Gaining back confidence

Comments

• LSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage

  March 2015 1878 karma

  Hi @orangepower20
  
  I can offer some general advice but, often, individualistic advice is needed to truly overcome particular hurdles that may be troubling you. (Feel free to PM me to share more details and I can try to help more.)
  
  1. There are many different methods for studying for the LSAT and many different LSAT tutors. Often, success on the LSAT hinges on finding the method and tutor that is best for you. If your previous method didn't work, perhaps try another approach.
  
  The LSAT is a repeatable test (the patters are the same) and is therefore a learnable test. Try not to feel defeated by your previous work. Try something else: new program, books, tutor, schedule. Change it up and see if this helps.
  
  By the same token, don't feel deflated. Just because one approach didn't work, it does not mean that you do not have the potential to reach your goal.
  
  I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me, if you'd like.
• jdawg113 Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 2654 karma

  "But I didn't get close to what I wanted" ... but how far off from where you were PTing? Where you mid 160s and ended with 153? or were you in the mid 150s? Taking PTs seriously and under proper conditions will give you a decent ball park of what you can expect. Obviously test day will always be a little different and is unpredictable so there is a fluctuation but normally its not much more than +/-5 and often closer. You need to make sure you really work at understand the fundamentals and getting your methods down. Make sure you understand how to break down a stimulus and see what it is asking for and what is and isn't relevant. It is a lot of work and a lot of effort but keep at it and you will see your score climb higher and higher
• orangepower20 Member

  March 2015 35 karma

  I was PTing around 159-160 before the test in test conditions. I should have mentioned that. I just want to score low 160s. I appreciate your advice.
• blah170blah Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3545 karma

  Like @LSATisland mentioned, typically individualized advice is best to really overcome your personal struggles with the test. That being said, I am curious as to how diligently and methodically review your test.
  
  For instance:
  1) What's your weakest section?
  2) What messes you up during the test? Is it "timing" (remembering that "timing" issues are rooted in knowledge issues)
  3) What question types mess you up? EX: is it weaken/MBT/MBF questions? Have you drilled those?
  4) What passage types mess you up?
  5) Are you taking too many break days? Do you find yourself having to "get your mind in LSAT mode" more often than not?
  
  These are the kinds of questions that you should, and arguably must, answer in order for you (and for us) to help give you the best advice. My gut instinct (which is entirely biased as this was my own problem for so long) is to say that you should spend some time reviewing, which goes beyond blind reviewing the test. This means thinking about every single part of the PT process, devising strategies to overcome your weaknesses, and practice those in real time.
  
  Also, if you're PTing in the high 150s and low 160s, chances are you still have some gaps in your fundamental knowledge of the LSAT. You need to figure out what these are (e.g., do you have a hard time with assumption questions) and then drill those weaknesses. Like most on this site will tell you, your BR score should be in the 170s. Anything less is indicative of some gap of fundamental knowledge that you need to fill.
• 1 Like

  emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3462 karma

  Do you BR?
• 1 Like

  nicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 edited March 2015 7965 karma

  @emli1000 I believe you meant to phrase that in terms of the following:
  
  
  
  Just kidding, couldn't resist.
  
  ;-)
  
  @orangepower20 , I too need a little more information to give you a thoughtful reply. I'll wait to see your response to the above questions—specifically which sections are weakest, what is your *actual* study schedule (or how many hours can you truly devote). Particularly questions asked by @blah170blah .
  
  But in brief, I feel you. My initial study phase was quite casual. My target score is different from yours but I think the phenomenon you describe can happen to anyone. I have found that a gradual ramping up (mine was in January) may be necessary before one truly hits one's stride. But to help you set your pace, so to speak, we need more information.
  
  "What does it really take to boost your score?"
  It takes everything you've got. We can get more specific with some input from you
  
  "How can I get my confidence back?"
  Great question! Depends on the section, and it depends on how much you can really devote to this process.
  
