Anxiety before September Test

Comments

• Sprinkles Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 11542 karma

  @rmshirk22 said:
  I still think I'm ready, but I have a fear that I will blank out the day of the test.
  

  If you feel postponing will make things better for you especially because you're in the middle of moving, by all means do so. December is a popular LSAT date for people wanting to apply that same cycle.
  
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 23929 karma

  @rmshirk22 said:
  After buying 7sage, my score has increased 8-10 points. It has been consistent the past couple of months, which leads me to believe that I'm ready for September
  

  I can relate on the anxiety front. I was taking some medications before I began prepping, but they were making me groggy and my mind wasn't 100%, so I basically just stopped taking them.
  
  The best way to overcome test anxiety is confidence. You know you are ready and you know what you are capable of, and honestly, a little anxiety is probably pretty typical as the test date draws closer. You say multiple times in your OP that you believe that you are ready, so I am inclined to think that you are as well. Think of test day as just another PT...Because honestly that is all it is. There isn't going to be some crazy question you've never seen before. If you have done the entire 7Sage CC then you have learned the tools to solve any question that is going to appear on the LSAT. All you have to do is locate it in your mind; but remember, it is all there!
  
  This webinar by @Pacifico helped me a bit and I highly recommend it. I was a little hesitant to try new things like meditation and whatnot, but I have to say it helped quite a bit. At least on a day to day basis.
  
  https://7sage.com/webinar/managing-stress/
  
  Check it out!
  
  
• Ron Swanson Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  August 2016 1650 karma

  I'm going to take a slightly different approach here. When will your move be done? Where are you current PT scores in relation to your goal?
  
  I think that these 2 questions can help you make the most informed decision on this. In my opinion, if you're ready to take the LSAT...take it. Waiting too long can just lead to mounting stress and anxiety, which contributes to burn out. You might be ready now, but by December you may be going crazy wanting to just get it over with. Based on that, if you're scoring at (or ideally above your goal), take the test.
  
  As for the 2nd question..if your move will be wrapping up sooner than later, I'd suggest just powering through. If the move was going down days before the test, that may be a different story. It all depends on how you handle things like that mentally, and everyone is different.
  
  If memory serves me correctly, LSAT date change deadline is 8/30, so you have time to make a decision. I wouldn't commit to one path or the other without objectively considering where you're at and what your options are
• jennilynn89 Alum Member

  August 2016 822 karma

  Hi, @rmshirk22 !
  
  This is advice I can give you from personal experience - if you have trouble with test anxiety (I do too) and you are taking the test in close proximity to your move and the move is stressing you out - absolutely delay! I took the December 2015 LSAT and I had JUST moved to a new state 4 weeks prior to the exam, and I was so exhausted, depressed and stressed out from the move and my test anxiety that I totally bombed the test (got an even lower score than my diagnostic). I really wish I had never taken it in the state of mind I was in.
  
  If this is something that truly concerns you, honestly give yourself more time to adjust to your new surroundings and learn to relax a little. I do meditations before I take PTs and have found that to be very calming and redirects my focus on where I want it to be.
  
  Of course this all depends on your adaptability to new surroundings and situations and how you handle stressful situations. If you believe in yourself and your LSAT capabilities and feel ready, you might as well take it if you think that you can mentally handle everything.
• 1 Like

  rmshirk22 Alum Member

  August 2016 80 karma

  My move will be happening the last week of August, but I have to find a job and furniture within the first week of September. I believe that I can spend 2-3 weeks going through the remaining practice tests that I have left. I have reached my goal, sometimes even surpassing it so I believe that I can potentially reach around that score. When I take practice tests I surprisingly have minimal anxiety. Maybe the anxiety is coming up because the test date is inching closer. I considered taking it in December, but I really want to get it over with. I already put off 2 years from my last test because of personal issues and working through the 7sage curriculum. I just want this anxiety to go away come test day.
• Ron Swanson Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  August 2016 1650 karma

  @rmshirk22 said:
  Maybe the anxiety is coming up because the test date is inching closer
  

  This.
  
  I say if you're hitting your goals and think you can be mentally recuperated after the move and before 9/24..take the test!
  
  good luck!
• MrSamIam Inactive ⭐

  August 2016 2086 karma

  Does anyone know if @Pacifico 's meditation webinar is posted here? I think it is. OP, you would probably benefit from watching and utilizing the techniques mentioned.
  Try relaxing. Remember that the only difference between test day and your PTs is that you now have a human proctor guiding you. Oh, and you're in a room with other people, but, just pretend they aren't there.