Self-study
hi everyone, little back story. Iāve been studying for the LSAT for about 3 1/2 months now. I starting off with drilling and then hopped on to the study plan with my test date sent for June 6. My diagnostic was a 148 back in January, I took one today and got a 145. I feel like all the hard work and time Iāve dedicated has not paid off AT ALL. I do feel like Iām understanding everything while doing the study plan but maybe Iām not applying it well or enough practice???
Please drop any recommendations/encouragement to not want to give up. āļø
6
9 comments
For me, studying for the LSAT felt like learning a new sport where they give you all the theoretical knowledge up front but you can't apply it well enough all at once, you have to go one skill at a time until it becomes muscle memory and then you layer on a new skill. The curriculum throws a LOT of new stuff at you, especially if you weren't really thinking about arguments or rhetoric before. It takes time to process and apply the skills in practice so I think being patient and allowing yourself time to understand what the LSAT is asking is key. It took me something like 7 months to finally "get it" but I went through a lot of ups and downs in my scores during that time. What helped me improve is slowing down, doing less questions but deep diving into the ones I got wrong, and then reviewing the fundamentals using different sources (7sage, powerscore, The Loophole).
My diagnostic was also a 148. The next few tests didn't fair too well for me either: my PT scores dropped and, at best, would fluctuate. What helped me out was thinking about another basketball analogy:
In 2023, the Miami Heat were the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. They made the last half of the play-in tournament, so most would expect the team to be a "happy enough to be here but not good enough to make it far" type of team. Low and behold, they made it out of the play-in tournament with a spot in the play-offs, only to face off against the first-seeded team in the East: the Milwaukee Bucks. Low and behold again, the Heat beat the Bucks, and were able to continue to defy the expectations of the NBA by making it all the way to the NBA Finals. A team that barely made the playoffs made it all the way to the NBA Finals.
The LSAT is a lot like the NBA: preparing for the LSAT and ultimately taking it is a long stretch like an 82 game NBA season, on top of the post season itself (at least that's how I like to think of it). You will inevitably get PT scores that you won't like, just like how teams will lose games. You may even get a real test score that you won't like, just like how some teams will get eliminated in the playoffs or lose the Finals. You feel as if your hard work hasn't paid off, but I argue otherwise: there are steps to success, and losing is still a step forward - even if it doesn't feel like it. The mistakes we make today are lessons and tricks we add to our bags to be more successful down the line.
"If winning means anything to you, it will mean as much as you taking your last breath." - Pat Riley
@LukaDoncicForMVP this definitely motivated me. I think this is great advice for everyone who reads! We got this!
@marchagu To just add on to everything I said, I definitely think there's some things you could try that helped me get out of the 150s and low 160s rut.
Focus on drilling LR and do at least one RC passage whenever you study.
When NBA players practice, playing practice games will only get them so far. Same thing applies with the LSAT: practice tests are important as a measuring tool to see where you are at in your studies. However, practice tests are not panaceas that will increase your score. Too many will burn you out and achieve the opposite intended effect.
When you get hurt on the court, playing one game to sacrifice a dozen more isn't worth it. For the LSAT, recognize burn out! If you push through and get by one day of studying just to not do well for the next week or two, it obviously wouldn't have been worth it. Rest is important, almost as important as the days you do put in the work.
Here's where basketball and the LSAT sort of separate from each other (at least for me): less is more! Steph Curry may put up a thousand three point shots a day whenever he trains, but if he attempts 1000 LR questions a day, he may as well be answering them with a blindfold on. I found the most progress doing some LR drills and RC passages rather than doing multiple sections and practice tests. I will not argue a causal relationship here, but I will say that "less is more" deserves some due consideration.
Whenever I play basketball, if I go into any game thinking I'm going to do bad or go into it without confidence, I will play bad. So how about for the LSAT? If I go into studying, a practice test, or the real test with a bad mindset and psyching myself out, it probably won't end well. I'm not saying this is you, but if you do find yourself having a bad day (maybe because of the LSAT), then you gotta sit on the bench, do something that you enjoy or relaxes you, and then go back into it with a stronger mind.
I really hope this helps and I'm always here if you ever need support!
I completely get how you feel b/c I was in the exact same boat almost a year prior. I had a diagnostic of 147, and after ~2-3 months of studying (going thru the core curriculum and all), my PT was like a 145 too. I would say I've improved since then, and it all came down to just drilling more + reviewing fundamentals over time, espc since it takes time for the material to be ingrained. I believe you'll see results if you're patient with the process!
@Nathanng thank you for your advice!
Hello! Have you finished the core curriculum? Grammar is also a big thing for this test. The core curriculum has a good section that covers basic grammar that has helped me with the arguments.
@AdamLaw I have not, I actually just skimmed through the grammar area of the core curriculum. I will definitely go back and finish it. Thank you!
Hang in there! You are not alone, I'm actually in the exact same position! Looking for some tips as well smh