Self-study
So I have been studying now for nearly... 5 months. I work full time at a law firm and have other life obligations so I typically can only get in 2-3 hours a day, but it has been working for me, I thought. I did all of the curriculum, the whole thing. And then just drilling, sections, PTs every other week or so when I can but at LEAST every month. And it seemed to be working. I started at 153 and every PT I climbed 2 points, so I was like okay.. This is working. I took my official test in April and got a 164, which I was quite happy with.
But, I want to shoot higher, I signed up for June. At first I thought I was ready for this. Started getting some of my best scores yet after taking a week off after the April test, getting -1s, -3s on sections and such, felt good. And then.. A -8, a fluke I tell myself. A -12 in RC, uh oh... My first PT since my official take I got a 162, BUT I got lucky that the section I absolutely tanked, an RC section with another staggering -12.. was the exp. So I lucked out hard. Even still, my Blind Review plummeted, from an upward trend up to 176 down to 168.
I feel like I am stalling out. Fortunately I have signed up for a tutor and am excited for the help but I am worried if I... capped out somehow. Like, am I wasting my time and resources trying to attain a 171+? Is this just the best I can do in a timed setting? Even today, I get back to it and I just hit my averages, -7s and -6s are a constant for me, maybe that is just where I cap at on a normal day? Ugh.
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7 comments
To rest is not only to stop studying. It means to feel the pressure of the test ease off when you're away. It could also be that your body and mind are reaching capacity. How's your full-time job? Most jobs have "seasons" of work. We're not machines, so compartmentalizing "work" from "LSAT studying" is conceptually possible but not physically possible-- you're using your body and mind for both. Burnout is often the results of our efforts not leading the expected outcomes. I'd recommend taking some time off from everything-- LSAT, work, any other duties, and really sit with the weight of your expectations. Our prefrontal cortex can only handle so much.
@sol_chan very sage advice
could be burnout, you may need some more rest
@RajJMahtani Thanks - I have seen this comment a few times. And yeah that may be the case. But I took a week off after my first test, I thought that would be enough. I also only study like 1-3 hours a day so I guess I just did not think it would be that bad.
Still, perhaps you guys are right. I already signed up for June so I gotta give this my all but maybe after June I can take two weeks off to just relax a bit Thanks for the comment and kind thoughts.
@LegallyMinded anytime, but if you still feel stalled, maybe reschedule for August
It might be worth looking at how recent the sections and PTs you’re doing - I didn’t realize most of my PTs were pretty old. Prioritise PTs above 150 and see how you do, as they will likely be more representative of the June LSAT. but give yourself a few days off first!
If your BR is at 176 and only with 5 months of study you definitely are not capped out at all. I really think it just takes time to close that real score-blind review gap. But let’s say in some hypothetical world you somehow capped out, again that would be crazy, but you’d probably apply this coming fall anyway which is months away. You might as well try to keep studying and score better over these next 4 months rather than simply waiting to apply.