Your Eyes

​One topic I’ve wanted to address for a while now is taking care of your eyes. After all, both studying and taking the LSAT requires intense reading. This is especially true in the past few years, since the LSAT has become primarily a digital test. The bright light from our laptops and desktops takes its toll on our eyes. The amount of time people spend in front of screens – especially since the pandemic – compounds these problems.
 
I can tell you from experience both as a student and a teacher that taking care of your eyes makes studying and the whole testing process much more sustainable. Here’s some basic tips that can go a long way:
 
Eye drops
 
From the time I began studying for the LSAT I particularly saw the need to keep my eyes from getting dry. I now regularly have eyedrops at my desk and even in my jacket pockets. It’s worth it. Particularly when we are reading screens, we tend to blink significantly less. As a result, our eyes get dry quicker than normal. This naturally makes us more fatigued and, of course, will factor into our endurance and performance during the tests.
 
Regularly using eyedrops has made a remarkable difference for so many of my students. I do recommend a quality brand, but any basic eyedrop is a start. Certainly have them available while you’re taking practice tests and the exam, though it is really important to regularly use eyedrops because studying for this exam demands so much reading.
 
Shower
 
This one might sound silly, but it makes a tremendous difference when I shower in the morning. A lot of people are tempted to hit the books and get started when they wake up. I respect the commitment, but I’ve noticed a significant difference when I shower beforehand.
 
All that gunk builds up in your eyes can you get wiped away with your face in the shower. I’m much more productive and energized after a morning shower. My hunch is that a good part of it is just having that water in my face.
 
Careful about devices. Watch your screen time.
 
This one is especially important. We are constantly on our devices. Again, this has been compounded because of the new culture after the pandemic as well as the digital format of the LSAT. Seriously, take breaks.
 
There are settings on the iphone and android that prompt you to limit your screen time. This is especially important before taking a pt/exam or starting a study session.
Another helpful feature is dark mode or making the screens darker overall to limit blue light. If you wear glasses, you can get blue light limiting coating added for free at many optometry shops. If you don’t wear glasses, non-prescription blue light glasses are pretty inexpensive and worthwhile for study and exam time.
 
PTs
 
We need to simulate this test as best as we can during practice tests, so you must take PTs in the digital format to replicate the day of the test. But, use this practice to take care of your eyes, give yourself breaks, and have those eyedrops ready.
 
Get your eyes checked. Whether you wear glasses or not!
 
This is very important and I want to emphasize again, whether you wear glasses or not.
 
If you don’t wear glasses, it is still worth regular eye checkups because you never know what might have changed, especially with all the reading and writing that’s done in preparation for this exam.
 
If you do wear glasses, even if your prescription has seemed to stay the same for a number of years, still get regular eye exam. In fact, I would suggest telling them that you’re studying for the LSAT -- that means lots of reading more so than typical college stuff and lots of screen time. Ask them for advice, tell them you want to make sure you’re maximizing taking care of your eyes and you’ve got the optimal prescription.
 
I’ve got a pretty telling story about this one.
 
I’ve worn glasses/contacts since I was a child. My prescription seemed to be the same for a while, particularly when I was studying for the LSAT, so I really thought nothing of it. When I was studying, I did notice getting lots of headaches, particularly during and after practice test. I chalked this up to the fact that there was just so much intense reading.
 
In my mind, these were “LSAT headaches,” And it wasn’t until I asked a teacher how to manage these “LSAT headaches,” Then I got some real perspective.
 
His response was basically this: “‘LSAT headaches?’ What are you talking about? I think you should get your eyes checked!”
 
So I did. I went to a different optometrist and here’s the key, I was proactive in communicating with this optometrist. I explained my prescription’s been about the same for a number of years, but I keep getting these headaches - I’m studying intensely for the LSAT, there’s lots of reading.
 
The optometrists dug deeper and eventually determined that I was actually OVER-prescribed.
 
I remember questioning that thinking - if anything I thought I would be under prescribed because apparently I was not seeing properly.
 
As they explained it, over -prescription is actually pretty common. Whenever we are given our eye prescription, like anything, it’s not perfectly accurate. Doctors are just doing their best to approximate what prescription will best suit our complex needs. Most prescriptions are essentially a guesstimate, usually a very optimal guesstimate, but a guesstimate nonetheless. That leaves gray area, so it’s not uncommon for an optometrist to err on stronger prescriptions as was the case with me.
 
By reducing my prescription within the range that worked for me, it made a tremendous difference and my “LSAT headaches” went away.
 
Don’t get me wrong. The test was still challenging and the PTS we’re still demanding. But it was no longer unduly tiring on my eyes.
 
Let me emphasize, I am not an optometrist. This was simply my experience. Here the key takeaways:
 
Do not take your prescription or lack of prescription for granted as accurate.
Get your regular checkups.
Be proactive and communicate with your eye specialist. Tell them you’re studying for the LSAT.
Tell them if you’ve been getting excessive headaches and ask them to dig deeper if it’s not helping.
 
I regularly share this story with my students because it is really important. Last cycle, I had a student who had the exact same over-prescription situation! Like me, she felt so much better after switching to a slightly lower prescription.
 
I had another student who didn’t realize that she needed glasses. Her prescription was not as intense as others, but she ended up needing glasses for the first time in her whole life, and it made studying for this exam and just life in general much easier for her.
 
Finally, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good in getting your eyes checked. If you don’t have optical insurance, there are many affordable options. Costco, one of my favorite places, has quality optometry at pretty affordable prices. You don’t need a membership to get an eye exam.