I really can't wait to be done with this exam. I'm starting to get a headache every time I see a question. I feel like I've put a lot of time and energy into this exam but am not getting the results I want. I gave up on trying to score in the high 160s. Hell, I'll be happy with a solid 155, but it seems impossible to achieve, despite my efforts. I am not reconsidering going to law school at all, but I really wish I could just get past this rough patch in my life, known as the LSAT. I feel like I'm in a bind. On one hand, I can't just say F it because if my score is below average, I doubt if I can get into a decent school. On the other hand, I'm struggling to get into the 150s, Lord help me!
Comments
I felt the same way about the LSAT. It's one hell of a test!! I have been studying for months and just recently peaked into the 160s. I do think you need a few days off, I recently took a few days off and my score improved!
I also find the LSAT annoying and hard. One thing that has made the studying process go a lot smoother/ more fun is pretending that I am JY or John. I reason every single question out loud as if I am making a video, yes it takes a long time to complete questions but it's fun! For questions that I am unable to clearly say WHY the answer choice is wrong I watch the video. After doing this out loud reasoning for about 50-100 questions try a timed section without out loud reasoning.
If you REALLY want to give up on the 160s I think you should focus on improving in one specific section. Get your LG down to -5 or less and your RC down to -5 and then you will have big leeway on how much LR you can afford to get wrong.
I would also like to say that I think you're rushing it. I, too, had the desire to just get through my LSAT prep, write the exam, and be done with it. BUT, reality doesn't work like that. Life gets in the way, you don't always progress how you would like.
I think you should realize that this exam is learnable. You can do it. But, you have to change how you view the exam. Try to like it, look forward to it, and try to get into the mindset that you are beating the exam instead of feeling down about it. That coupled with giving yourself enough time to really prep and enjoy the process, I think will really change how you start to progress .
When you come back really focus on your fundamentals and drill them so they are natural to you. Otherwise when you are PTing you will be focusing your energy on how to approach a question, how to logically negate, whats the proper way to diagram and these things slow you down during a timed section. It is an inefficient waste of your time and a PT. For LR do drills where your are underlining conclusion and recognizing support, so that when you get to every question after a read you already recognize the structure. Then focus on recognizing the flaw in every LR question. The Trainer has some great drill like this and you really should read it if you haven't already. I would not take a PT again until you had these fundamentals down.
When you do get back to PTing what helped me is to not idealize this score that I wanted. Don't compare the score you got to what you wish you got. Instead I focused on how I wanted to improve. I set more realistic incremental goals. I thought "just get 3 more point" and once I got that I felt some satisfaction and shot for another 3 points.
Also to echo everyone else accept that this is a slow process. You can't force your score to increase. And getting frustrated with your score doesn't help the process. Embrace the long journey and realize that the LSAT and Law School are not going anywhere.