As soon as I was done with my last section for September LSAT, I knew I had messed up. It was one of those tests that something wrong had happened and I had frozen up. That's never good, I remember thinking. As I walked to the car with my boyfriend holding my hand telling me how hard LR section had been, I suddenly stopped him and said, lets not talk - I feel sick.
Cut to three weeks of waiting and I knew there was no way I had performed my average. My average leading up to the test had been a 170 and I knew I had underperformed. I had felt sick but nothing could have prepared me for how I felt. When I saw that email from LSAC my hand started trembling. I opened it and it was a 164. I got up and made tea. I could hear my boyfriend in the study room talking to his friend about how he was still waiting for his score -I didn't know how I was ever going to tell him this.
So I took my tea and went to my room, locked the door from inside, and cried. I cried for an hour and after a lot of insistence opened up the door to let my boyfriend and dog in. Both of whom knew something was wrong and were waiting for me outside.
I cried a lot last night. I had cried not because 164 is a bad score but I had not performed what I had been performing. I cried because I knew I could do better but I had nothing to show for it. I cried because I had expected more from my score and myself and I had taken PT's correctly with a 10 point difference but my score reflected that I wasn't even close to that range. I felt defeated.
But after a long crying session, I got up and said, lets go out and eat dinner and celebrate your high 170 score. Just because I underperformed does not mean we don't get to celebrate your achievement. So I put on a dress and went out to eat. I ordered dessert first before my meal. I got the most decadent chocolate cake that was filled with chocolate moose - and I ate it. I sometimes cried while eating it but I ate it. I wanted to remind myself of this night and how awful it felt.
I wanted to tell my story because I know at least some of us were where I was last night. We were sad and we felt disheartened. I wanted to be honest because there is something healing about honesty. I hope this story helps anyone who feels alone and feels like they let themselves down. You are not alone. I also want to tell you do not be disheartened. Failures are a part of life and life is all about defeating what holds us back. I want to tell you I am here for you. Yesterday, I couldn't' have done this without my boyfriends support. I realize how vital it is and I am grateful I had someone who knows about LSAT - someone who gets it. So if you need to talk or study or just need anything - I am here for you (3. I know how lonely and sad it feels to not meet your expectation and how much that can hurt. It can really hurt. But you are not alone and we will get through this.(/p)
Today, I woke up in the morning at 5:30 am. I had been sleeping till 8 am lately because I had slacked off and I now can no longer afford that. I want to score my average and I will not let LSAT defeat me.
Today, I also set new goals for my LSAT prep that I hope will help me do better in upcoming December test. I plan on doubling down and eradicating anything in my life that does not give me a high return on my LSAT study time. I plan to increase my average to a 175 and up - so if I underperform again, I can still have a high score. I plan on never giving up. More importantly, I plan on being here for everyone who needs me to be there for them.
This thread is for you.
Lots and lots of love,
Sami
72 comments
Michelle Obama was waitlisted at Harvard
Hillary Rodham Clinton failed the Bar Exam
Thomas Edison's teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything
Dr. Seuss had his first book rejected by 27 publishers
The Dyson guy went through 5,126 failed vacuum prototypes
Lady Gaga was dropped by her Record Label after only 3 months & cried so hard she couldn't even talk
Steven Spielberg was rejected by USC School of Cinematic Arts 3 times...
Everyone on this thread who thinks they've failed is in damn good company. All of you have been an inspiration on this site whether you know it or not. You don't realize, but people see your dedication and are silently rooting for you and genuinely believe in your success. Take a few days, cry over a mountain of ben and jerry's, but when you're ready get back in the game because Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Sami, I've worked with you enough to know what you're capable of, and I expect nothing but a great future from you. The journey may be longer than you expected, but I think your destination will ultimately be exactly what you set out to make it. Character is defined not by avoiding disappointments but by how you respond to them when they inevitably arise. Yours will carry you through the disappointment, yours will drive you to do whatever it takes, and yours will prevail.
@yasmink01134 !! :cry: :cry: :cry:
I cried reading this post because I know you are very much capable of achieving 175+.
Let’s crush the December test!! I prayed for your high score, and my prayers always take some time. But it will definitely work for the December test!! lol
I believe in everyone here. Keep at it.
Now that I'm more awake I want to be honest here as well in more depth since that is what this is about.
My original test was the Sept 2016 test. I went into it thinking I could wing it like I have with most test in my life. I walked away with a 157 and my head held low. I took two months off after getting my score and started studying agaain.
This go around I was determined to be as proactive as possible. I was going to put the hours in (300+ this summer) and was going to break the curve. I put my heart and soul into the test as so many of us have done and continue to do. After the test I walked out and remember thinking two things. One was, "why did the logic games seem so damn easy?" The other was "what the heck was the first LR section...I didn't even finish it in time?" After PT'ing at about a 169 average I scored a 163 on this test. It is a 6 point improvement over my first score, but ultimately a disappointment. I got next to no sleep last night because of how sick I felt. I put everything I had into this test and felt like I had the rug pulled from under me.
