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gonzagaalyssa782

Joined: Apr 2025
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General · Working and studying for the LSAT?

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Feb 07 2022

Hey there, working full time while studying for the LSAT can be really tough. Rather than trying to hit a certain # of hours of studying, it's going to be more important that you're studying effectively. Try not to think about being ready by a certain test date and instead schedule your test when you're nearing your goal. You're just simply going to take longer than people studying full time to hit your goal, and this can be longer/shorter depending on where your diagnostic is and other factors in your overall test taking skills, so try to be more flexible in your scheduling and don't be so down on yourself if you miss a day or two of studying. Mental fortitude is the hidden section of this exam.

When I was working and studying, I didn't even study past two hours on most days unless I was feeling it. After I got through the CC, what worked for me was to drill at least one timed section M-F and then BR it the same night. On weekends I would take a full 4 section exam under testing conditions and BR heavily as well. Sometimes I would only do a PT every 2 weeks but I would review them in depth. Quality > quantity always when it comes to LSAT prep! One thing I do wish I did when I was prepping more was making more time for some sort of self-care. I am a big gym rat but I dropped it when I was at the peak of my studying, I wish I was consistent in my workouts because it does help in a holistic way.

In the end, because you're full time working and self studying, you're going to need to give yourself grace for taking longer and having a hard time managing the schedule. Treat the LSAT like a part time job, the hours you put in now are going to pay off in the future when you are ready to apply. It took me 2 years of on and off studying while working to get a 168 but I can say now halfway through my app cycle it was worth it.

Admissions · Sending in Applications Before Receiving Score

gonzagaalyssa782

Friday, Jan 28 2022

They're not going to review your application until you have a valid LSAT score, so whether or not you want to submit your apps before then is up to you. It doesn't do anything to your application

General · How section order impacts scores

gonzagaalyssa782

Wednesday, Dec 08 2021

It's good that you know your weaknesses. Make sure to practice those section orders extra hard. You gotta have mental fortitude to overcome a bad section order.

Also it's important to have stamina and a good mindset because you never know which one is the experimental. Some people have the experimental first (which is usually harder) and let that get to them only to realize at the end that they fumbled their whole test bc they thought they screwed up a scored section.

General · In the interest of time, which parts of CC syllabus do you recommend skipping?

gonzagaalyssa782

Wednesday, Dec 01 2021

In my opinion, I think LG is a definite no-skip. Absolutely go through all of LG, even the practice drills. LR is in the middle, meaning I don't think it's necessary to do all the drills. RC is the most skippable imo. I didn't find their method helpful because I think you're either good at RC or you're not and the type of help you need depends on where your diagnostic was. I was not good at RC and needed to find a different method that was good for me. But I say read through their method, give it a shot, and if it feels comfortable then finish their RC section.

Hope this helps!

General · Anxiety disorder and the LSAT

gonzagaalyssa782

Thursday, Nov 04 2021

I was diagnosed with anxiety and got accommodations for the LSAT.

I know exactly how you were feeling because I had a good understanding of the material and I studied so much yet I wasn't able to execute on exams due to my anxiety getting the better of me. And on my first sitting of the LSAT in February 2021, I completely blanked on one of the games on LG even though it's my best section.

I decided to retake for August. I got accommodations and more time to study obv, but I still wasn't performing well. One month before the exam I scored below my February score lmao. The anxiety was still getting to me.

I listened to a Powerscore podcast on general test mentality (they do one before every LSAT test I believe for free!) and I started to change my whole mindset. Before every PT I would warm up as usual and then would write notes to myself on how I was going to approach the exam: be more confident, be aggressive, etc. I would tell myself that I knew this test and that I was the only one standing in my way. I also stopped fussing too much over what score I got and focused more on my process. How was I approaching LR/LG/RC? Was I being disciplined? Careless? Not reading carefully enough?

Crazy enough this worked for me and I started seeing massive improvements, hitting way above my goal score. The LSAT preys on anxiety, self doubt, and second guessing, which doubly hurts those who have anxiety disorders. But! It's not impossible to overcome. Mindset is half the battle on this exam, consider it the hidden section of the LSAT and you have to practice having a positive and confident mindset.

General · Is the entire course necessary?

gonzagaalyssa782

Tuesday, Oct 12 2021

I wouldn't skip the LR and LG portions. Personally I found the RC portion of the CC to be the least helpful, but it depends on where you're at with reading comp in general. And like someone said, doing all the problem sets isn't necessary, but do as many as you need to until you understand the concepts.

