Hi Joanna! You are NOT alone in feeling overwhelmed by the core curriculum. I started studying for the exam in January but only found my stride in the past few days! I have ADD and anxiety, and felt discouraged by my slow progress until recently. Please feel free to DM me directly if you want to talk. I am happy to share any advice/tips I may have about structuring your study schedule and managing the anxiety & stress that this test induces!
@ Thank you so much for that information. Where can I find this video?!
I AM IN! For context, I work full-time and am averaging 10-12 hours a week but would like to increase that number. I am currently working through Logic Games.
I am having difficulty with strengthen/weaken questions and noticed that Nicole Hopkins' webinar on Strengthen and Weaken questions from two years ago was mentioned in numerous threads. Is there a way to access that webinar or is there a webinar currently available that is similar to the one she created? Thank you!
@ just read a discussion @ posted 3 years ago called 'Why Knowledge Is Not Enough' and I highly recommend you read it. Below is a small excerpt from his discussion.
So the next time you hit a wall and get frustrated with your (lack of) progress, ask yourself whether you would really trust yourself to be able to articulate 100 questions worth of LSAT logic if Nickelback torture was the price of failure. With stakes that high, the answer will almost always be ‘no’, but that’s okay. Find out what you’re unsure of, and work on it. Don’t stop until you can do the basics in your sleep, even if it does take some loud swearing and possibly kicking your little brother in the shins in the meanwhile (blame it on me if you need to, I can take the hit). And then, once you’re done with one thing, move on to the next. Slow and steady really, truly does win the race. Take the time to truly master the basics and you will be rewarded.>
@ I am in somewhat of a similar boat. I started 7Sage CC, stopped because I started a face-to-face course, but plan on coming back to 7Sage once the course is over. I plan on starting slow and from the very beginning. Not sure how that will work out, but I'll keep you posted!
@ re: balance I can't tell you how many times I've stressed about the effectiveness of my study/life schedule. Ultimately, people's learning capabilities, habits, and lifestyle vary so we all progress differently on our LSAT journey. I think you are a rock star for managing all that you do and still scoring in the 160's. I've also asked myself this question many times and realized that there is no such thing as balance, for me at least, but there is consistency. Some days I study for hours and other days I don't study at all, but I always find time to study or read discussion forums to keep the momentum going. It's not a perfect balance, but it's working for me.
re: tips I would highly recommend posting in the discussion forums. 7Sagers are very active in forums and will gladly provide advice, tips, or resources that will help you improve on whatever areas you need help in.
@ "Like it or not, if you want to score high, the LSAT has got to be a part of your daily routine." YES. Agreed times 1,000.
@ you are not alone. This test is hard and draining, especially if you are a full-time professional, but I remind myself that this is only temporary and that it will get better with time. Patience is key. @ One day at a time is right! I also changed my test date to September and it hurt, but it was necessary.
@ I'm going to take a break when the course is over and come back to 7Sage when I am ready. 7Sage really is the best all around.
@ Thank you so much for taking the time to respond - it means a lot! I went about studying in a varied way because I didn't know any better. I did research, thought that the plan I came up with would work, but it didn't. I paid for the course and the trainer before I learned about 7Sage, so I am seeing the course through because it cost an arm and a leg but have abandoned the trainer altogether. I plan on taking a break once the course is over then picking up where I left off with 7Sage sometime in the summer. I will definitely take your advice and take it slow.
Fellow 7Sagers,
I’m in a rut and would appreciate any advice/input on how to best go about studying for the LSAT as well as deal with other issues (see below).
Plan of attack
I thought that if I started studying for the June LSAT in February I would be fine . . . until I actually started studying for the LSAT. My original plan was to start with the Trainer in February, take a face to face course that would lead up to the exam, take the exam, score in the high 160’s and be on my way to the school of my dreams . . . I clearly didn’t know what I was doing or thinking.
I’ve since adjusted my plan of attack to something more realistic. Currently, I am holding off on finishing the 7Sage CC since I started the in-person course, but plan on revisiting and finishing after I take the exam in June. I was hoping to start doing PT’s with the September group, but think that I should join the December or February group instead. Thoughts?
Diagnostic test
I started studying with the LSAT Trainer a few months ago, took a diagnostic test under non-test day conditions (in a coffee shop w/ distractions) and finished each section within the allotted time. I did poorly, but I finished. I stopped using the trainer and switched to 7Sage a few days later and started the CC. All was great, but I stopped at weakening arguments and decided to take a break since the in-person prep course I signed up for was two weeks away. I started the course this past Saturday, took another diagnostic under test day conditions, and did horrible! Although some of the sections were easier to understand because I covered them in the CC, I did not finish all the sections in time, did not guess on questions I wasn’t able to get to, and found myself overanalyzing everything. J.Y. said something early in the course that really stuck with me and it is that honesty is the best policy if you want to perform well on this test. I figured that it was in my best interest to save the guessing for test day, review only what I did answer, and learn what I don’t know. Is that the right approach?
Bad days
Who do you vent to after a bad PT or study session, excluding 7Sagers, and how do you get back on track mentally? Is there an LSAT emotional support group that I should know about?! Lol
Thank you all in advance for your willingness to help.
Best,
K
Interested - please keep me posted!
Hi! I took the LSAT in 2017 with basically no prior studying and got a 148. I started properly studying in late November and am now on a more disciplined study schedule and the things that helped me are this - it’s better to study a little every day than to study for like 4+ hours one day and then do nothing for a whole week. I do take off a day or two but not consecutively. Also I agree with the statements above about skipping any questions that seem difficult or like they could be time consuming. Answer questions you feel strongly about and come back to all others if you have time at the end. LG was my worst section previously so it’s the section I’m focusing on first after mastering Formal Logic (working through Kaplan books atm). Like you, I’m hoping for a 155-160 range score and am taking the exam in April. Best of luck!
Add me to the September list, please! Really looking forward to this.