Crying as I'm typing this. I apologise for my grammar and clarity in advance.

I started studying at around late April. I just finished Uni and had decided to take the summer off to work at my part-time job that gives me very minimal hours and study for the LSAT alongside. I had wanted to take the Sept test and apply this cycle. But here's the thing.

I have ADD/ ADHD and my focus is honestly straight trash. I have the option to take medicine for it but when I do, it doesn't work effectively and it makes me lose all appetite and to be fixated really, really hard on one thing, so that I won't be able to get much done at all and will be frustrated, hungry, tired, and angry at the end of the day.

Throughout my Uni years, I've learned that the more I occupy my day, the more effectively I work and the better my mood is. But now with school being over, and me working anywhere from only 6-9 hours a week, I have the majority of my time free. And when this happens, I tend to waste it, self loathe, and then spend 3 hours a day actually studying for the test. Even during these 3, precious hours, I would stress about how incompetent I am for getting questions wrong, making stupid mistakes, and not being able to figure out how to diagram properly (currently on LG portion of CC). When I realise how much studying time has already passed and how much work I've only accomplished, I get really upset and this carries on to the next day. Then the cycle repeats.

I'm currently already 2 weeks behind on my schedule. I have no idea how I'm going to catch up, where I'm going to find the motivation to even get any work done, how I'm going to be as competent as a lot of you are on this site before test day, and how on earth I would be able to get into my dream school and become a successful lawyer I've dreamt of becoming. I have questioned my temperament and capabilities throughout my journey so far for many times. I asked myself how on earth would someone like me make a good lawyer if I'm not even capable of getting myself together to write one test, and how the hell would I even amount to anything if I don't even have the drive to succeed anymore. At this point, I'm honestly on the brim of giving it all up.

I did 4 years of uni back to back, without taking a single term off, because I have always hated down time. And taking time away from school would mean moving back with my family, and trust me when I say they're not nice to me and a majority of my issues came from them.

Before these 4 years, I took a year of uni at another school that I ended up hating. Many things happened that year that led me to spend the entire 4-month summer after that year almost entirely at home. I saw my mental health decline shortly after I first transferred to my current school, while I have had long stretches of time throughout these 4 years where I felt capable and energised, the majority of the time I was in a horribly dark place and I think I'm in it again right now.

I know that I am mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally not in the right spot to start the gruesome journey that is LSAT and expect to get a good score in this state of being. However, I'm terrified of the idea of taking a whole year off. My degree wouldn't allow me to get any decent job, and the longer I stay out of school, my gut tells me that the less I would want to or would have the motivation to get back into school, if you know what I mean. And plus, I have already purchased the ultimate+ package and I really don't want to waste it.

I'm not exactly sure what I'm hoping to get from posting this. I'm just feeling really, really down and I've been very, very frustrated at myself. My uni convocation is next week, and I find it really depressing that I don't feel a speck of joy for having made it through 5 years of uni alive. Oh, and my part-time job is ending in July, because the place closes down for 1.5 month in the summer. I work with older women who are all mothers, and to be honest, they have given me more love than I have ever given myself or have gotten from my actual family. Losing that support network is going to be tough on me. So, more to say that I have no idea how I'm going to get through this summer in the right mindset and actually be productive, make myself proud, and take my life to a place where I want it to be.

I don't know how you guys do it. Or maybe it's just because I'm just really lacking in character. Or perhaps this career path just isn't for me?

Sorry for the long rant. I feel slightly better now. I'm open to any words of wisdom.

Thanks.

Today marks the start of my journey to go to law school. This is an incredibly nerve-wracking decision, but I am thrilled to take this step.

Hey! So with the digital exam coming up I was wondering if some of you are practicing on tablets or just the computer? I don't know what would be best. I'm afraid the computer does not simulate how it would be taking the exam via tablet. Any input on this? Is it worth purchasing a tablet to practice? Much appreciated!

Hi all! Sorry for the multiple questions, but this new LSAT has me wondering a bit.

As I'm planning on doing the November LSAT, it seems like it will be fully digital with the writing section done at a separate time, how much importance do law schools place on this writing sample? Will it change now that it can be done at our own accord?

