Tuition-free undergraduate degrees

I am struggling to find jobs or even internships as a data science masters student. It doesn't help that I am a biology graduate and it feels near impossible to compete with younger people who already have 4 years of undergraduate statistics or computer science under their belt and my masters is only supposed to be a year and a half. I feel so ill prepared for this, I feel like my school should not have even let me into the program.
But I AM trying my hardest to catch up. It is hard to get into an internship since they always specify you have to return to school after completing and with my masters only a year and a half long, plus, time i need to learn/catch up and apply, the time frame is hell for me. I have to learn some web dev stuff as part of my courses too so I am looking into web dev jobs too as well as data analytics jobs.
So, my question is that for those who are or were in the same position as me, or those of you who transitioned form other careers to data analytics or web dev, what did you do before? What kind of jobs have lower entry requirements while giving you relevant and/or transferable skills? Right now, I am looking into part time bank tellers jobs and cashier jobs so far. I still have one more semester left after this summer to complete my degree.

I am struggling to find jobs or even internships as a data science masters student. It doesn't help that I am a biology graduate and it feels near impossible to compete with younger people who already have 4 years of undergraduate statistics or computer science under their belt and my masters is only supposed to be a year and a half. I feel so ill prepared for this, I feel like my school should not have even let me into the program.
But I AM trying my hardest to catch up. It is hard to get into an internship since they always specify you have to return to school after completing and with my masters only a year and a half long, plus, time i need to learn/catch up and apply, the time frame is hell for me. I have to learn some web dev stuff as part of my courses too so I am looking into web dev jobs too as well as data analytics jobs.
So, my question is that for those who are or were in the same position as me, or those of you who transitioned form other careers to data analytics or web dev, what did you do before? What kind of jobs have lower entry requirements while giving you relevant and/or transferable skills? Right now, I am looking into part time bank tellers jobs and cashier jobs so far. I still have one more semester left after this summer to complete my degree.

I am struggling to find jobs or even internships as a data science masters student. It doesn't help that I am a biology graduate and it feels near impossible to compete with younger people who already have 4 years of undergraduate statistics or computer science under their belt and my masters is only supposed to be a year and a half. I feel so ill prepared for this, I feel like my school should not have even let me into the program.
But I AM trying my hardest to catch up. It is hard to get into an internship since they always specify you have to return to school after completing and with my masters only a year and a half long, plus, time i need to learn/catch up and apply, the time frame is hell for me. I have to learn some web dev stuff as part of my courses too so I am looking into web dev jobs too as well as data analytics jobs.
So, my question is that for those who are or were in the same position as me, or those of you who transitioned form other careers to data analytics or web dev, what did you do before? What kind of jobs have lower entry requirements while giving you relevant and/or transferable skills? Right now, I am looking into part time bank tellers jobs and cashier jobs so far. I still have one more semester left after this summer to complete my degree.

Does anyone happen to know anything about the eligibility requirements for being a head teacher?
I found the following:
“To be eligible for consideration for one of the above head teacher positions an applicant must:
-​hold tertiary qualifications including a degree with a major study pattern in the subject/teaching area and secondary teaching methodology in this subject/teaching area; and
-​be accredited to teach the subject/teaching area.”
I have an undergraduate degree in engineering and a master of teaching where I did the methodology for math and science and have the codes to teach chemistry, math and physics, but have worked mainly as a math teacher.
Does this mean I’m not eligible to become a head teacher as I don’t have a ‘major’ in math? I’d probably guess I’d done an equivalent amount of both math and physics as a major, but from memory most of my courses were labeled as engineering courses on my transcript (even if they were the exact same course as a course labeled math or science)
How would I figure this out?
Thanks for any insights.

