I feel so disheartened. I took the lsat first time in April 2025 and got a 157. I stopped and life got ahead of me and I returned end of April this year with full intentions to break into the 160s (aiming for high) and finally apply for law school after watching all my coworkers achieve the same. I’ve been studying for 10 straight weeks between moving apartments and starting a new job and tracking all my hours. Only last week did I dip below my weekly minimum with 4.5 hours. I usually average about 7 each week because I have to take care of work, life, apartment and more, but I think it’s balanced. I just took this PT tonight and feel a little empty. I know I should be celebrating the BR but getting nearly an identical score to my official one after weeks straight of studying is so disheartening. I feel like I keep getting sidetracked by picking the “most attractive wrong answer.” It’s all concentrated in my LR. I want/need to lessen how much of a super splitter I am with my GPA v LSAT. I feel isolated and like my family and partner just don’t get it or are getting fed up with it. This is mostly just a crash out I guess. I’m taking the exam on August 5th and feel scared. I just want to know how people deal with feeling like you’re running out of time and things won’t actually come together? What is this is my limit and there is no aha moment?
4
8 comments
I think part of you may also be psyching yourself out. Clearly you want to hit that mark so badly and surpass what you got last time...I can tell you from experience that the first time I took a full PT I got a 151 I think...I thought I did something spectacular because I could work with it...every drill I took consistently decreased...I was only getting a couple right out of 10-25 questions.... I took the LSAT the first time before I was ready. Primarily, just so that I knew what to expect. I scored a 147 which is SO far from where I wanted to be but I had barely put any effort into it because I was so discouraged. I had never cried so much in my life. This time, I decided I was going to get a little more serious and really try to master some of these. I will tell you that I am scheduled to take the LSAT in august and I haven't mastered anything but I am 100% more confident this time than I was last time. I think you should also refrain from comparing yourself to everyone else who is ahead of you. Their journey is not yours. I also think that while you feel that your significant others or your family just doesn't get it, you have to remember that this isn't about them and they don't have as much skin in the game as you do. Unfortunately, there are going to be so many more hurdles beyond just the LSAT when you get into law school. The stress will be monstrous and the commitment is huge. It might be worth it to have a very calm, level headed conversation with them to explain that you understand that it's frustrating for them to handle you while you're stressed but that this is important to you and that the next 3 years are going to be even harder. Set the expectation up front so that they understand that in the end it will be worth it but the journey to get there is likely to be a rough road. They love you and they will understand. After all, if it were easy, everyone would do it...Right?
@AleciaBarrett thanks for such a thoughtful response. It’s interesting you mention confidence because I swear when I feel “worse” taking a PT they end up being my best scores. I think it’s got to be what you said: I am psyching myself out too much. I am going to take a deep look at these attractive wrong answers and dedicate even more time to the error log. In a much calmer state, I know my family/partner love me and are here for me, I think they just hate to see me get so discouraged. It’s weird how much THEY believe in me, when like you said, I am not giving myself that same energy. This was helpful thank you so much.
I totally hear you. It's tough putting in this much time, effort, and reorienting yourself and your life to a big goal that you feel like or know that it's achievable. That is only compounded when it feels like people you know and care about don't get what you're trying to do.
I'm a similar position in that I started studying in July '25 with the goal of me entering law school this cycle. I even hit my "goal score" and was accepted into a law school. I opted to not go and subject myself to another cycle of studying so that I can both get a better score and get my applications in earlier (I applied in March '26).
Its not easy to both feel like you're sisyphus pushing up the boulder up a hill for eternity, burning yourself on both ends of the candle, while other elements of your life feel like they're downplaying what you're setting out to achieve.
I think it's worth scheduling some time with yourself to fully work out scenarios where you ask yourself the question "what if I don't meet my goal for this cycle?" No one can tell you what you're red lines are, what indicators you're using to make the call, and you of course know your life better than anyone talking to you online. However, you're setting out to go to law school and presumably be a lawyer which means that you should evaluate the multiple outcomes and directions you have in front of you.
Many people (most people?) end up studying for longer than the timeline you've given yourself to give themselves time to get their "good enough" score. I'd like to also emphasize from personal experience that your goal is likely not just to get into a school but a school you both want to go to and with less debt rather than more.
Regardless of what you set your red lines to be to make one call or another, giving yourself time to do this will help you when you're met with people who raise doubts or questions or when you compare yourself to others. Pushing down your feelings and thoughts only make them bubble up more and oftentimes in a time or manner that you'd rather not.
Hopefully this is coherent enough and connects with what you're dealing with. If you'd like to talk anything out or have any questions about the lsat or just how I've dealt with things to give you a different perspective, feel free to message me.
@Adam this was definitely very coherent and very kind. It’s funny you mention evaluating from all directions as I just wrote a personal statement about this. I think it’s hard because I am having those conversation with myself about letting go of certain goals because they may not align with others, ie a T20 versus less debt and becoming a lawyer sooner. I appreciate you taking the time to write this in. My family and friends and partner do support me, I think they worry about how hard I’ve been on myself through this though. Thank you again.
Yeah. Maybe support wasn't the right word but in terms of how I've heard from people who care about me, they have have concerns about how much I'm throwing myself into all of it, especially considering the LSAT is "just" the test to get into law school. Sometimes, at least for me, it'd be nicer just to hear people tell me to "full send it" rather than give me concern.
@Adam literally this
Thank you for sharing your score. It's great to see someone struggling LSAT like me. I took a LSAT last year in October and it was 151. After studying a year and my PT score reaches 161 in June but I desire 165. I'm also taking the exam this August and is really scared. LSAT is such a time-consuming journey and I'm really grateful to see someone spending a year without reaching the goal like me. Hopefully both of us can get a good score this August.
@VivianSun I definitely understand that but I think a 10 pt PT increase is amazing and youre within the + or - 5 pt range people say to expect going from a pt to an official test!! I think you sound like you’re doing amazing