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Dear 7Sage, I'm depressed.

mmigliommiglio Alum Member
edited February 2014 in General 122 karma
These are my scores, as follows:

First ever score (no studying done, ever:) 155
Second Score: 158
Third Score: 161
Fourth Score: 164
Fifth Score: 157
Sixth Score: 153.

The following information is vitally important.
For my first to fifth scores, I did them all timed and proctored, and only did 4 section tests. Meaning I didn't add an additional section to replicate test-day. All of these tests were taken either in the late afternoon or the evening, alone.

For my sixth test, I wanted to simulate actual test day.
However, literally all of these things I don't normally do.

*note*I know JY says to get into a 2 month pattern, but I lack the time available. I started studying only 3 weeks ago, because I found out on January 10th that I was being forced to take the February LSAT due to overwhelming circumstances.*end note*

I woke up at 7:30, Saturday morning.
Made some normal breakfast, had coffee with sugar, swallowed 25mg of Adderal (bad idea? I read a story of a 150 scorer getting a 175 and the only difference was that he took some Adderal. I bought some, just to experiment. I am not normally on Adderal, but I used to take it as a child.)
Put all of my belongings, 4 penciles, a sharpener, etc. into a ziplock bag.
Got to the official test site where the February test will be taken next week, on time.
Sat down. Started playing the 5section proctor audio file.
The sections were LG LR LR break RC LRexperimental.
During the break, I stretched out, walked around, did one or 2 slow pushups, massaged my eyeballs, looked at my phone (im sorry, 15 minutes was a long time to wait doing nothing,) and then sat down for the last 3 minutes.
I did my writing portion and then scored my test.

My first 3 sections were about average, but I did especially poor on the Logic Games: -9, -7, -7.
My 4th section, RC, I did worse than I ever could imagine was possible for me. I'm an English major, I've been reading nonsense for 4 years, how could I score a -14 (out of 27 questions) on this section?...
For the 5th section, I got -6, a little better than average for LR.

I ignored the 5th experimental section score, and my resulting LSAT was a 153.

Worse than I did even before I began studying.

What the hell happened.... I want to give up.

Comments

  • annkang1005annkang1005 Alum Member
    63 karma
    I think you could definitely do better on the LG. It's much easier than rest of the sections, in my opinion. What helped me initially before watching any of 7sage videos was basically doing a game, and then after doing the problems, I wrote down KEY IDEAS that should have helped me solve the game faster and easier. There will almost always be a key inference that will help you solve games 1~3 minutes faster for each game, whether it's a big block of people you have to group together or three or four conditionals that eliminates some people quickly. Figure out what you SHOULD HAVE SEEN at your initial set up, and do that game again. If you couldn't get it, see JY do it and follow the foolproof method for LG.

    For RC, it's always a gamble for me... Sometimes I do as well as -0 but sometimes, like you, I get more than -10. I decided that I won't let RC become a part of my LSAT stress and "control what I can control" and go with studying hard core for LR. But make sure, after doing an RC, do the same one the next day until you get a -0. Even if it's out of you having memorized the right answer. That will give you confidence.

    I think what LR comes down to is solving a lot of questions and learning what answer choices the LSAT writers believe are the "correct" ones, as opposed to the "incorrect" ones. Lots of it comes down to learning the LSAT language (especially abstract ones).


    Also, considering the limited time that you had (3 weeks), you can't possibly expect to jump a huge score. How many hours a day are you studying? I find that for LR, consistency is KEY and you have to do at least a section in the morning and another at night to keep your LSAT rhythm going. This is just me though. And this should be done only after you're pretty set on how to tackle different question stems with specific mindsets.
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    Here's a question: Do you see a pattern of categories of questions you tend to get wrong? Surely it can't be, "this is random..." Right?
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    As you noted, three weeks of crashing is the crucial issue. If the February test is irrevocable, I'd focus on LG since it's easiest to improve.

    With the restriction of time, your scores are very good. Some score higher than their average on the actual test. Hopefully, you'll be one of them.

  • mmigliommiglio Alum Member
    edited February 2014 122 karma
    1 day = 7 hours of sleep, 2-3 hours of classes, 2 hours of homework. 10-12 hours of studying LSAT. The remainder goes into showering/eating/travelling.
  • mmigliommiglio Alum Member
    122 karma
    Al, yes I see a pattern, at least for logic games. When there are more than 3 variables, it takes me much longer to complete.

    For example: Students ABCDEFGH are assigned to groups I, J and K.
    but then the second rule will say something like, if A is on team J, then team J is before team K. Introducing the fact that the order of the teams also matters, hence 3 variables (students, teams, placement.)

    I missed every question in a game just like this one today...

    As far as reading comprehension and LR goes, I'm just not taking the authors literally enough. I keep taking invitations to make assumptions, or even when I think I'm reading carefully I tend to miss a vital word such as "can" or "except."

