Those who are reading this post (or this blog, for that matter) are in one of two camps. In Camp #1 are those who took the October LSAT and are currently spending their days basking in post-LSAT relief, leisurely composing their personal statements. In Camp #2 are those who are in the midst of studying for the LSAT beast, who are undoubtedly wondering what sick bastard invented the tiered ordering game. There is a third camp of MSS readers who we don’t like to talk about, but rest assured that we will hunt them down and find out what they’re up to.
If you are like me and are in Camp #1, you’re patiently waiting while a team of LSAC-certified scoring gnomes hand grade your exams in the South Pole (I admit that’s a rumor, but it’s never been disproved). You also have a stack of LSAT prep books, practice exams, and supplement printouts that you probably never have to look at again. So what do you do with ’em? I’ll tell you two things you don’t do with them: First, you don’t resell them. It was part of your Blueprint student agreement, and you promised. Second, you don’t throw them away, because that’s lame and lacks creativity. Here are a few things students can do:
1) Burn Them (Don’t do this)
Right off the bat, I’ll tell you a few reasons why this is a bad idea. This brings me back to one weekend my sophomore year. It was a typical Saturday afternoon for any 19 year-old college student: I was mowing the lawn of my fraternity before trimming all the hedges, of course. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that I also filed and organized my taxes early that morning. Anyways, one of my older friends had just taken the LSAT, got out of his car, and proclaimed that he was going to burn his LSAT books in effigy (believe it or not, this guy actually got a 168). Long story short, he couldn’t get them to ignite, he ended up burning about 3 pages of one of the books and then he took a nap.
Let’s face it, trying to burn any book is wasteful, kind of dangerous, and logically speaking, pointless. Plus, it would be the pinnacle of irony if your LSAT books literally killed you AFTER you took the exam.
2) Add them to your bookshelf
Consider adding your LSAT prep materials to the shelves where you keep your other leather-bound books. I know that right now you may be tired of your LSAT prep materials, but you should know that reading comp passages age like a fine wine. Six months from now, you are lounging around your apartment and you can’t decide what to read. Fiction? Literature? A science journal? Some legal history? You don’t have to choose anymore. Open up that LSAT book…and BOOM. Before you know it, you’re reading about intellectual property legislation, the cakewalk dance, epinephrine receptors, and eighteenth century French poets. Call it a night.
I’m not ashamed to say that I actually did find many of the LSAT reading comp articles interesting, especially when you aren’t being timed and tested on them. Plus, epinephrine receptors make for a great ice-breaker topic at virtually any cocktail party.
3) Flip back to your favorite moments.
I know. There were many to choose from. As a true connoisseur of logical reasoning (my favorite section), I chose to fondly remember some great LR quotes. I’m thinking of turning them into bumper stickers or fun facts. You can literally pick up any practice LSAT and find a few gems. For example:
“A statement is wholly truthful only if it is true” – Sept 2007
(Sometimes philosophers just like to play it safe)
“It is highly likely that Claudette is a classical pianist” – October 2004
(Why don’t we just ASK Claudette instead of looking for evidence. I can’t think of any reason she would lie about such a thing)
“Research shows that when dogs are neutered in early puppyhood, their leg bones usually do not develop properly” – October 2004
(I am now fairly certain, that whenever you hear a male puppy bark, this is what he is trying to tell you. If only he could…)
So, let’s recap. To all those who took the October LSAT: I congratulate you and I’m sure you will soon find that your hard work paid off. Don’t burn your books. To all of those studying for the December LSAT: None of the above options are good for you. Your best bet is to take your LSAT books to class and then use them to study.
I hope everyone in LSAT / Law School Application Land is doing well and feeling good, and if you aren’t, Blueprint is here to help.