Also this is going to depend on your score goals. A score in the 150s/low 160s is possible in 3 months. But if your diagnostic was in the 140s or below, and you want at least a 90th percentile score then 3 months might not be enough time. If you're comfortable sharing your diagnostic/goal score then people can give you more specific advice, but hope this helps :)

General · 168!! Reflections from a URM who sucks at tests

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Sep 13 2021

@katerinaszylo703 thank you!! and you are welcome, I am happy to answer any and all questions.

General · CV for Applicants who Completed Undergrad

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Sep 13 2021

My mentors say yes, you should include these things because it helps them paint a more complete picture of who you are. Of course, things that are professional and law-related should be emphasized but it doesn't mean you should omit everything else. Volunteering is a great addition to your resume, and I am most certainly including mine.

General · How to make the best use of my last month

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Sep 13 2021

It sounds like you have a good understanding of the material based on your BR score, so that's not the issue. It also sounds like you're burning out, sometimes less is more in studying. Give your brain a rest, there's no point in studying for hours if it's not productive.

Now, I am curious to know if you have any timing strategies in place? It sounds like you've been experimenting with it on LG but I think trying to figure out which game is hardest might be taking away some precious seconds. On test day, I used a different scratch paper for each game, so that if I ran into a hard game early, I could put it away and start on the next game and keep things organized. Also, not sure if you follow JY's method, but if you make enough inferences up front, you should be able to find answers on LG and move on being 100% sure in it without having to eliminate the rest. That helps save time too, esp on the 35 minute timing.

From my experience, the LSAT rewards confidence and aggression. It sounds like you have test anxiety, and I do as well, which can lead to self doubt. And the LSAT preys on second guessing and lack of confidence. But I started changing my mindset, and part of my warm up for my PT days was to write down on my LSAT journal positive affirmations and other reminders to focus on my process, not my results. So I started making a habit of catching myself when I start to doubt my choices, and move on. I just trusted myself more and the results started showing the last two weeks before August, where I was PTing in the low 170s. I ended up with a 168 :smile:

I understand the pressure of having to get X score and to apply by X time. But focusing on that is only hurting your performance, not helping it. It's apparent that you know your stuff and have put in the work. Now you have to allow yourself to reach that potential by taking it step by step, one question at a time.

General · 148--> 165 finally done after 2.5 years (long winded story)

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Sep 13 2021

Congrats! With these numbers and a good personal statement you'll be golden! Good luck this cycle.

General · 168!! Reflections from a URM who sucks at tests

gonzagaalyssa782

Sunday, Sep 12 2021

@triumpheducation828973 said:

Can you share any advice you have for RC? what was your method?

I will be transparent and say RC is my weakest and most inconsistent section. But maybe that will make me more relatable for you! I wish I could see the score breakdown but I was probably missing -4 or -5 max. LG and LR probably carried my score. Still, it means I was probably only missing harder questions on RC.

So my approach is to read at a normal pace and to take the time to really absorb the passage. One of my mistakes when I first started practicing with accommodations was that I would read too slow and get bogged down by all the details. The point of reading carefully is to make sure you understand the author's point. And every single sentence in there is for a reason that goes back to the author's main point somehow. I would take like 5-6 minutes on a passage, constantly synthesizing ideas in my head, and actively reading for the author's purpose. By doing this, I was able to easily eliminate wrong answer choices more quickly.

General · 168!! Reflections from a URM who sucks at tests

gonzagaalyssa782

Saturday, Sep 11 2021

Thank you @katerinaszylo703 :)

And ah Jas @triumpheducation828973 I could say the same for you! Thank you for being a huge part of my journey!! You got this

General · Should I cancel my score? First time test taker: 162, 82nd Percentile

gonzagaalyssa782

Friday, Sep 10 2021

Unless you have some compelling reason to cancel such a high score, I don't think you should. And "it's not my target score" is not a compelling enough reason. I say this as someone who got a 162 in their first sitting too earlier this year (I also had a lot going on when I was taking my first test so I relate). It sounds like you just need a retake.

General · 168!! Reflections from a URM who sucks at tests

gonzagaalyssa782

Friday, Sep 10 2021

@jonathankorger285 said:

As a URM myself, your story is extremely similar to mine! Congrats! Here's to bringing greater representation to the legal profession.

Love to know that we're all in this together! Thank you :)

General · 168!! Reflections from a URM who sucks at tests

gonzagaalyssa782

Friday, Sep 10 2021

@katerinaszylo703 said:

Congratulations, and thank you for encouraging all of us URM/BIPOC folks who are in this struggle. Good luck in your cycle.

Thank you so much! Good luck to you you got this!

General

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Friday, Sep 10 2021

gonzagaalyssa782

168!! Reflections from a URM who sucks at tests

Can't believe I'm finally making this post after so long, now I can't seem to find all the words for what I want to say.