    This is all that I have learned about myself by taking today's PT and doing awful. Thank you for asking me that question so that I could type it all out and show myself, it helped put things into perspective.
  • ENTJENTJ Alum Inactive ⭐
    3658 karma
    Yeah that's scary when that happens on a PT. Make sure to review using JY's method for games. Repeat, repeat, and repeat some more. Don't just memorize--understand the inferences and make sure to understand the relationship of the indented rules and the game board.

    The closer D-day comes, the less you want to do.
  • Jaguar007Jaguar007 Free Trial Member
    114 karma
    Hey there one test going down in score is not reflective of your overall capabilities I was scoring 157 consistently then go a 152 on the stupid dec 2010 one i found to be particualry hard I won't let it bring me down and neither should you
    focus on the fact that you KNOW YOU CAN GET A 160 cuz you have done it before and you can do it again and you will do your very best!

    Stay confident if you lose your confidence you will affect your score DO NOT LET ONE SCORE BRING YOU DOWN PLEASE! DO ANOTHER pt asap to feel better
  • mmigliommiglio Alum Member
    122 karma
    ;_; I'll do another PT Wednesday. Or maybe Tuesday.

    Thank you for the morale booster.
  • NellysLSATNellysLSAT Alum Member
    edited February 2014 186 karma
    Don't give up mmiglio.
    I have only just started studying for this so my experience isn't there. However I know how strong the benefits of exercise(healthy body healthy mind) and confidence are.
    Maybe a day or couple of hours doing something that's not LSAT related at all would be good.
    Take a yoga class. Or cook a new dish. Something that will cause you to relax, have fun and feel confident again.
    Then come back to your studies.
    We shouldn't train for a marathon by running marathons everyday.
  • crcallavacrcallava Alum Member
    6 karma
    mmiglio, hang in there. i'm in the same boat as you, currently trudging along through the PTs before test day amid some personal issues. something that has helped me an incredible amount is doing a handful of LR questions and one logic game before I take a PT. It helps me squeeze out the fogginess from daily life. anyhow, you're not alone.
  • chinobonitochinobonito Member
    edited February 2014 105 karma
    i've been through what you've been through on a very similar note..and I did take some adderal as well to boost my attention span throughout the test/studying.

    Here are some of my tips from what i've experienced and some suggestions to help your situation described above:

    - i would suggest definitely take another LSAT in June, and October to maximize your score potential. You scored above national average in a short amount of time of studying, therefore, this proves that you do have lots of potential, you just need to put some long term effort and studying into this test. A short time span will not really make much of a difference when taking the LSAT. This is important if you want to score higher for your targeted school, and if you want a fat scholarship offer, you should get at least 5+ points above the average LSAT score your goal school has. For example, if you want to go to a school with a 165 average LSAT, then you should at least get 165 (i don't know your GPA, but if it's lower than that school's avg., then you should aim for a higher LSAT to compensate for your lower GPA, and vice versa). If you get a 165+, your chances of getting a higher scholarship will increase along with your admission chances.
    - if you change your habit of test taking, it usually won't work. For example, you've taken the first 5 PT without adderal, and without the 5th section. What I'm trying to say is, you should definitely take another LSAT in June, you'll have some more time to prepare, and you should always study and take your PT the way you will during the real deal. If you always drink coffee (one cup, 1 sugar...etc...) then i would stick with that during the real deal. LSAT is a long term deal, so increasing the dosage of your caffeine and taking an adderal won't help, in my opinion, if you use that for a one time deal.
    - PT score won't always depict your real score, so don't be too discouraged if that happens. My friends who have already taken their official LSATS have taken their PTs and scored above 170+ or high 170s, and they felt great, but when they got their real scores, they both scored in the 160s. You just never know what will happen during the real thing, so your real score may deviate a couple points +/- from your PT scores.
    - last but not least, don't be discouraged. I wish you the best of luck, and hopefully you can study and take another one in june and not give up if you are not satisfied with your Feb score. Good luck :)
  • zhenderszhenders Free Trial Member
    228 karma
    Leave the Adderal out unless you are taking your regular, prescribed dose. Honestly mate, you ask "what happened".... That happened. HUGE chemical shifts that your body isn't used to are NEVER good for using your brain. It isn't magic.
  • zhenderszhenders Free Trial Member
    228 karma
    P.S. no one ever took adderal and suddenly jumped 25 points. Not. Ever.
  • LSATPuppyLSATPuppy Alum Member
    82 karma
    This is what I learned about RC: banish any and all assumptions. You're asked to make inferences but they MUST be supported by the passage. If you can't prove it, you're wrong. Other than the inference questions, everything else must derive straight from the passage.
  • mmigliommiglio Alum Member
    122 karma
    Yeah... no more adderal.

    I'm taking a break today, this is the first LSAT thing I've looked at in the past 24 hours.

