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Frustrated.
Hey everyone,
So it's been a while since I posted on here. My last post was pretty positive, I PT'd a 156 which I was excited about. I wrote the June 2016 LSAT and it kicked my a**, I was suffering from an extreme anxiety attack during the test, there was someone tapping their pencil (which is the worst thing ever!!) and I came out thinking I did "okay". I got my score back and I got a 142 which jammed me into a deep dark hole of depression, self defeat and I've had a hard time getting myself out of that hole from a 142 on my record. My PT's were constant before June, I was staying in the mid to high 150s (which isn't my target) but I was hoping I'd do better.
I'm going to re-do the 7sage core program with the LSAT Trainer and the bibles and hopefully re-write in either Dec or Feb (probably Feb) but I have a lot of avoidance / procrastination behavior (I'm ADD). I can ALWAYS find something else to do (working full time), and I find myself literally avoiding drilling this core material into my head. How do you guys keep yourself focused on the end goal, and not prior defeat? I'm extremely frustrated and mildly embarrassed that it has taken me this long with the LSAT, it feels like a big roller coaster for me.
Hoping someone in a similar situation can shed some light.
Thanks,
Chels
So it's been a while since I posted on here. My last post was pretty positive, I PT'd a 156 which I was excited about. I wrote the June 2016 LSAT and it kicked my a**, I was suffering from an extreme anxiety attack during the test, there was someone tapping their pencil (which is the worst thing ever!!) and I came out thinking I did "okay". I got my score back and I got a 142 which jammed me into a deep dark hole of depression, self defeat and I've had a hard time getting myself out of that hole from a 142 on my record. My PT's were constant before June, I was staying in the mid to high 150s (which isn't my target) but I was hoping I'd do better.
I'm going to re-do the 7sage core program with the LSAT Trainer and the bibles and hopefully re-write in either Dec or Feb (probably Feb) but I have a lot of avoidance / procrastination behavior (I'm ADD). I can ALWAYS find something else to do (working full time), and I find myself literally avoiding drilling this core material into my head. How do you guys keep yourself focused on the end goal, and not prior defeat? I'm extremely frustrated and mildly embarrassed that it has taken me this long with the LSAT, it feels like a big roller coaster for me.
Hoping someone in a similar situation can shed some light.
Thanks,
Chels
Comments
At the end of the day these reductions in tuition through scholarships translate into a life in which one isn't burdened by a cumbersome student loan repayments schedule. Leaving one with more latitude to explore the career options that make one happy. For me, as a Christian, those options would be a focus on work that might not yield big dollars, but is profoundly important to me (defending clients on a pro-bono basis for instance.)
Today is the 11th month anniversary of when I began really studying. I have experienced the frustration you outline and have asked myself the same questions you have countless times. But the above keeps me motivated.
But don't be embarrassed, this is a long journey for many of us. When I took my first diagnostic at the end of June, I would have bet $10,000 I was going to get a 160s score on it. Scored it and got a 151. Cue the sound of my heart dropping. So I feel you on the embarrassment front.
What helped me get past it was realizing that I could either see this test as a burden that was going to be depressing and arduous; OR I could see it as a challenge and something that was literally making me smarter (A recent study showed studying for the LSAT literally makes you smarter!)
1) You can CHOOSE to feel defeated, embarrassed, etc. That'll ultimately lead you to think, "why bother with the LSAT?" and finally, you may end up giving up entirely.
2) You can CHOOSE to realize that just like everyone else, you're capable of doing far better than you did before.
I suggest you avoid the former, and go with the latter.
To stay motivated and focused, I remind myself that it's "almost over." I remind myself that I've been running the LSAT marathon - I've put in tons of hours worth of training and practice, sweat, blood, and tears (running to the library, paper cuts, and well...let's not get into that final one!). I can choose to give up now, or keep going, knowing that the finish line is just up ahead.
That's exactly what you need to do. Study your butt of, knowing that there is a finish line, and that your goal is to finish strong.
I agree with @MrSamIam . If you truly want to succeed on the LSAT, you simply dont have the precious time to let the feelings of self defeat and depression destroy you and dull your edge. Instead, use your first experience to map out and addresss everything that went wrong, not just in terms of your focus but also in the actual material. Also, I think meditating everyday will help rewire your brain to remain calm during stressful situations, at least it did for me. Meditation helped me find grounding and helped me not be as shaken by bad or unresourceful emotions or thoughts.
For me, I came to the realization that I simply can't afford to let my mental energy and focus be diminished even 1 percent by unresourceful thoughts or other distractors. Understanding that the LSAT is a beast pushes me make the effort to give it my 100 percent focus and I know that is what I will have to do succeed.
I hope you find this resourceful.
I think a drastic, but rewarding measure I took was to quit my job so I can focus on this test full time. I am currently living off my savings. This might not be ideal for you but I know that it has helped me tremendously to concentrate on it and to make the time to take the preptests and to truly understand the Core Curriculum, which is essential. You will not progress very far without a proper understanding of the logic and fundamentals in the curriculum.
