Venting my Mind - This is a Rant

H O Thomas · May 2016

This isn't how I imagined making an impression to the 7Sage community haha.

I decided back in January of this year (2016) that I was going to take the LSAT and use that as a gauge of determining if I should go to law school or not. After taking ten tests over two months (I have since lost the book, so I have no idea which tests they were) I saw my score hovering somewhere between 144 and 146. I decided to enroll into a course, and Test Masters came highly recommended. I dropped a paycheck and a half on it, and thought that I could get my score up in three months for the June LSAT. My goal was to score 160+ using their methods.

I'm not saying that the Test Master's method does not work. I will say it does not work for me. I feel as though I'm the worst person in the class (probably not though). Half the class is scoring well into the upper 150s and lower 160s. One individual is scoring into the 170s. Meanwhile... I've taken and scored the following on each of these tests:

PT62 (March 15, 2016) - 145 - No BR.
PT63 (April 16, 2016) - 144 - No BR.
*Introduced to 7Sage, thus BR*
PT56 (April 22, 2016) - 147 - BR 157
PT58 (April 27, 2016) - 149 - BR 159
PT65 (April 30, 2016) - 146 - BR 158
PT59 (May 2, 2016) - 144 - No BR Yet...

Honestly, just the Blind Review has helped me more than any amount Test Masters has. The BR shows me where I could be scoring if my mind was quicker to process the questions.

However, the last two tests have crushed my spirit. I thought it was a fluke, but now it's looking like an actual problem. With the June LSAT five weeks away, now is not a good time to be in a score dive. By now, I was hoping to be scoring into the lower 150s. I've already decided that I'm taking the June LSAT unless they cancel it, but I'm also prepping for the September LSAT as well. I may decide to just wait until next year to go to take the LSAT. I did not realize how difficult this test was to study for, and that I'm not able to get where I want to be within three months.

Unfortunately, nobody that I communicate with (save for my boss who is a lawyer, but he doesn't have time for my rants) on a regular basis understands the pains of the LSAT. They understand it's hard. However, they do not understand just how hard it is, and how much difficulty I have with it. Which is why I'm here - ranting to people who are studying for it just like me.

I know that I do need to do a BR of PT59, but I needed to get away from that test. I'll get the BR done on Wednesday. Tuesday and Thursday are Test Master classes, which are four hours long and take all of the time I should be using for BR.

I appreciate your good thoughts and listening to my rant. Thank you. I feel much better now.

Ron Swanson · May 2016

First thing's first, I strongly advise you against taking the exam in June. You're going to waste several PTs by scoring way lower than your target. That's counter productive to your progress if you already have your eyes on September. Trust me, I've been in your shoes, there are a limited number of PTs, and you only get 3 chances to take this test, many people need all 3 takes in order to max out.

Second, when did you start studying? Have you done the 7sage curriculum? If you haven't done the 7sage course, immediately stop taking PTs and enroll. 7sage is far superior to any test prep out there because they teach you the fundamental principals behind the test. Not to mention you get access to the explanations and analytics. It's a comprehensive approach geared towards understanding rather than mechanical formulas to steal a few points.

Obviously I don't know your personal situation, but what's the rush to take the LSAT? You can still apply next fall with a September score and December as a backup. Plenty of people do that. Additionally, the LSAT is far and away the most important piece of your law school application. A high score can literally be worth tens of thousands of dollars in merit aid.

My diagnostic score over a year ago was a 146. I know where you're starting. My last 2 exams have been over 170. It's a long process that takes a lot of dedication and I'm happy to give you more advice if you go into more depth about your situation

Cant Get Right · May 2016

@"Ron Swanson” basically covered everything I was going to say. Just for emphasis, let me repeat a few things. Postpone your June test. I took my first take knowing I wasn’t ready and of all the many LSAT mistakes I made, that one is probably the worst. Second, stop PTing. Each PT is precious and you don’t want to burn them before you’re ready, and you are not ready. Third, sign up for 7Sage. I’m not familiar with Test Master’s curriculum, but I am familiar with the LSAT and if they are telling you three months is long enough to study that is a really bad start.

That being said, it’s important to not think of the LSAT as a 4 hour test. The LSAT tests you in much more important ways. Law schools aren’t trying to build classes of geniuses. They want to build classes of disciplined, hard working people who can overcome whatever is in front of them. The LSAT gives them an excellent gauge of this. The LSAT is an obstacle in your way and law schools are incredibly concerned with how well you deal with that. How high can you reach before you plateau? Do you have the wisdom to recognize when you’re ready? Do you have the strength to pick yourself up and press forward when you get knocked on your ass? Are you disciplined enough to keep hacking away even when you aren’t necessarily receiving any obvious, immediate results? The LSAT is designed to test these things as much as logic or reading or whatever it is Games are supposed to test. And it should, because these things are more important. This test is incredibly difficult and overcoming it is a major task. You can do it, you’ve just got to be smart in your approach and remember that the LSAT happens now, in your prep, far more than it happens on test day.

You got this!

H O Thomas · May 2016

@"Ron Swanson" I've been going back and forth on the June 2016 LSAT ever since my post last night. Almost like prophetic vision, I knew people were going to tell me to not to take the June LSAT. It makes sense. Unless something dramatic happens, I doubt I'll even score near my BR. The BR score is the goal.

Like I said, I started studying by myself back in January of 2016. The problem was that after taking ten tests over January and February, I didn't see a lot of improvement. Test Masters started March 15, and I haven't seen a lot of improvement there either. The short version of their study program consists of going over a type of question, and drilling it into the dirt with 60 to 100 questions of that type. I think it's a good course, but it's just not a good course for me. Their method of teaching is very formula based.

My personal situation is pretty good. I'm 27 years old, I've been working at a legal office for almost a year now, and I got my undergrad with magna cum laude honors and a 3.92 GPA back in 2012. The school I went to wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either.

It's nice to know that someone who was scoring similar to me is now scoring over 170. That gives me hope for the future.

BruiserWoods · May 2016

What @"Cant Get Right" and @"Ron Swanson" said. Taking the test in June is going to be a waste of your time AND a waste of an amazing GPA.

Take a step back. Your GPA qualifies you for the best schools in the country; in the grand scheme of things, when you look back on your life and your career, a year won't make any difference at all. However, it could change the entire trajectory of your life if you take your time and take this test seriously. A good LSAT score is possible. My first diagnostic was 151 back in January 2015; with some thorough BR, 35+/- PTs and the help of this group, my last 2 (this weekend) PTs were 170 and 172.

Don't settle for a score that is way below your potential. Do not take the test in June.

I mean ok do what you want. But don't take it in June.

H O Thomas · May 2016

@"Cant Get Right" The more people tell me to not take the June LSAT, the more peer pressure gets to me lol. But no, you and @"Ron Swanson" are right. I really shouldn't take the June LSAT. I know I'm not ready for it, and I will most likely not even be ready in five weeks.

The short version of Test Master's study program consists of going over a type of question, and drilling it into the dirt with 60 to 100 questions of that type. They don't teach a general strategy for the questions. They just drill your weakest question type until you get good. They also use a method for diagramming and reviewing Logic Games very similar to 7Sage. I am not going to sit here and say Test Masters is horrible. I will say that I have seen very little improvement using their method. "That's all I have to say about that." -Forrest Gump

You are the first person to explain the LSAT to me in such a way. Everyone that I've talked to about the LSAT can be put into one of two categories. The first is they say it's the second most important test a lawyer ever take because it determines your school and how amazing you will be at being a lawyer. The second group says that, in the grand scheme of things, the LSAT doesn't matter because it doesn't stress what a lawyer needs to know to be successful (mastery of the law, business sense, and negotiation skills). Nobody has ever said that the LSAT is a gauge of determination. That's a new perspective on the test for me.

bbutler · May 2016

I agree with the people above. Many of us here have had life get in the way and you really only get 3 chances at this test. I can speak from experience that I took the test when I knew I wasn't ready as a "test run" and scored poorly. I was planning on taking it in February but wasn't ready, then was planning on taking it in June and still haven't really started hitting the PT's yet because I wanted to grasp the curriculum. Don't feel like you're alone in this but I agree with @"Ron Swanson" that the best bet would be to enroll in a 7sage course and even if it takes you 3 months to finish the course and another 3 months of testing and you can't take until December it's worth it. Throughout this journey I've had the opportunity to talk to tons of people and unless you want to go to Harvard and Yale its perfectly okay to take it 3 times if necessary. Put your best foot forward and good luck!

