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A Long Journey
Can I keep it a buck with you guys?
The 7Sage community really is wonderful - it's full of love and encouragement and a realization that we are all in this together. I've (silently) read along with so many posts, both people down and up because of this God-forsaken test, and have rooted for you all every step of the way. I figured it's time to write my own post and to seek some general tips and advice from you all; sorry in advance for the length of this post.
I was a legal studies major in college and I knew from day 1 that I wanted to go to law school. I fell in love with law and all its related concepts (politics). I found my passion and was ecstatic about it. I've always been an ambitious person and that carried on through where I wanted/want to go to law school. That meant T-10, with my top goal being H/Y/S, especially H (Barack Obama is my role model, lol). I first took a raw LSAT and scored a 156. I was a junior in college and my mind began racing with possibilities. After junior year finished, I studied - for what I thought was - really hard until I took my LSAT in September of that year, September 2018. That's about 4 months of straight studying.
Only now do I realize how negative it was - I was doing a mixture of 7Sage and Powerscore books. I wasn't Blind Review'ing, I wasn't intently going over wrong answers (maybe only superficially) and definitely not right ones. I would use Adderall all the time to study and take tests. My life was a bit of a mess - I was living with my then girlfriend at the time; it was incredibly toxic. My whole life was. My life consisted of infidelity, some drug use, and excessive and heavy drinking. I had a chaotic life. I now realize that my studying was fueled by narccisim, ego, and superficialties; I had lost my way.
Eventually, I realized that taking Adderall every single time before a test might not be helpful - I stopped, and my score went up straight away. I wasn't making many gains at all until I made a big jump from 159 to 163 on PT49 and I was ecstatic - I still remember the feeling. My target goal was a 175 and (once again proving how foolish I was) thought that I could get up to where I wanted to go in such a short time. I bounced around in the 160's, though never surpassing 163 again on all the rest of my PTs.
It didn't happen. I took the LSAT in September, and I knew immediately I did terrible. I don't even remember taking it - it was a blur. It was a complete disaster. I got a 153 on that test.
That really hurt me. It felt like a repudiation of my entire self. It hurt me to my core. (I know how foolish it seems).
I fell into a deep depression. It started to seem like the things I wanted to achieve wouldn't be possible. It was my first real smack in the face in my life. Things ended with that girlfriend, I isolated myself, and it was just generally rough.
I soon realized how bad my situation was. I spoke with my older sister and other family members and they helped me through it. I realized I needed to reexamine who I was. That next whole year, essentially, I stopped doing the LSAT. I became much happier. I had an amazing senior year and by the end of it, I knew I wanted to delay law school and go to the Peace Corps. This is what I did and I was stationed in Ethiopia. It was an amazing experience, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to leave early, and I'm back home in the US. While I was there, though, and through that year, I felt healed. I found myself again. Rediscovered my faith, got closer to my family, read a lot, and just discovered more of who I was. It's been amazing. It helped put the LSAT into perspective. It's not the end-all-be-all, even if it can seem that way.
It took me a long time to work back to the place I am now. I have found my immediate future; I am about to accept a position with Teach For America, so once that starts, it'll be a 2 year contract, and then I want to go to law school.
I've recently started studying for the LSAT again. With all these new tools at my disposal - trying to be healthy and do it the right way this time. I've been using the LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim as well as some explanation videos from 7Sage, because JY is amazing and so is this whole community. About 3 weeks ago I took another LSAT - it was a big deal for me to finally take one again, to finally dive in again. I got a 159 and was happy with this score. I forgot for a second to BR, so I only BR'd 2 sections, but I immediately realized how helpful BR'ing is. I was ecstatic.
I took another one last week, that vile September 2018 LSAT again, and this time got a 156 (BR 161 - weird). I was a little disappointed, and realized it was really impacting me - even though it shouldn't. I'm not worried I'll sort of spiral like I did last time, but I don't want my happiness to rely on this test. I just want to do the best I can.
So basically, I wanted to see your guys thoughts on where to go from here. My target goal hasn't changed. I'll study for as long as it takes, as much as I need to to get where I want to go. If it's studying straight for 2 years, I don't care; I just want to make sure I'm doing it right, I know what to expect, and where I can attack it. Any study plan recommendations or stories of people from a mid 150's to a 170's, as well as any sort of usual timetable? I'd love to hear them. I guess I just need to know this is possible - sometimes it feels as though it isn't.
Also, just FYI, my splits on the last two tests:
PrepTest 71: LR -16, RC -8, LG -6
PrepTest 85: RC -10, LR -18, LG -5.
Also don't really know what happened here because normally I'm strong on LR and very weak on LG. Idk.
I'm so thankful for this community - it's held me up and helped me in so many important ways - not just the LSAT, but for mental health, positivity, and encouragement. You all are the best.
