Please help!

kdeel296

Hi everyone. I am struggling with what to do. Here's my story:

I have been studying on and off for the LSAT since January. I originally intended to self study with the LSAT trainer and then do tons of practice tests. I found it very hard to motivate myself and ended up banging my head against the wall because I had no idea why I was getting answers wrong. This led to a ton of long breaks where I would do nothing and then feel guilty about not studying. I am a senior in college and not even 100% sure that I want to go to law school. I am planning on taking the test and applying to see what my options are. In June I decided to postpone based on the fact that I knew I would not score well and had not given it my all. I decided that I needed a class to help me.

I decided to take Manhattan's Live Online course. I started off strong, doing all the homework and actively participating in class. Then somewhere along the way I got discouraged and skipped three sessions. I know it sounds lazy but I promise I am not. I was just not motivated and frustrated that my score was not increasing (I was consistently scoring around a 153). I would say I went about another month with not doing any prep except maybe a few games here and there and then went to class last week. I just feel so frustrated by the test. I know I have the ability to do well, I have scored well on tons of other standardized tests and consider myself a very intelligent person. I'm just not sure what to do. I don't think I should take it in September because I will not be happy with a score in the 150's. I started off this process thinking that I could seriously study until I got a 170+ but I have no motivation to do so. Has anyone been in a similar position? Should I take another class (in-person)? In the past people have recommended that I take breaks but breaks for me end up being weeks or months long.

I also realize that I am very young and am not sure why I feel the need to go directly to law school, it's not going anywhere. I have also thought about the fact that I am a person who likes to have a plan and since I am a senior and unsure about what I'm going to do after college - I like the idea of law school because it is a laid out process that I can follow and count on.

ANYWAYS sorry for the rant but I need some help. Let me know what you think!

blah170blah

Hi @kdeel296,

I'm glad you got that off your chest - it's a lot to carry around with you. As far as the advice...

+ DO NOT GO TO LAW SCHOOL UNLESS YOU KNOW FOR SURE YOU WANT TO BE A LAWYER. Why? It costs a ton of money, an insane amount of studying/heartache/stress, and it is very easy to get pigeonholed into a job you don't want to do in order to pay back the debt and make you feel like it was worth going to law school.

+ DO NOT TAKE IT IN SEPTEMBER! Don't take the LSAT until you are ready. Luckily, you are still very young so taking a 1-2 year gap year won't hurt you, it'll probably help you. You're still in school, which means you should focus your attention on keeping up or raising that GPA. Whatever ends up on your transcript is set in stone and unchangeable so make sure it positions you well for law school, if that's what you want to do in the future. If you can juggle school and the LSAT, then study to get it out of the way - the scores do last for 5 years so that'll be some nice wiggle room. I'd also recommend using this time to apply to fellowships/jobs and take the gap year to figure out 1) if law is something you want to do and 2) if law is something you want to do over other things you could do . This goes back to the first point where you should only go to law school if being a lawyer is what you want to do above all else. If you don't know, take the time to explore your options. Law schools like candidates with work experience, provided that it is substantive and/or relevant to your intellectual/personal growth.

I do not know a single person who regretted taking time off before to law school but I know a lot of people who wished they had taken more time off (or at all) before going. Obviously, this is anecdotal, but it speaks to the fact that you have more time to make a decision than you think. That being said, there are things you can do to position yourself for law school now that'll benefit you in the future (like getting your LSAT done while you're a student, finding meaningful fellowship/work experience, maintaining/boosting your GPA).

Alex

@kdeel296 said:
I am a senior in college and not even 100% sure that I want to go to law school. I am planning on taking the test and applying to see what my options are.

@kdeel296 said:
Then somewhere along the way I got discouraged and skipped three sessions. I know it sounds lazy but I promise I am not. I was just not motivated

@kdeel296 said:
I started off this process thinking that I could seriously study until I got a 170+ but I have no motivation to do so.

@kdeel296 said:
I like the idea of law school because it is a laid out process that I can follow and count on.

So... I think the problem is that law school isn't for you. At least right now. It's pretty clear you are missing the ever important "why" factor. The "why" factor is crucial to doing anything in life. Essentially you have to have a reason why you want to do something or else your motivation will be depleted quite quickly.

Lacking motivation all the time to study for a test is normal, but lacking all and any motivation is a problem.

Your mindset seems to be to take the LSAT and THEN see what your options are without really being sure you want to be a lawyer.

I would suggest that you finish undergrad and maybe gain some work experience and revisit the idea of law school in a year or two. If you are lacking motivation to buckle down and take a test as important as the LSAT, then I'm afraid there isn't much anyone is going to say to inspire motivation.

Your last paragraph is basically all very accurate from what it seems to me. You're young; law school isn't going anywhere; you are just looking for a plan right now.

Maybe consider getting a job in the legal field and see if it is something you would like to do, My best friend and I both got legal internships a few years ago. I love it and was more motivated than I ever had been to pursue law! My friend Pete ended up realizing he wanted nothing to do with law and instead began a masters program in another field. I think seeing what a lawyer does and deciding if you like it might help you get some motivation!


Good Luck!