I'm so incredibly pissed. I started studying in late June with the goal to take the LSAT in September. I know that's not a lot of time to study, but I am a full time teacher and I really have no other choice because I can't split focus between work and studies. So after going through the course, I began recording my LSATs with perfectly simulated conditions. I started from
#39. As of now, I just completed
#66, so I have 12 left.
Here is the deal, I have been doing so incredibly bad lately. My Average on my first 10 was 164.7, median was 165. On the next 10 my average was 166, median was 155.5. I actually got a 170 on LSAT
#51. Now I have finished 8 more, and my average on those is 164.37, with a median of 164. My last test was a 162, and the one before that was a 163. wtf?
My LR has been consistently very good barring a few outliers; my LG went from atrocious, to bad, to slightly better but still bad. My RC has plummeted. I get 3x as much wrong now.
Honestly, it's the worst feeling in the word. I have to finish the next 12 over 19 days, (I'm at least spacing out the last 3 with lots of relaxation in the last week), and I'm starting to feel like I'm doomed to failure. I really want to go to USC or UCLA, but I'd need to get a 167 to have a shot, given the fact that my GPA is so low from my 3rd year of college - Computer Science was not my thing and I had to be my mom's caretaker. I know that I can explain that stuff in the application, but honestly it would be stupid for those universities to gamble on someone because of their situation when they have more than enough applicants that are getting better scores.
Anyways, venting over. I'm sure there are others out there experiencing the same crap.
Comments
I think you are extremely burned out. Every thing you mention sounds like a textbook symptom of doing too much. You finished the entire course and did all those tests since June? That is just too much. You can't study for the LSAT using brute force and just going non-stop. I think it is a lot like weight training. If you lift everyday you won't get big muscles, you'll end up burning too much fat/muscle and shrinking! You'll also do damage and instead of getting stronger you'll actually cause yourself problems. So first things first, take a break and consider postponing until December.
You are a teacher so I'm sure balancing work + studying is not easy. Trust me I work and study and realize how difficult it is. But taking breaks and letting your mind absorb things is just as important as the studying itself. I mean how much can you learn from a test just by doing it and then doing another one the next day? Nothing is having time to really embed itself in your mind.
Going forward I would say to take a break and then come back and consider doing an LG intensive. That is a section where I think everyone should work to get -0 or as close as possible on. Don't leave those points on the table. The LG section is basically math and if you learn the "equations" so to speak, you will take your score from bad to perfect.
As for RC, why do you think you are doing worse all of the sudden? Might just be burnout. 3x worse out of nowhere.... I can't think of anything but burnout or perhaps the changes with the comparative reading in the 50s? If so, you'll get acclimated to those with time and practice.
I would also suggest re-doing some of your PTs and not burning through the rest of them. Are you doing proper and thorough blind review? That will be something that will certainly help!
Cheer up! For what it's worth, you are doing great for having only been studying since June. You have a lot of potential and I'd hate to see you waste it before you even reach it.
I would suggest taking the December LSAT (or later if you feel you need more time) because that would relieve the time pressure you are facing and that is one of the most detrimental things you can do to your learning because you can't take the time to do things right.
It's great to see a fellow SoCal teacher busting hard on the LSAT (okay, I assume SoCal because of the USC/UCLA bit and the assumptions we bring to LR questions get us in trouble).
Best of luck and keep going!
Just believe in yourself and that all the studying you have done WILL NOT BE UNDONE because of a few bad PTs.
I believe in you. Get into USC/UCLA because hard work will pay off!! Keep focus and concentration. Don't let the scores of a PT hurt your confidence. You know your stuff, stick with it, learn from your mistakes, and move on with it.
P.S. @desire2learn I am indeed a fellow SoCal teacher!