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need some motivation....took the lsat twice in 2023 and got 130's. started taking it seriously last august and took the november 2024 lsat and scored a 146 even though i was scoring mid 150's on PT's. i took a break and re started studying this september. scoring 157+ on my PTS. but im fluctuating. some drills and sections are great and others are terrible. i dont know whats not clicking. my confidence dictates my studying. every bad drill and section really crushes my motivation and makes me want to give up. is this not for me? i know im capable and im the only one in control of all of this. but i need some tips on what can really set me up for success. i suffer from bad anxiety, and i feel that it really effects me on the test day. somedays i really want to give up after this long journey that i started in 2023....
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I also struggle with feeling discouraged from fluctuating scores! But keep in mind that you have jumped 20-30 points already since you've begun studying! This is a wonderful accomplishment and a testament to your strength and improvement.
My tutor suggested to me to stimulate testing environment for every PT (if it is possible). This can help with your anxiety by establishing a comfortable routine. For example, if I schedule a virtual exam for 10 AM, then I will wake up at 8 am, eat a hearty breakfast, do some breathing exercises and stretches, and sit down for the exam at 10 AM sharp. I try to schedule bathroom breaks to align with testing day, and I "pack" snacks and water like I would on testing day.
I also heard that beta blockers can really help with testing anxiety too! I would speak with your doctor about it first, but you can add beta blockers to your simulated exams as well.
Wishing you luck on your journey! Law schools appreciate improvement in score, so do not fret just yet!
Also I don't mean to put words in your mouth but, I want to say I support that this is for you 🥹 because why keep going? You want this, and probably will be more passionate than other law school students who didn't suffer a lot throughout their LSAT journey.
I also have to comment again for tips on what I did for my anxiety...
--I wore a cotton mask with lavender oil on test day (or something calming). I did this in undergrad...helped me so much. 🪻
--eating good before the test...I couldn't have any of my favorite snacks ): but eating as healthy as I could the week leading up to test day I felt helped my energy and mood...
--remind myself why I'm doing this...for me its the community I hope to represent as a lawyer...I have my family I look up to and they to me...I know everyone is different...but we gotta hold onto something...even if it seems irrational or naive to some😭.
Just wanted to say (love your username btw) how proud I am to see you push through this...don't let people tell you because of where you started you can't reach where you want to be...you got this. 💙
Since you are in the high 150s (where I believe I'm also at...) I don't know how much these tips will be helpful for you...you probably tried everything and anything. So I apologize if I sounds like a broken record...maybe someone else reading this can find it helpful... 🥲
General tips:
--Studying with others that are supportive of you...yes even though you can study with people (online/in person, sometimes their energy can affect your motivation to continue...so a good and supportive study buddy helped me last this long...
I lead a active Discord study group and its the one thing that helps me stay motivated...
--Taking up curriculum outside 7Sage (I personally liked the Loophole LR book, and the Powerscore LR Bible).
-- taking breaks if you are having a bad day or know you will not learn what you are looking at...
This is your choice but basically if I know I am too tired, I'll cut back difficulty or take the day off because if I cannot learn why I got something wrong for next time...I might as well give myself some self-appreciation and time off...naps, study breaks...etc. I cried many times in my LSAT journey...
-- You are currently doing this but yes, talking about this test and sharing how you feel helps. This journey is lonely and can be super long for a lot of us...so finding the right crowd to just talk about it, kinda tells us that it is gonna be all right...even if our score isn't where we want it to be at the moment.
In my opinion here's what helped me break 130s-140s:
-- really knowing the question types (me mistaken most strongly support with "strengthen" (most support) because I read it too fast literally docked me points for so long.
-- knowing your task for question types... I may not know what exactly I need to do for pseudo-sufficient but for the rest of the question types, I have a better idea of to do for them (I may not know the right answer but that's a totally different issue).
--Reviewing questions I got wrong and really finding ways to remind myself what "silly mistake" I made...I used to just get it wrong, say "oh well", and move on
--recognizing the conclusion, premises, and context/extra info, etc.)
150s-160s:
--saying things out loud when studying with others (repeating what they mean if they are right or repeating what they mean when I don't understand a certain idea) or writing it down.
--Making sure I don't make the same type of mistakes and really hone down on niche logic rules when I see them...I am currently at this stage where I keep making the same mistakes and they consistently hold me back from 160s-170s...If I avoid this, I know I'll break my current plateau...
(example: some answers are right but they are contrapositives of the answer I'm looking for, the contrapositive of "some/few" is "none", etc. of things I know I'll forget on test day because of anxiety or whatever I may go through)
--paying attention to words and saying to myself...huh, something suspicious is going on here...or that's kinda sus for the author to say that...so sometimes actually reading the stimulus first helps...
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If you feel the need to seek accommodations for the exam, there's that option LSAC created to test takers. Because of the nature of this test really impacts the outcome. Many test takers that have ADHD, OCD, vision impairments and the like, they seek these accommodations, though it shouldn't be seen as some sort of special advantage, as I believe it was intended to give people with chronic/extreme anxiety or disabilities a fair shot at this test...🙏
Just keep going. It takes some people 4 months and other people 2 years before they see the scores they want. First go back to the core curriculum and review the question types you keep missing. Use the analytics of 7 sage to pinpoint your weaknesses and focus drilling those questions in the core curriculum. For some question types, improving your conceptual understanding of how to approach that question type could add 5 or 6 points to your score. Just don't give up! You've already made incredible progress and will continue to improve if you keep going. Also, don't worry about having to wait till next cycle to apply. This is your future and its important that you leave nothing on the table with regards to your effort in studying for this exam and the money you can get from schools or the caliber of school you can go to!