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160--->176 on July Digital Test while working full time-- my story and tips
Hi team,
I've been meaning to write this post since I got my July score, but I wanted to give a brief recap of my LSAT experience while working full time and doing and starting an online Master's program. I got into some details about my mental state, time spent studying, and stuff like that. Sorry it's a bit long, but I figured some other stressed out/anxious people might benefit from knowing the details of what was happening in my head. The story comes first, then my general tips, and a few actual LSAT tips. Happy to answer any questions 
.
My Story
I started studying back in June 2018 and got 7sage Ultimate+, planning to take the test in September. I got a 160 on my diagnostic, so I figured I wouldn't need more than a couple months (and oh boy was I wrong!). I was also working full time in consulting in a pretty demanding role, so finding a couple hours after work wasn't feasible for a while. By the time it got to the beginning of August, I wasn't even up to logic games in the core curriculum (CC), so I decided to push my test date out to January 2019 to give myself more time. I let myself enjoy summer a bit before bearing down in the fall. Time-wise, I allocated 1-1.5 hrs of study time after work Monday-Thursday, and around 5 or 6 hours on Sundays-- I don't work on Shabbat, so I always had that break built in. This scheduled worked for me, as I had built in breaks and didn't burn out (at first).
While going through the CC, I made sure to print out multiple copies of problem sets and game sets, coming back to problem set types as I moved ahead to make sure that I didn't get to the end of the CC forgetting how to do an LR strengthening (which is more towards the beginning of the CC). This was super helpful as it let me retain and refine knowledge as well as the understanding that most LR questions are built from the same elements-- e.g. a strengthening and a weakening question can call on the same flaw/assumption in the stimulus.
When I got into practice tests, my first practice test (some time in the fall) was a 166-- I was pretty disappointed in this because I had been studying for 3+ months. Anyway, onwards. I was doing practice tests ~once/week on Sundays (blind reviewing on the same day) and doing practice sets/review during the week. I was at this point getting anywhere from 164 to 169, with one 170. LG was -2/3, LR was -4/5, and RC was -7/8. Everything I read told me that LG was the easiest to improve on, so I started doing games at every chance I could. Lunch? Cool, time for a couple games. Subway ride home? 2 or 3 games. Having trouble sleeping? I'd do a game. Waiting for a doctor's appointment? Oh you know I was hitting those grouping games. But I wouldn't just go through games absent-mindedly. As 7sage suggests, I'd foolproof every game, doing it over and over until I could get the game done quickly and perfectly. This got my prep test LG sections down to a very consistent -0, bringing my average up to 165-168 by early January (RC and LR receded a little as I focused on LG)
At some point, I realized I still wasn't going to be ready by the January 2019 test. My GPA is somewhere around 3.3, so I was targeting at least 170 to be competitive at T14 schools and all that. So, I pushed to March. At this point, however, I was really, really struggling mentally with this test. I was putting a ton of pressure on myself to perform-- I knew I knew this stupid shit, but I would freak out on LR and RC sections, missing a bunch of questions. Unfortunately, I started attaching my self-worth to my ability to get a 170 on this test...which I'd only done 2 or so times by mid-February. I kept cramming studying in to ALL of my free time, including Shabbat, and not giving myself breaks. I'd also started a Master's program online in January, while working full time, and studying...so tons of stress and no breaks.
When you're in it, it can totally feel like you need to be studying at any time that you're not studying. Fuck that!!!! Treat your mind like a muscle. It needs rest time and it will break down when you overwork it, which I was doing leading up to the March test. I'd gotten my average to 168ish at that point, and scored a 166 on the March test. While this is an excellent score, I knew I was capable of better. I do a lot of design thinking at work, so I decided to do some retrospective activities to figure out what went wrong with my studying and what could've gone better. Obviously, I didn't build in enough breaks and was putting far too much pressure on myself.
Unfortunately, when I started studying for the June test, I slipped into the same patterns I had before the March test--- any time I wasn't studying, I was thinking about the LSAT and about that magical 170 number. I'd focused down on RC and LR and had gotten my average up to around 171, which was great. For RC, I practiced the memory method a ton and learned to, as JY says, "contain my confusion" in passages, especially science. For LR, I'd developed a skipping strategy that had a fookin massive impact on my score. Unfortunately, though, as I mentioned, I was stressing myself out in crazy ways. I'm thankful for the people around me who basically forced me to take 2 weeks off, and what an incredible break it was!!!!! I forced myself to not think about the test for 2 whole weeks!!!! Then I studied a bit for 2 weeks before the test, didn't study the day before, scoring a 175 and a 174 on practice tests. I scored a 169 on the June test that I was really proud of.
HOWEVER. I still knew I could do better. I'd gotten 3 LG questions wrong!!!! It was that last game, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I decided to take the July test, knowing that I had this great score in my back pocket and could cancel if I didn't perform. This gave me a lot of confidence, and I actually barely studied at all between the June and July tests. I took two total practice tests, one of which I'd already taken (176 and 177). I knew that confidence was going to be the biggest factor for me, so I didn't try to do too much. I breathed a lot, slept a lot, exercised a lot, and spent a lot of time with friends.
To practice for the possibility of getting the digital test, I borrowed a friend's iPad for a week and did a couple practice sections on PT 73 (which I'd already done by hand). This was to make sure I knew the mechanics of the digital test and all that. The content was gonna be the same.
