If you’ve hit a score plateau, you might feel like you’re spinning your wheels—stuck in place despite your best attempts to make forward progress. How do you regain traction? This week, Nathan and Ben advise a discouraged student to ease up on the gas pedal and take it one question at a time. Later, the guys address the problem of tuition inflation in higher education. They frame law school as a trade school. And they tackle a Necessary Assumption question from PrepTest 135.

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2:39 - Stuck in a Plateau - Ben and Nathan guide listener Michael away from untimed practice tests and suggest a better way to review his mistakes.

14:48 - $81,000 Tuition - The guys shake their heads at Cornell Law School’s astronomical tuition.

24:03 - Student Loan Forgiveness - According to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, “the CBO estimates that a quarter of new student debt issued next year—$22.1 billion—will get written off.” Nathan and Ben consider the failures of the student loan system and suggest ways to reign in the cost of higher education.

39:59 - Law Is a Trade - Listener Ben seeks a steady job in the law. The guys advise Ben to rethink his motivation for pursuing a legal career.

45:49 - Logical Reasoning: Necessary Assumption - The guys attempt a Necessary Assumption question from PrepTest 135. Try the question yourself. Then, listen to Ben and Nathan’s explanation.

54:31 - Tips from a Departing Demon - LSAT Demon student Senyo affirms the Demon way: “Read carefully, evaluate the argument (or think about the set of facts) before looking at the actual question, try to predict the answer, take as much time as you need to answer the question, review anything that gives you trouble, and do not move on until you fully understand it.”

56:46 - Word of the Week - The LSAT student was miraculously unfazed by their skirling neighbor.

Ben and Nathan share what they’ve learned from LSAC about whether the exclusion of Logic Games had any impact on test scores this August. The guys also celebrate listeners’ successes on the August LSAT. They react to news of declining URM enrollment at top colleges. And they discuss why LSAT students should consider cutting back on social media.

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0:36 - August LSAT Shoutouts - The guys celebrate listeners’ successes on the August LSAT.

7:45 - Underperforming on Test Day - LSAT Demon student Molly has twice underperformed her practice test scores on the official LSAT. Nathan and Ben instruct Molly to treat future tests like any practice test.

22:17 - August LSAT Scores - LSAC reports that scores for the August 2024 LSAT are in line with scores from previous years.

32:14 - Score Audit - Ben and Nathan advise listener David not to waste money on an LSAT score audit.

39:33 - College Demographics - The guys discuss new demographic data on the first undergraduate class since the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college admissions.

47:29 - Pearls vs. Turds - Is social media hurting your LSAT study?

55:44 - Word of the Week - The library is a common haunt for law students.

LSAT growth comes from thoroughly reviewing your mistakes. But what does a thorough review look like? Ben and Nathan describe their approach and explain why they don’t recommend keeping a wrong answer journal. The guys also compare law school to wizard school. They reject an impatient admissions strategy. And they consider potential risks associated with the military’s Funded Legal Education Program.

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1:31 - Confusing Writing - In a new study, cognitive scientists at MIT explain why legalese is so difficult to understand.

9:13 - Improving in RC - An anonymous listener has been told that they won’t improve much in Reading Comprehension. Ben and Nathan tell Anonymous to ignore the haters.

14:18 - Review - Nathan and Ben advocate a deep review of every mistake. But keeping a wrong answer journal is likely a waste of time.

26:42 - Apply Now or Later? - Is it better to apply early with a subpar LSAT or to apply late with a great LSAT? Ben and Nathan ask: Why pick the lesser of two evils when you can avoid the evil entirely?

34:49 - Comparative RC Passages - The guys outline their approach to comparative passages in Reading Comprehension.

37:28 - JAG and FLEP - An LSAT Demon student warns listeners about potential risks associated with the military’s Funded Legal Education Program.

48:28 - Word of the Week - You can mollify your test anxiety by improving at the test.