11 LSAT Myths (Ep. 500)
On Episode 500 of Thinking LSAT, Ben and Nathan tackle the most pervasive myths surrounding the LSAT, law school, and the legal profession. The core of the Demon philosophy shows up again and again in their myth-busting: read for comprehension, solve each problem, and don’t pay for law school. Study with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 500 on Youtube3:46 - Myth 1: Most Students Pay Full Price to Attend Law School Only about 1 in 5 actually pay full price. Law schools use clever marketing tactics to make full-price tuition seem more common than it is. Ben and Nathan emphasize that this is the number one myth that the Demon dispels.12:31 - Myth 2: You Should Only Take the LSAT Once The advice not to retake the LSAT is outdated. U.S. News no longer factors in multiple LSAT scores, and law schools only care about the highest score. You should plan on using all five of your attempts. 26:09 - Myth 3: Learn the Basics Before Attempting Questions The Demon doesn’t force theory first because it’s dull and counterproductive. By diving into questions first, you build the skills that actually matter—understanding and solving. With the Demon, you get written explanations for every question, thousands of video explanations, and a vast lesson library.35:23 - Myth 4: You Need a Strategy to Manage Timing Many LSAT companies’ advice focuses on unnecessary timing strategies. The guys remind listeners to ignore the clock and instead take one question at a time and solve it. Trying to “manage time” while understanding the test is a losing game. The LSAT rewards careful, critical thinking, not gimmicks. 50:27 - Myth 5: Read the Question Before the Passage Ben and Nate explain that the fundamental skill on the LSAT is understanding what you’re reading. Any distraction from that only makes things more complicated. By focusing on comprehension first, tough questions become more straightforward. The goal is to turn level fives into level ones by fully understanding the passage before worrying about the question.57:58 - Myth 6: You Need to Learn Formal Logic You don’t need to learn formal logic to succeed on the LSAT. Everyday language and basic common sense are enough. The LSAT tests argument understanding, not rule memorization. 1:00:34 - Myth 7: Law is a Lucrative Career Many students assume that a career in law guarantees big paychecks, but the reality is more complicated. Ben and Nathan share an ABA report highlighting an average salary of approximately $170,000, but many lawyers make closer to $70,000. The salary distribution is bimodal, meaning a few big salaries drag up the average. In fact, lawyers report some of the lowest satisfaction levels with the value of their graduate degrees.1:12:06 - Myth 8: You Should Highlight Reading Comprehension and Diagram Logical Reasoning Highlighting and diagramming might seem helpful, but they often become a substitute for actual understanding. Worse, errors in diagramming can throw off comprehension entirely. Focus on understanding the passage, not marking it up.1:15:30 - Myth 9: You Should “Blind Review” After a Practice Test Blind reviewing every question isn’t the most effective method. Instead, identify the ones you missed and retry those. But just because you got it right the second time doesn’t mean you’re done—dig deeper to understand why you missed it in the first place1:18:11 - Myth 10: Drill a Specific Question Type Recognizing question types is a crucial skill on the LSAT, one that is hindered by focusing on only one question type. Instead, rely on the Demon’s choice when drilling. Demon’s choice emphasizes the best approach: reading carefully, thinking critically, and solving the problem at hand. 1:21:44 - Myth 11: You Should Study as Many Hours as You Have Available More hours don’t mean better results. Studying 8 hours a day isn’t the answer—high-quality studying is. One focused hour can be far more effective than grinding away all day with diminishing returns.
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