I am: low income, first gen, immigrant, woman of color

Cold Diagnostic: 147

First PT after CC: 151

Feb 2021 LSAT: 162

Studied since: Oct 2019 on and off, working full time

Prep used: primarily 7sage, small study group, LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim

Let me make it clear: I am not a great test taker. Never have been. I am unconfident, anxious, and indecisive. It's what led me to pushing my first test back 5 times from April 2020 to Feb 2021. It also led to an underperformance on my first LSAT. Despite prepping so much I blanked out hard on LG, my best section, and receiving my score back was devastating knowing I missed my 90th percentile goal by a hair. I was miserable in March/April.

But that defeat turned into an opportunity to surpass my goal of 165 with a 168! I got the help I needed for my severe anxiety that I've struggled with all of my life and received accommodations. Even though I'm no 170+ scorer, us folks in the 165+ range need to remember that being in the top 10% is HUGE.

There's a lot more I can say, but I want to wrap it up with a few nuggets.

This test is conquerable. It can be done if you want it enough! You hear people say it all the time but it's true.

Accommodations are NOT unfair advantages. A 50% time increase did not make me have to study any less. I prepped hard for months. Do not let anyone shame you into getting the tools you need to succeed.

Process > Results. I stopped worrying about my PT scores and started making sure I was doing the proper steps in each section. This mindset eased anxiety to always expect a certain score and helped improve my results consequentially!

Chance favors the prepared. I have to say I lucked out with my format because it played to my strengths. But I also came into the exam being ready for anything! Luck alone did not get me to my score.

Be confident and aggressive. Top scorers don't self doubt. You know your shit!

Thank you to 7Sage and the community here for being a huge part of my journey. I found my wonderful small study group on here for the Feb test, and with their help they pushed me to get this score. I am rooting for y'all, esp my fellow BIPOC women who are low income, first gen, and/or immigrants tryna enter this profession to help our communities.

Much love!

General · 2020-2021 LSAT Percentile Shift: A Piecemeal Chart

gonzagaalyssa782

Thursday, Sep 09 2021

Hey I noticed that too. I scored a 162 in Feb 2021. I remember it being an 84th percentile then when I checked again, it became an 82nd.

LSAT · Emotional Support Thread for August Score Release

gonzagaalyssa782

Thursday, Sep 09 2021

I've been tired of waiting ever since we took it lol. But now that it's almost coming idk what to do with myself. The more I wait the more I overthink and start pessimistically anticipating the worst. I'm trying to hold onto the good feelings I had on test day and how I felt like I put my best foot forward.

This was my 2nd and last take (first in Feb 2021) after a looong 2 years studying on and off. I knew I wasn't going to retake under any circumstances. The wait is almost over tho, and I'm excited to finally be free of this test!

General · Has anyone else had to take the LSAT 5 times?

gonzagaalyssa782

Thursday, Sep 02 2021

I've only written twice but I've spent 2 years studying for the exam, pushing off my exam at least 3 times throughout 2020. I'm not sure what advice you're looking for, but I always say to not rush your studying and take it only when you're absolutely ready. It was tough, and there are a lot of things I would've done differently looking back, but I'm glad I minimized the number of times I took the exam to only 2 (Feb 2021 and August 2021).

Admissions · How long is an acceptable addendum?

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Aug 30 2021

Page and a half is definitely too long. Addenda should be like 2 paragraphs max.

General · Studying for the LSAT

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Aug 30 2021

It depends on a few factors: your diagnostic score, your goal score, and how much time you can commit to studying each week. Without more info, it's hard to give anything beyond that. But it is possible to be ready in 2 months.

LSAT · Does anyone feel imposter syndrome with your PT scores?

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Aug 30 2021

@gonzagaalyssa782 said:

This was extremely helpful. Thank you so much. I started taking a few deep breaths before each PT and telling myself “you’ve proved that you can do it” and I think it helps me even though that seems crazy!! Congratulations on your final test by the way, that’s a huge accomplishment!!

You're very welcome :) I know how mentally tough this test is. Best of luck! And thanks sooo much! It felt good to finally feel like I put my very best out there. Hoping for some good news come September 10th. Then I can really say this strategy worked for me lolol.

General · Building a Study Schedule for January 2022 tests

gonzagaalyssa782

Monday, Aug 30 2021

A 10 point increase from 150 to 160 will have a different strategy from 160 to 170. Where are you scoring right now and what's your section breakdown? That will help people provide you with more specific advice.

General · Help... October LSAT

gonzagaalyssa782

Sunday, Aug 29 2021

@coleparker7608 I only focused on the LR chapters.

General · Help... October LSAT

gonzagaalyssa782

Sunday, Aug 29 2021

@coleparker7608 it's the LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim.