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Losing Motivation :'( And need some general advice please :)
Hello! Thanks in advance for reading 
I'm taking the December 2017 LSAT. I've been enrolled in an LSAT course with Blueprint since mid June and it ends mid September. I was planning on enrolling in a 7sage course after the Blueprint course ends and using that to bring my score up until December. I'm stuck at a 152 practice test score right now though, and after doing a bit of reading I'm worried that my goal of reaching at least a 170 by December is too optimistic. Is it possible?
I've completely lost my motivation in the past few weeks though which hasn't helped, and the last three practice tests I took were basically the same score. I started off studying for the LSAT pretty optimistic and I think that's why I had a 9 point increase within my first month of studying. But now that I've lost my motivation I haven't improved at all in almost a month and studying keeps feeling pointless, like I'm not improving or learning anything anymore. I keep making the same mistakes for some reason and it's really disheartening. We've finished the Blueprint curriculum and learned all of the strategies for every question at this point, but knowing everything now has also made me more confused, if thats possible. Every practice test I feel overwhelmed by all the strategies we learned and I end up taking too long to answer questions to sift through the information in my head or I'll mix up the strategies for the question types. I'm also an extremely slow test taker and have only gotten probably 1 or 2 more questions answered per section since my first practice test.
I won't be taking the LSAT in December if I can't get to 170-175 in my practice tests by then. Which means I'd have to delay taking the LSAT till February and apply to the next cycle, which means I wouldn't start law school until Fall 2019....this is the worst case scenario for me. I really would like to be starting law school by Fall 2018. I have really high expectations for myself getting into a good school though, which is why I would delay myself a cycle if it meant I could get into USC or NYU or something...
I'm starting to feel very overwhelmed and burnt out and I think that may also be why my score hasn't increased. My overwhelming stress has almost been like a barrier to my score. How have you dealt with burnout and/or loss of motivation? Any advice on how I can re-energize myself and start to make point gains again? (Thought I'd point out that I have been employing the BR method recently, but maybe I haven't done it enough since I haven't seen much gains from that yet). Also, which 7sage course would you recommend? I'm between the Ultimate and the Premium. If I'm not going to be using it for more than 6 months, is there a point to paying $200 more to get the Ultimate?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!
Sarah
Comments
Hey so first relax. Breath and take a couple of days to collect yourself.
It is mid August. That gives you 3 and 1/2 months to study for this test. If you can dedicate significant time to studying your goal of a 170 is attainable by December. I started at a 157 and am now near the 170 mark after about three months of studying.
You can't do that burnt out though. Enjoy a week of your summer before you come back and tackle this test head on.
Second, I have NEVER regretted spending the money on the Ultimate+ package. I have access to SO MUCH valuable learning material, it is truly outstanding. I would highly recommend going with the Ultimate package.
Once you are back from the break and ready to go head first into the LSAT be systematic with your approach. Go through the core curriculum and really focus on the basics. This means understanding conditional logic, argument structures and question types for LR. Understanding how to build game boards and make inferences in LG and how to read for structure and attitude in RC. J.Y. and this community will always have your back. If a video by J.Y. doesn't make sense, come here and people like @"Cant Get Right" @"Alex Divine" @Freddy_D @Sami and many many more will do their best to help you understand.
You are fully capable of doing this and you DON'T HAVE TO DECIDED RIGHT NOW. You have time.
Relax!!!
@Sarah_39
Hey Sarah,
I'm sorry to hear you're feeling a bit unmotivated right now. I truly think you may just need to take a few days off from LSAT prep because I think you're likely burned out. Give yourself permission to maybe do something else you enjoy and spend some time with friends.
What type of practice and drilling are you doing to improve in between your PTs?
I'm not too familiar with Blueprint but it's possible that a new approach to the test wouldn't be a bad thing. I am a believer in the idea that different perspectives on how to approach the test are generally more helpful than anything else.
For what it's worth, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the packages. Though, if you can afford it, I think the ultimate + is the way to go. Not only will you get access to a question bank with 4000+ questions, but also tons of drilling material organized by type and all of the PTs from 1-80 (with new ones being added as they become available)
Based off your score plateau I would start 7sage earlier. You WILL see a point jump, i'm positive.
Thank you so much for your response, I needed to read it. I do think this definitely has to do with my core understanding not being as solid as it should be. That's great that you're close to reaching the 170 mark from 3 months! Gives me some hope that I can get there
Thank you for your response Alex! Between PTs I do BR of that exam and then I do LR, LG, and RC practice sets on the Blueprint website. For LR for example I'll usually do 20-30 question sets at a time and go question by question. If I get one wrong I go back and see if I can figure it out before watching the explanation video or moving on to the next question. If I feel like I need to review any basic strategy for a question type I'll go back in the book and read that or watch the video explanation for it.
