Burn-out before the test! what should I do

Hannah56

Hi, I'm taking the test this Monday. I have been studying non-stop since beginning of April. and started taking a lot of timed sections and full-timed tests since the beginning of May. I took my final full-length test with 5 sections yesterday. after the test I could not look at another LSAT question again ( the first time it happens to me). took this morning off to hopefully start BR in the afternoon but I feel so tired. what do you recommend I should do in the coming days?. should I stop taking timed sections and go slow? or should I fight through it and keep on taking timed sections on Fri & Sat as I originally planned. FYI, I'm still few points short from my goal score and postponing is not an option for me.

Any tips or motivational anecdotes will be highly appreciated

AllezAllez21

Honestly, you're probably better off just not doing any more work in a substantial way. You're not likely to learn anything groundbreaking in the next 72 hours, whereas a drastically decreased motivation WILL hurt you.

I personally recommend you just chill and relax. Give your mind some time to rest. Maybe on Sunday do like 1-2 easier logic games, 1-2 easier RC passages and 10-15 LR questions (less is more).

While I'm not taking til September, the times where I have decided to take a preptest when I didn't feel up to it I usually scored below my average. The times where I took a test after having rested for 1-3 days I usually scored above my average.

sagarpatel

I agree with @AllezAllez21. Burnout may certainly deter you from your optimal performance come Monday. It's a rookie mistake, you are a better than that. Your mind is telling you to stop, it's fatigued. I should probably heed to my own advice but ohh well. Yeah, just chill!

Ann Marie

don't worry you will be fine, have a good sleep and relax

Alex

Why is postponing never an option for those who should most? I'm not being flippant, as I honestly care and have loved being part of the LSAT forums on the internet. Signed up in 2011 in high school. And I have heard so many times why people can't postpone -- even though they objectively should. It's a really important test and studying since April...? I guess that's an ok timeline but if you're feeling burn out and not ready the only good advice is to postpone.

Motivation, as I've said on here is mostly a waste when it comes to tests. It's like being hungry or thirsty. You get a bite or a drink and its gone. Discipline is what helps people most in achieving goals, tests, lift, you name it.

Take the loss and retake when you are not burned out and are able to perform at your max.

I've offended wondered with some banking friends of mine who want to, like me, pursue the law school route. Most of the time if conditions are good in 3-4 months these guys kill it. They are disciplined and if not, they postpone.

I hate to ramble on a Friday night, but all my friends are drinking and I'm plausibly alone.

1) This test is the MOST important test you'll take ever in your life. The bar, sure. But this determines where you go, what jobs are available (plausibly) and the money you spend. Live in NYC (assuming you don't) and I cannot tell you the amount of NYLS, Hofstra, BLS, etc. They check me out at Barnes and Noble and that's some real shit. No doubt they had what it took. But if you can't postpone a few months to master a very learnable test, don't bother going to law school. Only gets harder. I learned that through banking, but at the end of the day, I worked for and did a lot of client development with top firm lawyers.

If it takes 2 years to get a 170 and go to a good school so be it. The opportunity cost is literally incomparable.

You're smart, I know you are. It's why you're asking about this. A fool would just take the test.

Anyways, I'm going to start an AMA as a top top 5 investment banks thread. Admittedly, not law. The parallels and the work product are as similar as it gets.

Good luck and PLEASE postpone until you're ready!