Stuck with prep, need some test taking advice!

oznelliel

Yesterday I finally finished the curriculum part of the course and decided to take my first PTA to see how much I've learned. To be frank, the whole experience was a disaster. I ran out of time on 3 out of 4 sections, on LG I didn't have enough time to do one of the games at all. While doing LR my mind would not function by the newely learned rules of finding premises and conclusions, and basically the whole test felt like brute force all the way through.
Obviously, I didn't do great, but what defeated me completely was the fact that I scored even lower on this PTA than on my very first dry run LSAT test that I took back in September prior to taking this course. Just the thought of this paralyzed me.
Now with under 4 weeks left before the December exam (that I must take because I already applied and paid money to get into the univesity of my choice), I think I really need some advice or guidence. I am not going to give up and now I think maybe I shouldn't have jumped into full PTA right away. Would you recommend doing timed sections or maybe a certain amount of questions first? I feel like I'm missing something, and any advice will be appreciated!

Thank you all for reading through.

beau.bouldin

I feel your pain and dejection! I just finished my first PT after completing the core curriculum and scored a flaccid 1 point higher than I did on my diagnostic, but 10 points lower than my target (I actually came to the forums to see if I was the only one with that kind of deflating experience). I'm obviously in no position to offer you any meaningful, LSAT test-specific advice at the moment, but I would tell you that, if your situation is analogous to mine, the urgency you're placing on yourself to apply this cycle is almost entirely self generated. I signed up for the Dec 2017 exam same as you; shelled out cash on applications same as you; told friends and family that's when I was taking it [probably] same as you; and convinced myself that I could be ready to score at/above my target LSAT score to get accepted where I want to go this application cycle. The shitty reality I'm now coming to grips with is that I couldn't and I also can no longer harbor any delusions that I'll somehow magically be able to by Dec 2nd. Conclusion, I will withdraw from the Dec. LSAT (it's the penultimate day to do so for refunds or test date changes) and withdraw my application from consideration at the universities I've applied to by email, figure this f*&#ing test out between now and this time next year, dominate it and go where I want to go. The alternative we have is to almost certainly underperform on the Dec. exam and prime ourselves to settle for a school we'd otherwise avoid or worse, to become dejected enough after a poor performance and the accompanying letters of rejection that we abandon the whole endeavor full stop. So what if I (or you) don't go class up in 2018 - really? Does it actually matter that much? Would I (or you) be more or less satisfied waiting for another year and knowing that we did what we set out to by achieving the requisite credentials to attend the school/s of our choosing instead of the schools that a hasty taking of the LSAT sorted us into? I know how much effort goes into this process and how eager I am to move past it, but I want to move past it on my, not the test's terms and if that means frustrating my timeline, prolonging the pain of preparation, or "disappointing" my friends and family then so be it. What's a year for a career? Be sure to ask the right questions of yourself before you commit to a decision and whatever way you come down; I wish you the best of luck fellow warrior!

oznelliel

Thanks for your comment, I am relieved to know that I'm not the only one with this struggle! However, in my situation, I really only applied to one school because that's the only place where I want to work afterwards. I already withdrew from the September LSAT and was morally prepared to tackle the December one. I've been going around the forum and reading other people's posts and I think there is a solution to what we are experiencing. I will try my best, and whatever comes of it I will accept.
I wish you luck and the best of patience for this common foe of ours, comrade!

Alex

Check out this webinar by Sage @"Cant Get Right" : https://7sage.com/webinar/post-core-curriculum-study-strategies/

I think it is immensely helpful when you've just completed the CC.

In short, I think your experience with your first PT is completely normal. The first test after is usually always a bloodbath. If you trust the processes in the webinar, you will see improvements!

TabbyG123

I hear you. Don't fret! There are solutions, but it might just take trying a few of them to find the one(s) that work.

From what I'm hearing, it sounds like you have all of the knowledge (you've watched the curriculum) but don't yet have the mechanics mastered yet. If you're hoping to jump straight into practice tests and hope that the mechanics will come through brute force, I would recommend the process in the video that Alex Divine posted.

But if you don't feel ready for that just yet, I might recommend doing "intensives", ie. focusing on individuals sections, one at a time, to develop your mechanics for each section in isolation before combining them in a prep test. Here's what I mean:

The December LSAT is like opening night of a play. The prep tests are dress rehearsals. But right now, maybe you should be focusing on individuals scenes before trying to go for the dress rehearsals. By this I mean, try setting aside a whole day or two just for RC. Print out two or three RC sections. Do one under timed conditions, blind review it, and make detailed notes about why you got each question wrong. Then here's the important part: figure out what your going to change about your approach during the next time around. Then take a second RC section and repeat. Any changes? Noticed the differences and similarities between why you got different questions wrong. Try taking the next section lightning fast. Check back in to the curriculum if you think your issue is a specific question or reading issue. Its through this trial and error that you'll find your best approach. You cant rush this process. This is what's called an "intensive". Its a totally different learning process than just receiving information like the curriculum--it's more involved. And you should learn just as much through this as you did through the curriculum.

Then repeat this process for LR.

For LG, you have to full proof--it's simply the best way.

Don't be afraid to use this whole week to do this and then use the three weeks after for PTs.

Best of luck!

missmalo

You're not alone. I'm right there with you. Thank you for the post. The comments are so helpful.

oznelliel

Thank you so much for your comments everyone! It is very heartwarming to have your advice and support. I will try my best to improve using these methods, and I hope that other people like me can benefit from your input in this post!