I've been going through this for a few weeks now. Definitely feel like my mental health is going down the drain the longer it takes for me to get through this exam. You should definitely try to take some time, change your environment, and think it over. I find a long hot shower and a night out without thinking about anything that "I have to do" helps me. But I also think that what this does is help me to figure out what I really value and to me, that's going to a top law school. So, taking the extra time I need to get the score I'm hoping for is what is helping me push through the remaining few weeks to get there.

Think about what you want. If it's to be a lawyer and have a rewarding career, then you should consider that some schools you go to in Texas, albeit will help you leave the LSAT behind, will leave you with virtually very limited career options. Pushing through these next 4.5 months to the June LSAT will help you have the career you want. Assuming that's the most important thing for you (which, i'm guessing it is. considering having a fulfilling job is important to you). I think what will certainly help you feel better is doing more research about what *could* happen, and give you more things to thing about when you're not feeling too well about your LSAT situation.

Hope this helps.

I went through the same loop doing the games for this PT. Definitely take it slow and look for the inferences from the rules and that should help :)

several months! I spoke with a lot of professors and classmates before hand who told me to plan on working on my personal statement for 6 months. I took 8 months to perfect all the essays I wrote, and I definitely think it was worth it and made all the difference for me.

@aaronkeegan92975

said:

I am ready to do this. I understand where I went wrong and want to use a new approach now that all I have to worry about is a part-time job. I guess my main question right now is how much time per day do you spend studying while avoiding burnout?

I'm so happy to hear this! I am approaching this in much of the same position. Definitely experienced a lot of burn out/bad studying habits/procrastination/life issues getting int he way of me studying properly and I'm approaching this with a fresh start and hoping to hit my goals in June.

I definitely think that if you're starting brand new with the fundamentals that you should try to commit 20 hours a week to it. I know that for me, that was one of the hardest parts. I tutor the LSAT now and I always tell my students that they shouldn't care how 'fast' theyre working through the sections so long as they are making sure that they dont miss out on the super fundamental information in the passage. They dont want to skimp on learning the material now only to realize that they have to go back a few months from now to learn it. I typically push for 20 hours a week to start because of this. Let the concepts sink in, review the same materials several times over because you pick up on more details and nuances when you do, and then move onto the next part of your studying. I think when you're more advanced there's usually (and dont quote me on this) less burn out, which helps with adding more hours to your studying. But that's just me. It could be different with everyone.

Maybe just focus on learning very well the few sections you're aiming to get through within a week, and then moving onto the next section the next week?

I would say that since these are not top 14 schools, then you should look at the region you want to practice in and try to figure out which one you like more. I think EDing at WashU should depend on what your GPA is. But that's a pretty good LSAT score for WashU.

In the end, it's a personal decision that's not really based on numbers but more so about where you want to practice, where you see yourself most happy, etc. I definitely recommend visiting the schools or talking to administrators before making the decision.

Thanks for this!

December. It usually asks when you finished your degree not necessarily when you walked for graduation (which are two separate things).

Will this be recorded? I don't know that I'll be able to make it but would love to watch it after the fact

I'm aiming for a 175+ but would be happy with a 174 :) Though I should add that I work full time and I'm aiming for June '17. Sending out apps in fall '17.

I got the email for the gift card but had no idea what was going on until I signed into 7sage.

Discussion boards really do pay off! Not just in the info exchange but in my brand new boxing gloves from amazon :) Punching my way into 2017. Target: LSAT.

Although I'm not a big fan of resolutions, I definitely think this is a good idea for a discussion post :)

My LSAT resolutions --

1) Much like yourself, I want to take my time and put in the effort to be more meticulous in my review and understanding of the material.

2) Make sure that I am more consistent in my studying, either by restructuring my schedule or doing whatever else I need to do to make sure that my priority besides working is my LSAT. 6 months and 5 points until I get to my target score. I have no excuses not to take the June 2017 LSAT.

Personal resolutions --

1) Continue to focus on my growth, and less on my setbacks. I have a tendency to focus on the negatives but I think for the past year I've been trying to be more positive and to try and make small goals for myself every day, and it's been working on making me more productive and happier overall.

