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1 Like
Throwing a Pity Party, everyone is invited, plus ones are welcome
Dgelf321
Free Trial Member
Not sure what I'm looking for here...Probably pity points if I'm being honest with myself. Just a heads-up, this is a long one. I know writing can sometimes help vent frustrations, and since I can't repeatedly punch the drywall to combat my stress and fleeting moments of panic, I'll give this a shot. Today I took what I planned on being my last pretest - hopefully ever (PT-73) and notwithstanding the fact that I haven't graded it yet, I know it was a total bust. I completely bombed a Logic Games section and --for me in particular-- this hits especially close to home. Logic games have always been a bit problematic for me. On the december 2014 administration, I sat for the exam and did higher on the logical reasoning sections than I've ever done otherwise, but completely botched a logic game (getting about 7 wrong). My experimental was logic games as well, and happened to be the first section so it was literally back-to-back games and I essentially came out being ambushed by 8 games. Consequently, I received a 164 which is pretty solid but I decided to commit my time to more study, and give it all I've got for June.
"170 or bust," served as the ideological truism to which I --among others-- subscribed. From early Feb until now I've been studying consistently, logging 380 exact hours hitherto (can corroborate with Excel spreadsheet). This doesn't include the hours from Oct-Dec. To combat my weakness in logic games I purchased the cambridge bundle which includes all the logic games sections from PT1-70. I've been doing several logic games sections a day 2-4 which ranges from 8-16 games a day. Scoring perfect very often. For some reason my reading comp has plummeted lately, I feel like I can't register and process what I'm reading at times. Not sure if this has anything to do with the stress or not. I've also taken 24 PTs from Feb-Now. All have been 5 section save for one (the free preptest offered on the LSAC site). I feel like I've paid my dues here. Going back to today's pt, it was a total farce. I felt brain dead for my 2 sections of reading comp. Section 4 was games, which made me so irate, I broke 3 pencils and contemplated ripping up my test and just stopping there. In spite of my lapse of self-control and anger, I decided to continue but couldn't focus much on my last section (LR). Not sure how I did but for the last few tests I've taken Logical Reasoning I've been in a sort of auto-pilot mode. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, I'm at that point where I'm reading questions, even ones I should diagram and just feeling out the answer. Sometimes I can't even successfully diagram the question but my mind scans the choices until it finds what feels right and I move forward. I know this strategy sounds like an incarnation of LR Russian Roulette but oddly enough I've been getting them mostly right and relatively stay in the same range of LR questions missed.
I don't know if this autopilot mode is the result of some intuited conditioning or just my total apathy and disillusionment with the test. I've become sloppier, fancying myself a lone gunslinger, secretly wishing the gun I've put to my temple is loaded -- or in my analogue, the question is wrong. I know many would advise to reschedule but that's not an option. Should I take a day or two off? It might help but I'm scared of losing precious minutes that could be utilized for studying. I feel as if I'm in some LSAT limbo swimming amongst concepts, games and ideas. I literally can write questions for the LSAT at this point. What is most strongly supported by the statements above?
I'm tired of the LSAT. What would most undermine my argument above? C) User Dgelf321 is known to be a drama-queen who over-exaggerates academic related endeavors. This argument rests on the assumption that? E) The stress related symptoms Dgelf321 has reported are not the result of other non-lsat related obstacles, or medical issues. The argument above is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms? A) The author implies causation between stress and the LSAT, when only correlation has been shown. What would most explain the dip in scores despite the amount of studying? C) Studying harder isn't necessarily studying smarter. What is the main point of the argument? D) I feel like I'm losing it. The sentence " From early Feb until now I've been studying consistently, logging 380 exact hours hitherto (can corroborate with Excel spreadsheet)," figures into the argument in which of the following ways? It is a premise to support the sub conclusion "I've paid my dues" and acts to establish sympathy for the writer. Which of the following can be concluded? E) Overstudying is a real thing. Which of the following assumptions would allow the author's argument to be properly drawn? You get the picture.
