Do you have any advice for a re-taker?

LPLPLPLP

Hello! I would love to hear any advice or recommendations you have for someone that has already sat for the LSAT. I took the LSAT in February after studying with Kaplan for a number of months. I was scoring in the upper 160's and my goal was/is to hit 174. I have no doubt about my ability to take the test but when I sat for the test, the anxiety was overwhelming and I completely blanked on the first section. I debated canceling my score but had spent so much time preparing that I decided to hope for the best. Needless to say, I was completely underwhelmed by my score of 160 and have decided to sit for the October exam so that I can apply to enter law school in the upcoming cycle.

In conclusion, what advice do you have for someone that is a returning student to the LSAT, especially someone that learned strategies from a different course? My biggest concern is stress and burning myself out because my score and mental health absolutely suffered in February from the pressure I put on myself. Additionally, I am now working full time and I was not previously. I would love to hear any recommendations on how to not burn out/overload/freak out this time around and/or any pointers in how to approach the LSAT with a renewed sense of vigor.

Thanks!

Laura

LPLPLPLP

Oh no, I don't want this to get buried! JY, I would love your feedback!

Brian Goldsworthy

Don't be so hard on yourself - 160 is a solid score that will gain you admittance to many great schools. If you have solid grades and a good cv consider yourself a future attorney! Knowing you will get in to law school already should help with your anxiety since you already have a great fall back position.Also make sure you are engaging in regular physical fitness to improve your brain power and help you relax and sleep better. You will reflect on your progress during your workouts. Get back at it in July and good luck!

J.Y. Ping

Hey Laura, I agree with Brian. Don't be so hard on yourself!

As for managing test day psychology:
http://7sage.com/how-avoid-panicking-on-lsat/
http://7sage.com/five-strategies-for-combating-lsat-anxiety/

You want to make sure that you're scoring solidly in the range that you'd be happy with. That's what you can expect to get on test day, assuming you remain calm.

As for learning a new methodology, I think you should learn the one that's most powerful. I think that's ours so you're at the right place.