does this happen to you? (LR)

jayc1993

when you start a section , full timed pt, or a set 20-30 question types, and you begun to answer the VERY FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD questions of that section, pt, or drill set, that your mind feels like it is jumping all over the place and scrambling, attention is lost, comprehension is poor, and you feel as if time is moving faster than it really is?

all of the above occurs with me and i usually get 2-3 of the first 5 questions wrong, especially in a timed individual LR section.

Anyone else experience this, any remedies?

Alex

@jayc1993 said:
all of the above occurs with me and i usually get 2-3 of the first 5 questions wrong, especially in a timed individual LR section.

Anyone else experience this, any remedies?

Hmmm... No, I can't say that my mind gets so scrambled up, but it sounds to me like text anxiety or nerves.

I CAN however relate to time going by much faster than I think it is. Sometimes on timed sections I will be at question 15 and feel like I'm running out of time only to look at my timer and see that it has only been 15 minutes....

Remedies: Try to relax although that is easier said than done. The reason we get so worked up on tests is because our adrenaline is pumping... However, we cannot let the test put out sympathetic nervous system into overdrive. There is no question about hoe important this test is, but we have to remember that it is only ink and paper and cannot hurt us. I know it sounds silly, but for a long time I would get so nervous taking timed sections until I realized that there really is no imminent danger that is going to follow from me bombing a PT/section.

Meditation has been a big help for myself and other LSATers such as @Pacifico and @"Accounts Playable". As a matter of fact, here is the webinar that helped me:

https://7sage.com/webinar/managing-stress/

I've also noticed I am much more easily able to focus after I do some exercise. Something as little as 30 push-ups make a HUGE difference in how I feel and how I focus.

Lastly, you'll want to make sure you have the right skills and strategies when heading into a section. When we lack them we take longer to get to the right answer and we doubt ourselves more. So perhaps some untimed drilling work along with lesson review may be a good place to start for now....

Hope this helps!

Not Ralph Nader

@jayc1993 Some of the things that you mentioned happens to me and sometimes I get one of the first few questions wrong. I think some of these problem is due to lack of attention on my part but most of it happens because my mind start changing gears especially when I go from answering an LG to LR section. I try to skip those early questions that give me a hard time to address this problem.

EmmaWI88

Yes it happens to me. I feel like my mind jumps around and I'm rusty. I don't tend to get a lot of them wrong in the beginning as they're usually somewhat easier but I definitely don't feel confident until I'm in my stride. I'd suggest taking a LR section prior to the real test to warm you up.

It does sound like anxiety and panic though. Which is all more common than we'd all probably prefer. I have dreams about conditional logic. This stuff is stressful and can be mentally taxing. Meditation is good and exercise. Drinking will exacerbate nerves. Taking a calming walk is also good. For me, I have a hard time meditating while being very still so I try to walk and focus on my breathing that way. I don't know how effective or kosher that is in regards to meditation, but meditation can be a challenge at first.

tanes256

@jayc1993 I've experienced something similar. For me, I know it's because I went so long without a timer so every time I turn it on I panic. If you're not used to the timer start using it as often as possible. I would even say use it during BR or drills if you're not comfortable with it, just set a different time according to the number of problems you're working on. For some reason the timer on with RC doesn't bother me but LG and LR make me just about forget my name at times. It takes a question or two for me to get going. I've started taking PT after doing a LG section or a few LR questions just so I can start off running.