Please help - Struggling!

LawHokage

Hello my name is Luan Phan,

I'm a first generation Asian - American with aspirations of attending a T - 14 Law School. I have been studying for the LSAT on and off throughout college and decided pretty late in my career to attend law school. However; I recently have just graduated college and I feel kind of lost on how to proceed forward and would appreciate any advice that is provided.

Some context into my situation - I did exceptionally well in college and received an A in all my classes as a Marketing Major and would now like to transition my life towards studying for this rigorous exam. I plan on taking the exam around Late July(Which is 5 months) and this exam is my entire focus for this time - period. How would you approach studying for the exam? I have completed some of the core curriculum, but will start over from the beginning again, since I had to stop studying due to graduation and the circumstances of the ongoing pandemic.

I don't really have anyone to ask for help because none of my friends are pursuing the same career aspirations or have similar aspirations as mine, that is why I am reaching out to those who are more experienced. I'm really anxious and scared because my family and friends believe in me, but I just need a little bit of help in the right direction.

Update: Thank you so much for all the help that was given to me! I am truly appreciative and was at a very mentally tough place in my life this past month. However; I have taken some time off to refocus and get my life in - order so that I can focus on this exam. I have realize that this journey is now about an ideal score, but the continuous improvement on your skillsets and I have learned to trust the process and believe in myself. I appreciate all of your time and effort in helping me through my struggles. From the bottom of my heart thank you so much to everybody!

AlexJ_LSAT

After reviewing the core curriculum, it really comes down to just practicing. If you don't receive the score you want by July, I would advise looking in to jobs/internships; these can provide you with experience to give you a boost in the application process. There just comes a point where studying is all you can do. Everything will be fine and will work out.

If this makes you feel better, I am 27 yrs old and returning to school. I received my BS in 2016 and my MS from Georgetown in 2019. I am hoping to return to Georgetown. You don't need to worry so much about time. There have been so many times in my life where I was stressing out and thinking the worst was going to happen; only for everything to work out. We suffer more in imagination than in reality.

hotranchsauce

I'm 33 and on unemployment. I was rejected from all the schools I applied to during my first application cycle (141 LSAT score). I'm taking this time to study for the LSAT and my goal is to obtain a 165+ on an official LSAT in time for the 2022 application cycle (I've recently gotten a 154 a practice test). I've been through alot of ups and down regarding studying for the LSAT and I've probably wasted a lot of time muddling around, but I'm seeing progress which is nice.

Take my suggestions as you will, but I think the best thing to do is to obviously go through the CC and use the "resources > problem sets" to hone your skills. Take a few practice tests, see what specific problem types give you the most problems and then create custom problem sets with just that type of problem.

I hope you get your dream score within the 5 months. I think alot of people struggle with obtaining their dream score within that time frame, so don't get down on yourself if it ends up not being the case.

teechj117

I'm 29 and took time off school after graduating in 2014 to get some real world experience. Most of the things I got into didn't end up working out, but it added a lot of practical insight to the reality of what's happening on the ground. Now that I have that, it's something I don't want to become detached from.

I wouldn't build onto the added pressure you may believe yourself to be in amongst your friends/peers and family. You should also know that this test isn't a true measurement of who you are as a person. That being said, you are here because you've never backed down from a challenge, and you're driven to succeed. That alone should give you all the confidence you need to get yourself on track to become the best you can be.

As far as the studying goes, you should do some diagnostic to see where you are (if you haven't already) just to give you an idea of where to start. The logic itself is like math, in that if you have covered the core curriculum at some point in your life, a diagnostic should tell you what it is you need to sharpen. I say that, because if you are determined for July, your time may not be best served starting from the top.

Also, take a listen to the podcasts during your off-time. Listen to others and their experiences, or approaches, to the test itself. There's a lot of great insight and perspective I've gotten from those who made the journey from say 150's to 170's.

Hope this helps

hellome

I'm also first gen Asian American and I studied Marketing in undergrad! Currently 29 and decided to swerve because I wasn't feeling fulfilled in my role. I've always wanted to pursue law right after undergrad but had some setbacks due to financial reasons. I'm not sure how much time you're dedicating to studying, but you sound proactive and if you study full time, you should get to your goal score.

Take a diagnostic first and see where you're at. Then create a study schedule and jump into the core curriculum. I sped up the playback speed on videos and skipped some problem sets on concepts that I have a strong grasp on. I like to go back to problem sets in between taking practice tests (PTs) to review. When you feel comfortable attempting practice tests, don't pressure yourself into doing them under timed conditions in the beginning. I used the stopwatch function on my phone and then record how much time I've taken to map out how I can improve. I started doing timed PTs 2 months out from my actual test date and that's been going well.

Take as many PTs as you can and don't skip out on the blind review process. That's where I started to see progress on my scores. I've taken plenty of breaks to review concepts and even read The Loophole to strengthen my LR in between PTs. It's important to review concepts even when you've moved onto timed PTs to address your weak points. Your time frame is quite limited so don't beat yourself up if you're not getting to the scores you want. Some schools will accept LSAT scores as far as January.

Congrats on beginning your law school journey! Good luck on everything!

elliaddagan

You have the time and enthusiasm which are huge hurdles for most people, so give yourself credit for that! With practice comes understanding, and with understanding comes improvement. You can do it!!

equallyyoked

Don't burn out. Make a realistic schedule. I have heard that 2-3 hours of studying a day with a day off is better as far as retaining what you've learned. If you study 8-10 hours a day that could cause you to burn out pretty quickly. This is not at all like doing a job. It takes major brain power as i know that you know and have exercise. Your timeframe to take the exam is super realistic therefore you may just need to dedicate a few hours a day.

I truly believe that you will do well. You sound like you already have great study work ethic.

LawHokage

@AlexJ_LSAT Hey thank you so much for your advice! I am currently looking for job opportunities in the legal field right now, but i'm not sure on how to approach finding a job in the legal field as a marketing major. Would you mind me DMing you and asking you for some help on the process and how you were able to locate a job/internship?

@businesskarafa Thank you so much for opening a new perspective up for me! I really appreciate your kinds word of encouragement and will heed your advice when studying for the exam. I appreciate you taking your time and help.

LawHokage

@teechj117 Hey thanks for the awesome advice! I was really focused on my dream score, but I now I have taken some time off to focus on improving daily and focusing on refining my skills and trusting the process! Do you have any podcasts that you would recommend listening to? I currently listen to Thinking LSAT right now and that has been a great resource.

@hellome Its great to hear another Asian - American going through the same journey as me. Thank you so much for telling me about your story and giving me valuable insight about how to approach this journey. I really appreciate it .

teechj117

fasho! The 7sage podcasts themselves are really good. I like the interviews. There are some common denominators you pick up on for success. I've revisited some just to hear something I hadn't before during my own study process. Maybe something will validate what I'm feeling as "normal", like having a hard time breaking through a plateau or a question type.

I've also checked Powerscore for some theory in my early study when I picked up those books for curriculum. It was a chance to chip away at confusion with certain question types for when I was on the move.