2) Learn to value things more. I always buy new things / throw out old things / move on from everything too quickly. The past year I've really learned to take in the little things, and to learn to care more about the things in my surroundings: be it people or products.

Also I should add that I've been in this position before, and sometimes even if you've finished the CC that you should try to look at supplementary material that might help explain the fundamentals more. I liked using the power score books I felt that those really helped.

Or, if you're struggling on LG, then you could go through each PT 1-38 (or others, I just like to use these for practice) and finish each game on your own, then see how JY solves them. Compare your notes on what he did right vs what you did wrong, and then do them two more times after that following his strategy.

Another thing to note: I actually tutor the LSAT on the side, and the one thing that I've found with my students who struggle to get through LG is that they fail to make important inferences while mapping it/before getting to the questions. Make sure to make inferences a priority -- they add more implicit rules to your game map and help you fly through the questions.

I also sometimes I find that when it comes to mapping the game that I sometimes need to map it differently than JY does because his strategy just doesn't work for me. This is totally okay to do as long as you're not doing something that's slowing you down, and as long as your map lets you come to the inferences you need and answer the questions quickly and accurately.

Hope this helps.

Take a look at your PTs first, and make a list of your weaknesses. If I was in your position, I would then target those weaknesses either by drilling or just taking section tests, and then trying to improve on those weaknesses. Then, work your way back up to taking full PTs :) There's no use in moving on if you're not using the PTs to fix what you're doing wrong.

@mmaritzagarcia303 Is anyone willing to share their instructions outline? It would be helpful to have a guide as I prepare mine. :)

Did any of you include a paragraph or two explaining why you want to go to LS? Or was that information explained when you were verbally requesting the letter (assuming you verbally requested)?

I'll share what I did:

I first started by doing research into what law schools are looking for in a candidate. Then, I finished all of my application materials with that information in mind. I wrote all of my essays, and then checked the gaps against the character assessments that schools wanted.

I saw the weaknesses and made a list of them, and made a list of professors who had agreed to write letters for me. I knew that some professors, based on experiences I've had with them, could strengthen those weaknesses more than others. So, I wrote a general email. I said I was applying for law school for x reason. I wanted to pursue x career. (make sure this matches up with what youve written in your apps). I attached my essays to the email and included the list of schools that I was applying to. Then, I personalized the email according to what I wanted each letter writer to include in their letters. I said something different to each, but I gave it in the same format: "I'm trying to frame myself in a certain way to my schools and so I did my research. I'd like for schools to think i'm xyz, but abc are a weakness in my app. Remember during class/office hours/advising/etc when y happened? Maybe you could write about that to off-set that weakness in my application."

For example, law schools want someone who is sociable and can get along with others, but if my resume showed all my work done alone and nothing really collaborative there, I'd ask one letter writer to make sure they share an anecdote about how friendly I am with classmates, etc. maybe even say I can lead a group well and leave the classroom with friends, despite the fact that I prioritize work.

If my GPA was low but my resume was over crowded, I'd have a different letter writer talk about adjustment, or something like that.

This took me months of research, writing, and careful planning but I definitely think it's an excellent strategy to follow, and I don't mind sharing. Good luck!

@lawschoolstuff16866 For the others, I asked that they address it to "admission committee."

Yeah this is what I did as well.

I don't think it really matters that letter writers make their address specific in their letters UNLESS you ask them to write a specific letter of recommendation to a school. In which case you can go to the school website or email someone in the admissions department to ask who it should be made out to. Otherwise, my understanding is that letter writers are usually pretty good at knowing how to address letters or can just make it out to general "Admissions/Who It May Concern" type of thing.

@gregoryalexanderdevine723 Wow. I feel like I could have written your question. I have the exact same issue with the exception of the exercise.

@gregoryalexanderdevine723 Still I feel like I'm not quick enough and gained 10 pounds in the process because I'm eating while I'm studying which means I'm wolfing food down or eating after 10pm

Ditto for both of these. What I did instead was buy at home weights and lift while reviewing or do mini workouts while taking breaks between sections/drills. I bought a yoga mat, weights, and found some good quick YouTube videos to follow.