I am interested in pursuing a Master’s in interior design in the future but my undergraduate isn’t in interior design, however it is related.
I am finishing up my bachelors degree in Family Consumer Science Education, aka I will be certified to teach the following high school electives: Principles of Architecture & Construction, Interior Design 1, Advanced Interior Design, and Practicum in Interior Design. Therefor, I’m responsible for teaching students and keeping up with programs like AutoCad and Revit. FCSE majors are required to take a few classes with ID majors, and I also started out my undergraduate in interior design but switched to FCSE my junior year, so I do have a few classes and some experience under my belt. I am hoping to teach for a few years and then go back to school to possibly pursue a Masters in Interior Design. I understand many masters programs require a bachelor’s in interior design, but would teaching experience be an alternative?

Hello. I'm an international A level student in Malasyia. I gave my AS level exam in Oct 2023 and result came in January 2024. I got 3 Ds. My dream university is UTM. They require 2 A and 1 B for AS result to get in. I couldn't apply due to my AS results being super bad. I'm giving both A2 and AS together this may june and result will come out in August. Due to certain circumstances I couldn't study well for these exams, and I'll definitely fail in all of them. So I'm preparing for retaking in Oct 2024, and the result will be out in January 2025.
UTM has 2 intakes for undergraduate degrees. February 2025 intake which registration starts from August to November 2024. March to June for September 2025 intake.
My question is if I give a levels in october 2024 and result come out in January 2025, How do I apply for February 2025 intake?
Please help me. I really wanna get in, in the February intake. I'll be behind a lot in life if I start from September 2025. Ik it's my fault for not studying enough. I'm sorry. But please if you have any advices, I'd really appreciate it.

Hello. I'm an international A level student in Malasyia. I gave my AS level exam in Oct 2023 and result came in January 2024. I got 3 Ds. My dream university is UTM. They require 2 A and 1 B for AS result to get in. I couldn't apply due to my AS results being super bad. I'm giving both A2 and AS together this may june and result will come out in August. Due to certain circumstances I couldn't study well for these exams, and I'll definitely fail in all of them. So I'm preparing for retaking in Oct 2024, and the result will be out in January 2025.
UTM has 2 intakes for undergraduate degrees. February 2025 intake which registration starts from August to November 2024. March to June for September 2025 intake.
My question is if I give a levels in october 2024 and result come out in January 2025, How do I apply for February 2025 intake?
Please help me. I really wanna get in, in the February intake. I'll be behind a lot in life if I start from September 2025. Ik it's my fault for not studying enough. I'm sorry. But please if you have any advices, I'd really appreciate it.

The degree is in an un undergraduate called Interdisciplinary Studies
This is how my college describes it :
Are you still wondering, “what is interdisciplinary studies?” The answer is simple at ASU: It’s whatever you make it. Depending on your career aspirations, you can take classes in biology, psychology, history, philosophy, mathematics — or whatever suits your needs and interests.
Is it possible to do course in these fields and bed able to master in architecture
P.S.Those are the main course they have there but they do have some design and other arts things

Hi guys. I’m just starting to look for a full time job as I’m halfway through my undergraduate degree as I’d like to work full time and do school part time and I was wondering if you guys have any tips and things to consider for interviews and job hunting in general. Doesn’t have to be biotech specific. Would love to learn from your wisdom.

I purchased my macbook in 2020 at the beginning of my undergraduate degree and have used it almost everyday since. It has worked great, but in the last month or two I have noticed some problemos.
I used to close my macbook lid and it would sleep, and hold charge (unplugged). Now when I close the lid, it does not sleep (my screen time shows that I am on my laptop when im not). I wake up and go to work to find my laptop battery is drained to 0… it could be at 100% the night prior.
Weirder, now when I close the lid of my laptop, the clock stops. And when reopened, it displays the time at which it was last opened.
I have limited applications and downloads. Lots of files from my university studies, I had tried downloading a free version (bootlegged) of graph pad to help with new job. But soon deleted because it did not function.
I have tried trouble shooting using advice from reddit and such to no resolve. If any advice as to what this could be?? Malware? Virus? Please comment. I do not have money to buy a new mac and this one has been so reliable for me over the past 4 years of constant usage!! Thanks.