Also, I'm about to take my first diagnostic test and start working on Prep Tests soon enough. Should I still keep the same technique of printing and filling out the paper bubble sheet as I'm studying or immediately jump into the new digital version that 7sage has put out?

Thanks for any info!

Do you all find yourselves watching JY's explanations for every question on PT's or just questions you circled and/or got wrong? I've always watched every explanation for every question as I thought maybe it would also reinforce good habits/thoughts for questions I got correct. Not sure if this is the most efficient use of time but I don't see what harm it could do. Wondering how all of you review PTs after BR, how you go about reviewing wronged/right answers, addressing patterns in Analytics; what works best for you? Thanks!

Check out this awesome spreadsheet for tracking improvement and studying.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RJ-QRlcFZgc3A9RuqrOKc2h6adtpLNNfGgz3z-0j_-o/edit?usp=sharing

I'm wondering if it would do any good to e-mail LSAC about the fact that at my center (CUNY LIC), we were forced to wait in a single-file line silently for an hour and a half before starting the test. The proctor said that the "new rules" stipulated that we had to write out the identity certification sentences on our admission ticket and sign and date them in front of her individually. Because of this we didn't begin until 2pm. Does this matter? It's hard to say how much if affected me, but I do know that I timed my morning perfectly in terms of a workout, meditation, breakfast, bathroom time...and this hour and a half delay was an enormous bummer that threw me off my game at least a little. If enough of us write in, would anything be done? Could it reflect poorly on me to complain? I guess it can't be done anonymously since it would be coming from my e-mail address? Any advice is appreciated.

So my raw score has finally caught up with my BR score and at this point, I don't really see any difference BRing.

I always get -0 on LG, and my average for LR and RC are both around -2. My score ranges from 172-178. I don't think I can do any better on RC, but I want to bring my LR down to -0, just to make things sure. If I look at the questions I get wrong, they are predominantly questions that I don't circle for BR. For instance, if it's a flaw question, I think that the flaw is something else and would confidently choose that wrong AC. Otherwise, the questions I get wrong are the ones that I think were really hard and couldn't have gotten right even during BR (this is really rare).

What are you supposed to do once your raw score has caught up with your BR score? Is there any more room for improvement? I'm taking the international June test which is in less than 3 weeks.

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Obviously no incorrect answers is ideal, but I just took my first PT and I was curious about understanding how to see my potential given each section breakdown.

For example, I've heard logic games are something that can be quickly improved upon - but does anyone have insight into LR and RC. For example, is a cold ~75% in RC a good base - or is there typically not much improvement in that section given reading comprehension is something learned for years

In other words, are there any markers for a base in certain scores indicating a range people should (and should not) be aiming for? I guess I just want to be realistic in my expectations of what I should be aiming for, but I don't know what one should expect in terms of improving section by section (as opposed to people generally saying they've improved ~8-10 points overall).

Hi everyone, I just purchased the Ultimate package. I am just super worried if I bought the wrong course. As I've had prep course taken before and have been studying myself for 4 months. Will the stuff in the course repeat what I already learnt?

Anything advice/testimonials from someone who already halfway preparing their LSAT but decided to take this course might help!

Thank you!

Julie

I saw only one review. And it mentioned long tables, however, in Angell Hall there are only the little pop-up tables. How will this work for the digital LSAT?

For those of you who have successfully appealed LSAC's fee waiver decision, do you have any tips for my appeal?

Hello!

I have a question on the ramifications of committing to attend a school while waiting to get off the waitlist at another. I got a waiver on my second deposit for school X under the condition that I would withdraw all other offers. I collected all my withdrawal letters and forwarded them to the Dean of Admissions. My question is, does this mean that I have to withdraw my name from the waitlists as well? Technically waitlists are not offers. I am wondering the ethical/legal ramifications if I were to get off the waitlist at my first choice and not attend school X.

Thank you for the insight!

Hi everyone, I’m looking for a tutor in the NYC area, preferably a tutor that can meet in person. I need help particularly with logic games and I also need some help with the logical reasoning.