Yeah, I'm seriously considering that now! I might try to start it this week
Hey! Sorry you're feeling this way but I completely understand. I started off with the LSAT Trainer and it was a great resource but I saw very slow improvement. I completely lost faith in my abilities, was overwhelming burnt out and wanted to give up. I took a break for a few months and then decided to take up 7Sage. LIFE CHANGER. The curriculum is fantastic and the forum, teaching style and tutors really make you feel like your goal is doable.
So like @LSATcantwin said, if you are able to study Full time, I think you do have a chance at December. I'd encourage you to take a week off (maybe 2) take a deep breath then start with a package.
Can I ask why you feel like waiting to apply next year would be a horrible scenario, everyone's situation is different, but a high score is absolutely worth the wait. Not only will it get you into better schools, it will give you better scholarships and statistically a better chance at a job when you graduate. So if you can wait, don't be afraid or ashamed to do so. I am 30 and will not be applying until 2018 and starting in 2019. It's worth the wait to go where I want to go.
7sage is great, and I highly recommend their packages! Yeah, like others have said, maybe just a few days off. Breaks are amazing when it comes to this test, and honestly, I'd even go as far as saying it's necessary to avoid burn out if you're studying for a while.
One of the beautiful things about the 7Sage community is that everyone is so nice. This is a refreshing contrast to some other law-school forums out there. But there is a bit of danger in this. Sometimes, the truth needs to be said, and it's not always easy to be nice and truthful.
We all appreciate @LSATcantwin 's awesome attitude and encouragement, but the experience mentioned in the above post is not at all analogous to OP's situation. The difference between a 158 and a 152 might seem small, but it is actually huge. Not only does it represent about a 10 question difference in raw score, but around 25% of test takers score between those two scores. A 158 is 75th percentile, while a 152 is barely above the 50th percentile. Moreover, the 158 was a diagnostic score and the 152 represents a 9-point increase after a couple months of studying. The fact that someone went from a 158 diagnostic to close to 170 in three months prep does not at all indicate that going from a 152 after a couple months of prep to a 170 in three and a half months is as doable. It's not. I would not think that it's very likely to make that jump in only three months. Not to say that it's unrealistic with more prep time, but in three months, it seems like a real longshot to me.
@uhinberg maybe I should have been more clear. My Diag score was a 151. I took a course just like her and moved to a 157. I was not happy and spent about 4 months studying my ass off and moved to the 169ish mark. Still not perfect, but it's an improvement.
Likely-hood and possibility are two different metrics. It is possible for her to move from where she is to where she wants to be. People do it. Just not EVERYONE can do it in that amount of time. I don't know Sarah, but I want to push the encouragement side over the "realistic side". She will never know unless she tires. That's why I stressed that she doesn't have to decided right now. She can put the effort in and see where it lands her, knowing that it is possible and that others have done it. If she gets to the point where she still feels like she is falling short come close to December, then it's time to reconsider.
Sarah @Uhinberg is right though. The statistics and numbers say you are in for a long haul. When I say dedicate yourself to studying I mean it to the extreme. It IS possible to see that improvement, people do it. You just need to really commit yourself to this test if you want a chance at that kind of result.
Hey Sarah, so you could definitely benefit from a break. I'm just getting back from a break myself and the longer I've studied for LSAT the more essential I am convinced time off is.
So, please don't worry about waiting an extra year. I really wish the myth of the 3 month LSAT prep would die. Getting into a top law school is a truly incredible accomplishment, but for some reason everyone, myself included, starts out thinking that it's a matter of a few months. 12 to 18 months is not at all an unreasonable timeline for applying to T14 law schools. It's that big of an undertaking. I did both the 3 month thing and the 18 month thing. Looking back knowing what I know now, I can't help but laugh at myself for thinking I could get into a T14 school on the original timeline I allowed myself.
Everyone always wants to know if a 170 by x test date is possible, but it's the wrong question. It's possible for you to score a 180 in September. Possible is not a useful metric. The probability is what we need, and the probability is stacked against us all. Only about 2% cross that threshold at all. The terrain of LSAT effort/progress is a very scary looking exponential rise. Every point increases geometrically in difficulty. I'd estimate that on the journey to 170+, getting to 150 takes maybe 10% of the effort. That probably sounds harsh, but I don't mean it to be discouraging. I wasn't much further than you at that point in my prep, and one of my biggest problems is that I really lacked the experience and even imagination to understand just how hard this test is. I had to learn the hard way, and only then could I even attempt to beat it. Don't learn the hard way!
Hey Sarah! I am in a very similar situation to you - I'm feeling the burn out, the stress and I'm watching my test scores drop! My diagnostic was 153 and I peaked at 165, but I've been crashing ever since. I highly recommend taking a few days off (not too many or you'll forget) and read some books. I found it really helpful to engage my mind in other pursuits (like reading). As much as tv, exercise and other things can get your mind off the LSAT - I found it more helpful to apply my mind intellectually in ways OTHER than the LSAT rather than completely turning my brain off!