Hey everyone,
Well, I have a very odd concern (even though I'm a Ph.D student at the moment). I've recently been going through a lot of my records for an upcoming internship and I'm worried I may have only sent the transcript from the last high school I graduated from in this case, rather than all of them.
For some context, I initially "attended" (this will be in quotes for a reason) the public high school in the area. I was only there for 3 days that consisted of no classes at all. Rather, it was an orientation of sorts so the would-be freshmen could get used to the high school, rules, and its layout. I never completed any classes before my parents found a high school in a pinch.
The following high school I only attended for a quarter of the year (before I moved onto the final high school I would graduate from 3.75 years down the road). I got my old high transcript recently just in case it was necessary for future employment and I see my grades under the first quarter were listed as "NA" in this case. My guess is they probably treated it like how colleges transfer grades (where previous institution grades don't count towards GPA). No big deal on its own.
The only thing I'm concerned about is whether I submitted the old transcript from the high school where I attended for a quarter to my undergraduate colleges at all. Folks can probably tell by this post that I'm an extremely anxious person so I let my parents handle applications and paperwork (since both of those give me the most anxiety). This non ironically makes more anxious as an adult since I never knew what I took out in loans in undergrad until I applied to graduate school and had to consider my debt totals and whatnot (feel free to see one of my older posts where I list all of my neurodivergent, mental, and recent sleep apnea diagnosis).
I am also worried about what could happen if those grades from the high school I attended were uncharacteristically low at all. Long story short, that high school I attended for a quarter had what my father aptly described as "monitored home school" and I abused the retake system they had in place by not doing well on my first attempt, memorizing the answers they reused, and retaking it again. I wonder sometimes if they picked up on that and my grades were knocked down at all.
What could happen if this mistake is the case at all? What could happen to my degrees up until this point since I'm now in a Ph.D program?

So I’ve been going round and round with Deakin advisers, with conflicting pieces of information … was hoping someone could clarify..
I’m currently doing Grad Cert of Diabetes Ed. Commenced Trimester 1 2024, concluding Trimester 2 2024. (Course is two trimesters only)
As per the GEMSAS guide:
Applicants are eligible for this adjustment (bonus) if, at the time of application (semester 1), they
Have completed and graduated with an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from Deakin University with a minimum of two thirds of their course requirement completed at Deakin University Or
Will be completing an undergraduate or postgraduate degree from Deakin University in the year of application and have completed at least two thirds of their course requirement at Deakin University.
So does this technically mean, because I WILL BE COMPLETING THE COURSE during the application time, I’m eligible?
(It’s tricky because the guide refers to semesters, I’m technical due to finish in Trimester 2)
Pls halllp 🙏🏼

First time applicant. Curious as to how competitive the program is.
Is there a competitive average for it? I'm aware that there is a B grade minimum for the undergraduate degree, but I am not aware of/have not seen a competitive average. I only saw Queens' undergraduate program have official competitive averages listed, not this one.
I meet the minimum B requirement with my humanities degree (from U of C). I do not have direct immigration work experience, but I have volunteered in programs that allowed me to coach newcomers (international students, adult immigrants, refugees, etc.) in Canada with their English conversational skills. Curious what you're application was like (if you've applied before) and if you got in, and what you'd say my chances are like in honesty.
Thanks!

I am about to graduate with an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and a minor in statistics at the University of Washington. I chose not to take physics when I started because I had no interest in grad school at the time. I am now changing my mind. I am debating pursuing an environmental engineering/ an adjacent field master's program and I've found they require at least one physics course. I have had chemistry, biology, and math courses already but I am just nervous about the physics requirement. I have completed an internship in forest engineering and I will be completing one in GIS in September. Does anybody have recommendations for engineering/STEM programs that would be more likely to be flexible with my undergraduate course load/accept my work experience as a substitute? I am flexible with the location.