  Looking forward to your input.
• 2 Likes

  emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3462 karma

  @nicole.hopkins you and these memes! LOL
• 2 Likes

  emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3462 karma

  Also, you should purchase the Cambridge packets. Every helpful for question types/sections that you are having difficulties with.
• Nilesh S Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 edited March 2015 3438 karma

  Yeah... you're going to need to provide a little more detail... with answers to all the questions above... because at this point of time the best advice available for anyone on the forum will be extremely general in nature... you know : drill questions, get a good foundation in Lawgic, BR, Fool Proof games... and the like. What you may want to do is to get a session of tutoring with one of the 7sage affiliated tutors like Jonathan Wang... in your situation, where you have already done a lot of preparation, his advice would be golden... maybe you're approaching something wrong... and Jon points that out to you... or maybe a particular section is weak and he provides you with strategy... think about it.
• orangepower20 Member

  March 2015 35 karma

  1) What's your weakest section? LR
  2) What messes you up during the test? Is it "timing" (remembering that "timing" issues are rooted in knowledge issues) For sure timing. I have ADD and it takes me awhile to process information.
  3) What question types mess you up? EX: is it weaken/MBT/MBF questions? Have you drilled those? The abstract questions that put the answers in abstract terms.
  4) What passage types mess you up? Paired passages or passages that have a lot of abstract terms
  5) Are you taking too many break days? Do you find yourself having to "get your mind in LSAT mode" more often than not? I usually don't have to get my mind in LSAT mode.
  
  I really just started 7sage, and I just want to make the best of it. I had a tutor who used to write for LSAC. She didn't believe in "question types," but there are for sure questions types. She didn't really work out for me is what I'm trying to say. I went through LSAT trainer as well and I liked it, but I don't think I was PTing enough. I guess it's hard for me to pin point my weaknesses. I appreciate everyones advice. Feel free to DM me with any advice or if you want to know more about my situation. Again, I really appreciate anyone taking the time to give me some advice.
  
  Thank you!
• 2 Likes

  blah170blah Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3545 karma

  @orangepower20 (this advice is not meant to be condescending at all so please don't take it as such) You NEED to figure out what your weaknesses are -- I'm not saying this is easy by any means but you need to be 100% honest with yourself and figure out where your true shortcomings are. Only when you do that can you make great improvements.
  
  For example, saying that you trip up at "abstract terms" is too broad of a problem area to tackle. Is this only when you encounter flaw question types and need to figure out what the answer choices mean? Is this when you encounter sufficient assumption question types and have difficulty tracing terminology? These aren't questions that you necessarily need to answer but these are the types of questions you should be asking yourself when you review. My advice to you is to go through the curriculum (7sage, LSAT trainer, or anything else) and thoroughly review your answer sheets. The bare minimum for this review should include blind review. Afterwards:
  1) Go through the problem sets
  2) Watch the videos/ go on Manhattan/ go on LSATHACKS and figure out what you missed
  3) Cut the questions you missed and set them aside so you can come back to those later
  4) Write a brief lesson saying what you will do next time to not make this mistake.
  
  If any of this doesn't make sense and/or if you want to provide me a detailed list of your weaknesses, I'd be more than happy to give you more tailored advice. Obviously, I'm not a sage so I completely understand that you will take my advice with a grain of salt but I can say that I've made immense improvements and would love to help in any way possible
• 2 Likes

  Jordan McMahon Member

  March 2015 edited March 2015 101 karma

  Everyone here has given solid advice thus far, and I think there's a lot to take away from all of that. I wanted to share a bit of my personal experience, though, which has a bit of a different approach.
  
  So I struggled with not getting to where I wanted to be, and I'm still not anywhere near where I want to be (diagnostic in low 150s, sitting at low 160s right now), but there are two things that have been monumental to my improvements thus far: confidence, and finding what works for me. To do well on the LSAT, in my opinion, you have to understand as much about yourself as you do about the test and the way it's written. You have to allow yourself to fail a bit. That's okay, you're human! Just have the motivation and the dedication to keep pushing through and fine-tune your performance and your studies.
  
