The LSAT really should come with an instruction manual that says, “Please check your attitude at the door.”  Having the wrong attitude is what made 3/4 of the exam so unbearable to me.  I always complained about the Reading Comprehension (RC) section because of its boring topics or the sometimes ornate writing styles.  This had been my roadblock.  Instead of coming into this section with a positive attitude, I dreaded having to answer questions about a particular reading I did not care for or try to understand.

Last month I worked on this section using the Master the LSAT workbook.  While their tips were somewhat helpful, I still found my mind wandering off and not fully comprehending the RC section.  I read their RC chapter and when it came time to take the RC diagnostic, I threw everything I had learned out the window.  I did not panic.  I simply rushed through the readings and questions, forgetting even the most basic concept of underlining.  I just wanted to get this chapter over with so that I could move on to my favorite chapter of logic games.

After that diagnostic exam, out of 27 RC questions I had gotten fourteen questions right!  That is about 50% correct.  While this may not apply to everyone, but for me a 50% is a big fat FAIL!  I was dismayed.  Had I just wasted 3 hours of my life to get worse at reading comprehension?  Was I wrong in thinking that there was a positive correlation between LSAT score and studying?  What was I doing wrong?

I let this go.  I was a few days away from Spring Break and I would not let this ruin my break.   All of this meant I just had to keep practicing.  A week went by and the RC section went untouched.  Finally, I summoned the courage and took another RC section.  This time instead of getting better, I actually got worse.  Out of 26 questions, I got 12 correct, left four blank, and had 10 wrong.  I went from 50% to 46%.  Once again, I had struck out and my batting average was reaching an all-time low.

RC and I were clearly not on good terms – I needed a break from this smothering relationship.  I needed to find out what was missing and why this was so different from my love of logic games.  Two weeks later, I got an answer.  I got my hands on the bible and the answer came to me.  When I say bible, I am not talking about the religious text, I am talking about the LSAT Reading Comprehension Bible.  The RC bible illuminated my pathway.

The first chapter placed emphasis on the importance of having a positive attitude.  A little skeptical at first, I laughed it off.  The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.  I was letting the test makers get to me and intimidate me.  They purposely choose difficult topics and passages because they know how daunting it can be for nervous test takers.  Test makers are just like pitchers who try to confuse the batters by switching from a fastball to a curveball.  They both capitalize on uncertainty to challenge their opponents.

I decided I needed an attitude check.  I knew I could not go from absolutely hating the section to loving it, but I also knew I had to view it in a somewhat positive way.  This would be a challenge but I knew I could take it.  Hey test makers, throw me a curveball! I approached the exercises in the RC Bible with a positive attitude and I began to look forward to the different topics.

Today I took a practice exam and I got 23 out of 27 questions correct.  Changing my attitude has actually made a HUGE difference.  I had it all wrong at first.  Since I am eager to do the readings, I am actually retaining more information and focusing on the key elements of the passage.  Sure, I do not love reading about pseudomonas fluorescens bacteria, but I actually do not mind it.