I (24) graduated with my master's degree in December. I was also admitted to a top 10 doctorate program in my field and set to start this fall. To celebrate, I asked my mom if I could have a graduation/celebration party for these accomplishments at our house. We had a date set and a tentative guest list started.
However, today, my mom out of nowhere said my cousin (18) was on board with having a joint party to celebrate their graduation. I was taken aback because my mom never discussed or mentioned having a joint party with me before this conversation.
For some context, I have a sibling and three step-siblings who I have always felt I had to share everything with. Two of these siblings are my age. For my high school graduation party, I had a joint party with two of my siblings. Although I understand why my parent did it that way, I did not feel like it was my party at all, as a majority of the guests were not there for me. I did not have a party for my undergraduate degree either. I would feel bad if my cousin had to share their graduation party with me because I know how it feels to have to share the spotlight with someone for such a big accomplishment. I have nothing against my cousin at all and do not want them to feel the same way I did. But at the same time, I feel selfish for wanting to have a party all to myself.
My mom thinks I'm being selfish because I won't do this favor for my uncle and have the joint party. I never said not the have the party for my cousin, but to leave me out of it if they do. AITA for not wanting to share a graduation party?

Hey guys,
I am currently a high school student. I live near the GTA and was planning on going to York for their Concurrent Education program. Unfortunately, I did not get into the program, but I got into the undergrad. On the other hand I have also been accepted into U Windsor for the whole concurrent education program. My dilemma is whether I should go to York and apply for teachers college or go to Windsor and do Concurrent there. I want to go to York because it is closer and I feel like I can get more experience to put on my resume here, but I am unsure about the success rate of getting into teachers college and I do not want to be stuck with just an undergraduate degree after the four years. I really need your guys help! Please let me know if York or Windsor is better. Thank you all!

As mentioned in the title, I reached out to my school office, and they refused to provide a letter of requirement completion (even though I already satisfied the degree requirements last quarter) before they confer my undergraduate degree in the very last days of June. I am afraid I won't get my evidence of educational background before the filing deadline. What should I do? Any advice is welcome!

Hello! I am an aspiring student of PolSci for my masters, currently pursuing a degree in anthropology, and my dream school for this program is Leiden University. I will be graduating later this year, predicting a 3.6 GPA by the time I graduate.
I am worried, however, since Leiden is a prestigious school, whether my CGPA is going to cause issues. While my undergraduate university’s ranking is not the best, I have research experience under two renown professors, I lead a youth-based organisation for feminist justice and education and I have a published paper. While I believe my profile to be competent, I’m wondering whether my university rank (much below 500) and my GPA will pose issues to my application.
If someone already goes to Leiden or has experience in this case, would you be so kind to enlighten me about this situation? Thank you!

