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Taking the Long Road
I wanted to put my "LSAT Journey" up here as I think it might help other members of the 7sage community. If you want my perspective on this process and some tips for those just starting, read on!
I started prepping for the LSAT in June of 2014, using Barrons and Kaplan, planning to test in September 2014. This was an ineffective way to prep because of the quality of the materials I was using and I quickly switched to Powerscore, using both the bible books and an online prep course (live classes). I went into the Dec 2014 test feeling OK, but bombed logic games in an early section of the test and literally didn't have the mental stamina to finish. Read: I may have had a breakdown.
In retrospect, my 2014 test prep was insufficient. I hadnt done enough prep, specifically fresh prep tests, and I hadnt mastered Logical Reasoning and Logic Games methods. I started studying with 7sage around February 2015. 7sage definitely helped. However, I took the June 2015 test but was disappointed with my score, a 162. I had been PTing in the mid to high 160s and my original goal had been to break 170.
I buckled down after the June test and kept studying. It was really painful. I worked with a tutor outside of 7sage to keep me focused and committed to a study plan. I kept consistent PTs in the high 160s and low 170s, although at this point repeated content was a problem. This past LSAT, October 2015, I scored a 167. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't happy either, pretty much neutral to the outcome and relieved I didn't bomb the test. It capped off a study process of ~16 months.
In sum, this process is a beast. I spent thousands of hours (and let's be honest: dollars) doing prep and didn't achieve the original results I set out for. That said, I did get through it. I did break 165, and I did improve my score between the administrations. If I had to boil down my advice in the long-run it would be something along these lines:
1. Don't skimp on prep materials - go straight for the best material and prep available for you. Put the work in to figure out what type of prep you need at the beginning of this process and stick to that prep. If that means working with a tutor or taking a class, start doing that as soon as you can.
2. Make an overly-detailed study plan and stick to it. Working full time, traveling, being in school, etc. whiles studying for this test is hard. As someone working in consulting who travels (on an airplane) every week, I struggled to stick to a study schedule. Ultimately I recommend getting out an excel sheet and make a day by day plan to get you through the next 3, 6, or 12 months to your test administration. Show the schedule to your peers, study buddies, etc. and get feedback on whether your goals are realistic. Include things like exercising, napping or "free time" in your schedule if that is what you need to make sure you can take a break and not get burnout.
3. Play the mental game. Don't let this (awful) test get the best of you. There were definitely times when I was mad, when I thought I was going to go to a dumpster-fire/non-LSAT required law school, or when I wanted to give up on this whole process entirely. None of those thoughts werre helpful or productive. Being good at the LSAT means, well, you are good at the LSAT. That's it. There's poor correlation at best between L1 performance and the exam. When you get mad, try to repeat that yourself and take deep breaths.
In summary, I'm not glad we go through this awful experience to get into law school. But there are some ways you can make it less painful, and knowing these tips and tricks from the start will help you out.
Best,
Lorax
I started prepping for the LSAT in June of 2014, using Barrons and Kaplan, planning to test in September 2014. This was an ineffective way to prep because of the quality of the materials I was using and I quickly switched to Powerscore, using both the bible books and an online prep course (live classes). I went into the Dec 2014 test feeling OK, but bombed logic games in an early section of the test and literally didn't have the mental stamina to finish. Read: I may have had a breakdown.
In retrospect, my 2014 test prep was insufficient. I hadnt done enough prep, specifically fresh prep tests, and I hadnt mastered Logical Reasoning and Logic Games methods. I started studying with 7sage around February 2015. 7sage definitely helped. However, I took the June 2015 test but was disappointed with my score, a 162. I had been PTing in the mid to high 160s and my original goal had been to break 170.
I buckled down after the June test and kept studying. It was really painful. I worked with a tutor outside of 7sage to keep me focused and committed to a study plan. I kept consistent PTs in the high 160s and low 170s, although at this point repeated content was a problem. This past LSAT, October 2015, I scored a 167. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't happy either, pretty much neutral to the outcome and relieved I didn't bomb the test. It capped off a study process of ~16 months.
In sum, this process is a beast. I spent thousands of hours (and let's be honest: dollars) doing prep and didn't achieve the original results I set out for. That said, I did get through it. I did break 165, and I did improve my score between the administrations. If I had to boil down my advice in the long-run it would be something along these lines:
1. Don't skimp on prep materials - go straight for the best material and prep available for you. Put the work in to figure out what type of prep you need at the beginning of this process and stick to that prep. If that means working with a tutor or taking a class, start doing that as soon as you can.
2. Make an overly-detailed study plan and stick to it. Working full time, traveling, being in school, etc. whiles studying for this test is hard. As someone working in consulting who travels (on an airplane) every week, I struggled to stick to a study schedule. Ultimately I recommend getting out an excel sheet and make a day by day plan to get you through the next 3, 6, or 12 months to your test administration. Show the schedule to your peers, study buddies, etc. and get feedback on whether your goals are realistic. Include things like exercising, napping or "free time" in your schedule if that is what you need to make sure you can take a break and not get burnout.
3. Play the mental game. Don't let this (awful) test get the best of you. There were definitely times when I was mad, when I thought I was going to go to a dumpster-fire/non-LSAT required law school, or when I wanted to give up on this whole process entirely. None of those thoughts werre helpful or productive. Being good at the LSAT means, well, you are good at the LSAT. That's it. There's poor correlation at best between L1 performance and the exam. When you get mad, try to repeat that yourself and take deep breaths.
In summary, I'm not glad we go through this awful experience to get into law school. But there are some ways you can make it less painful, and knowing these tips and tricks from the start will help you out.
Best,
Lorax
Comments
Ami
unfortunately I have a huge problem with timing, I can barely finish on time and if i do my score is at best 160 (and im very dissapointed) if I'm given a bit extra time i can score much better (170) but I guess that's the case with everyone. At times it is very discouraging... I'll greatly appreciate if anyone could give me any advice on what to do next.
Thanks again!