self confidence

Barbie Blonde

do you guys ever end up hating the lsat and just feeling so so stupid? sometimes ill do something and feel confident then check my test scores and im like omg what is wrong with me. I end up beating myself up over answer choices and feel like no matter how hard I work I'm constantly missing something. When I do well I feel energized and happy and when I do bad I end up calling myself names and end up going into self hatred mode. is this normal?

eziff

the trick for me is remembering that every mistake is a lesson. every mistake you make now that you take the time to understand and correct is an immunization against getting an answer wrong like that in the future. and sometimes you get sick when you build immunity, but as long as you vaccinate yourself the right way (blind reviewing, understanding every question and mistake on a conceptual level and not just a particular level) you will start to see results.

LuxxTaboo

I can relate. Perhaps we may be more intensely and emotionally influenced than some others. Normal or not, those emotional extremes can hinder us from keeping a strong stable mindset and mental state. I personally know that I have a weakness with my intense emotional states and so I have to constantly work at recognizing when I get into that dark toxic place. I have to remind myself that I need to work at being mentally stronger and realize that I truly don't have to sink into such a low place when I get so many answers wrong. I have to remind myself that if I just keep pushing, no matter how many I get wrong, I will eventually get it. And if I don't get it, then I must be proud of myself for trying the absolute best I could. We have to learn to control our emotions and try to think more rationally. It will truly make a difference.

WoodsCommaElle

Hey @"Barbie Blonde" ! First of all, deep breaths and a big virtual hug from Canada.
Secondly, I encourage you to listen to canihazJD 's 7sage podcast episode. There's this one line in there that goes something like this: every wrong answer is like a friend telling you - "Hey, I know how important this test is for you, so I'm pointing this out to you now because I don't want you to get blindsided on test day."

That's a rough paraphrase, but it's the same-ish idea!

Sometimes, I adapt it to: "Hey, this is you from the future. I'm flagging this now because a similar question type will come up on [insert future test you plan to take] and it will mess. you. up. You're welcome in advance."

Get energized and happy when you get the answer right, and also when you get it wrong- because that's an opportunity to learn and do even better than before.

Hope this helps, cheering you on

Barbie Blonde

guys thank you for all the commentary it really made my day- you're all so sweet I really hope you guys get the test scores you deserve and don't get as mentally drained as I do. Sending out all my love

Austin.hutchinson1

Feel this very strongly as well. But lots of high scorers airball PT's here and there, I definitely do at least once a week. There is no reason to be hard on yourself, it's an intimidating experience with a lot at stake. I wish I was scoring better on PTs, but i have about 6 weeks to tackle a few specific weaknesses and if those are remedied, I will feel a lot better on test day and pretty ready to log my final and best lsat performance.

Self-confidence wont make you a better student, but without it, you can't really ace the LSAT. I don't have answers really, but keep practicing unitl you nail a really really tough LG or RC passage during prep and fucking go celebrate. Then, More Practice, more command of material every day until mid august. and breaks for when you hit milestones. It's really impossible to just conjure up a super well-adjusted version of yourself, but you need to do the work in Prep and sooner or later the confidence will come!

Help2222

confidence is good.