most recent dream:

the proctor didn't call time at the end of a section. i kept working, but then the proctor started going over the questions and answers with everyone in the room.

me: "what are you doing? are you giving out the answers?!"

proctor: "are you still taking the test?"

me: "of course! you didn't call time yet! but also why are you giving away the answers?!"

proctor: "you are in big trouble. i'm going to cancel your score and you can never take the lsat again!"

me: "this is insane! what if i pick up all the trash in the room for you?"

then i just started picking up trash in the test room while the proctor continued to give out answers.

@ i'm having all sorts of dreams and trying to keep my expectations in check... i've titled this chapter of my novel: learning to live with crippling anxiety.

@ I got the same package from Michigan! Love that real signature. My dad went there. It's pretty high up on my list of schools... maybe I'll see you there next fall!

these emails can be very annoying... I have a personal war going on with Arizona Summit.

BUT! Do not disregard them. Once LSAC had my LSAT score in I started getting a number of emails from T14 schools waiving my application fee. I'm always happy to get an email saving me $55-$85.

also... you'll probably work till you're 85 years old given current life expectancy projections and the state of social security, etc.

i'd boldly suggest you ditch the rents and join the peace corps or americorps. move to central america or central united states and do some work in a field outside of law.

your parents, friends, and relatives might get mad, but you'll be a better lawyer for it. you're parents will love you forever and your true friends will come and visit.

there are countless stories of people rushing into law school at a young age and graduating with mountains of debt or a degree that is worthless. others drop out halfway through law school after realizing it isn't what they actually want to do. a personal friend of mine graduated uf in 2013. she's currently waiting tables at a sushi place. it's a nice sushi place, but not what she thought she'd be doing.

what are your top five dream jobs? i've still got own my own record store on my list... (a very dated high fidelity reference that you are much too young to get i am sure...)

I always joke that the lsat is a $160,000 test because you can earn up to that much in scholarships.

money isn't everything, but here it helps motivate me to study more when I'm feeling bummed.

woke up this morning in a start from an lsat dream... they released our scores after only a week.

weirdest thing is to not have pt81 to blind review. i keep having flashbacks to material from the test, but can't review it.

@ i'd recommend pushing back a year if you feel like you aren't going to be ready for september. that anxiety might really keep you from doing well this round.

also, i imagine that you'll do better in law school with an extra year of real life experience under your belt. remember too that your lsat score is about 80 percent of your application. working as a server for 1 more year won't make or break your application.

but here's an idea: volunteer! i also work in food service, but volunteer one day a week at the city courthouse. it might be easier to find a cool volunteer gig than an entry level legal job and you might find that you do more meaningful work as a volunteer.

good luck!

alright... i sat for the june test. my golden bears performed perfectly. i couldn't have been happier with them.

but this funny thing happened at the test. during the break the person sitting behind me asked if he could borrow my sharpener. "of course!" but it's a palomino blackwing sharpener and he didn't understand how to use the double barrel. i go to help him and realize that this guy only has two pencils. they don't match. one of the pencils has lost its eraser. "dear god," i think to myself. "how could this guy even walk in here so unprepared?"

being a bit of an anxious over-preparer i've brought along seven golden bears. i offer to let him borrow one for the second half of the test. now he's all set up with three freshly sharpened pencils for the last three sections.

at the end of the test i offered to let him keep the golden bear. "no thanks. i'll probably never need another pencil in my life."

i asked him if he had a goal score in mind...

"above average. how about you?" he asks.

"umm..."

"nevermind, i see your pencil set-up. you're going ivy."

i'll take the good wishes, but i swear to god that guy scored a 178. to be that calm... what a dream.

@ i'll happily swap with you...

@ yes! tutors are great! i fully endorse this!

@ retaking is a tough choice. ultimately for me it was a question of resources. the cost of studying for the next two months isn't greater than the potential reward of a higher score.

maybe we should start a study group for dissatisfied, burned out, and blasé students hoping to score a 178.

this is all very useful... thanks for the suggestions!

i'm gathering that the two main steps are:

recording and analyzing yourself for time management insights.

write out explanations during br.

i'd also like to address the idea of a unicorn score: when i started studying for the lsat my goal score was a 165. i hit 170 on the june test. i'm retaking it in september because i want to prove to myself that i can reach the last plateau. i think this can be a bit dangerous. at a certain point we should be happy with ourselves and our scores.

curse the fate of the perfectionist.