Comments
Hi there, a stranger and a 7Sage fellow member!! After reading your long journey, I am proud of you even though I do not know you. Thanks so much for sharing your ups and downs. Hope you feel much better after letting everything out. About me, I started studying for the LSAT last June, right after I graduated from uni and I studied for that whole month alone LMAO. My diagnostic is 148. I did not study during the months of July, August, September, October, November, and now I am back in December. If you ask me why I have been procrastinating for so long is because whenever I do problem sets, after finishing 3 or 4, I just start getting distracted, and bored. Also, during those months, I was binge-watching Korean, American, Chinese, Japanese dramas and movies. Dear lord, I was so stuck in the virtual world. I did not sleep at night, was stressed and sleepy during the day. My cystic acne even got worse. I ate so much junk foods. In short, my life after graduation became a mess. Because of the acne problems, I did not want to leave the house, which then made me lose all interest in finding a job. Fortunately, I live with my parents, but I want to become independent. Actually, in college, I was so focused with everything that I did. But, now focusing on LSAT alone has become a problem for me even though I know the impact it has on our future careers and law schools. I felt like living was pointless during those months. No, I did not think of taking my life. That would be like too extreme. But anyways, now I think I am back to my normal self. Fortunately, my acne started healing as soon as I stopped eating chocolate, refined sugars, pastries, french fries, burgers, pizzas, meeen all the good stuff. I wish human body listened to its owner and functioned the way its owner tells it to. Well, until such day comes, I am gonna stick to eating veggies and fruits, which is tough. My plan is to get my life back, by first securing an employment, moving out of my parents' house, and really put myself into a healthy habit (work, study, exercise) One thing that sucks about the real world is that employers are putting more importance on experience rather than your grades. I mean that is understandable from one perspective but for those of us like me who entirely focused on her coursework during college, it really puts us at a disadvantage. Kudos for people who can keep their grades up and have a job at the same time. I think there is a reason for everything that happens in our lives. As long as we keep our backbones, meaning regardless of the weather of the day, we stay true to ourselves, and continue working hard towards the end goal, we can really make our dreams come true. Every effort matters. That is what I have been telling myself, both in battling with my worst enemy, acne, as well as when studying for the LSAT. My goal is also a very high score. I will study until I reach that goal, not matter how long it takes. Consistency is the key, not the intensity. And, I would like to tell you my friend, one phrase I heard from someone. I forgot who, But, it is "slow is smooth, and smooth is fast." May we (including everyone who is having their own battles) succeed. #turtlepower
One thing I would like to mention is that as I have read multiple success LSAT stories from 7Sage discussions, I have come to realize that succeeding on this huge test is not only about studying alone. Those people who scored really high and achieved their dream scores created a healthy habit for themselves and stuck to it. They were not studying like 6 or 8 hours a day, instead they studied as much as they can every day, or eat least consistently, and in addition, they exercised, or rather kept both their body and mind healthy, relaxed, and positive. So, success on this test comes from balancing multiple different aspects of our lives. In short, thanks to this test, we will be able to find ourselves. And I think that is way more empowering or enriching than a score. So don't stress out if your scores are not improving much because as long as you stay true to your habit, improvement will come flowing one after another.
@PPPPreme I started out where you did - in the high 150s and slowly built from there with a singular, gnawing goal: to score 180 on the LSAT. I never made it that high but I did get into the consistent 170s before sitting for the November exam. I’d like to give you a little encouragement.
First, I think scoring in the high 150s on a diagnostic is considerably above average. So, at least when it comes to mental gears, I think you definitely have what it takes to achieve the 99th percentile. The real trick is the hard work: relentless, consistent, persistence. When I studied, I served active duty military and compensated for my lack of available time by waking up 2 hours earlier than normal and devoting those hours strictly to mastering whatever my weakest LSAT area was. I also committed to at least 2 additional hours of daily study after work - and at least 5 hours each weekend day.
The point is, you have what it takes and you can do it! Focus on your weaknesses while taking the time to retain your strengths. Your numbers tell me you can improve everywhere and I would advise to start with LG since you’ll see the fastest improvement there. Feel free to PM if you would like any specific tips or strategies.
Reading your comments is so inspirational. If you ever need a partner or tips or a study buddy im here im taking it in March looking for someone to be accountable with.
Currently 165-167 looking for 167-169 on test day by March.
@PPPPreme you are going to get a lot of great LSAT advice on here so I am going to go in the other direction, no not bad LSAT advice, but teaching. I am in the middle of my 9th year teaching, do you know what you will be doing, grade middle or high school? And what subject(s)? Also, does Teach for America train you?
@zacharytsmith26 9 years! That's amazing! What have you taught?
I've been selected to do between 4-8 grade (I'll be chosen for one of those based on needs in the area and how my interviews with the schools go), and I'll be teaching English and Social Studies! I'm super excited about that because those are two of my passions. Yes, they do teach you. I'll start training in late May and it goes for about 8 weeks - going over the basics of teaching and putting you in a classroom actually teaching.
