New to 7sage, just some questions

hhhakobian

Ok so hi everyone I've been stalking reddit/7sage forums for a while now and I've been studying for a month and a half and doing sections and using LSAT trainer, and old practice tests to do mentioned sections. Now I'm kind of plateauing with LR and LG even untimed it usually ends up being 2-5 wrong for LR and 2-7 for LG (untimed, timed it's like 5-7).
So I'm confident from what everyone has said that improvement is possible and I'm optimistic for the LR and LG every where it says timing and perfect scores consistently is possible it just requires a lot (emphasis on lot) of dedication. That's all well and good. Here's where I get kind of messed up on: Mental focus and stamina not to mention physical.
I already get bored within a few seconds of each question, but thankfully I'm getting better at it but after about 2 sections or maybe 3 I absolutely need to go for a walk. Not to mention I do intermittent fasting which means lots of fluids which means I need to use the restroom at least every 90 minutes since hydration helps with mental clarity (ironically). Does anyone have any tips besides repitition to increase a) my ability to handle long 4 hour tests (I think its 4 with essay right?) and if anyone else does IF do you have any tips to handle the singular break? Thanks a ton and sorry for long post eek. Also tips on breaking plateaus for those sections would be appreciated as well it's just they're not super pressing to me

MIT_2017

I have experience with IMF and am a fan. Tip: don't do it on the days leading up to test day, and certainly not on test day.

Make sure you are neither hungry nor dehydrated going into the exam, and try not to drink much in the couple hours prior to the exam. You should do a full 'test day rehearsal' where you take a PT at the same time as your upcoming exam and try out your morning routine to see if any adjustments need to be made. The biggest takeaway from this rehearsal day is how much water/coffee to drink that morning as well as what to eat and how much to eat beforehand / during the break.

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EDIT: I took the LSAT at 12:30pm. If you are taking an 8:30am exam, then I would be much less concerned with you doing IMF on exam day. Sometimes people feel more alert in the morning when doing IMF than when they are not (though one could argue that this is more due to not consuming a bunch of crappy carbs (cereal, waffles, muffins, etc.) than it is due to actually fasting). Regardless, make sure you rehearse your morning routine at least once, though I'd suggest you do it more than once.

hhhakobian

Thanks a lot! I was recently sick and noticed sipping on mineral water (for my throat) not only made me less thirsty but also didn't really make me have to go to the bathroom since I would drink less. How come I shouldn't do it on before or on test day? Surely since I'm studying/PTing with IF then reducing the variables between study/actual test would be good? Unless it just doesn't work at all with LSAT

MIT_2017

@hhhakobian said:
How come I shouldn't do it on before or on test day? Surely since I'm studying/PTing with IF then reducing the variables between study/actual test would be good? Unless it just doesn't work at all with LSAT

I suppose I was assuming you adhere to the typical 16:8 IMF routine of eating somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-8pm and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. Which is why I clarified that I would only advise against doing IMF on test day if your exam was at 12:30.

If the entire exam fits comfortably into your fasting window, then I would say go ahead and do it. Otherwise don't -- something as simple as being hungry could really hinder your performance.

Regardless of what you decide to do (with respect to IMF or anything else), make sure you do a full test day rehearsal a couple of times. This will be the best data point for deciding whether your plan is smart or not, and you can adjust your strategy each subsequent rehearsal to make it both more familiar and optimal for test day.