Hey everyone! I thought I'd repost this on my new profile (previously u/-Legal-Eagle-) for your reference before it is removed from my old profile. Also, if you find my advice useful, please check out my profile for more advice or tutoring services. Feel free to comment or DM me if you need anything.
With my LSAT and law school admissions journey complete, I wanted to take the time to share my journey and hopefully provide some useful tips along the way. I'm sure you will have heard a lot of what I am about to say a thousand times over, but I thought it might be useful to provide a holistic and comprehensive guide that attempts to bring together some of the best advice that I have picked up throughout this process.
Also, this is meant for anyone and everyone including those who haven't even began to think about the LSAT and those with multiple official exams already under their belt. I am going to use some more specific LSAT jargon meant for those with some familiarity with the test, but there will be many general tips for everyone scattered throughout.
I would like to preface by saying that this is largely based on my own personal experience self-studying, tutoring, and working with others. Please consult with many different sources and do your due diligence as you consider each tip I provide. Without further ado, here is my humble attempt at a guide to the LSAT.
When I first began the LSAT grind, I scored in the low 150s on my diagnostic exam, and while this was disheartening at first, I eventually achieved an official exam score of 174 after approximately 5 months of studying. Since I self-studied for the large majority of my journey, I found myself running into various obstacles and having to continuously refine my roadmap to success. Rather than go through the same process of trial and error that I went through, here is the roadmap outline that I would follow if I were to start all over again from blind diagnostic to test day success:
1. Start with a BLIND Diagnostic Exam:
While this might seem quite obvious to the more experienced of you, many beginners, including myself at the start of this process, do not know where to begin and might be stuck in a paradox of choice. The best way to get started is to take a completely blind practice exam. Try not to expose yourself to any LSAT study materials beforehand and go into the diagnostic exam knowing as little about the exam as possible. You might be tempted to study beforehand to avoid the disappointment of a low diagnostic score, but you must resist this temptation to avoid any misguided preconceptions or bad habits. Through this diagnostic, you will be able to truly identify your foundational strengths and weaknesses which you could and should revisit throughout your studying journey.
2. Decide on your plan of attack:
A mistake that many beginners make after deciding to take the LSAT is jumping into studying without having a structured and thoughtful plan, leading to inefficiencies, lack of focus, and inconsistency. One of the most important factors of success on this exam is the formation of good habits, and you cannot form good habits without a consistent, efficient, and disciplined study plan. There is no one size fits all approach to studying for this exam. However, here are some questions you should ask yourself to find the right plan for you:
What is your goal score? Your answer to this question depends on your long-term goals. Research which law schools would be most suitable for you based on their location, employment data, faculty, administration, student groups, journals, etc. After you put together a tentative list of law schools, look up what their median GPA and median LSAT is for their most recent enrolled class. If your undergraduate GPA (and law schools mainly care about your undergraduate GPA, so do not include any further education) is below their median GPA, then you should probably aim to surpass their median LSAT by at least a few points. However, if your undergraduate GPA is at or above their median GPA, then you should still aim to surpass their median LSAT, but you will still be in a strong position if you score at their median LSAT. After this research, you should have a goal score range by which you can gauge your progress and adjust your studying.
What is your timeline for taking the exam? Setting a timeline for your studying is important to staying focused and disciplined. Decide on which official exam you will be sitting for and then make a study schedule that allows for at least 150-300 hours of studying leading up to the exam. For example, if you are planning to take the August exam, you have approximately 13 weeks to study. Hence, you should dedicate yourself to studying 15-25 hours per week until the exam. Of course, the number of total hours you study depends on your diagnostic score and your goal score, as well as how quickly you progress while studying. If you find that halfway through your study schedule, your score has not substantially improved or you still have to make significant progress to reach your goal score, you may decide to ramp up your study time to 30 hours per week. The most important step here is that you commit to consistent study time, and that you remain flexible as you gauge your progress throughout the journey.
What learning styles/mediums work best for you? This is a matter of both preference and accessibility. Not all learning resources are equally available to everyone. However, many learning programs and materials are becoming increasingly affordable, giving everyone at least some choice in their method of study. Most importantly, you should do research into what your options are and weigh them accordingly. There are a variety of LSAT books available both new and used including but not limited to the LSAT Trainer, the Loophole, and the PowerScore Bibles. Of course, using a book requires a higher degree of discipline and self-accountability. On the other hand, there are a variety of online programs as well which provide a similarly structured curriculum and will even integrate your personal study schedule such as 7Sage and the LSAT Demon. You may even be able to find a relatively inexpensive tutor through Reddit or Wyzant if you require a bit more external accountability or a more personalized approach.
