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Maybe just a rant, but can anyone relate and/or help me out here?

ellie1991ellie1991 Alum Member
in General 237 karma
Okay. I'd like to say that I've been lsat prepping for about a year / year and a half or so, however, during this time I've been working full time hours, (multiple part time jobs) raising my daughter, finishing my bachelors degree and combating never ending family issues and unnecessary stresses. To be perfectly clear, I've been doing all the above (i.e. raising daughter, working fulltime ect.. for at least the past ten years) Yeah, I just turned 30 too....

What I am getting at is this, I feel so burnt out, depressed and stressed that I have little to no time to "properly" study and raise my scores in time for the October Test date. I've already pushed off the June Test to October. I plan on enrolling Fall 2016 and really stress about pushing the test back any further.

Time restraints are only getting worse. My primary work is starting up along with this upcoming fall semester ( I work for a local University ) and as a Liberal Arts major who studied criminology, sociology and psychology, my kids 4th grade algebra is a nightmare for me; go figure.

I want to say all the (lack there of) improvement is due to the stress and time restraints, but I've dealt with this for so long. I manged to graduate with Latin Honors in a difficult curriculum all while doing the same juggling act; however, this TEST is killing me.

As the title suggests, this is likely just a rant. But, are there any others out there who are in this boat?

At this point, I'm not sure how to study anymore. I've completed the Course/ albeit hastily in some areas; and I've been PT'ing as often as physically possible - which in my case turns out to be once a week! Usually a Sunday, then I sporadically BR throughout the week whenever I can.

Understandably, there isn't a real clear cut and dry answer to woes and restraints. However, there has got to be someone out there in the program who understands this and has something valuable to add to this.
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Comments

  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    8021 karma
    I too am over 30, recently left the Army to pursue law school so now I'm just a military spouse and a stay at home dad to a 16 month old boy with another boy due today. While I have somewhat lofty goals, I am also more than happy to attend either of my safety schools, and I think that mentality has really been the secret to managing everything (I'm also finishing up my M.S. in International Relations the week after the October LSAT).

    I've only had time to take about a PT per week on average since May, and while my BR has improved, it hasn't paid off during timed tests consistently yet as I still make stupid mistakes from time to time. However, I embrace the lack of prep I'm able to do as helping to simply maintain my sanity and avoid the burnout that I see is so prevalent in people who prep harder than I do.

    I'd say hang in there, keep embracing quality over quantity and trusting the process. I don't know what your other qualifications are or what your goals are, but as long as you're okay with any score that gets you into a law school then I think it will really help with the stress. Know that October is not the end, there's always the option to retake in December, and even February if absolutely necessary. Don't get overwhelmed by people who are prepping way more than you, everyone is on their own journey. Take 'er easy and good luck to you. If you ever need to talk feel free to hit me up anytime.
  • ellie1991ellie1991 Alum Member
    237 karma
    @Pacifico said:
    as long as you're okay with any score that gets you into a law school then I think it will really help with the stress.
    Thank you @Pacifico. I appreciate your input. It's difficult being a "non-traditional" student, as you too know.
    I am not aiming for Harvard by any means, but a score good enough to get there (for me) means ample scholarships and funding to go to a T20ish school of my choice with a comfortable financial cushion (ideally)*

    Either way though, thanks for you words, I do appreciate it "dude". I'd be very happy for a chance to pick your brain (If I only had the time) and possibly learn a thing or two.