Wellness/self care are so important! Even after you've had a really hard exam (like the one I took today), take some time to cool down, and come back at it with a fresh perspective and renewed motivation. Recently, I noticed improvement on LG and RC and big drops in LR! When I started, I was getting 80% on LR before even starting any study material. Now I'm getting 50% or so, which is pretty discouraging. I realize its because I'm using a new method of thinking, and just like anything, it takes time for your brain to adjust. I log my exams after Blind Review meaning that I fill out the PT #, the Section #, the Question #, Question Type and "What went wrong?". I find this is helping me key into patterns of my thought process that lead to mistakes. Lastly, something I discovered today, was that before I knew about question types, I focused mainly on understanding the stimulus. That means I treated it like mini RC. I would underline main parts of the argument and key concepts, and read it passionately in my head so that what was being said would seem very interesting. This is something I lost along the way as I methodically read through stimulus and mechanically associated question types! I realized, I couldn't improve because I was approaching the test too robotically - trying to apply all the methodology and associate everything I had learnt. Maybe it would be good practice to read to understand, and to read passionately as to be engaged in the stimulus! I'm going to try this in the PT tomorrow. You can do this!
Thank you for your response! That's true, it is worth the wait. I just feel disappointed because I graduated from undergrad in 2016 and it took me a whole year to decide what I wanted to do, I made my final decision on law school this past April and I feel like I've already wasted a lot of time, so the thought of being delayed yet another year is just discouraging. You're right though, a better school will give me better chances. I just finally bought the 7sage package so hopefully I will see more gains with this curriculum
I appreciate reading both perspectives, I can see it going either way but regardless I will try my best and see what happens. I finally bought a 7sage package so hopefully that will help me see gains faster. I don't have a job now and am studying full-time until I can get this right!
Then you are on the right path. If you need help, ask here. This community is amazing. Really dig into the fundamentals of this test. Remember if you get stuck at a score, we all do, just keep going and eventually you will push past it. It could take you a week, it could take you a year but it WILL happen eventually as long as you keep at it!!
Thanks for the response! You're right, I honestly started out assuming 5--6 months would be enough. I think a big reason I'm struggling now is that the Blueprint course I'm in is structured for people who want to get it over with in 2-3 months, and for that reason I feel like a lot of my core understanding is not where it should be because it wasn't given enough time.
That's a good point, I feel like I've become a bit robotic with my LR as well. I'll read a question and then worry about how to categorize in my head and what exact method I should be using and it ends up taking more time and sometimes I'll get it wrong because I over-thought it. I mean it's important to do that but also not to get lost in the theory of it all. Thanks for the response, good luck with your studies! Hopefully we can both make it out of this burnout soon!
Yay! I'm glad you started a program! I really think you're going to love it. I graduated back in '09 and had the same mindset as you .. got to get to my next goal NOW! Thankfully divine intervention ...well intervened (lol) and after 6 years of working in HR and even taking courses to pursue an MBA, I realized my true calling was Law. I would never have gotten there if I rushed. One year is nothing plenty of people went to law school later than age 22 (insert Barack Obama) you'll be completely fine.
Agreed, and glad you're committing to your score rather than to your timeline. The score is so much more important. I could've gone to a law school after a few months, but by taking my time and doing it right, I got into my dream school. Welcome to 7Sage!
I just wanted to jump in and say this is really inspiring! I have a 157 diagnostic score and plan to take the LSAT in September (with no chance at a retake!) and aim for a 170+. I'm glad to know you did it. How many hours did you dedicate to studying every day/ week? I'm an undergraduate as well so I always have coursework piling up too. I'd like to know it's possible though!
I'll let Glen speak for himself, or you can watch his excellent interview with JY here:
I'll jump in as well though. I started with a diagnostic somewhere in the high 140's and ended with a 176. It took a long time, but it took a lot longer than it had to. I started studying in summer 2015 and did everything wrong. I didn't start doing things right until Feb 2016 which is when I really started with 7Sage. By Sept 2016, my PT average was a 176 but I fumbled LG and came out with a 170. After deciding to defer, I retook after addressing my problems in LG.
So it can definitely be done. Although much of the work I'd done prior to 7Sage was ineffective, it did benefit me, so my timeline gives me a head start there. However, your diagnostic is way higher than mine, so maybe it evens out. My advice is to work slowly and methodically. Don't work towards the score, work towards better understanding. I think I devoted about 30 hours a week to LSAT. I found that when I did any more, I burned out and couldn't approach it with the mental edge that it requires.
Right around 30 minutes into that video w/Glen, JY says everything I needed to hear today. Thanks for posting this!
The webinars on here are awesome!!!