@lexxx745 I would love that ! We should definitely set something up with that
@99thPercentileOrDieTryin Thank you so much for your post - I really found it encouraging and uplifting, I appreciate you taking the time out to pass along your thoughts. Have you heard back about your November score yet? That's incredibly exciting. Yeah, I'd love to PM you and get some additional advice and all that if that's still cool with you?
@emma_2018 Thank you friend!! I felt this post heavy haha. Body image is something I've struggled with a lot so I really understand how it can all just be a totally vicious cycle. We are on the up tho !!
Also sorry for the late replies lol. Sometimes I really struggle to figure out how this website works lmaooo so I'm just seeing these comments
Hey bud, there are so many stories of people here who started off with lower scores and subsequently scored in the 170s
I remember reading them when I first started out and thinking “wow that’s amazing but I don’t think I’m able to do the same” thankfully i was wrong and managed my dream score in October
There’s an amazing community of people here. We’re all aware how significant this test is. It’s a great place to go to because nobody else really appreciates it
There’s already a lot of great info posted by others but my main advise is to worry about getting very good at the test before worrying about gettjng fast. Otherwise, it’s just a shortcut. I think taking adderall, etc, they’re all just versions of attempting to find a silver bullet and the truth is: there isn’t a substitute to practice, BR, relentless review, and reflection on your progress and how you can modify your approach
I’d say stop PTing. Rather, start with timed sections, followed by strict BR, then Review.
If you’re not ready for timed sections, I’d say just drill LR question types untimed. Heck, even do LR sections from the earlier tests untimed. Once you score in the range of your target scores (-1/-2 LR average for a 175), then you can start worrying about timing
The reason is simple: if you can’t do it untimed, then you wouldn’t be able to do it under timed pressure. It’s really like building a house. You’re only as good as your understanding and mastery of the fundamentals
Hope it helps!
This post was great.
@Mike_Ross Bro, thank you for this !! Just hearing the stories of other people who have done it like yourself really do make all the difference. Congratulations on getting there. I love what you said about the silver bullet! That's exactly what it was. I feel like we all want to wake up and find some silver bullet to 170's, even though there isn't. No shortcuts. No silver bullets. I love that. When you say BR and then Review, you're just talking about reviewing your BR and the practice stuff, right? Also, if I could ask one more question: how long was your overall journey? Thanks again for all your kindness.
In my personal opinion, it really does not matter where you go to school. It matters what you do with your license as an attorney. You can do big things with a license from any school, no matter the reputation. It's how you carry yourself, interact, and take action with what you have in front of you. My father grew up as a Mexican farm worker, but that didn't limit himself in his goals and aspirations. He pursued a higher education, applied to Santa Clara law school, and passed the bar on the 6th time. As of today he has built a highly successful criminal defense practice with my mom, whom never actually passed the bar exam but did graduate from law school. There are many side stories I could tell that would demonstrate the way my parents have built something from nothing, but that wouldn't do them justice. The one thing I can say is that they have never let any challenge or case defeat them mentally or physically. My parents are the prime example of how hard work and dedication you genuinely love can create big things for people such as themselves who have been historically discriminated against and challenged head on. My parents have defended the serial killer Richard Ramirez and some of the most notorious narcotics cases to this very day. In conclusion, I owe it to my parents to spread the word that anybody from any school or background can achieve what they set their hearts out to do, and can grow larger than their mind allows them to grow.
I'm so glad you're sharing your truth. I was in a similar position for two years because of the LSAT. It really ruined my confidence and my mental health. After therapy, reflection and tapping into my strong support system, I am happy with who I am outside being a law school applicant. I didn't get my dream score (five points shy) but I've still been admitted to UVA and Berkeley in this cycle. My point is to anyone reading this is live life outside of studying. It truly is just a test. Your sense of self is so much more important. You will succeed in the long run, I believe, as long as your intentions are right.
No problem man! Yup the entire journey took 18 months for me. I went from 153 untimed to 164 and then 174
Thanks again. That is truly amazing. Just trying to get like you! Lol. So, one more question if you don’t mind: I saw that you mentioned I stop taking PT’s. I have been getting this feeling too - but for how long? How did I know when I’m ready to begin again? You feel me
Love this ! Thank you for your kind words and for sharing that story. It’s incredibly important to keep in mind that where you go to Law School, what your LSAT score is - neither of these will define you. I need to think on that more.
Ahh, thank you so much for your words. Glad to know I’m not alone in this struggle. Congrats on the outstanding law schools you were accepted to. Keeping myself focused on that truth - just a test. Thanks, friend.
A good rule of thumb is:
1) start with untimed work. this is basically BR without a timed run. Once your BR scores are higher or as high as your target per section, move to:
2) timed sections, followed by BR: Once your scores timed and untimed start to match within each other, you can move on to full PTs
my guy , truly appreciate all the advice you've given. will be following that rule from now on!
You got it! Feel free to PM me any time