Wondering if it’s worth taking in March since I know everyone recommends to score higher than your actual goal in PTs. I've scored at/above my goal only 2 times, most of the rest (minus the first few PTs when I was still learning everything) have been within 5 points of my goal. I’ve already taken it once so don’t want a similar score to look bad. I'm scoring in the 93-96 percentile range so not much room for error lol

Maybe this is a bit of a silly question but I was wondering if the more recent LSATs (post-Nov 2018) are available on 7sage? Or are they even available at all? Thanks!

Here is what I know:

I feel like I am missing something here. This may be a stupid question but before I continue with the course I would really like a full understanding of how to do blind review and what its ultimate goal is.

Thanks a lot.

I'm really beginning to feel defeated. I started off with a diagnostic of 140 and have been practicing only my scores has dropped to a 139 and then to a 138 as of my latest prep test tonight. I'm seriously just considering taking the GRE which will lower my options of schools to choose from and take all of my top choices out of the running. I just cannot seem to conquer the LSAT and I hate that this test is the most important part of the law school application process! I can do the actual work but when it comes to tests, I struggle big time.

I'm interested in joining a study group for the November 2019 LSAT, but I'm not sure how it works or what it means. Do we just meet and chat or is there a curriculum....?

Hi guys, I’ve mostly been a lurker on the forum, but now that my cycle is officially over, I wanted to share a little bit about my LSAT journey and methods. It might not help, and I am no way attempting to plug my study methods. This is just for reference.

My LSAT journey started out in 2016 with the Blueprint Games book. I spent a whole semester on and off familiarizing myself with the games section and going through the book. I took a lot of notes (which in hindsight was not very helpful at all). Then, I learned about 7Sage and purchased the starter pack. At the time, I was still in school full time (STEM major) and working part-time as well, so not a lot of prep time for the LSAT. I was PTing around 160-164, and because I wanted to head straight to law school after graduation, I decided to take the test and wing it. Definitely do not recommend this. I did horribly and did not finish four of the five sections. There was a terrible game section that I believe was an experimental. There was a game about beer companies and different types of beer that I completely blanked on. Got my first score back, it was barely over 160 and it felt like my whole world was ending when I decided to take a year off to study and better prepare. Now looking back, the year was totally worth it, both in terms of the score increase and my mental health. I was able to focus on my classes and enjoy graduation without stressing about the LSAT.

After graduation, I tried a few different approaches to learning the LSAT. Velocity LSAT, LSATHACK, Powerscore, LSAT trainer, etc. In my humble opinion, and everyone is different, I think my score increase mainly came from perfecting the games section, and that I have to attribute that to 7Sage and Blueprint. I preferred using the Blueprint method when drawing diagrams for games and using 7Sage when it came down to reviewing the games. My diagramming technique ended up being a blend of 7Sage and BP, which I found super helpful.

The Blind Review method was very good for the LR sections, but didn’t really do much for me in RC. There were just always a few questions in reading comprehension that I got wrong regardless of how long I looked at them. I honestly don’t think I ever mastered RC, which is my my final score wasn’t as high as it could have been.

In summary, this is what I think worked for me:

NOTE: I would recommend trying to memorize the formal logic component like the back of your hand, but also understand that it is only a small portion of the points, and that grasping the skill of finding the conclusion/supporting claims and being able to figure out the logic gap is the most important part of LR.

It took me about three to four months of full time study after graduation to get to 177-178ish blind review scores. I averaged 170 during the last few PTs (PT80-84) and I barely made it over the mark on the actual test. Although I did hear multiple people say the test I sat was super super hard, I don’t really think it would have affected my score too much, maybe 1 0r 2 point upward fluctuation?

I don’t think my method was actually the best or the most comprehensive, and I honestly don’t know if I can say that I succeeded on the LSAT, but I did end up somehow getting accepted to Harvard (after much struggle and the most awkward interview of my life), so I think that it might be safe to say the LSAT is just one (albeit very important) component of your entire application.

Honestly, this is such a supportive place. Special shoutout to @"Leah M B" for answering so many of our questions. Hope everyone can get into their dream school!

I took the June 2017 Official Test and got a 154. Sine then, I studied like a madman and then I got a 164 on the March 2019 Official Test. So, after almost two years of intensive prep, this 180 feels pretty sweet. I'll be taking the July test soon.

