Must. Have. Coffee.

For years, I prided myself on not being addicted to anything, and then I had a child. Now I cannot function beyond the cognitive level of a stuffed iguana if I do not have an espresso. In fact, if I do not have this aforementioned elixir within 23 minutes of awaking, I wreck the emotional stability of everyone around me for the entire day. I accept this new reality, blame my son, and plan to quit one day (though my wife will not permit me to attempt any going cold turkey experiments if I am within 200 miles of her or my son—sort of a caffeine restraining order).

To add to my anxiety about coffee, I saw a news report last week stating that excessive coffee drinking makes us much more susceptible to glaucoma. This makes sense—on occasion I have noticed my eye twitches from drinking coffee, making me look like a fish on crack. Being in Denver, where there are more medical marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks (really), if I do get glaucoma, I’ll have a fine reason to visit one of the well-named “pharmacies” near me: ReLeaf, Club Med, 420 Wellness, Grateful Meds… (Honestly, I was just trying to work in a way to list the ridiculous names – here’s a longer list.)

So, I looked up the article, and being an LSAT geek, besides wondering if I should pick up and move 200+ miles from my wife and child during a caffeine-sobering period, I also wondered about the increased risk. Whoever conducted this study (and I hope my tax dollars didn’t pay for it) reports that the “increased risk was on the order of 66 percent.” Now, on my crappy local news, (sorry, Denver 9 News), the reporter seemed to suggest that drinking coffee equals eye death. What do you think?

So, here are some questions for you to chew on (and respond to in the comment bar):

Assuming the study is correct, do you think we can say that you are now more than 50% likely to get glaucoma?

Based on the study, can we say that heavy coffee drinkers are now very susceptible to getting glaucoma?

Similarly, though with different content, think about this argument: People are more likely to pick the number three than any other number when you ask them to “pick a number, one to four” because you have effectively said the numbers one, two (“to”), and four, and so their minds fill in the number three. Therefore, when you ask someone that question, the person is more likely than not to pick three.

I await your responses!

Here are the free LSAT events we’re holding this week.

10/18/12 – New York, NY – Free Trial Class – 6:30-8:30 PM

10/20/12 – Online – Free Trial Class – 1:00-4:00 PM

10/20/12 – New York, NY – Free Proctored LSAT Practice Exam – 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM

10/21/12 – New York, NY – Free Trial Class – 5:30-8:30 PM

Looking for more free events? Check out our Free Events Listings Page.

We hope you’ve had some time to relax since last week’s LSAT! In case you haven’t, we encourage you to take a seat and check out some the top law school features from the week.

Free Webinar from jdMission & Manhattan LSAT Helps You Write Your Way Into Law School (Law School Podcaster)

If you haven’t had the chance yet, be sure to tune into this week’s podcast from Manhattan LSAT and jdMission. We tell you how to write essays that grab the attention of law school admissions committees.

Looking for a Law School to Fit Your Politics? (WSJ Law Blog)

Did you know that you could choose a law school to fit your politics? This week the Wall Street Journal shared which law schools host the most liberal and most conservative students.
Read more

Apply, or Retake in December?

So you woke up at 6:30 Saturday morning, scrambled some eggs, stuffed your wallet, pencils, and passport-size photo into the Ziploc bag you remembered to buy at midnight the night before, and took yourself an LSAT. Congratulations. I hope the rest of your weekend was full of merry celebration, merry relaxation, or both.

Now what?

If you want to take it again… 

If you are concerned you bombed it–or just didn’t do as well as you know you can–and therefore have decided to take it again, check out upcoming in-person and online classes at Manhattan LSAT. And keep an eye out for our FREE Online Review of the October test right after scores are released (on November 8 at 8pm EST). Sign up here.

If you are bidding X –> Y goodbye (for now)…

Now that you’re LSAT-free, it’s time to turn your attention to the rest of your law school applications. Check out the blog at jdMission for all kinds of tips and strategies on applying to law school, from writing your personal statement to getting letters of recommendation. You can also sign up there for a free consultation with an admissions consultant and, for those of you seeking help on personal statements, be sure to register for my FREE Online Personal Statement Writing Workshop on October 23.