Going into the July test, I went in cool as a cucumber. I knew I had this great score in my backpocket and I knew that I was going to absolutely crush it (that's what I kept telling myself---- confidence is seriously a fake it till you feel it kind of thing). I'd also listened to Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast about the LSAT the day before, which talks about, essentially, the uselessness of the LSAT in determining outcomes for lawyers-- this made me feel better, knowing that the test is NOT a reflection of how good a lawyer I will be or how smart I am, but only a test of how well I can do on that test. Despite taking the test at a different facility from my first two takes with about 4x more people, and starting 2.5 hours late due to tablet issues, I kept my confidence up by closing my eyes and imagining how it was going to feel flying through the test to get my 170+. I'm thankful to have gotten a 176 on the July test and have my 13-month LSAT journey come to a close. It was a massive roller coaster of a ride, but I am THANKFUL to have gone through it. I learned a lot about myself, what works/doesn't work for me, and how to find balance.
Some thanks: 7sage for the amazing curriculm, JY's comforting and assuring voice for explaining shit in a very very very clear way, my partner for her unbelievable support, and the 7sage community.
Some overall tips
CONFIDENCE: You know this shit!!! If you come into the test KNOWING that you will kill it, you WILL kill it. You've put in the work, and it will pay off when you allow yourself to envision what it looks like to fly through the test like you did when you nailed all those practice tests. If you're having trouble building confidence in yourself, pretend you are your friend-- what would you tell your friend to build up their confidence?
BREAKS: Like I mentioned, TREAT YOUR BRAIN LIKE A MUSCLE. You need space away from this stupid, stupid test. You need rest days. You need rest weeks. It will feel counterintuitive: "How can I get better at in/out games if I'm not actually doing in/out games right now?" You will do them. Just not now. Your brain's gotta rest. Go for a run. Go play some video games. Go see friends. Go SLEEP. You'll be fine.
BALANCE: I studied for and took this test while working full-time and doing an online master's program. I couldn't figure out my schedule for a long time. I constantly felt stressed about the other things that I wasn't doing, and I let that fuck with my head. Plan your schedule, and write down lists, and allow yourself to focus 100% on whatever you're scheduled for right now.
TIME: Especially if you're working full time, you're gonna need time to study for this, factoring in plenty of breaks. JY recommends a year. I'd say that's pretty accurate.
Actual LSAT advice
Skipping: YOU NEED TO SKIP LR QUESTIONS. I aimed for 10 in 10, 20 in 20, and being done with the section around the 25/27 mark, with 4-6 skipped question. BUT I didn't let myself get stressed out if I didn't meet those guideposts-- they're just guideposts. I skipped any question that I was confused by or found myself struggling after one or two read throughs, and all parallel method/parallel flaw questions. This let me bank a ton of time for those questions towards the end that I knew I would need more time for.
Contain your confusion: For RC. I don't remember which video it is, but JY talks about "containing your confusion". When you read some RC stuff, there will be things that confuse you. Scientific concepts, weird arguments, things you don't get about the Louvre, or flower, or 18th century art, whatever. Box in your confusion. Tell yourself, okay, in this little second paragraph, I don't really get what's going on, but I'm gonna zoom back out. We know that most questions are not detail heavy, and if they are, you can come back to that section to figure out out what the heck is going on. Stay focused on the big picture: what's the main point? Who's making it and what do they believe? Is there another viewpoint there too? What do they think? What section supports that main conclusion?
Foolproof!!!: not much to say here except that games are learnable and foolproofing is the way to learn them.
Yikes wow that was long. Thanks for reading. You're gonna do great on this test!! I believe in you.
Comments
Thanks for this, it's reassuring to hear a long-term study journey!
Congratulations!!! Very reassuring indeed!
Definitely needed to hear this!!!! I am in a similar situation working a very demanding job and trying to make time to study. The stress is overwhelming at times!
Congratulations!! Thanks so much for sharing all of this!!
You're awesome! Thank you for sharing your story and these helpful tips!
What an awesome post! Legit made me laugh several times. Congrats on your score and post up what school you end up going to!!
Thanks for sharing! Congratulations!!
This was great. Thank you for sharing! Best of luck in your apps
This is great! Congratulations! What an amazing journey!
Thank you for sharing, this helped more than you know! Congrats to you!
Thanks for all the lovely responses, everyone! YOU GOT THIS SHIT. Let me know if any questions
Thank you for sharing! As someone who is also working full-time, I much needed it. Congratulations on an amazing score!
Aw yay that honestly gives me so much relief!
this is amazing. congratz!
Thanks so much for your feedback.
The long march
Awesome story! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for taking the time to write out your lsat journey. I, like I am sure so many of you, can so relate to your experience in so many ways. Congrats on a phenomenal score and best of luck with the application process.
congrats
I’m currently serving as a Company Commander in the Army, usually working 60 or so hours a week while also trying to not be a total POS husband to my wife and father to my two kids. Exhausting is an understatement while managing a full time job, 181 Soldiers, and LSAT studying. My schedule currently allows for me to get to work at 5 A.M., study until my morning formation at 6 AM and then get in another hour from 12-1 PM and, if I’m not asleep, get in another hour from 8-9 after kids are in bed. Perfect day is 3 hours although realistically i get in 1.5 hours a day. Also, I’ve been recording my “real” study hours and, although 7-sage says I’m 100 hours in, total study time has been 150 hours. I’ve been studying since June 14 averaging 1.25 hours a day. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. As the author notes in his comment from his drill sergeant, slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Looking forward to see how i do on the 25 NOV LSAT and 13 JAN LSAT as well!
Thank you for your insight and sharing your experience!
Great advice!
Thanks! This is really helpful as I am working full-time and studying the March test. I may move it back, but plan to wait to see how I'm testing in Jan/Feb. Congrats!
What was your study schedule, and how did you plan out what you were going to focus on each day?