How to stay motivated when you don’t see big improvements...?

angelie.ortiz

Hello everyone,
I’m feeling a little down. I just took my second prep test today and scored a 140. I’ve been studying for the LSAT for almost a year now. I started with Kaplan and took two real LSAT tests. On my first one I scored a 141 and on the second one I scored a 146. Not great. Then I decided to start with 7Sage and give it another try but so far I am not seeing a huge difference (not saying that the course is bad cause so far it’s been great). I even quit my full time job recently to take a break and fully focus on studying and practicing for the LSAT which I will be re-taking in November 2019. I usually understand the material and I do great in the practice assessments after each session, but for some reason when it comes to taking the actual prep test or even the real test, the timing messes me up and I have a hard time focusing. If anyone has any helpful advice on how to improve or tips to apply when taking the test please let me know.

AudaciousRed

What about the timing is messing you up? Is it panicking and trying to rush through under time? In that case, quit looking at the clock as much. Take each question as it comes. You know if a question is bogging you down when you go back and forth, back and forth, trying to find the right answer. Sometimes, you come across a question where you just know it's going to be too much. It's okay. Skip it. Grab the ones you can comfortably, and then go back to the time sinks. Usually, if a question is super complex and is eating time, we're probably going to just pick an answer to get past it anyway. Often, we'll wind up likely picking the wrong one just to keep up with the test. Don't do this. If you're likely to miss it anyway, why let it eat your time? Move on and grab the ones you can get right, rather than sink all your time in a bad question, and then miss the others because you ran out of time. Every question equals the same amount of points. Grab the low hanging fruit first. I did this in July a few times, and it was the first time I finished almost every section under time (I missed a couple of that insane 26 LR section) and got the score I wanted. A skipping strategy is really important for time.
Also.. if you are not a morning person, consider an afternoon testing date. Sooo much better for us night owls.

Stephanie11.11

I had the same problem. It took me a long time before I could even take a practice timed exam because my brain would freeze up and it killed my concentration. I feel like this exam is equally a mental as well as a skills test and these two go hand in hand.

I started researching how to focus under pressure and I came across a lot of insights from professional athletes who could "get in the zone." This is where you need to be to master this test. I've learned that on sections I perform my best at, my mind is 100% in the zone. Most notable I think is Tiger Woods who's arguably the best golfer because of his extreme focusing ability. He said his dad used to train him to focus under an intense amount of distraction which is why he can block things out and perform so well under pressure.

And when you can block everything out, you can focus and perform your best - you can allow your skills and intuition to actually work for you. This also requires you to cultivate a relaxed state of mind which goes into more terrain. This test is hard because it's inherently stressful and it demands you stay in a state of mental relaxation in order to perform the best.

I spent nearly a year mastering extreme focus and concentration through mindfulness and meditation, primarily for this exam. You have to train your mind to not react emotionally to the clock or to questions that trip you up. That's not easy. It's an emotional response to allow the time to distract us. This was for me the hardest thing to work on with the LSAT because it felt out of my control - but it's not. And although my score on the last test wasn't what I wanted, I was happy with the fact that I was able to go into the exam and put everything out of my mind without any anxiety and just perform. To that extent, I called it a win.

I recommend practicing meditation and mindfulness to cultivate intense focus and concentration which is ultimately what you need if you're having trouble with the clock. Also, let go of any fear of failure which usually causes test anxiety. As you get better and improve your skills, your confidence will also improve which will make it easier to concentrate as well when the clock turns on. Hope this helps.

Cant Get Right

What is your BR score?

salonpapas

@"Stephanie11.11" said:
I had the same problem. It took me a long time before I could even take a practice timed exam because my brain would freeze up and it killed my concentration. I feel like this exam is equally a mental as well as a skills test and these two go hand in hand.

I started researching how to focus under pressure and I came across a lot of insights from professional athletes who could "get in the zone." This is where you need to be to master this test. I've learned that on sections I perform my best at, my mind is 100% in the zone. Most notable I think is Tiger Woods who's arguably the best golfer because of his extreme focusing ability. He said his dad used to train him to focus under an intense amount of distraction which is why he can block things out and perform so well under pressure.

And when you can block everything out, you can focus and perform your best - you can allow your skills and intuition to actually work for you. This also requires you to cultivate a relaxed state of mind which goes into more terrain. This test is hard because it's inherently stressful and it demands you stay in a state of mental relaxation in order to perform the best.

I spent nearly a year mastering extreme focus and concentration through mindfulness and meditation, primarily for this exam. You have to train your mind to not react emotionally to the clock or to questions that trip you up. That's not easy. It's an emotional response to allow the time to distract us. This was for me the hardest thing to work on with the LSAT because it felt out of my control - but it's not. And although my score on the last test wasn't what I wanted, I was happy with the fact that I was able to go into the exam and put everything out of my mind without any anxiety and just perform. To that extent, I called it a win.

I recommend practicing meditation and mindfulness to cultivate intense focus and concentration which is ultimately what you need if you're having trouble with the clock. Also, let go of any fear of failure which usually causes test anxiety. As you get better and improve your skills, your confidence will also improve which will make it easier to concentrate as well when the clock turns on. Hope this helps.

This is a great answer!

salonpapas

@"angelie.ortiz" said:
Hello everyone,
I’m feeling a little down. I just took my second prep test today and scored a 140. I’ve been studying for the LSAT for almost a year now. I started with Kaplan and took two real LSAT tests. On my first one I scored a 141 and on the second one I scored a 146. Not great. Then I decided to start with 7Sage and give it another try but so far I am not seeing a huge difference (not saying that the course is bad cause so far it’s been great). I even quit my full time job recently to take a break and fully focus on studying and practicing for the LSAT which I will be re-taking in November 2019. I usually understand the material and I do great in the practice assessments after each session, but for some reason when it comes to taking the actual prep test or even the real test, the timing messes me up and I have a hard time focusing. If anyone has any helpful advice on how to improve or tips to apply when taking the test please let me know.

I know it's hard and mentally draining. I've broken down so many times with this test. I have the same experience as well. I've been studying for about a year too with a full time job. Sat for the test two times, with one cancellation and one real score of 148. I was devastated and ashamed. I've fallen down a lot of times. I've wanted to give up so many times.

But you just gotta push through!!!! You will get there. Be patient with yourself. It's okay to not score well right away. Keep doing PTs. Keep practicing. You will see improvements. If you get a low PT, it's okay!! BR the shit out of that PT. Make sure you truly understand why you got the questions wrong. Blind Reviewing is a really good studying method. I just took a PT last night and scored a 158.

Reading and posting the 7sage forum have helped me mentally too. It's comforting to hear that other people are struggling too and not just you. Join a study group. Have people to keep you accountable. Study until you're ready to take the test to sign up. Don't just schedule for the test and think that you will ready.

Feel free to DM me if you ever feel down and we can encourage each other!! Hang in there.