Lastly, what study methods are most effective for you? Everyone should incorporate a mix of foundational concepts, drilling, and practice in their studying, but it's important to recognize which method is most effective for you. Perhaps you find taking PTs (practice tests) garner the greatest score increases. Hence, you should dedicate more study time to taking PTs. Throughout your journey, you should constantly be aware of which study methods are most effective and adjust accordingly.
Once you have definitively answered these questions, you will have prepared yourself to optimize your study time and decrease your exam anxiety. Those preparing for the LSAT might be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content and their limited timeline, but, by crafting a practical and efficient study plan, you won’t be inundated with content and will be assured that you are making the best use of your time.
3. Learn the Material:
Now that you’ve set yourself up for success, it’s time to actually sit down and do the work. In the following, I’ll outline some of what I found to be the most important strategies and concepts for each section of the exam:
Logical Reasoning:
Logical Reasoning is the core of the LSAT. The lessons learned from this section are essential throughout the exam and need to be learned inside and out. To succeed in this section, you need to learn the language of the test makers, argumentation. Every question contains an argument, and you need to be able to translate those arguments by learning to identify their building blocks: background information, premises, sub-conclusions, and conclusions. Once you’re fluent in argumentation, every stimulus becomes substantially easier to simplify and understand. Second, your argumentation toolbox is not complete without the ability to identify flaws in argumentation. A large proportion of the arguments put forward in LR questions are not foolproof, in fact, some of them are really bad. Additionally, these arguments are only flawed in a limited number of ways, and you need to be able to identify each of the fallacies that the test makers have at their disposal such as ad hominem, causation, and circular reasoning flaws. The ability to identify these flaws will allow you to answer the majority of questions on the exam since, by knowing the flaw, you will be better able to attack it, resolve it, or point it out. Last, but not least, know your question types. There are only a limited number of question types that the test makers will put forward and you can easily look up what these question types are. For each question type, you should have a unique approach and understand what reoccurring signals to look for in the stimulus and answer choices. While I won’t repeat this for the other sections, this is true of every section.
Reading Comprehension:
You will hear from many people that reading comprehension is the hardest section to learn, and this is true in some sense. Success in this section relies on skills that are developed throughout one’s education. However, there are many strategies that can boost your performance and bolster your skills. Developing a reliable shorthand/note-taking system is a priority when learning this section. A shorthand system can reduce the time you spend on questions and also allow you to better retain crucial details. Your system depends on your preferences, strengths, and weaknesses, and discovering your approach will require some trial and error as you test different note-taking strategies. For me, I would write a very short (4-5 words) summary of each paragraph as I finished reading it. I would also utilize the LSAC interface’s highlighters to color code different components of the passage’s argument (e.g., orange = conclusion/main idea). This system was designed in order for me to easily distill the most important aspects of the passage and allow me to easily reference the text for smaller details. There’s no way of getting around this next obstacle though and it has to be faced head on: your reading speed. Reading comprehension requires a balance between reading speed and information retention (i.e., the faster you read, the less information you retain and vice versa). However, if you can increase the speed at which you read without sacrificing any information, there is no downside. That is why I’d recommend reading non-LSAT material in your free time through magazines, novels, and newspapers. Of course, this will help you to both increase your reading speed and your reading stamina. Lastly, this next tip that I utilized during every reading comprehension section I took is more focused on your mindset when approaching the section. No matter what the substance of the article, convince yourself mentally that you are incredibly interested in the subject matter. It may be difficult to trick yourself into enjoying some of the drier topics, but simply telling myself that I wanted to know more about the subject and actively asking questions about the material led to increased focus and closer analysis.
Logic Games:
