Hi,
I'm new to this lsat prep (just started today). I took the LSAT last year and scored a 144 and I graduated from undergrad with a 3.5 GPA and I plan on taking the LSAT again this December. A few days ago I decided to take a PT and scored a 139 (first time taking it in 6 months). Today I bought the LSAT Trainer and recently purchased this 7sage starter. I guess I'm just wondering if it's possible to score in the 160's or am I completely screwed and should give up. I've been feeling kind of low lately and having anxiety about not getting into law school because I'm scared to disappoint my parents again. Any help and advice would greatly be appreciated. Thanks guys.
Comments
Having said that, you'd be surprised how much you can learn and grow in 4 months if you really apply yourself. If you don't work full-time, I'd say 4 months is good enough, though not great if you're aiming at reaching your full potential. And with a test this vital to your acceptance, you probably should take your time and aim to reach that potential if you can devote a longer period of time to study.
And to answer your question, it's very possible for you to even get a 175+. Why not? There are literally over 20 people just on here that have had 20+ point jumps by studying roughly 4-12 months. Just stick around, learn some foundational theory, learn to enjoy the LSAT and you'll be encouraged by your growth. Your confidence in your ability to kill this test will grow don't worry.
"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." -Vince Lombardi
As for the crux of the question, it is hard to tell that you suck at taking tests because it doesn't sound like you studied, so maybe you just suck at knowing what it takes to succeed on the LSAT. Since you can easily finish the Trainer and all of 7Sage in 6-8 weeks at a decent clip, you could still get in 20+ PTs before December. People might disagree with this but if you really dedicate yourself and work hard at everything those resources have to offer and develop a solid understanding of the fundamental skills required then a 160 should come relatively easy for you (please note I said this requires hard work and dedication and you still have to perform on test day, a high score is not automatically awarded to you). You can miss about 20 questions on the average LSAT and still get a 160. And if your LG is on point then that is 6-7 questions for each other section. This can absolutely be done in 4 months for most people, but what's the point? To relate back to my earlier point, it doesn't really sound like you want to go to law school and it sounds like you have a generally defeatist attitude (e.g.-should I give up, am I screwed, etc.) This is serving no beneficial purpose to you or anyone else, so I'd stop studying and take this weekend for some legit introspection at what you really want to do with your life. You don't have to map out the next 50 years, but you should at least be able to come back and say whether you want to go to law school for yourself or not. If yes, then get to work and we'll be here to help, but if not, you seriously need to remove yourself from the long shadow your parents are casting and just go and live your life.
It was THEIR choice to spend all that money on ineffective forms of LSAT prep. It took me literally 30 minutes, two hands, a keyboard, and Google one night a year ago to figure out I could do this on my own with the LSAT Trainer; a few months later, I added 7sage to firm up the fundamentals. Less than $300 total. Period. And I think we can all see that money does not help on the LSAT. It is YOUR choice whether you truly want to do this.
It sounds like distance from the situation is what you need. And you need to put some work in. You can't pay someone to teach you the LSAT and think that's going to get you anywhere. It MIGHT be good enough to get you to the low-mid 160's (heck, maybe even high 160's and beyond), but it's really going to depend on your mindset and wellbeing. It took me about a year to see myself even somewhat consistently 20 points above my diagnostic of 152 (granted, that's due in large part to a difference in the score range).
It depends on whether you really want to do this. Do you? If yes, pick up 7sage and the Trainer. Follow a schedule. Take care of your health. Remove toxicity from your life.
Don't want to do it right now? GREAT! If you realize that, I'm super happy about that. You'll spare yourself a lot of agony and maybe have, like, a life and stuff. And then when you're ready (when you've washed your hands of parental pressure ) you can go whole hog.
Particular emphasis placed on the >4 months part of this range. Unicorns (people who have diagnostics in the mid-160's) are a different matter.
You just ... really ... need ... to forget this ... Word. Just realize this is going to mean at least (!!!) 40 hours/week of committed study. If you're 100% focused 100% of the time, MAYBE you could do it in 30. But I'd count on this meaning at least 40 hours/week.
And don't forget about burnout, breaks, etc ... Honestly I just worry about setting yourself up for burnout and disappointment, especially given that you're already dealing with anxiety issues.
Slow down. You do you. Take care of yourself. Get serious. Realize this is meant to be hard.
And be honest with yourself. If you find out that you don't really want to do this, then walk away. 100% agree. Print this on a t-shirt and sell it to the masses.
It also depends on where your struggles lie. If you're naturally good at LR or RC and games are bad when you start, then that's a pretty good case for a major short-term improvement. If LR/RC really lag, that's where methinks you're looking at a longer term time investment. That stuff is just harder to learn/master than LG.
BUT. Unrealistic expectations are the killer where this test is concerned. If you had told me a year ago that I would only NOW even approach my target score (which is, by the way, about 5 points lower than what I initially thought my target score would/should be), I am not sure I would have had the courage to walk this long and winding road. If you had told me that I would plateau at 165 after 8 months of prep, plateau again at 169 for ~2 months, only to finally "break" that plateau to face some pretty big fluctuations (diminished returns), I would have been very discouraged. But as it is, I see that this is just the way it goes for some (=many ), and that my expectations were built on an unstable foundation.
Very happy right now and proud of you, @daryab116 . I know this is a hard decision but it sounds like you're making it in a good frame of mind.
To all else: LSATisland is the shit.