What to Do the Day Before the LSAT
The day before the LSAT often presents significant stress and anxiety to students. It’s normal to feel a lot of jitters the night before. Here are a few suggestions to optimize your day before the test.
1. DO NOT overwork yourself
It’s often the case that students get incredibly nervous the day or night before their LSAT. I advise against taking a prep test the day before. If you get a lower score than what you expect, it may become a cause for panic and an even greater level of stress and anxiety.
I recommend my students to do, at a maximum, a logic game or two, one RC passage, and a few LR questions. It’s even okay to do no LSAT prep at all the day before. The worst thing you can do is to freak yourself out the day before your LSAT and add to your stress. Burnout is ubiquitous among LSAT students.
2. Prepare for LSAT logistics
Make sure you’ve read all the rules and guidelines pertaining to the test day. Review the relevant logistical information from the LSAC website.
Absolutely ensure that you will have a stable Internet connection on the day of your LSAT. It may be advisable to book a private room in a public library if your home Internet connection has a history of disconnecting randomly. You’ve probably read plenty of horror stories on Reddit regarding Internet disconnections.
3. Eat and Drink Well
Make sure you eat healthily and do not skip any meals the day before your LSAT. If you are prone to an upset stomach, avoid foods and drinks that you know may serve as a trigger.
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Drink plenty of fluid during the day to prevent binge drinking prior to going to bed due to thirst. Avoid alcohol at all costs, even if you know that it may help you better fall asleep. The last thing you want is to feel lethargic and groggy the morning after.
4. Relax
Take your mind off the LSAT, if you can. Watch a movie, listen to music, play with your cat, pray, or whatever you know will put your mind at ease. A full-lengthed LSAT is an exhausting exercise, and you should strive to replenish your energy the day before.
A word on anxiety: exercising and walking outside can have a great calming effect on your psyche.
5. Get a good night sleep
Even if your LSAT sitting is in the afternoon or in the evening, it’s imperative that you get a good night’s sleep. If you usually have trouble falling asleep, try waking up early the day before your LSAT so you get tired enough to fall into a deep sleep during the night.
Avoid socializing and having too much screen time either on the computer or on the phone before bedtime. You should also refrain from drinking too much water late in the night so as to avoid having to get up multiple times during the night for washroom breaks.
Concluding Thoughts
Realize that it’s unlikely that one day’s worth of LSAT prep before the test date, no matter how intensive it is, will make a significant contribution to your overall LSAT skill level. It’s much more rational to simply relax and let the chips fall where they may on D-Day.
Jeff Cui
Founder
AoPrep LSAT Tutoring
