainly relate to that weary, hangdog feeling. “Till I Collapse” will light the fire under you that you need to get ready for a practice test. Listen to it while jumping rope and reciting Logical Reasoning question types.

“Through the Wire” – Kanye West
For track #2, you want to channel all that angry energy in a positive direction. You’re going to emerge from this practice test at the top of the rap game with a whole new perspective on life. So what if your jaw is broken and you have to sip syrup through a straw while your friends enjoy delicious pancakes. The LSAT could have destroyed you, but it’s only making you stronger. Listen to “Through the Wire” as you brew coffee and revel in impending triumph.

“Variations and Fugue in C Minor” – Johann Sebastian Bach
Now it’s time to clear your mind and concentrate all of that exuberance into a laser-beam focus. A recording of Glenn Gould’s rendition of Bach’s “Variations” was put on board NASA’s Voyager 1 so that any aliens who might find it will be able to bear witness to the beauty and sophistication of the human mind. The cosmic force that runs through this music runs through you, too. Now it’s time to direct it at the LSAT. Listen to Bach as you sharpen your pencils, prepare your study area, and get ready to begin.

The Wind-Down
“F*ck You” – Lily Allen
Pretty self-explanatory. You just sat through a grueling, three-and-a-half-hour practice test. Maybe it went well. Maybe it didn’t. Regardless, you’re just glad this practice test is over.

“What’s Up” – 4 Non Blondes
Okay, so now you’re reflecting on your score, and on where you’ll go from here. You’re probably exhausted. You try. Oh my god do you try! The LSAT takes a lot out of you, and sometimes you have to wait weeks or months before you start seeing your score go up. This is a great song to help process the frustration. Belting out the lyrics at the top of your lungs is encouraged.

“Three Little Birds” – Bob Marley
Now that you’ve gotten that out of your system, you should let go of your frustration and remind yourself that every practice test (even the ones that go badly) are bringing you closer and closer to your goal. Listen to this as you take a jog or drink something that’s not coffee. Or maybe get some sleep – you remember sleep, right?