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Related Discussions
feeling discouraged
Hello everyone,
I have been studying for the LSAT for about 4 weeks now. I study 6 days a week, about 6-8 hours a day, and I feel like I'm not making any progress. I take untimed drills because I just do not feel ready enough to answer 5 questions under 5 minutes, but I continuously get a 3/5 or 4/5 on a good day which usually takes me about 10-12 minutes to complete today, I received my first 0/5 on a drill, and I'm just feeling super discouraged that after 4 weeks of studying I feel like I see no difference in my performance and I'm almost starting to feel a little dumb, and I'm starting to question my career choices please share your experience with me and how you overcame this feeling. Also, is performing under timed conditions something that will eventually come to me over time, or should I worry about the fact that after 4 weeks, I still struggle with time so much?
Thank you in advance!
Comments
Performing under time conditions will come to you over time, but focus on getting the answers correct under untimed conditions (Blind review) and move forward from there. Eventually, everything will fall into place. On my diagnostic test, I could not even finish the second logic game. As of recently, I just managed to finish a full logic game section on time and with accuracy. I also recommend listening to the 7sage podcast on spotify, specifically the "#68 how to get faster on the LSAT" episode.
I know this feeling all too well. Keep going, whatever you do, don't stop studying. The content sometimes marinates for a few weeks or even months before it just sets in. Four weeks is not enough time to be comfortable with timed conditions, that comes as soon as you feel comfortable and confident with the content so focus on accuracy first. Even if it takes you 12 minutes to finish five questions, focus on understanding the questions correctly and even if you get questions right but you can't explain why, look into that to make sure it wasn't just luck and you actually understand. Trying to focus on time before I established accuracy was one of the key mistakes I made when I first started studying.
Also, if you haven't already, spend a LOT of time establishing the foundations of Logic Games because it's the easiest section (imo) and you can then focus on the other two sections (which are harder but not impossible to improve).
Let the time limits press you. In running, the best way to improve a 5k time is to practice performing at the desired pace over a short distances, and then stitch those short distances into a longer distance while keeping up the desired pace. The LSAT is like a 5k. Practice going at the necessary speed, even if you fail at first, and you will be able to stitch the pieces it all together in time.
Hey there!
Difficulty with the timing of the LSAT is an issue almost every test maker faces. This certainly is not a sign you should rethink your law school dreams. The LSAT looks like a basic reading and logic test, but it's also a speeded test. The LSAT is designed for people not to finish it in the amount of time given! So, when you're really struggling with your progress, remind yourself these struggles are exactly what many face in this shift from academic university exams to an LSAT exam. You are not alone.
The only way to improve your time is to complete the questions under timed conditions. You don't have to start with doing a section at 35 minutes. Take one section and give yourself 45 minutes. Each week, you can reduce the extra time by five minute increments to get yourself more adapted to the speeded nature of the exam.
Hope this helps!
Scoring a 0/5 once provides opportunity to learn about 5x more efficiently than does scoring 4/5 five times.
Hey there!
4 weeks in is still very early in the learning process - I didn't start seeing real improvements until about the 3 month mark. The first two months I would say focus super super hard on getting the fundamentals down (argument types/logical indicators/existential quantifiers etc). Commit all of these to memory so it's instinctual. Once you overcome this hurdle the rest of the theory comes a lot quicker. I had a diagnostic 145, and now I PT consistently between 169-171. It took me 6 months to get to this point, and the real jump in score only happened in the last month of studying. Keep your head up! this is a marathon not a sprint
You're only 4 weeks in and studying a lot of hours per day. Simply, it's just going to take time to complete the CC and translate everything over to PTing/BR. There is no magic pill for the LSAT. Also, be careful about burning yourself out. Telperion made the analogy that the LSAT is like a 5k race. What I would add to Telperion's comment is that you also want endurance/stamina. Grinding yourself down with so many hours of studying per day and finding disappointment in missed questions isn't going to be fun. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You've clearly made that first single step and quite a few other steps as well in your LSAT journey! Just know it'll take time.
Have a great weekend coming up!
All your comments have helped me soooo much you guys have no idea :') I'm tearing up reading some of them because I was genuinely ready to give up. Thank you so so so much for all the kind words and advice. I appreciate it beyond words<3