Regardless, I hope you are all proud of yourselves for showing up on Saturday and giving it your best. It’s not an easy test or a short day, so give yourselves a big pat on the back for taking on the challenge. Just think–now you have a hundred gallon-size Ziploc bags to last you through the year!

If you were lucky enough to get your hands on the new iPhone5, we know you’re feeling pretty darn cool. Even if you’re just sitting in class or at work with your Mac Book Pro, Tablet, Kindle Fire, or iPad 2, you’re tech-savvy self is still cooler than the dinosaur hovering over a stack of lined-paper and #2 pencil.  With the ability to double as an environmentalist and a speed typist, why would anyone these days opt for the old-school printouts and notebooks to read and write?

Turns out, according to a recent piece from the New York Times, that while it may feel (and look) cool to spend the majority of your waking hours staring at an array of glowing rectangles, old fashioned paper still matters when it comes to being productive and learning new material. Here’s what a few productivity experts, researchers, and CEOs had to say in making the case for print:
Read more

Hearing from a number of students and colleagues who sat for the October 2012 LSAT on Saturday, opinions on the exam’s difficulty seems to be initially

Before you embark on PT overload for the December LSAT, join our free Oct review session

mixed. Consensus seems to be that there were some pretty whacky games on the test, and and usual, we heard complaints about RC.  Some claimed this was an extremely challenging test, while others even through the “e” word (easy) around. This range in opinion is pretty standard in the aftermath of an LSAT.

As is the case for every released LSAT, we’ve got your back. Managing Director of Manhattan LSAT, Noah Teitelbaum, and curriculum developer Dmitry Farber are hosting a free online review of the October 2012 LSAT on Thursday, November 8th from 8-10pm EST**

Join Noah and Dmitry as they deconstruct some of the trickier problems from the exam and give advice on the all important question of whether or not to retake the LSAT in December.

**Note: the last few of these review sessions stretched on long in to the night.

Here are the free LSAT events we’re holding this week.

10/8/12 – Online – Online LSAT Workshop – 8:00-10:00 PM

10/9/12 – Online – Game Intensive Trial Class – 8:00-11:00 PM

10/14/12 – Austin, TX – Free Trial Class – 5:30-8:30 PM

10/14/12 – Santa Clara, CA – Free Trial Class – 1:30-4:30 PM

Looking for more free events? Check out our Free Events Listings Page.

Annnnnnd we’re off! Well, almost. The October LSAT is Saturday, and for those of you wondering how to spend the next few days, here are some tips:

DO get to sleep early—and wake up early—this week. You’re going to have to do it on Saturday, so it’s good to get your body on schedule now.

DON’T go to your buddy’s bachelor party Friday night. He will be fine without you (and maybe better off?).

DO continue to do timed, mixed practice through Thursday.

DON’T work hard on Friday. If the idea of taking the day off to eat cherries while watching reruns of Curb Your Enthusiasm panics you, read over your notes or do a game or two, maybe a few hard logical reasoning questions you’ve done before. But it’s not the day to take a full-length test.

DO get a passport-size photo of yourself this week if you haven’t already. (This is in addition to your identification. See the email you recently received from LSAC for details.)

DON’T dwell on what you wish you’d done differently over the last few months. To do so is a waste of critical energy at this point, and your mind should be focused on…

DO think positively. It’s as true as it is cliché. Listen: someone is going to teach this test who’s boss, and it’s not Tony Danza. It’s you. YOU. I can’t stress this one enough. If you don’t believe you’re going to do your best, you’re less likely to. If you do, you’re more likely to. And if you can see that those two statements are not contrapositives, give yourself a high-five right now, please.

DON’T forget your analogue (big hand, small hand) watch. (Bonus tip: set it to 12 o’clock at the beginning of each section so you can easily track your 35 minutes without arithmetic.)

DO take a snack.

DON’T mistake the LSAT for a mythical tool that measures your self-worth. It’s just a test, y’all. Plus, you have more friends than it, and they’re cooler.

Now go put those red and blue and yellow balls in order like you’ve never put them in order before.