A lot of people like to talk about speed reading as if it were a competition. Like if you're out on the golf course and your buddy tries to out-drive you on the tee shot. Of if you are in the gym bench pressing and there's always that one guy who loads up the bar and grunts and groans making a big show of his strength. I remember one conversation between two nerdy kind of guys and they were arguing over whose computer had more processing power. That's when a buddy of mine interjected and said, "OK, why don't you just say that you've got a bigger d...!".
You will hear some speed readers brag and say that they can read over 1,000 words a minute or how they finished Tolstoy over breakfast. Truth is that even though it is called speed reading, it is not just the speed that is important. What's more important is the knowledge and assimilation.
For instance, is it possible to speed read a telephone book? Of course, its not like there's a whole lot of subtext behind those addresses and names. However, is it possible to speed read a book by Socrates? Of course, however, you will likely miss out on the underlying meaning and overall depth of his works. Reading some texts is kind of like an iceberg. You might only see 10% of it above water. But there's a mountain of stuff underlying what you read at face value.
What's infinitely more important than reading fast is reading with precision, accuracy, and quick assimilation. If you can read as if you are watching a movie and all the while the gears in your head are turning, constantly questioning the veracity of what is being said, then you are a proficient reader. However, you can read at 2,000 words per minute, but if you only grasp the surface of what is being said, you may be just wasting your time.
So, in my view, the goal of speed reading should be a combination of accuracy, depth, understanding, assimilation AND speed. Don't get too hung up on words per minute. Spend more time exploring the underside of that iceberg.
Every serious speed reader will have tons of books and other paperwork clogging up their drawers, desks, tables, kitchen counters, etc. For this reason you will have to manage your documents with some sort of organizing principles. Check out Electronic Document Management.
The video I am posting here is DEAD WRONG!!!!!!! I am not posting this video to be some sort of pedantic prick. To the contrary, I am posting this video because I do not want people to waste their time on ridiculous ideas. There's a lot of better things to do with your time...like get drunk and party.
What's wrong with this video?
1.) You DON'T need to write the essay on the LSAT. Do you really think law school deans read those essays? They get thousands or even tens of thousands of applications per year. Trust me. I know that at one point, LSAT administrators made some rule that said that if you SKIPPED the essay portion, you would automatically fail. Why would they make this rule? Because the dirty secret is that you really don't have to worry about that section of the exam. You could write about who will man the San Diego Padres bullpen for all they care.
2.) They say in the video that the best majors for law school are English, literature, history, and political science. Do me a favor. Go find a lawyer and run this list by them and carefully stare at the corners of their mouth. If they are sober they will laugh their asses off. This is quite possibly the worst list of majors for a prospective law student.
These majors are bad because they are far too easy and have no practical application. Most liberal arts majors basically party the first 8 weeks of the quarter or semester and cram the last two weeks of the quarter or semester. You won't get away with that crap in law school, I promise you that.
The best majors to prepare for law school are the hard sciences like chemistry, biology, engineering, etc. I know that sounds strange but it's really true. Most science majors excel in law school for one little known reason: laws are basically formulas. You plug facts into the laws and out pops your answer. Liberal arts majors never really seem to grasp that concept for whatever reason.
If you don't want to major in the sciences then I would suggest a rigorous business major, if there is such a thing. Believe it or not, having a sound grasp of business, marketing, and money will come in handy in law school and when you get out into practice. Accounting is another good choice because tax lawyers can make damn good money.
3.) Letters of recommendation. It might be true that you will need to send these in, however even if you have a professor that hates your guts and the letter says that they should not admit you because you are a psychopath who likes to execute small puppies in the biology lab, they won't read it. Any professor will do. Don't worry about if they like you or not. However, most of the time, the letter will be sent by the professor to your law school and not by you.
4.) High GPA. The LSAT is going to weigh in more heavily than your GPA. The reason for this is noted above somewhat. Science majors are hard, and therefore it will be much more difficult to maintain a decent GPA. Whereas if you are an English Major (ironic that this even exists in the USA) you would have to have severe chromosomal damage to come in at anything under 3.9.
***WARNING*** PLEASE DO NOT TAKE BASKET WEAVING CLASSES TO INFLATE YOUR GPA!!!!!!!!*** This is one of the dumbest things you could possibly do. Think about it. If you can't ace Poli Sci 101 in undergrad, do you REALLY think you'll get through Torts in 1L? Think about it. Face it, if you can't hack it in undergrad, then don't bother with law school.
Undergraduate school is kind of like Junior Varsity Basketball and Law School is like the NBA. If you can't play ball with the JV team, don't think you'll be throwing down with Kobe and LeBron. The comparison is very real. The talent level in law school is extremely high. The competition is CUT THROAT. And the work load is incredible.
5.) Think about your reason for going to law school. Wanna earn a lot of money? Well, law school is not for you. Point out to me all the statistics on what lawyers actually make...I don't care. Most attorneys these days are really hurting, and you will be hurting a lot more with a student loan of over $100,000.
