Leading up to the LSAT, many students ask me what they should be thinking about when they walk into the test center. I always tell them to focus on the following things:
- Relax. Stress is your enemy. Stop thinking about specific LSAT concepts—you’ve prepared enough at this point. Think instead about overall success, and visualize scoring well.
- Be confident. Scoring well is all about believing that you CAN score well. Get in the right frame of mind before taking your test.
- Expect to be nervous, but use that nervous energy to your advantage. Redirect those butterflies into focus and intensity. Almost every test taker gets nervous, so keep in mind that what you are experiencing isn’t unique, and nothing you should worry about.
- If you hit a rough section, ignore it because it might be the experimental section. Worry about the aftermath later. During the test, forget any bad questions or sections and move on confidently. We talk in length about knowing when to skip questions in this post.
All those points are simple enough, and they reflect the idea that you have to believe you can do well in order to actually do well, and that you have to maintain your equilibrium and mental wherewithal. Feeling nervous or anxious is natural, but don’t let those feelings sidetrack you from focusing on achieving what you have worked so hard for over these past weeks or months. If you walk in to the test and expect to destroy it, your chances of doing so rise automatically!
Are you in one of our courses? Check out our tips on test mentality and the day and night before the LSAT in your Online Student Center. If you’re wondering what to eat the night before the test, check out this post on our LSAT Free Help Area.
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