I tried to keep my optimistic and positive posts up, but I just need to drain everything that's pent up right now. I for the first time truely feel like I might be incapable of getting a high score on this test. I feel like I don't want to retake it again, and I feel like it's time to start looking into a new career choice.
While I will inevitably suck it up, and start the grind again for now I am one defeated Sith Lord....
Thank you for being such a great community.
Hi @klaudiasekul767, at this point, postponing a cycle is just unthinkable due to various circumstances.
I always saw the September LSAT as another PT (and it was a bad PT) and I started studying again two days after the September test. I registered for the December test before taking the September test, so I am definitely retaking in December. I may even take the February test because I may be able to use the score for some schools (negotiating for money etc.)
I plan to apply to schools with the December LSAT score. I will think about what to do if I get rejected from schools I would like to go. I know the employment situation can be tough for foreigners like me if I don’t get into good schools (T-15), and I guess it will be tough even if I get into good schools, but I can’t think about it now. I will continue working hard until the December test. That’s all I can do.
I have big dreams, and I don’t want the LSAT to crush them. While going to law school in the U.S. is still like a pipe dream for me, I don’t want to give up. I can’t give up because I came this far.
7Sage Ultimate+ toppage says:
"If you can dream it, you can do it." - Walt Disney
I love 7Sage so much. I know that if I write this on TLS, people would say I have no chance (or “stay in your own country!” or something).
As someone who is in the exact same boat, and got only about 3 good hours of sleep last night and have to go to work now. Thank you for this...
Hey @pcainti665, I took September 2016 LSAT too and got a mid-150s score and this time (Sep 2017) got a low-160s score. My diagnostic was a low-140s score. Yes, it is 7 point improvement from my previous score and 20 points improvement from my diagnostic, but I was devastated like you because I was hoping for high 160s. The thing is I actually thought I did well. So I got terrified thinking I would never be able to achieve my goal score. I am an international applicant with no reportable GPA, so I have to do well on the LSAT. Today (I received the score on Thursday morning here in Asia), I was starting to think I made a terrible life decision and to reconsider my career choices, and I felt like I would never defeat the LSAT.
But I will take a PT tomorrow (Friday) and BR and will talk to my tutor on Sunday.
I know we will all be great lawyers because we will overcome this.
hashtag: #letscrushdecember
Hi friends,
I just wanted to let y'all know how much I'm appreciating everyone's encouragement and honesty right now. I scored below my ability this September and am pretty disappointed. But no one in my life knows anything about LSAT so I've felt like I have no one to talk to. It's been so helpful for me to be part of this community, to hear your stories, and be in conversation with people who get it.
Thank you all :)
@pcainti665 I felt the same way, that the rug was pulled from under me. I didn't even know where I could go from here. How will I face everyone? How will I face myself? Am I even good enough? Do I even know LSAT? Were all those PT's and averages a lie?
I think its important to drain everything that's pent up. I felt crying for so long last night helped but I think I have cried 3 to 4 times today since the time I have been awake. So take your time. I know you will not let this defeat you. You are capable and your PT scores are proof of that.
Can't Get right once told me that when he first got a low 160 score. He gave up studying. He decided he wasn't cut out for this. But after a month, he came back. And look at him now! Had he given up at 160 or 170 today he wouldn't have that 176.
So take your time and when you are ready know that we are here for you. To study with you and crush this test.
Darth Vader never accepts defeat! (3(/p)
Thank you for the thread. I needed to read this. I got the same score as you after PT-ing at 175+ for the 3 weeks leading up to the exam. I barely slept the night before, I was super nervous and on the final section I just froze up. Up to that point I hadn't guessed on any questions, and then on the last section I guessed on around 10. I knew I bombed it and I cried my eyes out on a bench. I hung up on everyone and didn't talk to a single human being for a week.
Today, I'm back on the LSAT grind. I'll get the score I worked for and I'll go on to become a lawyer. Those days after the exam were probably the worst in my life. I don't want to relive that crushing sense of guilt and disappointment that I felt leaving the test center.
Thanks for writing this! I have been on this site since march, and havent progressed to the tests yet because I am afraid of using them when I am not 100% solid on the core curriculum. I keep going back and starting over :- O . The LSAT is scary when you take it seriously!!
@tristandesinor505 said:
Michelle Obama was waitlisted at Harvard
Hillary Rodham Clinton failed the Bar Exam
Thomas Edison's teachers told him he was too stupid to learn anything
Dr. Seuss had his first book rejected by 27 publishers
The Dyson guy went through 5,126 failed vacuum prototypes
Lady Gaga was dropped by her Record Label after only 3 months & cried so hard she couldn't even talk
Steven Spielberg was rejected by USC School of Cinematic Arts 3 times...