If you are registered for the June LSAT, then this especially applies to you. If you are planning to take the exam at a later date, you will not have a logic games section, but you should still read the following. These skills as well as previously mentioned skills/tips apply across the entire exam and do not exclusively apply to any one section. First, master formal logic. Your mastery over the rules of formal logic and your ability to apply them is the difference between -5 and -0 on logic games. When I say master, I mean that if someone were to wake you up in the middle of the night and ask you to identify the necessary and sufficient condition in ,”I will not go outside unless it is sunny”, you should be able to answer in under five seconds. This will allow you to easily unravel and represent convoluted language in a significantly more understandable and digestible way. Along with this, develop a foolproof diagramming method that does not consume too much time but also is easily understood in a high-pressure environment. Before I had perfected my diagramming, I would often represent rules, game boards, and pieces in a confusing manner which led to me forgetting about certain aspects of the game or misapplying a rule. Your game diagrams should be compact and excessively clear in what they represent. Logic games are already difficult as is so do not make it more difficult by making a confusing diagram. Last but not least, make deductions. I have heard that some people choose to make deductions as they work through the questions, but I found it much easier to make as many deductions as possible before jumping into the questions. At first, I struggled to uncover key inferences which led to wasted time and wrong answers. However, after diagramming a game, I began to move through each rule one by one, and examined how each interacts with the game board as well as every other rule. Another rule of thumb for making inferences is identifying rules in which a game piece repeats (e.g., “A is before B” and “B is before C” both include B) and seeing if you can uncover any resulting conclusions.
These tips are in no way exhaustive, but I hope that they provided a good overview to guide your studying and help you make incremental improvements.
Step 3: PRACTICE
Now that you have learned all of the fundamentals of each section, it’s time to put them to use. After all, learning all of this material is pointless if you can’t apply it on test day. Practice is an essential component of your test preparation for two primary reasons. First, it allows you to develop a standardized routine. When I say routine, I mean every logistical/strategic aspect of the exam including but not limited to your pre-exam preparation, your logic games diagramming method, your reading comprehension note-taking/shorthand method, time management strategies, and more. You should have deliberated upon, tested, and habituated each of these routines prior to your official exam by implementing them during PTs under test-day conditions. The LSAT is already a very stressful exam so you do not want to waste the precious time you have on exam day thinking about how you should annotate a reading comprehension passage, for example, and tinkering with different strategies. No, your strategies should already be tried and true on exam day. Second, if you never practice taking the exam, you will never know where you need to improve. Taking PTs are incredibly important as they allow you to evaluate your progress and signal which concepts, sections, or questions you need to work on or revisit.
Now, how should you practice? There’s no getting around it. You need to take practice exams under simulated official exam conditions. Set a timer for each section, take the required break between sections, and only use the equipment that will be allowed on test day (i.e., authorized computer, water, scrap paper, writing utensils, etc.). This is the only way for you to estimate how you will perform on test day and accustom yourself to the conditions of the official exam. I completed approximately 2-3 practice exams every week leading up to my official exams. It is even better if you save the more recent practice exams for the week or two before your official exam since those are going to be most similar to your exam. However, it is important that you do not just mindlessly take practice exams which leads me to my next point: blind review.
I know, I know, blind review is extremely time consuming and tedious, but it was essential to my success on this exam. If you do not know what blind review is, it is basically when you do not reveal the correct answers of a practice exam after you have completed it, but instead complete the exam over again by checking and revising your answers. At the end of this process, you will have two scores: your actual score and your blind review score. The main reason for this is that you will now be able to see more clearly where your weaknesses lie. If you corrected a previously incorrect answer during blind review, then you likely got it wrong due to the time constraint or testing anxiety rather than a fundamental misunderstanding of the question. If you failed to catch an incorrect answer during blind review, you need to make it your priority to fully understand your error, analyze the question, and then revisit the concept that the question covers.
Once your weaknesses are exposed during blind review, you can target those weaknesses by reviewing the conceptual material and then drilling the question/game/passage type. If you do not know what I mean by drilling, I mean that you can create and complete custom problem sets that focus on your weakness until you have addressed the weakness.
Step 4: Profit
Now it is time to take your official exam. First, you have to register for the exam and decide on whether you will take it in-person or online. There are benefits and drawbacks to each and you have to decide based on your personal circumstances. For the online format, you are going to need a very quiet room with a strong internet connection. You will need to remove all prohibited material from this room including books, posters, electronics, etc. Additionally, the online proctoring system can be quite a hassle and very finicky. It requires you to download a program prior to test day and then share your screen, video, and audio with a remote proctor. Proctors may interrupt your exam due to compliance issues (e.g., your face is not in full view). Additionally, there is a small but nonzero chance that your exam is placed under review due to suspected noncompliant activity during your exam period and possibly even canceled as a result of said