by: Yerin Kim, U3, Political Science & Communications
Yep, I took the LSAT without studying. And it went exactly how you’d expect.
It wasn’t my plan to take it cold. I’ve been planning to go to law school since my last year of high school so I’ve been aware of the LSAT. I created my LSAC account in U0. To give you some lore: I originally registered for the LSAT for August 2024. I took my diagnostic in May, bought the Powerscore Bibles, and started taking practice tests once a week.
I faced interruptions due to illness that led me to defer the test to the summer, in 2025. From then I pretty much stopped thinking about it. I took a leave from school, didn’t have much structure, and time started slipping by. As June crept closer, my Powerscore Bibles sat untouched, and my memory of logical reasoning felt sparse.
I knew I should do something, maybe a practice test, but I didn’t. The day of the LSAT came, and still I hadn’t given it any time or thought. My mindset? It can’t be that bad. I wasn’t even sure if law school was still in my plans at that point, so I figured I’d just go for it. I was also at a time in my life where I kind of gave up on a lot of things and wasn’t feeling super passionate about this test like I was previously.
So I took the test online, with no timing issues, and honestly, I didn’t leave feeling horrible. I was like, okay, I think I got a decent amount right (I didn’t use Score Preview btw)
When score release day came, I told myself it didn’t really matter because I hadn’t studied. Still, I was a little optimistic. My score: 149. About ten points lower than my diagnostic and fifteen below my highest practice test.
Taking the LSAT unprepared taught me three things:
1. Don’t take the test without studying. Well obviously.
The test rewards logic, structure, and practice. Once you start learning how the test works, you really can improve significantly and you will do better with some preparation beforehand. And if you’re in a situation like me, know that I regret not doing just one practice section beforehand.
2. Mindset isn’t everything.
I went into the test calm and weirdly confident – probably because I had nothing to lose. For once, I wasn’t anxious, and I honestly thought I did okay. Then I got my score back and realized, mindset alone doesn’t get you far. Optimism can’t replace preparation.
3. A bad score isn’t the end of the world.
You can always retake it – and do better. Seeing my score gave me the reality check I needed to refocus on why I wanted to go to law school in the first place. My break from school and work had made me lose sight of my goals, but getting that 149 reminded me that I still cared. It reignited my motivation to study, not out of pressure, but because I wanted to prove to myself that I could do better.
If you’re a McGill student thinking about the LSAT, know that everyone’s path looks different. We all go where we are meant to go, and just because you didn’t get a 170 it doesn’t mean your life is over. In the end, we can always reset, refresh, and reframe.