Take the diagnostic! It's hard to avoid feeling bummed out by a low score, but that's why you're studying. Don't feel discouraged -- most of us started out with barely any of the skills necessary to succeed on this exam. If it's any comfort to you, I've improved by 21 points since my first diagnostic! It just feels good to look at your analytics page and literally see the results of your hard work.

I have a hold too!! The continued wait is agony...

I tried the Noricas recently but they were so darn scratchy that I couldn't even get through a section because the noise just bothered me so much. I've heard that Staedtler changed the formula. It's either that or I just got a bad batch :(

Hey there! I'm currently on the same boat as you as well, and I'm planning on taking the June test. It does get really discouraging, frustrating, and depressing, but remember that everyone's potential is 180! I did pretty well in that I scored in the mid-160s, but all of a sudden, I plummeted to the mid-150s. I was absolutely devastated. Not only that, but I was also so confused because my BR scores were at least 170.

Now, I'm not an expert since I haven't officially broken into the 170s. I haven't even scored my latest PT yet, and I know that I bombed that one because I was having a horrible day. Your BR score implies that your foundation is strong with a couple issues here and there, but it wouldn't hurt to get a tutor if you really wanted some focused guidance. I think we're pretty similar in that our main issue is lack of confidence, but if you sit down with someone and actually BR PTs with them, you'll realize that you actually know more than you previously thought.

@ convinced me to record myself taking a PT, and it revealed so many things about my test-taking habits. I couldn't have known that I was taking up to 4 minutes (!!!) on difficult questions that I could've easily knocked down in 2 minutes unless I recorded myself. I highly recommend it since now I know what I need to modify to optimize my pacing, timing, and confidence on certain question types.

If you ever need some encouragement, feel free to message me! I'm always happy to support you in your journey because we're on the same boat.

Edit: I also wanted to add that it's ok to not do as well in a PT. If you find yourself getting frustrated and anxious because a question, game, or passage threw you off, just remember to breathe. It's not the end of the world. Remind yourself that it's ok to skip that question, because in the end, it's better to lose one point than to let that anxiety carry over to the rest of the exam.

Could I please join? I'm also taking the June 2017 exam!!

I think you might as well get an analog watch. That's one area of stress that you could prevent.

Interested!

Staedtler changed the formula of the Noricas in 2015, so be aware of that before you buy. I ended up sticking with the Palomino Golden Bears because they're cheap, sharpen well, and don't sound scratchy as hell (which was my issue with the new Noricas). The lead's also dark, but not as dark as the Norica's. You could get those pencils from Pencils.com, where the Palomino Blackwing sharpener is cheaper than it is on Amazon. You do have to pay for shipping, but it's about $2-4, depending on how much you buy.

@ unfortunately, no refunds :(

@ @ I'm not sure how long I'd take to readjust to the time difference. It'll be my first time out of the country! It sounds like the vacation could either be a great thing or a horrible thing, depending on how prepared I am.

@ if only I could predict the future... I'm concerned that the trip would ruin the exam, and the exam would ruin the trip LOL.

@ I had zero experience in the legal profession, but I expressed my interest through my extracurriculars, because I joined a law fellows program and the undergrad law journal in college. I'm also really lucky in that I live in LA, where there are a lot of big law firms in Downtown LA and a lot of boutique firms in Century City.

I managed to get the job I have now by obsessively applying to every legal position I could find on Craigslist and Indeed. I eventually got recruited by this legal recruiting firm because I applied to one of their postings, but I didn't get that specific job. They still thought I had a lot of potential, so they ended up doing most of the heavy lifting for me by sending my resume and cover letter to their business clients. I interviewed with the first firm that expressed interest, nailed all three rounds of interviews, and got the job in less than a week. Feel free to message me if you have any questions regarding resumes, cover letters, and the like. I'm aware that my job search was much easier than usual in that I got REALLY lucky by being at the right place at the right time, but I'm always happy to help.

I'm currently a legal assistant at a big law firm right now, but it's more of an administrative job than a legal one because I work for corporate lawyers. I get paid pretty well (in $20-23/hr range) and I also don't have to work crazy hours.

You'd likely get much more hands-on experience if you were to work for a smaller law firm or for a litigation attorney since you'd have to take care of court filings and such. I'm not sure where you live, but there are plenty of entry-level law firm jobs in Southern California such as litigation specialists, legal secretaries, receptionists, expert/witness coordinators, admins, etc.

Honest Meditation by Jason Headley on YouTube, if you love cursing and real talk.