Should I even go to law school ?

STONKSGODOWN

I have been studying for a while now (5 months) but have only managed to go up about 8-9 points. I did pretty poorly with my first diagnostic at a 142 and now scoring at roughly 151 (on a good day). Sometimes I score in the 148-150 range but I am just tired, stressed and quite honestly sacrificing too much of my mental health on this test. Should I take this as an indicator that law school might not be right for me. With an average score of 150 I wouldn't be getting into any worthwhile schools anyway. I have a 4.0 GPA while being an honors student but this test has just taken so much from me. I truly feel like giving up. Any advice would be really appreciated. Thank you and good luck to all taking the Nov LSAT.

gabes900-1

Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry that it has been a tough journey for you so far, but 8-9 points is still a considerable increase for 5 months of studying. Congrats!

If it is affecting your mental health that badly, I would recommend maybe taking a break for a week or maybe more than that until you are comfortable with the test again. Sometimes that is definitely needed if you are burnt out.

Also, I don’t think the LSAT is a good predictor of doing well in law school. There are studies on high LSAT helping students in law school and there are studies showing that high scores aren’t necessary. So, I think you should decide what score you think you are capable of, especially in relation to your preferred school. Try and keep trying with breaks sometimes. If that’s a 160, then keep pushing. If that’s a 170 keep pushing. If that’s a 150 then you’re already there! This is all just my opinion though. I hope it helps

Musa.muneer98

4.0 GPA & an honor student! Then you definitely should not be doubting whether law school is for you or not. If it is what you truly want to do, and have a good idea of what you want to do with you law degree, do NOT short-sell yourself. You can get into any school you want to. People often study for more than a year to to make significant improvement. I felt like I wouldn't be able to improve either but I've come up from the low 140s to 160s now. Couldn't have been possible without JY's 7Sage course and the logical reasoning loophole book. Although I built my foundation off of the powerscore bibles.

danielznelson

I could be way off base here, but it sounds to me like you're putting too much pressure on yourself (high achievers--like 4.0 students--tend to do that).

Without knowing you or your particular situation, I'd just recommend a few things:

(1) Take a break. And make it 3 weeks. A lot of high achievers like yourself understandably put a lot of stress on themselves. So you might end up ruminating over the test for the first few days of your break. With that in mind, a few weeks' time should give you enough time to meaningfully step back from everything.

(2) When you get back at it, study at a pace that works for you. Do you have a job? Family? Stuff going on in your life? Sleep/stress issues? Factor those in to the schedule you set. A common theme among fellow studiers is that they push themselves too much, perhaps by seeing how well others are doing. You're trying to learn a new language, so go at your right pace.

(3) For most of us, getting good at the LSAT takes a lot of time and effort (and making a ton of mistakes). It's easy to get wrapped up in the fact that you're not moving as fast as you want to or that you're not anywhere near your goals. But focus on the day-to-day process of learning the language of the LSAT. The other stuff--your confidence, higher scores, better blind review--will follow.

(4) Realize the vast majority of us are like you. I studied for over two years before I finally took the LSAT. I had no idea what I was doing. I was pretty bummed when I saw my initial diagnostic. I was so unsure of myself that I legitimately asked my undergrad professor if I was even smart enough to go to law school. Now I've got my dream job. Most of my LSAT friends went through similar experiences, too.

50% of the LSAT is about stuff other than the material--e.g., your mental health, confidence, diet/sleep, schedule. You've got a 4.0 (I most certainly did not). If you can keep your confidence, I'd be willing to bet that you'll be fine.

andrew.rsn

How do you score in Blind Review? I think BR is the most important part of taking practice tests. I literally would retake the test a second time with unlimited timing for each section. This will show you how well you understand the material - and can usually be very motivating.

I also think if you are scoring in the 150 range - you may want to take a break from practice tests and focus on untimed work and being able to work problems out fully. When you can consistently do well untimed then go back to doing timed work.

Don't give up! Maybe this year isn't the year you go to law school but that's okay. Rethink your study approach, maybe begin working with a tutor if you haven't already. I'm sure next year you will have much greater success with this test. If you listen to any of the 7sage podcast interviews, nearly everyone has spent 2-3 years working on this test and has made their way from a 140's score into the 170's. Anything is possible!

Good luck!

WickedLost

5 months may seem like a long time to study (I thought I'd only need 6 months when I first started, but I'm still working on it 1.5 years later), but it really isn't.
My advice to you is to get a good tutor if you are able to. It's really helpful to diagnose where your weaknesses are, whether they're foundational or lack of good strategies.
Good luck and keep at it!

marrrr99

I had a very similar diagnostic at 143 and I took a long studying hiatus but I just started studying again this last few months and I promise you will see a score increase! I also graduated with the highest honors so I had a lots of expectations and I was bummed to see a low diagnostic but your diagnostic is not indicative of your potential at all. Also, do not let your worth depend on this exam. Make sure you are blind reviewing everything. Please don't doubt yourself, I'm sure you are capable of scoring even higher. Plus you did make a score improvement so focus on the positives. Often it takes time for things to click. But definitely see which sections give you a tough time and just keep reviewing. Loophole for LR helped me a good bit and the Logic Games Bible is my favorite. And please prioritize your mental, you might just be burnt out. Take a break for a week or so and just don't look at the lsat and come back to it when you feel refreshed. You can do it!

_sa_2020

To add one, in my experience, the LSAT, was and continues to be (nov tester!) an incredibly difficult exam and one that not only challenges your logical reasoning but also, and more importantly, your mental fortitude. For context, I've been studying for three years now, and there were definitely times where I felt incredibly discouraged. I often thought that I was not equipped or innately skilled to take this exam or to make improvements. I thought I wasn't cut out to be a lawyer. But, like what others have said, the LSAT does NOT determine your capabilities as a future law student or lawyer. This is something that I had to remind myself regularly.

I think the question you're asking yourself is a really valid one. It's also one that I asked myself when I was feeling disappointed with my score and lack of improvement. The LSAT unfortunately is a necessary evil to go to law school (unless you opt for GRE, which is also valid), so I think it wouldn't hurt to take some time off to reflect on these questions.

What is compelling you to study for this exam? What is keeping you going?

Why did you decide to start this journey? It's a tough and an extremely time-consuming one for a lot of people. A lot of people give up. A lot of people don't take this path.

Why law? Could you imagine a life without a legal career? It's not for everyone, but it is for some.

These are some of the questions that I constantly reverted back to when I was feeling distraught, dismayed, and frustrated at the process.

The process is an illuminating one, and during the three years, it has led me to explore different studying methods, read more books, sharpen my reasoning, and become more interested in thinking critically and logically. The result, your score, can seem daunting, but the process itself can be really enriching and make the journey a less stressful one. Trust the process, trust yourself, and your results will reflect that effort.

We believe in you!