Study Plan Help

Fish0701

Well I knew I messed up on the Oct. LSAT but not as badly as I actually did.... I scored about 10 points lower than what I was consistently scoring on PTs and now I am a little shell shocked on how to proceed for the Dec. test. I just joined 7sage however I have already done every PT in preparation for the Oct. test. I haven't gone over the actual test yet to see where I messed up, but considering I went from scoring in the upper 160s on practice tests to an upper 150 on the actual test, I'm guessing I just messed up everywhere and would like to chalk it up to just nerves. Does anyone know if its common to just perform poorly on the first LSAT you take? If anyone is/has been in a similar situation or just has any advice at all on how I should proceed I would greatly appreciate it. I've learned that I'm what's known as a "splitter", so I am heavily depending on obtaining the score that I know I can get. Appreciate it

nye8870

Hang tough @Fish0701 ! Stick with 7Sage and you will most definitely improve.

nicole.hopkins

@Fish0701 said:
Does anyone know if its common to just perform poorly on the first LSAT you take?

YES.

@Fish0701 said:
If anyone is/has been in a similar situation or just has any advice at all on how I should proceed I would greatly appreciate it.

Bunch of folks around here. Paging @"Quick Silver"

GSU Hopeful

@Fish0701 . Stick with it. I've heard numerous stories of people under performing. Chalk this up to test anxiety, nervousness, sleep deprivation, etc. The point is.... it happens. Sometimes there's nothing we can do about it. Life is life. What you can do now is dig your heels in and work harder than you ever have for December (or whenever you retake) while taking breaks for the prevention of burnout. If this is something you really see for yourself, then don't let one bad score stop you. It'll get there.

hazelnut13

Same situation here. I think your first LSAT is just a bunch of mixed emotions/nervousness/shock. I scored about 10 points lower than my PT's as well. It's hard not to lose hope but keep trying! It sucks but it's almost over!

lampars2

I performed awful on my October test and then came out in December after working my butt off and scored 19 points higher! Now I'm going for perfection this February... Don't stop trying if its something you really want!

stepharizona

Wow @lampars2 a 19 point improvement that's amazing!! Congrats! That had to take a tremendous amount work! Good luck on Feb!

MrSamIam

I have been informed that plenty of people walk out of their first take crying, slamming car doors, and yelling at innocent bystanders. Joking, but yes that is probably normal - scoring low, not yelling and slamming doors. Don't let it bring you down. The fact that LSAC allows you to take the test 3 times before having to wait for an additional 3 takes should tell you that people mess up, it happens.
Figure out where you went wrong, and correct it. Don't register for June unless you are absolutely ready. Ask me how I know...
There's a nifty little feature here that will help you set up a study schedule - you can tailor it to your needs. Under "Course" hit the "Study Schedule" button. Input your numbers, and wala, insta-schedule.

Most importantly, don't let ONE score bring you down. You spent 3-5 years busting your butt during UG, if you have to postpone the LSAT, then do it.

P.S. if it makes you feel any better, a family member of mine took the October test a few years ago. The second he walked out, he called LSAC and had them cancel his score. He ended up graduating from a T14 school.