"170 or bust," served as the ideological truism to which I --among others-- subscribed. From early Feb until now I've been studying consistently, logging 380 exact hours hitherto (can corroborate with Excel spreadsheet). This doesn't include the hours from Oct-Dec. To combat my weakness in logic games I purchased the cambridge bundle which includes all the logic games sections from PT1-70. I've been doing several logic games sections a day 2-4 which ranges from 8-16 games a day. Scoring perfect very often. For some reason my reading comp has plummeted lately, I feel like I can't register and process what I'm reading at times. Not sure if this has anything to do with the stress or not. I've also taken 24 PTs from Feb-Now. All have been 5 section save for one (the free preptest offered on the LSAC site). I feel like I've paid my dues here. Going back to today's pt, it was a total farce. I felt brain dead for my 2 sections of reading comp. Section 4 was games, which made me so irate, I broke 3 pencils and contemplated ripping up my test and just stopping there. In spite of my lapse of self-control and anger, I decided to continue but couldn't focus much on my last section (LR). Not sure how I did but for the last few tests I've taken Logical Reasoning I've been in a sort of auto-pilot mode. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, I'm at that point where I'm reading questions, even ones I should diagram and just feeling out the answer. Sometimes I can't even successfully diagram the question but my mind scans the choices until it finds what feels right and I move forward. I know this strategy sounds like an incarnation of LR Russian Roulette but oddly enough I've been getting them mostly right and relatively stay in the same range of LR questions missed.
I don't know if this autopilot mode is the result of some intuited conditioning or just my total apathy and disillusionment with the test. I've become sloppier, fancying myself a lone gunslinger, secretly wishing the gun I've put to my temple is loaded -- or in my analogue, the question is wrong. I know many would advise to reschedule but that's not an option. Should I take a day or two off? It might help but I'm scared of losing precious minutes that could be utilized for studying. I feel as if I'm in some LSAT limbo swimming amongst concepts, games and ideas. I literally can write questions for the LSAT at this point. What is most strongly supported by the statements above?
I'm tired of the LSAT. What would most undermine my argument above? C) User Dgelf321 is known to be a drama-queen who over-exaggerates academic related endeavors. This argument rests on the assumption that? E) The stress related symptoms Dgelf321 has reported are not the result of other non-lsat related obstacles, or medical issues. The argument above is most vulnerable to which of the following criticisms? A) The author implies causation between stress and the LSAT, when only correlation has been shown. What would most explain the dip in scores despite the amount of studying? C) Studying harder isn't necessarily studying smarter. What is the main point of the argument? D) I feel like I'm losing it. The sentence " From early Feb until now I've been studying consistently, logging 380 exact hours hitherto (can corroborate with Excel spreadsheet)," figures into the argument in which of the following ways? It is a premise to support the sub conclusion "I've paid my dues" and acts to establish sympathy for the writer. Which of the following can be concluded? E) Overstudying is a real thing. Which of the following assumptions would allow the author's argument to be properly drawn? You get the picture. 
Comments
If you're supposed to take it in October, maybe take a week off. Sounds like you're burnt out. It's happened to me before, but eye of the tiger! You got this and it's almost over. Also, as you pointed out, studying harder/more isn't necessarily studying smarter. Maybe decrease the study amount or include more breaks. Most importantly, really pinpoint what's going amiss. Is it only mental exhaustion/burn out? Or is it a specific section(s) or question type that has you demoralized/unmotivated? As tedious as it can be, focusing on the root of the problem will help increase your score and for me it also pulled me out of my burnt out phase.
Hope this helps!
Some Quotes (mostly rephrased):
You can't do something 90% then just quit. There's no difference between that and not doing it at all.
If you've made the decision to start then you've made the decision finish.
Go after your dreams and don't come back until you get them.
Still need to get pumped? Watch this video. Think of the LSAT/LSAC as Clubber Lang and yourself as Rocky Balboa.. What does Rocky do when all seems lost???
Bob and weave through those questions Monday. Leave your emotion at home. Look what happened to big bad Clubber Lang when he let emotions get the best of him... Feel like you missed a question? Who the fuck cares?! Don't get pissed. The LSAC revels in making test-takers cower and shrivel; don't be a sucker and oblige the LSAC!! You're better than them bro.. You've already proved it with the 164. BEAT THE LSAT by not letting it BEAT YOUR MENTAL DISCIPLINE. Do that, and when you make it your bitch for the second time Monday, come back and thank me.
but @Dgelf321, to acknowledge what you're feeling: i totally feel you. and it's good to get all the anguish out, because yes it's just a test, but we who have pushed and slaved so hard do it because we care so much. but nothing good comes without hard work and sacrifice, and the LSAT is one beast of a test (in multiple meanings of the word). keep hoping and dreaming, and don't give up. in the end, it WILL produce wonderful results.