  When I do BR, I usually ask myself two questions when evaluating each question: How did they structure this question? and How did my thought process get me to pick this answer choice? There are a lot of sub-questions that can come into play when evaluating each question, and I usually let myself fall down that rabbit hole. It may take a long time to come to a solid conclusion, but you'll start to see the nuances in the wording of the questions and see the forest through the trees. You'll also start to see where your own brain tricks you, and what tricks your brain falls for. I mention that second part because that gives you an invaluable amount of insight. Once you identify your weaknesses, you can prepare for them and find ways to prevent yourself for falling for those traps in the first place.
  
  Finally, like I said, remember that you're human. You'll make mistakes, and that's okay, we all do it, even the people who score 180s. The LSAT is a very learnable test, just be willing to make that journey. We're all in this together. Don't be afraid to ask for help!
  
  Edit: Forgot to add that typing up questions you got wrong is invaluable in giving you insight into the patterns of the test. It has helped me see more of what each question is really asking, so that might be a concrete piece of advice that could help you. I saw a fellow 7Sager recommend it a while back, and if I remembered the thread I'd give them credit.
• 2 Likes

  danielznelson Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 4181 karma

  Personally, I do not believe four months is anywhere near enough of a time frame for a superior score, especially without a 40+ per-week studying schedule.
• 1 Like

  Nilesh S Alum Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 edited March 2015 3438 karma

  no... 4 to 5 months would be on the REALLY fast side... personally I'd say 6 - 7 months and more likely a year of substantial immersion in the curriculum and PTs to truly know the test. Also @orangepower20 I would say shoot for June... but if you're not there...and you will know if you are or are not, do NOT give the test... remember... this test is not an ego contest... nothing like if not now then never... rather, if not now then LATER... this test is about you... it is to help you get into the university of your choice with money... it is BUT a means to an end... let it work for you in that way... Law schools will always be there this year... the next...and even after that (resilient things that they are, they usually manage to outlast their alumni ) ... and even with October and EVEN December, you'll be in good time to get your app in to be competitive at the school of your choice... IF you have a good LSAT score... so take your time...as to how to get better... if you've just started the course... go along with it and try to build concepts as you move ahead... if you have any problems... make sure to eradicate them lesson by lesson... or question type by question type... at this point of time just go thru the 7sage curriculum... you should see improvements as you go along!
• 1 Like

  nicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 7965 karma

  Here's a synthesis of various top scorer "diaries" and modest estimates based on my own experience:
  
  I think 400 total hours is a starting baseline but likely not truly enough—in-depth BR, analysis of weaknesses, time spent organizing, study groups, writing out why every answer choice is wrong/right, researching/re-reading... So I'd say 400 hours plus all of the hours spent on those (extremely important and possibly indispensable) things.
  
  400 "billable" hours (you've got notes or drills or PT's to show for/help quantify) plus *easily* another 250-400 "non-billable" hours. Start there and scale upward as proves necessary.
  
  There's a reason this test has the reputation of being the very hardest of all standardized tests.
• Jordan McMahon Member

  March 2015 101 karma

  Slightly off-topic, but something that has kept me motivated is the movie Whiplash. If you have a chance, check it out. Aside from being an excellent film, there's a lot there to relate to as far as pushing yourself as far as you can go.
• 2 Likes

  emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 edited March 2015 3462 karma

  @"Jordan McMahon" Ahh.. Now I have to pause my lsat prep to check it out =/ lol
• Jordan McMahon Member

  March 2015 101 karma

  @Emili1000 It's totally worth it! That and Somm, which is an incredibly motivating documentary.
• 1 Like

  emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  March 2015 3462 karma

  @"Jordan McMahon" LOL I decided to study instead but it's on my to-do list for this week.