Also: I'm with you on the snacking. I started seriously cutting down the calories on breakfast/lunch, and instead of having dinner I decided I'd snack while studying for LSAT (since I study for LSAT after work and invariably run into dinner time). It helps keep the weight off :)

I usually stick to low calorie and non/low fat popcorn, assorted veggies with hummus, or even just a bit of dark chocolate and almonds while drinking coffee.

Sometimes, on my most stressful days (because what is "snacking" during the LSAT if not stress-eating?) I'll end up having dinner while doing LSAT prep. I decided early on that if I need to stress eat then I can stress eat, I just have to mitigate other factors.

I keep my big gym workouts to Friday/Saturday/Sunday at two hours a day because those are the days that I have enough time to both LSAT + work out :)

It's tough balancing this all out, but with enough trial/error and planning it's possible.

@gregoryalexanderdevine723 On my diagnostic I missed 6-7 LR questions and was stuck missing that number for 2 months. Recently I've been able to get that down to -3 on average.

That's amazing. What's your study routine typically like, if you don't mind me asking?

@lawschoolstuff16866 I plan to post a more detailed account of my prep at a later point, if there's interest.

very interested!!!

@gregoryalexanderdevine723 I'm also not really a fan of motivation. I tend to subscribe to the school of thought that says motivation is a fleeting feeling and the real answer to conquering long-term goals is discipline. That is something that if you cultivate you'll never lose! It is what I attribute to my ability to fight through the burnout.

This is actually totally me. I don't need motivation to go to the gym, to do my school work, or anything else really. I just get up and do it. This actually gave me a pretty good idea about what I'm missing for the LSAT: being disciplined about my study routine. I think seeing gains might make me feel less discouraged all the time, so I'm going to try to stick to a consistent schedule. Thank you for this :)

@jknauf572 To reach this score, you have to be willing to do what the lower 97% of test takers failed to do.

Not all test takers are created equal ;) But this is a good point to make. I think I need to start putting in more work. I've definitely been fortunate enough to reach a lot of the goals I made for myself: graduating with honors from a good school, getting some highly competitive post-grad fellowships, etc. I think LSAT just bums me out because it's a different kind of learning I have to do. I should start to believe that I'll really hit my target score :)

@loosekanen974 If I'm going to get rejected I at least need to look at myself in the mirror after that judgment and not regret my actions.

This is true. I don't want to have to face a rejection knowing that I didn't put in full effort during my prep. I'll always be stuck wondering what I could have done differently. I definitely don't want to have to face that but somehow this is never really something that crosses my mind at this point in my study. All my application materials and essays are finished. I spent months writing them and perfecting every last syllable. I haven't yet taken the LSAT because I want to make sure that I get the score that I'm aiming for to have a good app, but somehow I'm always annoyed by the test.

@vduran1988561 Motivation is always self inflicted. It's not a pump up video. It's a sense of self. What about law drives you? What drives you in general? Results shouldn't be the main driver. You have to be the main driver.

I've never thought of this before! I always figured I'd just need discipline, but I think I not only need to discipline myself but think of myself and my work differently to achieve my goals without feeling so emotionally let down. Thank you for this :)

@vduran1988561 I am also kind of a bro in the weight lifting sense, so I get hyped from a solid workout/ trance beat.

Yes, I know, it's embarrassing.

No worries. I'm that way when it comes to long distance running and I listen to trance music while doing that as well. It gives me such a rush.

PS currently warming-up before a timed PT, hence the overly dramatic discussion post.

@gregoryalexanderdevine723 1) Finding time to consistently prep every day while working full-time. (For a long time my prep has been inconsistent.)

This is my biggest struggle too! I have to really dedicate myself to it.

1) I've gotten better at being more organized and forming a more consistent schedule!

2) I'm learning what my mistakes are, and how to look for them

3) I'm seeing small and slow improvements, but when I do, they're that much sweeter

4) I'm learning that to do well on this test, I have to be meticulous in my reading and my reviewing. Something that I was able to get away with skimping on over the past few years. It's nice to slowly start to get that skill back, despite how painful the process is for me.