@ i'm applying for fall of 2018...

everyone else?

i'm really hoping that in my first class of year 1 someone sees my palomino golden bear and walks up to say, "so you're the jerk who couldn't stand for the noricas."

@ can we start a thread on the best designer jeans to wear while taking the lsat? i'm a fan of apc, rogue territory, and naked & famous...

@ blind review is no longer my best friend. blind review is my god.

@ just remember no hats or hoods on your head during the test...

per lsac:

"hats/hoods (except religious apparel) may not be worn on the head"

@ not joking.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eat-smart-healthier-brain#1

i'm going with a can of sardines...

a side note to everyone on this thread:

i'm sitting for the lsat on monday. it's been six long months of study and preparation. you all have been my rock. whenever i've felt the creep of burnout, frustration, discouragement, or just needed a good laugh i've turned to this thread for a moment of levitity. it has been a gentle reminder to not take anything too seriously and to take the most trivial of things very seriously.

when i sit down to take the test on monday the first thing i'll do is set out seven (1 for the answer sheet information bubbling, 5 for each section, and 1 for the writing sample) freshly sharpened royal blue palomino golden bear #2/hb pencils and i'll think of you all. i'll laugh and then take the test.

thanks for the support, the distraction, and the encouragement! i'll see you all in year 1!

@ @ @ @ @ @

@ i've been studying for the lsat for about six months and am taking it this monday... i've hit more than a few walls! the most effective method for improvement i've found is the blind review taught by 7Sage. it really helped me figure out what concepts i fully understood and which ones i needed to relearn.

i'd also highly recommend creating an excel spreadsheet with all of your misses on preptests. i categorize my missed questions by question type and by miss type. this has allowed me to analyze my data and draw out inferences about what i need to really focus on in my studies.

my three different types of missed questions:

100 percent confidence in the wrong answer during a timed preptest

selecting a wrong answer again during blind review

missing the question during the timed test and getting it right during my blind review.

as an example, i often miss reading comprehension "author attitude" questions under timed test conditions, but then get them right during my blind review. obviously having the extra time during blind review allowed me to reread the passage until i found the word or phrase that indicates the correct answer. seeing that i was able to get those questions right during blind review helped me establish a new notation method while reading the rc passage. i now circle any word or phrase that specifically relates to the author's attitude. when i run into those questions it's now easier to quickly scan for words or phrases that will help me select the correct answer.

my lsat preptest walls:

160-163 (4-5 preptests with full blind review)

165-167 (10-12 preptests with full blind review)

169-171 (15-20 preptests with full blind review)

171-.... (i'll let you know after monday!)

my advice: take the test this monday. if you feel like you crushed the logic games section, then keep your score. if you know you struggled with more than one game, then cancel your score. either way plan on taking the test in september. i know you can break through your current wall.

lastly, remember that the lsat doesn't test your innate intelligence. it is designed to test your ability to study over a prolonged period of time. anyone can score high if they are willing to put in the time.

(about that blind review: https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/10875/blind-review-is-my-best-friend)

@ i reject your premise. hire him as a paralegal for a year, have him take the lsat, attend harvard and return to the law firm. didn't jessica do something similar with harvey? pull him from the mail room? the risk involved is too great to justify him negotiating.

@ i'm sure that the process of law school will have a huge influence on where i end up working and what i specialize in, but i would be thrilled to work for the department of justice or the state department.

happy to admit: given my personal motivations & inspirations for becoming a lawyer today would be a perfect day for scores to be released.

okay... no geographic order to scores being released according to powerscore.

in 2004 scores were scheduled for july 6th and released on july 4th. maybe we will get an independence day present?

or maybe the russians can find the scores and release them this afternoon? people are saying it's a possibility...

will scores hit the east coast first? just about noon over there and no one is grey yet...