    Good luck and congratulations on the new youngling. Hopefully you have help with them. I failed to mention in my previous rant. Winning custody of my child when she was 10months old and eventually winning full custody of her has been my motivation to go back to school and the pursuit of a JD.
    I can see work as a guardian ad lidem in my future.. eventually.
  • GSU HopefulGSU Hopeful Core ⭐
    1644 karma
    @Pacifico. Congrats on the new young'un. Praying it all turns out well!!
  • tanes256tanes256 Alum Member
    2573 karma
    First, I would say stop comparing yourself to everyone else. We all have different circumstances that dictate our studies. I'm 32 work full time and I've been studying off and on for 2 yrs due primarily to cancer and a brain tumor. There were times when I didn't do anything LSAT related for months at a time! I definitely wanted to be in school by now but I've also realized that it wasn't possible, so I have to accept that and move forward. I do some of my BR during lunch breaks at work. I often think I'm wasting my time because sometimes I don't get through that many questions. It just depends on how thorough I'm being. Sometimes I BR only the circled questions and sometimes I BR the whole test. I might not get through much at work but it's less that I have to do when I get home, right? So, yeah, it's worth it. You have to find what works best for you. There is no cookie cutter formula for any of this. I remember people saying it only takes 3-4 months to prep for the test. BS! Where??! For who???! Well I'm sure that was sufficient for some people, it just wasn't for me. Due to my health issues I just couldn't add the pressure of prepping for this test hard core. I needed more time and that's what I did. I'm not going to say it doesn't matter when I enroll but I know that I'm absolutely not taking the test until I'm consistently scoring where I want to be. I'm pushing October back to December and doing my best to make sure that I'm prepared. Also, you're doing yourself no justice if you've ran over sections in the course without completely understanding. This will definitely catch up to you and effect your time and score. I flew through the causation and correlation section because huh? Why do I need this if I understand the general concept of strengthen and weaken questions? I noticed during drilling that I was getting all the questions that involved causation and correlation wrong. Well I went back to this section and tada!! I'm good on these questions now. I know you want to enroll next fall, that's my goal as well, but if you need to push the test back, do it! You won't get any scholarships with a poor score. That's just how I'm looking at it. I'm not sure if any of this helps you but no you aren't the only one in this boat. You just have to make this test work around you. What are you gonna do? Enroll your child in a 24 hr daycare so you can study? Lol I think not!! Where there's a will there's a way so I'm confident you'll conquer this! Good luck!
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    8021 karma
    Benadryl = 24 hour daycare :P
  • canadianairnavcanadianairnav Member
    edited August 2015 5 karma
    I'm with you! I'm a full time military member and mother to three small ones. I've had friends say to do a few tests per week but I'm lucky to do one per week. I made the mistake of rushing and taking the test, and well, you can guess by the fact that I'm on here again that it didn't go so well for me. So now I plan to write in Dec in hopes of squeezing in an application for a Fall 2016 start. I study on my lunch, when my kids are in bed, and a couple hours at the coffee shop when hubby can stay home with them all. Best of luck! I can relate!
  • ramster1ramster1 Member
    109 karma
    @bishoplaw, I'm in my early 40s and went through a divorce with two small kids, during which time I had been a stay-at-home mother for five years. Believe me, there were times where it felt hopeless. Most of my former colleagues were advancing in their careers, some had even gone through law school and had families during the time I was a SAHM. So it felt defeating at times to think I was behind them on everything (personal life, career, etc.). A turning point came when I studied for the patent bar, which was also a hard exam (not as hard as this one, granted), because I figured out what I needed to do - I found a valuable study buddy in an old friend, I got help with childcare (maybe you can do a babysitting swap for a day with another single parent so that you can have extra time?), and I guess at some point I started feeling angry with myself and anyone else who doubted me because I felt like I was a decent and capable enough person that I should be able to do it. I'm guessing that deep-down you know what you need to get this down. It sounds like you've invested a lot and probably know a lot already. But if you need a couple days straights to study, make it happen, even if it's not the way most people do it (spouse or family help). Or if you need to meditate on why you're doubting yourself and what you need to get past the emotional block, do that. Or if you need to push your exam until later, do that. Do what's right for you. Think of it as investing in what you'll need to be able to go through law school also and a career down the road and even to help your kids when they struggle down the road. My story ended well so far - I wound up in a great job and career and supportive bosses. Fortunately, I have some idea what I need to help myself as a result of what I went through. Hope that's helpful and not just blah blah blah.
  • ellie1991ellie1991 Alum Member
    237 karma
    Thank you all! Another reason why 7Sage continues to exceed expectations, being able to hear from folks like you and share stories and inspiration.

    @tanes256 - @canadianairnav - @ramster1 - Well said my friends. You've all basically hit the metaphorical nail on the head with my study "restraints" and needed inspirations. Few hours here, few minutes there, put the kid to bed after a 12 hour day, then fight through another section (or just a few questions). And yes, I need to (and am currently working on) going back through some curriculum that I reluctantly powered through; for lack of better terms. It some what goes back to the "letting go of your ego" thing. I've always seen myself as someone who's been able to conquer anything I've attempted, and I guess this prepping has just really got to me and been more of a struggle than I anticipated.

    Again, thank you all so very much for your words.

    @Pacifico - Benadryl; shame on you... hahah!




  • nicole.hopkinsnicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    7965 karma
    @bishoplaw said:
    I've always seen myself as someone who's been able to conquer anything I've attempted, and I guess this prepping has just really got to me and been more of a struggle than I anticipated.
    One thing I just thought of ... I think your story of playing the long game and not sacrificing your other responsibilities (work, child welfare, sanity, etc) makes for a much better life lesson for your kid[s] than ... you know ... balls to the wall burnout style. Like, which of those two "narrative arcs" would you want them to emulate? I'd say I'd want them to emulate exactly what you're doing. You're teaching delayed gratification, perseverance, and long-term planning. Those are some of the most important life skills you can impart.

    And it's refreshing (and instructive) for your peers, as well.
  • DumbHollywoodActorDumbHollywoodActor Alum Inactive ⭐
    7468 karma
    @bishoplaw I hear you. I watch my 4-year old twins (Daytime Daddy) and work about 20-30 hours per week. I find it very difficult to do more than 1 PT per week too. I’ve had to adjust my expectations accordingly. I’m now on the 14-18 month plan; I started in January (with a 141 diagnostic), and I’m probably not taking the LSAT actual until June 2016, maybe February 2016.

    I find the key is not to add any more pressure to my life than it already has naturally. Sure, there are people studying for this test who have the luxury of not working or have a job that allows them some flexibility or have no dependents to worry about. More power to them rabbits. They can take 3 PTs a week and properly BR.

    We’re the tortoises of the group. We have to go slow and steady, like a snow ball that grows in size as it rolls down a big hill. But I think in the long run, because this a skills-based and not a knowledge-based test, we have more of an opportunity to make all of our studies intuitive. The difficulty is staying motivated to get a sufficient amount of work done each week so that we’re always adding to snowball and not letting it melt. That’s what I find great about this forum, why I like to help people who have questions;I’ve found it helps keep me motivated.

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