Everyone on this thread who thinks they've failed is in damn good company. All of you have been an inspiration on this site whether you know it or not. You don't realize, but people see your dedication and are silently rooting for you and genuinely believe in your success. Take a few days, cry over a mountain of ben and jerry's, but when you're ready get back in the game because Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
http://gifimage.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/laughing-crying-gif-7.gif
thank youuuuuu
@tristandesinor505 said:
It's extremely encouraging to see the support offered here. I didn't sit for the September test and don't plan on taking the test until June, but something inside me is still feeling a great sense of gratitude right now. So thanks @yasmink01134; thanks for being transparent about how you're feeling, thanks for providing everyone else who feels the way that you do an outlet to share their dejection. More importantly, thanks for staying positive during this time. You're all inspiring, and I will be rooting for all of you, all the way through.
Quick question - how many of you think test day anxiety played a role in the score that you got? And, if it did, how do you plan to addressing that issue?
(3
Thank you for your kind words.(/p)
I just didn't want anyone to feel alone because I know how hard things can be when you don't meet expectations.
I am trying to figure out as well if test day stress had anything to do with this. I usually go pretty fast and at home when I take the test timed that strategy pays me dividends. But my theory is that being nervous and being super aggressive was not a good combination. I made insane amount of mistakes and overlooked a lot of things than I don't think I normally do when I am more relaxed. But its just a hypothesis.
I have already been working on the test by slowing down when I take the new PT's. Also, I think having a higher PT average score would help me. If I can have an average of 175 and up instead of 170, and if I get nervous again, I am hoping having a higher average would mean if I bottom out I can still land in lower 170's.
Let's see what happens. : )
Thank you for posting this. It feels better knowing that there are others in the same boat. This adversity will only make our future successes that much sweeter!!
@elisajelley483 said:
Hi friends,
I just wanted to let y'all know how much I'm appreciating everyone's encouragement and honesty right now. I scored below my ability this September and am pretty disappointed. But no one in my life knows anything about LSAT so I've felt like I have no one to talk to. It's been so helpful for me to be part of this community, to hear your stories, and be in conversation with people who get it.
Thank you all :)
Same here - Really hard to talk to people that just don't get it or think the test is easy. Well, its not easy for me.
I am with you @yasmink01134 !! You are such an inspiration to the community!!
Let us conquer the Dec test!
My original target score was 165. I've studied for YEARS (3) with little improvement. (In part due issues like anxiety) I took the September LSAT and I got a 148. I received a 144 last year and I have been through basically all the practice tests, but I'm not giving up... I'm looking for any help I can get, especially on logical reasoning. I'm not apart of the 7sage community anymore in the sense that I have a paid membership, but l would love to FaceTime/ communicate with those studying for the test. I've self-studied for all this time and I recognize that I have to do things differently. I really wanna hear/see how others who are good at the test and especially LR think about the section. Maybe I can get some tips. Either way, I just wanted to say that Sami's story is inspiring and not unique. We all struggle and we can all overcome! I still believe I can, and you guys shouldn't give up either!
❤️❤️❤️❤️ @yasmink01134 I felt this way after the June test. When I got my score you were so sweet and encouraging. I know you have it in you to keep pushing till you reach your goals. I you know your stuff. Reading your post affirms for me why we need to train for a worst case scenario level accuracy and focus on having a lower range at a level we’ll be happy with. Thanks for sharing your story ❤️
Yeah, Sami you're a beast. You may have gotten less than you aspired, but I'm pretty sure you've had a hand in other test-takers being successful. That may not mean a lot now, but it's very noticeable silver lining.
@tristandesinor505 said:
Hey @pcainti665, I took September 2016 LSAT too and got a mid-150s score and this time (Sep 2017) got a low-160s score. My diagnostic was a low-140s score. Yes, it is 7 point improvement from my previous score and 20 points improvement from my diagnostic, but I was devastated like you because I was hoping for high 160s. The thing is I actually thought I did well. So I got terrified thinking I would never be able to achieve my goal score. I am an international applicant with no reportable GPA, so I have to do well on the LSAT. Today (I received the score on Thursday morning here in Asia), I was starting to think I made a terrible life decision and to reconsider my career choices, and I felt like I would never defeat the LSAT.
But I will take a PT tomorrow (Friday) and BR and will talk to my tutor on Sunday.
I know we will all be great lawyers because we will overcome this.
hashtag: #letscrushdecember
I just did blind review of the Sept test. 180 and it felt easy. I'm at a loss! Only 2 LR questions made me feel a bit shaky but I got them...I'm seriously considering that it might have been nerves (I'm freaking neurotic and obsessive) and the time pressure...
I didn't take the September test, but will be right with you in December @yasmink01134 you're comments and discussions on this forum have helped me and others so much, you are capable of this and you can do it, we believe in you (3(/p)
I'm so sorry, @yasmink01134. You are so capable -- I was really impressed by your ability to understand the test from the LR BR section this last weekend. And, I know you'll kill it on this test because you've put in the work and have a great attitude.
I haven't gotten my score back yet but just wanted to express how moved I am by the posts here. It's incredible how y'all are moving forward and not quitting. I don't know what I'm going to face when I get my score in the coming days but this is puts things into good perspective.
@avetyans588 said:
I am with you @yasmink01134 !! You are such an inspiration to the community!!
Let us conquer the Dec test!
Thank you for your kind words (3.(/p)
And lets do this! December, here I come! :smile: