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Feeling so discouraged...

goalis180goalis180 Alum Member
in General 531 karma
I can't really believe what I a going through right now to be honest. I studied diligently for 8 months...did the 7sage course did practice questions, timed sections, about 5 timed PT's and I cant even get past 140's on my timed tests....IDK what happens during timed tests...everything just flies out the window I guess? My last blind review was a 160...not the best but it at least means I understand something about this test....on my BR I am usually -5 to -9 on each LR section -5 to -9 on RC and -0 to -3 on logic games...Why am I not getting this on my timed tests? I have never ever studied so hard for something to see little to no results...to be honest at this point I just want to at least score in the 150's to move on with my life. I have never been a good test taker, but I always did either average or slightly above average, but with this test I just get no where. This test is of no indication what so ever to my future capabilities as a lawyer, or my intelligence, but for some reason it is truly making me depressed with a feeling of hopelessness.

I know posting things like this on a forum is inappropriate, but I def need to talk to fellow test takers because every time I talk to someone about my feelings with this test they just say "its only a test, and one bad test wont ruin your entire future."
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Comments

  • Anthony LAnthony L Alum Member
    53 karma
    It's not inappropriate. I've been studying for quite awhile as well and cannot break 150. I am going to keep trying and take the test in June. Keep your head up!
  • 2015student2015student Member
    8 karma
    I am having the same issue. I can't seem to understand where my time goes. Also, I realized that when I take the time test I misread A LOT, which explains is why I do much better on the BR. I am trying to stay positive but I'm taking the Feb LSAT and I am definitively feeling the pressure.
  • rcscogginsrcscoggins Member
    edited January 2016 54 karma
    Howdy,

    I was kind of in your shoes at one point. I was actually a great standardized test taker, did well on my SATs and other standardized tests. I rather humiliatingly went into a Kaplan course with a great hubris on my shoulders, thinking I would destroy this test, only to score a 143 after finishing the course.

    I have fared better with this course, no doubt. I hope you continue to improve as well. I know you feel like you are at the end of your rope. You feel like you have done everything. You feel like you have exhausted everything in your potential. I know how you feel, because I soon discovered also that no matter what I did, it didn't matter, I still sucked.

    I sulked around for a bit, got angry, and got back on the horse. That's what you have to do. I don't know your background or your hopes and dreams, but if you want this as a career path, then you have to do your very best. Maybe the best you can do is a mid 140. Maybe that is the best I will ever do. I don't know. All I know is that this is a stupid test, and your career won't be defined by it. No one after you graduate law school is going to care about your LSAT score one bit, unless they are that full of themselves that they need to hold it over people. I am not a naturally gifted student. I worked my butt off in college every night to earn my grades. There are some people out there who are just geniuses, others who are not of that caliber. I could study for five years and not score as well as J.Y. or half the people on 7Sage, but you just have to do the best you can do, and move on.

    I hope this has helped. I at lease empathize with you, but you can't quit on yourself if this is something you want. I'm not quitting, I'll do whatever it takes. The thing is, the test is learnable. Some people learn faster than others. You may be putting too high of an expectation on yourself. Perhaps you need to take a year or two to study for the test. For me that is what has worked. It sucks, I wanted to be in law school awhile ago and now working full-time makes it hard to study, but long term commitment for me has been the only way I have seen improvement. I had to learn to be patient with my own expectations. Some of my friends went from 150-165 in three months. That just wasn't me, and it may not be you, you can't put that pressure on yourself.

    Whatever you decide, good luck. Remember to give yourself a chance, and mostly remember that it is just a test.

    Sincerely.

    In Your Shoes
  • J.Y. PingJ.Y. Ping Administrator Instructor
    edited January 2016 14214 karma
    Well said @rcscoggins! You have a "like" from me.

    @goalis180 After you take a break - do take a break - "get back on the horse". You've got a long road ahead of you. :)

    You've only taken 5 PTs so you've scratched the surface. You're doing BR so that's good. Don't expect your timed score to be the same as your BR score. That'd be strange since your BR score is supposed to be the ceiling. If your timed score ever hits or surpasses your BR score, then either you got so ridiculously lucky or your BR method isn't right.
  • goalis180goalis180 Alum Member
    531 karma
    @"J.Y. Ping" my test date is feb which means I have no time for a break, and to be honest, if after 8 months of studying I can't break160, I might as well end the journey, before I go from "discouraged" to "devastated." Also, if 160 is really my ceiling then I must be really incompetent. After 8 months of studying, I should have been topping off in the 170's.

    @rcscoggins I do hold myself to a high standard. I have never failed at anything in my life, whether it be athletics, or academics, so failing now is really hitting me hard. Also, to see my friends who were in the 140s get a 170+ while im just sitting here with not even a 150 score is just crushing to my spirit; it literally feels as if someone has just ripped my soul out of my body. It sounds a bit over dramatic, but its truly how I feel.
  • Micaela_OVOMicaela_OVO Alum Member
    1018 karma
    Don't give up! This test can be soul-crushing at times. So many of us are in your shoes. Everyone is different. Some people can break 170 after a few months, and some people take well over a year to score in that range. I'm unfortunately part of the latter group. I planned on going to law school right after undergrad (graduated May 2015), but I will have to sit out yet another cycle since it's taking me so long to reach my goal score.

    160 BR is not your ceiling because 5 PTs is barely any; you have so much room for improvement. If this is something you really want, don't be afraid to keep pushing through.
  • rcscogginsrcscoggins Member
    54 karma
    There is nothing wrong with holding yourself to a high standard, but everyone does have limits. It sounds to me that you have excelled in most arenas during your high school and college careers. That's great for you. That was never my experience, I never excelled at anything unless I put in a ton of elbow grease, and I failed at some things constantly. It sounds like this is the first time you are meeting with failure in your life, so take it as a learning experience. It won't be the last time you fail at something, believe me. To try in the face of failure builds both character and confidence. Like I said, it's your decision, but you have already talked yourself out of it before considering the possibilities of taking the test in June or October. Life isn't perfect, our road isn't straight and doesn't hardly ever go like we dream it will, but you can get there if it is what you want above anything else, you have to make that decision for yourself.
  • shanep6kshanep6k Member
    23 karma
    @goalis180 Keep your head up, I am in a similar position as you. I have a friend who went from averaging in the 140's on PT's to averaging 179 over the course of almost 2 years. She took every single PT available. It can be done. We can all do it.
  • goalis180goalis180 Alum Member
    531 karma
    Thanks guys, its truly the individuals like you and eveyone else who has helped me on this forum that make this forum truly hold a special place in my lsat journey. I will continue on my pursuit to success disallowing this test the power to control my life, after all it is truly just a test.
  • GSU HopefulGSU Hopeful Core ⭐
    1644 karma
    "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender."
    -Vince Lombardi
  • GSU HopefulGSU Hopeful Core ⭐
    1644 karma


    Cut through the football and Crossfit references and use it to apply to this test. It has a lot of motivation, inspiration and life lessons to follow.

    *This isn't my video nor do I take credit for it.
  • goalis180goalis180 Alum Member
    531 karma
    @"GSU Hopeful thanks. I do listen to a lot of motivational speeches and watch videos as well as read books. That quote truly describes how I feel. Thanks.
  • Artwork94Artwork94 Free Trial Member
    edited January 2016 140 karma
    i feel u, i just underperformed on my second lsat take after studying 8 months. I don't even know anymore. But hey, If I put in 100% and don't reach my desired results, how much can I truly hate myself? If I put in all that I can and still get a low score, how angry can I get at myself?? Not too much in my opinion.
  • lawyerme?lawyerme? Alum Member
    edited January 2016 31 karma
    Wow, I am very impressed by how people are very supportive here.
  • GSU HopefulGSU Hopeful Core ⭐
    1644 karma
    @lawyerme? It's a community that helps one another and stands together against be evil forces of the LSAT. Lol... Welcome!
  • cjones76cjones76 Alum Member
    edited January 2016 318 karma
    I, too, was stuck in the 140s for what felt like eternity. My diagnostic was a 141 and I had to work to get out of the 140s. A few things I noticed and that I found was that I was having a difficulty getting out of the 140s was because I was not answering enough questions. I really had to focus on how to increase my speed. I found ways to develop and internal clock and make sure I did not give a question too much time. Also, in hindsight I did not have as good of a grasp of the fundamentals that I thought I did. So drilling those to become second nature helped (in accuracy as well as speed). Thirdly, I found that you do not want to fall down the rabbit hole of comparing yourself to others. I had a friend who got a 176 after studying for 3 months and I began to compare myself to him. And that made me feel worse and worse and all sorts of horrible. We are all different. Some people have a natural disposition towards this test and others have had training in areas that make them more prepared to learn this test. And there are people who just have to learn how to navigate the LSAT, which is not easy. Lastly, I found that NOT fixating on a high score that seemed IMPOSSIBLE to what I was currently scoring at was very, very psychologically beneficial. I set small score goals for myself and did not let myself think of this higher score I hoped to eventually achieve. Instead I forced myself to think first lets get to a 145, then once I got that I thought how can I get to a 147, then a 150, and so on. Setting these smaller goals helped me to feel like I actually accomplished something. Because lets be honest, getting there IS hard. I even celebrated these goals and went shopping when I reached them, hahaha. This made continuing on a little bit better and helped me from getting overly discouraged and frustrated with myself. Because it was not that I wasn't trying or wasn't studying. But, as @rcscoggins said you just have to climb back on the horse and continue on the path.


    Also, @rcscoggins great post!
  • cjones76cjones76 Alum Member
    318 karma
    @"GSU Hopeful" said:
    It's a community that helps one another and stands together against be evil forces of the LSAT.
    hahaha! love this.
  • aneil.pokharelaneil.pokharel Alum Member
    36 karma
    All I can say from experience is that one can get better with practice. I feel like I understand questions and predict (for the most part) answers much more easily now. Yes, it demands investment of time and energy but once you start seeing major improvement, it will be worthwhile. Do make use of the analytics and know which question types you are getting wrong and give them extra attention. I usually go back to the prep tests I've already taken and retry the circled questions, do their blind review and then check the answers. Also, remember - The struggle/pain is temporary but quitting is forever.
  • DumbHollywoodActorDumbHollywoodActor Alum Inactive ⭐
    7468 karma
    @cjones76 said:
    I set small score goals for myself and did not let myself of this higher score I hoped to eventually achieve. Instead I forced myself to think first lets get to a 145, then once I got that I thought how can I get to a 147, then a 150, and so on. Setting these goals helped me to feel like I actually accomplished something. Because lets be honest, getting there IS hard. I even celebrated these goals and went shopping when I reached them, hahaha.
    THIS.
  • Nanchito-1-1Nanchito-1-1 Alum Member
    edited January 2016 1762 karma
    I'm in the same boat. This a long process, but we have to take baby steps. I had to tell my ego and expectations to take a hike, that includes any deadlines. I celebrate the small things like @cjones76. A 3 to 5 point jump, a br in 160s. I advise you to keep taking pt's and deeply br them every question you're uncertain about and get wrong. So far i've taken 5 pts too and i've seen a 10 point jump and a smaller gap between raw and br scores. It will move slow at first but you'll get the hang of it. Don't give up, you want this.
  • jennilynn89jennilynn89 Alum Member
    edited January 2016 822 karma
    This might be my favorite post ever. I've also joined the 7Sage community and followed many posts because the community on here is amazing. @goalis180 don't feel discouraged, I'm kind of in the same boat (or maybe my story will make you feel better). I've been studying for about 7-8 months, never been able to break a 154 so far (got up to 161 on BR ) and just took the December LSAT and got a devastating 142. I'm trying to tell myself that this score does not define me and my capabilities, and one bad PT isn't the end of the world.
    I've taken about 25 PT's so far, and this was by far the lowest score I've ever gotten. I've also been in the 140s when I started studying, and have been able to get up to around low 150s. I'm trying to decide whether I want to take the February LSAT (my second take) or if I am going to have to defer my whole application process another year and take the June LSAT to apply for the 2017 cycle.
    Honestly, just keep at it, and don't let those scores define you. Set small goals, figure out your weakness and just work with what you got. 5 PT's is not yet an indicator of your skills at all. Once you take around 15-20 PT's under timed conditions, you'll have a much better idea of where you're at. That's really all you can do at this point. Some of us (including myself) are just not destined to get into those amazing 170 scores (or even 160s), and I've kind of accepted that at this point.
    Believe in yourself!
  • sarahfatima28sarahfatima28 Alum Member
    320 karma
    Such amazing and positive advice here (especially @rcscoggins ) Two Thumbs Up!

