March LSAT Stress

salonpapas

Hi you guys,

I'm starting to freak out about the upcoming March test. The anxiety is kicking in. I feel like there's not enough time in the day to study. I'm still not hitting my target scores. I'm still struggling with LG. I just need some pick me ups right now. Is anyone else feeling this way?

Patz4life

I feel that. I'm always feeling like I'm never doing enough. However! Sometimes you can take that stress and anxiety and channel it into your work. If the stress is going to be there might as well make it useful. Stress doesn't have to be debilitating, in fact, it can be motivating.

I like to look at Tom Brady (full disclaimer: I hate the Patriots), he thrives and actually improves when the pressure is on. Why can't that be us on test day?

mjmonte17

Here is a short motivational video that may serve as a "pick me up"

Lawster9

I'm also signed up for March and I've been feeling the heat as well. I know it helps me to remember that there are a bunch of other administrations which I can take in order to apply for the next application cycle (assuming you are not using your March LSAT to go to school this fall).

Anyways, best of luck, and make sure to take care of yourself. At the end of the day, when you find that your goals are taking precedence over YOU, it's a sign you need to re-calibrate and make sure you are being true to yourself and not chasing some external goal, worried about appearances or some other BS.

Sorry for the preach lol.

BlindReviewer

@Lawster9 --- I think you're right on point.

I was thinking about making a post about this, but I think this might be a better place to write it out. I felt much like many other March test takers, and I kind of kicked it into high gear the past two or so weeks, taking a lot of timed sections and trying to get up earlier to get my body adjusted. But this past weekend I totally broke down --- I felt like my brain was sluggish and just not "on" for LR (which I had drilled the most of) and I just felt exhausted and really irritable. I started to get hung up over my PT scores now that test day is on the horizon, and I chased that much more than true understanding (I actually got so frustrated I didn't even BR my last PT -- the first time I've not BR'd).

When I glossed over my most recent PT and realized that I had made a lot of careless mistakes, I had to kind of take a step back and ask myself, am I burnt out? I had read a lot about burnout on 7sage and elsewhere, but I guess I never felt like I was going to fall prey to it because I'm not even studying full time (studying while working). And yet, in a combination of various factors (probably not getting enough sleep because I was waking up earlier, anxiety over the test approaching, and just way too much timed prep) I ended up just feeling kind of dazed and mad because things weren't working.

So I took two days off, where I let the emotions simmer down. I watched a lot of TV, meditated, journaled, and started to think about my study strategy. What was going to be realistic, and what's the most high quality studying I can do instead of just pushing myself through reps of timed sections? I've started sketching out a new schedule and have been trying to go to sleep earlier, but I already feel better!

Anyway this has become a strange rambling on about my recent prep haha the point I'm trying to make is just to caution people from succumbing to anxiety and trying to over-prep. Realistically, there are three weeks left, and your general knowledge isn't going to change. It's much better to do shorter, high quality prep, and trust the schedule rather than trying to force yourself to cram skillsets and learn logic in the next couple of weeks.

tl;dr -- don't burn yourself out and trust your study plan -- quality over quantity!

salonpapas

@Lawster9 said:
I'm also signed up for March and I've been feeling the heat as well. I know it helps me to remember that there are a bunch of other administrations which I can take in order to apply for the next application cycle (assuming you are not using your March LSAT to go to school this fall).

Anyways, best of luck, and make sure to take care of yourself. At the end of the day, when you find that your goals are taking precedence over YOU, it's a sign you need to re-calibrate and make sure you are being true to yourself and not chasing some external goal, worried about appearances or some other BS.

Sorry for the preach lol.

You're right. I am also signed up for June as well, so we shall see. Thank you!!

salonpapas

@BlindReviewer said:
@Lawster9 --- I think you're right on point.

I was thinking about making a post about this, but I think this might be a better place to write it out. I felt much like many other March test takers, and I kind of kicked it into high gear the past two or so weeks, taking a lot of timed sections and trying to get up earlier to get my body adjusted. But this past weekend I totally broke down --- I felt like my brain was sluggish and just not "on" for LR (which I had drilled the most of) and I just felt exhausted and really irritable. I started to get hung up over my PT scores now that test day is on the horizon, and I chased that much more than true understanding (I actually got so frustrated I didn't even BR my last PT -- the first time I've not BR'd).

When I glossed over my most recent PT and realized that I had made a lot of careless mistakes, I had to kind of take a step back and ask myself, am I burnt out? I had read a lot about burnout on 7sage and elsewhere, but I guess I never felt like I was going to fall prey to it because I'm not even studying full time (studying while working). And yet, in a combination of various factors (probably not getting enough sleep because I was waking up earlier, anxiety over the test approaching, and just way too much timed prep) I ended up just feeling kind of dazed and mad because things weren't working.

So I took two days off, where I let the emotions simmer down. I watched a lot of TV, meditated, journaled, and started to think about my study strategy. What was going to be realistic, and what's the most high quality studying I can do instead of just pushing myself through reps of timed sections? I've started sketching out a new schedule and have been trying to go to sleep earlier, but I already feel better!

Anyway this has become a strange rambling on about my recent prep haha the point I'm trying to make is just to caution people from succumbing to anxiety and trying to over-prep. Realistically, there are three weeks left, and your general knowledge isn't going to change. It's much better to do shorter, high quality prep, and trust the schedule rather than trying to force yourself to cram skillsets and learn logic in the next couple of weeks.

tl;dr -- don't burn yourself out and trust your study plan -- quality over quantity!

Thank you for taking the time to post your comment! I really appreciate it!

KeepCalm

Lately I have felt more anxious than ever. I started meditating and it has put me at ease. Spending 15 minutes meditating in the morning keeps me so calm that the day seems much longer (in a good way, of course!) I recommend this for your mind + body + soul.

Remember, you got this!

salonpapas

@KeepCalm said:
Lately I have felt more anxious than ever. I started meditating and it has put me at ease. Spending 15 minutes meditating in the morning keeps me so calm that the day seems much longer (in a good way, of course!) I recommend this for your mind + body + soul.

Remember, you got this!

Any mediation tips? Apps or anything? I've tried it a couple times, but haven't really gotten the hang of it..

KeepCalm

I am trying out other apps (“10% Happier”, “Waking App”, and “Insight Timer”) but the one I am most familiar with is called “Headspace”. In the basic lessons, a narrator guides you throughout the process which I thought was great considering how much of a beginner I was!

I usually meditate in bed before I start my day. I lay there with my eyes closed and just follow the narrators instructions. Starting with simple breathing exercises, steady instruction to relax various body parts (shoulders, hands, feet), and calming mantras about our everyday lives.

It sounds simple but this light remedy really makes a difference. Check out this post from J.Y. (https://7sage.com/forums/discussion/448/mindfulness-meditation/p1) he shared links to articles with studies showing how meditation works