The biggest difference between this practice test and any other test I've taken was me trusting my instincts and almost being on auto-pilot throughout the entire test. I was very rarely consciously thinking while taking this test, but I was mostly just reacting to the questions presented in front of me.

Idk what’s been going on, but lately, I’ve been doing phenomenally well in the past weeks on PTs, been nailing in the 170s. Some of them were tests I’ve seen before but in the past that usually hasn’t meant too much. I was getting my reading comp score down to the -1 to -4 range. More often around a -3.

My last few tests were:

165 on PT 82

177 on PT 83

164 on C2 (-9 RC!!!)

168 on PT 84

171 on PT 85

Now today I took the first three sections of PT 86 and I’m tracking at a 167... with a -7 on RC . With the June Test tomorrow, I’m just bugging out. I’m thinking of finishing PT 86, and then trying to review the RC and LR, and then reviewing the RC on C2. The other part of me wants to just stop and shut down, maybe go to the gym and sleep super early. Not sure if this is burnout, stress, or just a fearful truth that maybe I just suck at this.

Other things I can think of are maybe for C2 I got nailed because I had spent 5 or so hours doing BR straight right before it. I also haven’t eaten breakfast today so maybe that could be hurting me too. Idk.

Anyone with burnout experience have any input?

Hi All-

I just want to share some information I normally give my students before test day

Take care of yourself - This is a test you study for in the long term. Cramming won’t help and may hurt you if you skimp on sleep. There are always things you could’ve done differently, but overall if you’ve given it your best, that’s all you can ask for in the long-haul. If you haven’t, there’s always another test day. But if you’ve put in the long term studying, now is the time to take care of yourself before test day.

I wouldn’t advise taking any PT the day before the test. The best thing you can do is go over your review sheets or craft one if you haven’t already.

Make sure your “go bag” is ready with everything you need for the test - proper credentials, anything you want to bring. Have it ready so you aren’t worried about it before the test.

If you haven’t already, drive to the test center if possible. That way you’re familiar with the route. Even just seeing the route a second time the next day gives you the confidence that comes with some level of familiarity.

Set a firm deadline to finish any review before dinner time. Have a nice meal with protein and healthy choices. Maybe watch a movie or something fun to unwind.

Prepare a snack for the break during the test. My favorite is almond butter and jelly on whole grain bread (or pbj). It’s got protein and good carbs. Plus, it will keep you satiated without weighing you down.

Get plenty of sleep tonight. You’ve got to perform at peak mental condition tomorrow, and you can’t do that if you’re compromising your sleep. Obviously set an alarm, but I always say the ideal amount of sleep is the amount where you wake up refreshed before the alarm.

The morning of test day -

Have a good breakfast with protein and good carbs to sustain you.

If you drink coffee or some sort of caffeine in the morning regularly, go ahead and keep with your routine. If you don’t, now is probably not the time to start ;)

Maybe 20 mins of light cardio.

If you have the time, it can be worth it to do some easy problems to get the kinks out and warm up i.e. the set up for logic games, reading an RC passage, and a few easy LR questions. The key point is that this material should be EASY. It’s just to get you warmed up and in the habit like stretching before physical exercise.

Get to the test center early so that way you don’t have to stress. Take any extra time to look over your review sheet.

During the break, I highly recommend that you keep to yourself. You don’t need anyone else’s energy to mess with you. Be polite but keep to yourself. You can always talk about the test later. Go to the bathroom whether you need to or not and enjoy your snack. Do some breathing exercises or stretching.

After the test, no matter how you felt you did and whether you think this is going to be your last time or not, write down your takeaways. Whether it’s the stuff that worked well or the stuff you want to figure out how to improve for next time, that information is invaluable. If you take the test again, this info is unique to your specific experience and you can use it to guide your future prep. It’s super important you do this! I’ve found it invaluable.

Best of luck tomorrow! I’m proud to say I took the LSAT three times - I’ve been both disappointed with my score and I’m grateful to have scored in the 99th percentile on my final take. I respect the time and work you’ve put in and I know you’re putting yourself on the line. It’s not an easy thing to do - I’ve been there. I get it. I’m rooting for you.

If you have any questions before or after the PT, feel free to reach out to me