    @goalis180 I don't want to repeat what has already been said so far. But, I have to repeat this-different people learn at different speeds depending upon their background and situations. You have so far, just been successful in all your endeavours. So not getting (great) results after putting so much of work can be especially frustrating. But most of the tests in life are about your mindset and determination. If you let yourself get dejected you have no chance at all. Three things:

    1. Its a cliche but one that is a 100% true. Failure (don't know if we should even call it that) is the best teacher. Its actually a blessing. From my experiences i think i learnt the MOST through them. Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to you is "success". It happened to me and in the long run i realized it was bad for me.

    2. A lot of the times (i have noticed) what sets people apart, is the WAY they study. People don't pay a lot of attention to their study methods. It seems very simplistic but "the devil is in the details". Try and see how and where you can make changes in yours.

    3. Also, I think there must be things in the core course that you can improve upon. Focus on the fundamentals and How you can master them. I am trying to do same. :)

    One last thing, since there is so much of negativity within you you should definitely try meditation. It will help in a lot of the other things as well.

    I am just another fellow LSATER and not an expert. So please ignore me if you think my advice isn't right. Good luck to you! :)
  • goalis180goalis180 Alum Member
    531 karma
    @sarahfatima28 @jennilynn89 I was actually just talking to my significant other about all the things you guys have mentioned here. I personally think the reason why I am so devastated is because I can wholeheartedly say that I never failed at anything;no matter what it was in my life that I did, if I put my my mind to it, I achieved it. Whether it be academia, athletics, personal goals I just never failed. Anytime I said something was gonna happen I worked myself to the bone until I made it happen, and it never took me long...EVER. This is truly my first failure in life; the first thing I ever said I was going to do and was unable to for what ever reason. When I started studying for this test, I had, not even the slightest of doubts, that I was going to score in the 170's, and now I am here, and no 170. It really does not help that I was always at the top of class in school as well, yes it might not be an ivy school, but I surely was surrounded by atleast some intelligent human beings. I stopped stressing so much about what I get on this test. I accepted my fate, and all I can do now is just continue to work hard, and make the best with what I have, after all it really is just a test.
  • Sheri123Sheri123 Alum Member
    1196 karma
    @goalis180, someone else may have already mentioned this but putting things into perspective, not only is this a test (no one has died) you can recover from this but according to your post you have only done 5 timed practice tests. Frankly that is almost nothing in terms of preparation for an the actual exam. Most people scoring in the 160s have done 25+ timed practice tests, and most people scoring 170+ according to most of what I have seen on 7Sage have done 40+ practice tests. While you may have studied for 8 months, that is only part of the equation. Maybe you just need to be more patient with yourself and realize very few people can just take a handful of practice tests and score what they want to score. Good luck to you with your practice tests, I'm sure you will see a lot of improvement the more you take and blind review.
  • smg0011smg0011 Alum Member
    edited January 2016 20 karma
    Here is the reality of your situation:

    Look, you've only done 12% of the recommended 40 PTs. The site admins have seen thousands of people just like you, and their prescription is 40 PTs and around a year to study.

    You have not done 40 PTs. Whatever you've done over the last 8 months, you've averaged less than 1 PT a month.

    You need to follow their directions or you'll get the same result.
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