    Not sure if it's a good idea, but it was one of the most common suggestions...

    I'm going to take the February LSAT and apply to schools. My score, however, will determine whether or not I go to Law School right after I graduate, or if I wait a year and find something to do in the meantime...

    I refuse to go to a school that isn't Tier 1, but I'm also doing late admission, so I really need a high LSAT score if I plan on getting into those schools (I'm thinking at least 160.)

    So.... Yep. I have no questions or anything else to say at this point, lol.
  • slarosa44slarosa44 Alum Member
    10 karma
    Taking a break is a GREAT idea!!! This happened to me and I was devastated. Everyone around me said I was over doing it! I would study literally everyday for 6-8 hours/day. They would tell me that our brain is also a muscle and like all muscles we workout, they need recovery time and rest. Being an athlete I understood their reasoning. So I took 48 hours off and rested my brain. Did nothing intellectually stimulating. Caught up on my Netflix and just breathed for that time and did things that made me laugh sincerely and smile! And guess what?! I hate them cuz they were right! It worked!! I scored 10 points higher in the first test I took after my rest!!! So now I've adopted that. So this week I'm taking a practice test Thursday and took one on Tuesday. Two tests. And on Friday, I refuse to do anything LSAT. Instead I'm going to do things for fun like watch my little brother soccer game and spend time with family. That way mentally I am relaxed come Saturday. My scores deviate only an average of 3 points from the jump score. Although I am not happy with it, I need to remember that I am my toughest critic. So don't worry... If you are doubting your break with worry about whether or not it's a good idea then you really aren't resting your mind. So STOP WORRYING and enjoy the freedom while you can. All that time will be gone when you start law school so make the most of that free time now! =) Best I got for ya!! =) Good luck Saturday! You'll do great!!!
  • Jaguar007Jaguar007 Free Trial Member
    114 karma
    Do you really think taking a break helped with your score?
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    I wouldn't guarantee a 10 point improvement after each rest day. But it is important to take a day off to prevent burn-out. Also, sometimes it helps to give ideas time to settle and take hold instead of immediately pursuing something else.

    If you're talking about taking a break the day prior to the test, I'd recommend it. I think it helped me be rested for the test. On the morning of the test, you can a do a little of each section to get into LSAT mode.
  • Jaguar007Jaguar007 Free Trial Member
    114 karma
    thank you appreciate your wisdom!
  • slarosa44slarosa44 Alum Member
    10 karma
    Yea. I'm not guaranteeing that high of a jump but a jump up in a score is good regardless. And honestly, yea. I think the break helped. I felt much more relaxed taking the practice tests and mentally recharged per say... I've heard the opposite in regards to doing any LSAT right before the test. Did you do anything the morning of the test? If so how do you feel it affected you? (referring to lsatisland) And yea. I'm totally taking a break before the test, tomorrow. =/ Still scared that the test is a little over 24 hours away!!! =(
  • LSATislandLSATisland Free Trial Inactive Sage
    1878 karma
    I took off the day before the test and watched sports. It was a relaxing day. I even tried to forbid my family from mentioning the LSAT. Whenever it would creep into my thoughts, I would tell myself that I was ready for the test and excited at the opportunity to actualize all the prep I did.

    The morning of the test I did a few easy LR questions, read a little RC, and one LG. I didn't want to do anything difficult; better save my energy for the test. I just wanted to make sure I was in LSAT mode.

    Please don't be scared. Use the day of rest to be a break from the LSAT, but also from LSAT stress. Some thoughts will be inevitable, but develop a reassuring response to it. Reaffirm your confidence in all the prep you've done and banish those LSAT thoughts, if only for a few hours.
  • mmigliommiglio Alum Member
    122 karma
    Lol...
    I was forced to take 2 days of break because I had an abundance of normal schoolwork i've been neglecting.. I just took a practice test today, and I literally had to stop mid-test because of how many I was missing...

    I didn't take section 4. And in section 1, 2 and 3 I got a -35, which is lower than any whole-test grade I've ever done.

    I have no idea what's wrong with me. Everything seems so much harder to understand and comprehend now. Every question in this test (PT62) was more or less difficult. I don't know if I'm still suffering from mental fatigue, if I'm temporarily burned out, if this test caught me off guard, or what...

    One thing is for certain, my faith in doing well on Saturday is nonexistent.
  • Jaguar007Jaguar007 Free Trial Member
    114 karma
    Hey you mmiglio i took a test today and lost 35 points too prep 63 was ridiculous the RC was so hard and the games were too - but I am not gone let it bring me down because I know my capabilities
    which is the highest I have been able to score - so please do me a favour - laugh about it make fun of it and say YA RIGHT and move on and focus on your abilities you can do this
    confidence is key
    even if you need to pretend to be confident DO IT and it will translate onto the LSAT ! and it is the last day we just didn't put in the same effort in general! Good luck!
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