runiggyrun · May 2016

I'm going to add to the peer pressure. I can't really see any good reason why you'd want to take June, other than "I said to myself I'd do it no matter what". You're not scoring where you want to be, you're not confident in the study program you're following, and you're not seeing a lot of progress. You're also young and have plenty of time, so it's not like you HAVE to go to school next year.
I can, however see a lot of good reasons NOT to take June.
If you score poorly you might get discouraged enough to decide "law school is not for me", seeing how that's one of your goals taking the LSAT. There might well be reasons why law school isn't in fact for you, but a disappointing score on the LSAT after a few months of suboptimal preparation shouldn't be one of them.
Even if you don't get discouraged enough to quit, you've wasted a take.
Plugging forward with your current strategy is likely to burn another 5-10 precious PT, with what's likely to be marginal improvement. Once you've used a PT, you can't make it "new" again, and new PT's are precious and rare commodities.
I don't know how good or bad TestMasters are, but I would be weary of a strategy that tried to teach me how to perform at Olympic level on the balance beam by performing an Olympic level routine over and over until I got it. Or died. I'd want to go with an approach that starts with walking and turning on the beam, followed by mounting and dismounting, and building upon those skills. Obviously I think 7Sage does a great job doing just that, so I wholeheartedly recommend it. And it has a great community to boot. The starter package contains all the lessons, and it's not going to break the bank. If you'd like a book format, Mike Kim's LSAT Trainer would be a good place to start.
No matter what method you choose, stop using PT's until you get some fundamental level understanding of the test and some solid drills from the earlier PT's.
You can do this - you have a 3.92 GPA, so you're likely at least either smart or hard working, but most likely both. Don't waste all that work with an LSAT score that represents your eagerness rather than your true potential.

Cant Get Right · May 2016

@"H O Thomas" said:
You are the first person to explain the LSAT to me in such a way.

Hope looking at it with that perspective is useful. It was a revelation for me. Before 7Sage, I had studied on my own for about 6 months, but I studied poorly. I didn’t have the drive or the quality of study material that I do now. I tested in December 2015 with disappointing results. Then I changed my perspective and began looking at the LSAT as a test, not of my raw intellect, but of my mettle. Well that fired me up, made it personal. I made it into a diagnostic of what I’m made of, of who I am, and of what I’m capable of. It kind of changed my life actually. I’ve never worked so hard for anything. After December LSAT, I quit PTing and joined 7Sage because I knew it’s where I needed to be if I was going to do this right. I meticulously worked through the entire 7Sage curriculum, abandoning every strategy I’d learned before and putting my trust in the 7Sage method. Now that I’m back to PTing, my average score is 12 points higher than my December LSAT. The main thing is the mentality: Better to have that without 7Sage than 7Sage with the wrong perspective on the LSAT. For me, they’ve proven quite a powerful combination.

BruiserWoods · May 2016

@runiggyrun said:
Or died.

came here to quote this

BruiserWoods · May 2016

@"Cant Get Right" said:
It was a revelation for me. Before 7Sage, I had studied on my own for about 6 months, but I studied poorly.

same. like - i feel like this is such a common thing for so many of us. When I found 7sage, I was like "welp. I just p much wasted 6 months............."

MrSamIam · May 2016

You're not ready for the June test. Withdraw and don't schedule a new test date until you are consistently scoring in the 160-180 range.
I too took TM. My instructor was great! However, the methods taught didn't seem very efficient. Don't get me wrong, I liked the course, but I didn't love it. Focus your time and effort on 7Sage. Try to complete the curriculum in the next few months. Take a PT once you are done, and see where you stand.
If you're still not in the 160-180 range, find out what your weaknesses are. Go through LR and see which question type you missed the most. Check your overall LG and RC scores. Focus on your weak points.

H O Thomas · May 2016

@runiggyrun I don't think I'm too smart. I just did the work. The only reason why my grade is a 3.92 is because one of my teachers said I didn't deserve an A, so he gave me an A-.

Truth be told, my GPA is crazy high because I went from an associate's program at one school to a "completion" program at another. They took every grade as a "P" grade, which means it didn't count for my GPA. If they had, I'd be lucky if my grade was above 3.25 haha.

Getting back to the main topic though, you are right. There are a lot more reasons to not take the June LSAT than to take it at this point. It's a waste. I'm not ready, and I know I won't be ready in five weeks. Maybe I'll be ready by September, but I'm not going to register for any LSAT test until I feel ready the day I register.

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Venting my Mind - This is a Rant

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