review. However, there are obvious benefits to online testing. You can take the exam in the comfort of your own home if that is an option for you, and you generally have much more control over your environment. You take the exam on a computer of your choice that you are comfortable with. You use your own scrap paper and writing utensils. For the in-person format, there is little to no preparation required beforehand except for scheduling an appointment at a nearby test center and bringing a valid ID. You will be ushered into an office-like room filled with a number of small cubicles. In each cubicle, there will be a desktop with a monitor, mechanical keyboard, and mouse. There will be a pair of noise-canceling headphones, and you will also be given a booklet of scrap paper and writing utensils. A very compelling benefit of the in-person exam is that your exam is much less likely to be placed under review/canceled for suspicious activity. Your test session isn’t recorded and you do not have to connect with a remote proctor. You will not have to worry about the internet connection or whether or not your test-taking equipment is prohibited or not. Basically all you have to do is show up and take the exam. However, there are definitely drawbacks to the in-person exam as well. You will be in a new environment that you are unfamiliar with. There will be the noise of the other test takers in the room with you typing on keyboards, clicking their mouse, coughing, sneezing, leaving/entering the room, etc. There are definitely inconsistencies between the testing centers as well. Some minor, but noticeable issues that I experienced during my in-person exam included audible conversations coming from outside of the room, dark orange scrap paper on which I could barely see pencil marks, dull/broken pencils provided by the testing center, and barely functional noise-canceling headphones. Do not expect the testing centers to be a perfect, controlled environment and anticipate issues/annoyances.
Once you’ve registered and exam day has arrived, it's time to do exactly what you practiced. I would not recommend that you make any last-minute changes to your testing routine/strategies. You have put so much work into perfecting your routine, and it would be a shame to throw that away when it really matters. After about 3 hours, you’ll have officially taken the LSAT. Congratulations! Now, it is a waiting game. Despite the exam taking place on a digital platform and being graded instantly, you will still have to wait about a month to receive your results. It is up to you whether you would like to continue studying during this wait depending on how you felt about your exam performance although I would keep any studying very light. Enjoy your well-deserved break.
Step 5: Score Release
You’ve now waited for what feels like forever and you receive the score for your first official exam. If you reached your goal score, congratulations! You have now finished a crucial component of the law school admissions process. You’re not done yet though. It’s time to start thinking about putting together your law school applications (which I may write another guide about soon). If you did not reach your goal score, don’t worry! Appreciate the fact that you are now more familiar with the official exam process and jump right back into studying/practicing again. If you were very close to your goal score, then I would recommend registering for the soonest upcoming exam and focusing on practicing through drills and PTs. If you were quite far away from your goal score, it might be worth evaluating your weakest sections/question types and jumping back into foundational concepts. Whatever you do, DO NOT cancel your first official exam. First, law schools only really care about your highest exam score, so do better on the next one and this one won’t hurt you. Second, you need to have at least one non-canceled score in order to even apply to law school. Let’s say you cancel your first test and then do even worse on your second test, then what? I would only recommend canceling a score if it is not your first exam (and you did not cancel your first exam) and it is lower than one of your other scores (e.g., you scored a 165 on your first exam and then a 162 on your second).
The End!
I know that was a lot. I could probably think of more to write, but you are probably already overwhelmed with information so I’ll leave the rest to you. I want to reiterate that these are all tips that I’ve picked up over my studying journey and I cannot guarantee a score increase based solely on these tips. After all, the most important thing is that you put in the work yourself and do your own due diligence to find what works best for you. If you have read everything up until now, you may be certifiably insane (the mark of a great law student) and thank you so much for considering what I have had to say. Remember that this is just a small part of your journey. Your LSAT score is not only just a single part of your law school applications, but it is an even smaller part of your career in the legal profession. I am not diminishing the importance of the exam, but please maintain a sensible perspective when you are feeling stressed and anxious about the LSAT. Make sure that you maintain a healthy work-life balance, keep pursuing hobbies and interests that you enjoy, and give yourself a break every once in a while. Your mindset and mental health is half the battle. See you in law school!

Hi,
I am an INDIAN international student who graduated from my undergraduate degree program last year and has been on OPT for about 10 months. I have been admitted to a graduate program at a different US Institution.
My F-1 expires this year in August. In order to renew it, do I need to:
A. Completely get a new F-1 visa from India (I-20, Biometrics Appointment, Visa Interview)
OR
B. Get a DropBox appointment in India with an Interview waiver?
Which of these processes is faster and is recommended? Are there any other resources I should be aware of?