Anxiety about June LSAT

nocalaw1

I am signed up for the June LSAT and I think I really messed up. I don't feel ready for it, my logical reasoning section is all over the place. A month ago I was scoring -6 and I have been getting progressively worse, my last test was -15. I have read advice about this problem in different discussion forums already. In addition to going through some fundamental lessons. I also don't study for very long each day, maybe 3 hours max? So, I feel that maybe it's not a good idea to take a break... Although, I would be willing to do whatever it takes to fix this problem. If anyone has an advice, that would be great!

emmorens

Coming from experience, you're better off postponing it. There's really no rush!

If you're trying to take the last three section flex; don't. The four section exam arguably has benefits that the three section one doesn't have. It sounds like you may be psyching yourself out a bit, I've had my fair share of test anxiety and for the first time my LR score is stable, every time I was battling a -10 to -6 gap it was because I hadn't properly grasped the material. Give yourself the time you require to properly conquer this exam, it will be well worth it!

I truly believe sitting for this exam when you are underprepared can be more detrimental to test taking anxiety in the future, even when you do become prepared.

onomatopoeia

I started studying 11 months ago, I've postponed twice, and I'm FINALLY feeling like I'm truly ready for the exam next month. I can't tell you how glad I am that I waited, because "failing" early on would have psyched me out, guaranteed.

SheboyganBoi

@emmorens said:
Coming from experience, you're better off postponing it. There's really no rush!

If you're trying to take the last three section flex; don't. The four section exam arguably has benefits that the three section one doesn't have. It sounds like you may be psyching yourself out a bit, I've had my fair share of test anxiety and for the first time my LR score is stable, every time I was battling a -10 to -6 gap it was because I hadn't properly grasped the material. Give yourself the time you require to properly conquer this exam, it will be well worth it!

I truly believe sitting for this exam when you are underprepared can be more detrimental to test taking anxiety in the future, even when you do become prepared.

^^^ As somebody who probably rushed it the first time I took the test, I very strongly second this!

Unless you have a massively compelling reason to specifically take the June administration, postpone the test! With LSAT prep, unfortunately, sometimes it really just takes time for some of this material to start sinking in and for you to be able to consistently apply the skills. So don't get discouraged, just reassess the areas you need to work on, make a plan for working on them, and give yourself that extra time!

alienman1000

@SheboyganBoi what do you think are the benefits of the four section test?

emmorens

@alienman1000 there's a break between sections 2 & 3 which means less test taking stamina than the 3 section exam which requires enough stamina to finish all 3 sections back-to-back. There is also the aspect of the experimental section which I personally see as advantageous. Something about knowing that one section doesn't count puts me at ease, when I took the flex in January the pressure was a lot higher because every time I was unsure about a question it felt more detrimental to my score and very real in the moment.

Journeyto99thpercentile

@nocalaw1 Sorry to hear that you're struggling so much and doubting your abilities going into the June LSAT. First things first. You still have a plenty of time to iron out these issues. Second, the lsat is very good at what it does, yet the test is very learnable. It has a unique way of making even the most accomplished students discouraged, but you've gotta embrace the facts, trust the process and keep grinding it out! I wrote a post a few weeks ago about review. I will briefly repeat what I have found to be tremendously helpful for me. Superficially all of this seems obvious, but be honest with yourself when reviewing to see if you actually really followed through. Follow the following steps: "Did I follow the correct approach to the question? Was my anticipation of the answer in line with what I should have been looking for? Why is the wrong answer wrong? How can I know that a similar wrong answer will be wrong next time? Why is the wrong answer tempting, and why doesn't that make it right? Why is the right answer right? How can I spot a smilier right answer next time? Once you've figured out a question, talk yourself through the logical process one more time to reinforce the right way to do things."

Hope this helps. Feel free to reach back out if you have any questions, or if I can clarify anything for you!

Hal Incandenza

@nocalaw1 I’d seriously consider taking a break. You haven’t somehow become less intelligent or more ignorant, so if your score is decreasing that rapidly, I’d suspect the culprit is stress or exhaustion. A nice break can help with both. I’d take 7 days off, then maybe do a PT, see how ya feel, and then don’t be afraid to take another week off. (Assuming you take the August test. For the June test, I’d still take a week off, but maybe not 2).

nocalaw1

Thanks everyone in this thread for your advice! I will think about everything that has been said in the upcoming weeks. @Journeyto99thpercentile I found your advice to be especially helpful. My main reason for taking the exam in June is to have ample time for applications. I figured the LSAT flex would be most beneficial to me since there is only one LR section rather than the two I would face in August..

team420party

Don't take it if you feel rushed. I did, and it fucked me up BIG

thinklikealawyer

I postponed the test 3 times. Took it when I felt ready. If you don't feel confident you'll be ready by June, you should probably postpone it.

Svensson

Hi @nocalaw1 there's still just one LR section for the August exam (and those afterward). Scores are based off 3 sections (LR, LG, RC) and one experimental section which can be any of the three listed. They got rid of the 2 LR sections when the in-person tests were cancelled. https://www.lsac.org/lsat/prep/types-lsat-questions