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Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 10/30/23
If you’re struggling with LSAT stress, read on to learn more about how to reduce your exam anxiety and stay motivated during your studies!
You’ve likely heard that the LSAT is the most important aspect of your application countless times. This constant reminder, along with the pressure to get into a good law school, is sure to stress you out and can make the LSAT process overwhelming.
Luckily, you aren’t the only person to feel LSAT anxiety! Every student that embarks upon the challenging journey of mastering the LSAT feels overwhelmed and often even second-guesses whether law is truly the right path for them!
To help you manage your LSAT stress, this guide will give you the top six tips for dealing with persistent LSAT nerves to ensure you stay motivated and ace your exam!
Unfortunately, at least some LSAT stress is expected. Until you write your exam and receive your target score, you’ll question whether you’re prepared enough for the exam and will anxiously await your test results.
However, if you find your stress is pushing past normal LSAT angst, there are several ways to reduce your stress to a manageable level.
The best way to prevent yourself from experiencing excessive LSAT anxiety is to start on the right foot!
Give yourself ample time to study, so you don’t feel the need to cram your study sessions into a couple of weeks or days. Setting an unrealistic timeline is bound to lead to burnout and make you perform poorly on the test.
A study period of around three months is typically recommended to ensure you’re adequately prepared for the LSAT without rushing your studying.
Ensure you also leave enough time to retake the LSAT in case you aren’t able to achieve your target score.
Without an effective study plan, you won’t know where to start when prepping for the LSAT. With an abundance of resources to choose from, just picking up your first prep book can seem impossible.
To avoid this, you should create a strong study plan that you know you can commit to! Consider your other time commitments and research the resources available to you before you begin officially studying for the LSAT.
There are several excellent prep books that can teach you the fundamentals of how to tackle the LSAT and real past LSAT exams and quizzes for you to practice with. Invest in good resources to ensure your LSAT prep is as simple and smooth as possible!
As you begin studying for the LSAT, you may feel like you’re improving at a snail’s pace. You may only be able to increase your score by one point in the beginning, and that is still worth celebrating! You should celebrate all of your milestones, even if they seem insignificant at the time.
You’ll have to be your own cheerleader to ensure you keep self-motivated and stick to your study plan. Any improvement gets you closer to your target score, and keeping a positive attitude will make you more inclined to work even harder to reach the big milestones!
When it comes to the LSAT, the biggest stressor is feeling unprepared. You might worry that you haven't studied enough, won't hit your target score, or don't know how to improve your score. But here's the good news: Juris' tutors have your back!
They've all aced the test in the 99th percentile and know the tips and tricks to help you reach your score goal with confidence and ease.
While it may be tempting to spend every moment of your free time studying for the LSAT, you should do your best to make time for the hobbies and passions you had before you began your LSAT prep.
Focusing solely on the LSAT will cause you to burn out and potentially lose interest in studying. Dedicate at least a few hours a week to doing whatever it is that makes you happy! Whether that be working out, painting, reading, or watching a show, give your mind some rest, so it can reset and refresh!
You’ll already spend a lot of time on your own studying for the LSAT. Ensure you don’t completely cut off your friends and family; they can act as great support systems to help motivate you through your LSAT prep.
If you receive a score lower than anticipated, your support system will be even more valuable. They’ll remind you that your potential to be an excellent lawyer isn’t tied to just one score!
The final tip to ensure you have the most stress-free LSAT experience possible is to prioritize your health over the LSAT. There is no reason you should be skipping meals or losing sleep over the LSAT, and doing so will actually prevent your brain from performing at its optimal level.
Be sure to maintain healthy eating and sleeping habits throughout your study prep to feel your best and give your brain the necessary fuel and rest it needs to retain everything you’ve learned!
While some test anxiety is normal for the LSAT, students who have anxiety disorders don’t have to simply fight through the nerves. You can apply for LSAT accommodations for anxiety disorders by completing an LSAC Candidate Form. With these accommodations, you may be able to get more time or breaks.
Please note that you will need to have your disorder corroborated by a qualified professional to receive accommodations.
Experiencing an overwhelming amount of stress while studying for the LSAT can have a negative impact on not only your mental health but also your LSAT performance! By using the tips in this guide, you can have a more positive LSAT experience and an easier time acing the exam!
For any remaining questions about how to handle your LSAT stress, read on to find your answers.
Yes, the LSAT can be extremely stressful. A lot rides on your LSAT score! It’s arguably the most important part of your law school application and will be weighed heavily in the admissions committee’s decision on your candidacy for law school.
Figuring out the best prep materials, study schedule, and strategies to ace the LSAT all factor into the anxiety students feel when completing the LSAT.
There are several ways to overcome LSAT anxiety, but the most effective ways are to:
Incorporate these tips into your LSAT study prep to decrease your stress and increase your productivity!
To maintain LSAT motivation, create a study schedule that allows you to have downtime to pursue your other passions so that your entire life doesn’t revolve around the LSAT. If you only focus on the LSAT, you will not only burn out, but your will to continue studying will dwindle.
You should also remind yourself that your LSAT score doesn’t reflect your worth as a potential law student and should celebrate each milestone! Even the small milestones matter because they mean you’re getting closer to the finish line!
You should give yourself around three months to study for the LSAT to ensure you can fully prepare for the exam without overworking yourself.
The majority of test-takers choose to write the LSAT during the sophomore or junior year of their undergrad. This gives them enough time to retake the LSAT and a much-needed break between their prep periods!
Experiencing an overwhelming amount of stress while studying for the LSAT can have a negative impact on not only your mental health but also your LSAT performance! By using the tips in this guide, you can have a more positive LSAT experience and an easier time acing the exam!
