Having A hard time focusing

kmarie7

With a little over 20 days from the test I have hit a wall. Every time I sit down to do a PT, I simply cannot. I can't seem to focus. I'll do the first section, get the second and my concentration is gone. I found myself just drawing blanks. I may have lost a little motivation to sit down for 3 hours. I seem to do find drilling sections at a time. Has this happened to anyone? Any ideas how to combat this and quickly?

Alex

@kmarie7 said:
Has this happened to anyone? Any ideas how to combat this and quickly?

Sounds like it may be burn out, so you may want to consider that, and if so, take a break for a few days. That means no LSAT stuff at all for 3-5 days. I know it is right before the test, but if it is burnout, I know from first-hand experience, it isn't going to go away unless you take a break.
I know losing motivation all of the sudden and not being able to concentrate are hallmark signs of burnout, so I would venture a guess at that being it.

If you are sure it isn't burnout, then I would suggest getting some exercise before you study. It is an absolute wonder how different I feel after running and doing 50 push ups. I am so much better at concentrating with all the nervous energy out of my system. It helps to get my brain to be able to focus in on more cerebral tasks with a lot more ease.

Just some suggestions to consider...Hope they can help you!

nye8870

@kmarie7 you will likely receive a lot of different advice here. My first thought, with

@kmarie7 said:
a little over 20 days from the test

you might want to try taking a PT or two one section at a time. It seems like you may be feeling pressure to work out your endurance. I can tell you this as a two time taker already, on game day the time goes by super super fast. I've said in the past that test day will indeed be the fastest 3 1/2 hours you will ever experience. Just do what's comfortable. I think relieving yourself of this pressure could help clear your head.
Take care.

Sprinkles

You're burnt out for sure. Burning out in the beginning or middle of your prep isn't detrimental but doing so with less than a month from game day can do damage to your score. Thankfully you caught it before it's too late. Consider taking a week or so off from LSAT prep and try not to do anything LSAT related and instead focus on your well being. You want to be in the best mental state before you sit for the actual LSAT.

TheMikey

Sounds like burn out. I went through it and trust me, you really should take a break. Take a few days off, maybe even a week, and do no LSAT stuff. You don't want to avoid this because it can screw you on test day. Coming back to the material afterwards should feel better once you've had that break.

Nanchito-1-1

Burnout. I say go for a run and take a few days off.

J. Tharp

Currently taking a week off due to burn out, myself! I suggest you do the same. There's no point taking a full test if you're just going to waste it. I was having the same problem as you last week. I decided to take a break and also to postpone until December. I definitely suggest the former for you, and also suggest you consider the latter if you don't improve after a break. I gotta say, both decisions have done wonders for my mental state.

MrSamIam

Could be one or a few of many things. Two come to mind:
1) You're beginning to burn out
2) You're simply "over" the LSAT
Both of these can be remedied by taking a few days to a week off. Relax, don't think about the LSAT, etc. If you're already scoring within your target range, you may find it incredibly beneficial to step away from the LSAT and engage in some much needed R&R.

Cant Get Right

That is about the most clear cut case of burnout I've ever heard of.

Cant Get Right

@MrSamIam said:
2) You're simply "over" the LSAT

This is a good point. I often include this idea whenever I say burnout. But yeah, the fix is the same either way.

And don't worry about taking time off so close before the test. My best PT performance ever was the very first thing I did back from a two week break. No review, no drills, just jumped right into a PT and 180'd it.