Stay positive in light of all this and continue to work hard. You want honest optimism accompanied by effective and meaningful productivity. Mentally, the LSAT is one of the most challenging things I've done, but I am actually at a point where I enjoy learning all of this crazy reasoning and fast paced inferences that need to be made.
Finally, when I took my first PT after months of reviewing the core curriculum I got the same score I did in my diagnostic. I was crushed. What helped me get through that was a hard 2hr+ lifting session and an attitude of this is bull: I WILL NOT let this be the case. I took another test the very next day and my score jumped significantly and has remained around that area ever since.
Hope this helps.
Think of what it could mean to you and your family... or just you, if you dont have to think about that huge financial burden. Think about why you want this. That's what keeps me coming back.
I've made many mistakes but I've learned to take baby steps and celebrate the small things. I've also learned to not be so hard on myself and focus on a score instead of a date.... Like laser focus.
Every test exposes weaknesses and things to learn from, so take your time on the curriculum, and drill your heart out.
You can do this!!!!
So, I am literally RIGHT there with you. I took the 2015 December LSAT was scoring in the same range as you were (give or take a little less) and was in a TERRIBLE mental state when I took the test but thought to myself eh... its not going to be that bad. Well, then I also got hit with a 142 and was CRUSHED. I mean I probably hid myself in my bedroom and cried for like an entire week and only let my cat come and hang out with me.
Well fast forward a couple of months, I started studying again around June. It took me a while to get over my broken ego, but you know what? If you don't pick yourself back up and work for your goals, nobody else will do it for you. I basically started from ground zero. I started the 7Sage CC and worked my way slowly through it to make sure I am absorbing every little thing to the fullest. I was initially shooting for the September LSAT, but wasn't through the CC yet, so now I'm shooting for December ONLY if I feel confident enough in myself and my PTing abilities.
I don't know what your situation was like, but I've personally put way too much pressure on myself and set a goal testing date rather than waiting until I was actually ready to take the test while I'm PTing in the score range I want to be in.
What I did to pick myself up and get motivated again is that I visited a lot of law school's I'm interested in attending, did tours, sat in classes, talked to students and adcomms. Honestly that got me super pumped and excited for law school and the prospects of being a student there sometime soon in the future. I just went to another school this past weekend and think I've finally found the one for me that seemed like a wonderful match. This got me even more motivated to ace the LSAT! I bought shirts/hoodies from the law schools and I now wear the one of the school I'm interested in whenever I study, and it helps me visualize my goals and keep me excited about my future.
It also helps once you've gone through the CC and you got that 100% on there! Being in the PT/BRing phase now is also exciting.
Feel free to reach out to me for any motivational tips and tricks, or just to talk if you are stressed and need a friend that's in the same boat.
Best of luck to you!
I started studying in June and felt that I could study hard enough to raise my score for September LSAT and it was just not happening. Initially, I ignored 7sage advice to study for this test longer than 2 months. But after 14 hours a day studying Kaplan and Powerscore and hardly reaching my dream score during untimed conditions and scoring much worse under time I realized that it takes a lot of practice and there will be ups and downs. You will feel defeated at times, but at the end of it just remind yourself why you are doing this and your passion to get into law school.
I think something that really helps me is knowing that I am learning to think way more critically. At the end of the day its the LSAT way of thinking that can help you not only in law school, but in general. When you listen to the news or read an article, even now that classes have started at the university, I see a lot of similar topics that the LSAT talks about and I try to critically read articles as I would if I were taking the Reading Comp section of the LSAT. Always ask questions, stay engaged, understand the multiple viewpoints, and main point.
When doing this you realize that the LSAT isn't just beneficial for getting into law school, but can be helpful in everyday circumstances.
I feel like you and I are on the same boat. I graduated in June 2015 and have been studying for this test for over a year. I took the June 2016 test thinking that I got a 158 but ended up with a score of 150. I took the LSAT again this September 2016 but had a panic attack inthe middle and ended up not filling out 20 questions. I cancelled my score ten mins ago. I have one more chance left (because of the lsac 2 year policy) and to be honest, I feel more charged up than ever. I felt like giving up before and maybe just settling with law schools that will accept my 150 score but because I was hitting 166 on my PTs, I think it would be a disservice to myself to give up now. LSAT is a grueling test that requires a lot of mental focus and drive. But it's not an impossible test. If you really want it then you can definitely get there.
I also have ADD and have a hard time with self-discipline but having a study schedule helped me. I have a giant weekly calendar posted near my bed and it helps me stay on track.
Hope this helps!
There is nothing wrong with repeating lessons on 7sage until you can recite every word JY says in a video by memory. I think I have redid the grammar/argument lessons at least 6 times over and over again. I read so much better and complicated text that use to bog my brain has suddenly become clearer.
My advice to you is to start from scratch as you mentioned. Do the course over and over and really dig deep into what you are learning. Just finised the Main Point/Main Conclusion lesson? Great! Do it again. and again. Make it become a habit. Redo the quizzes, re-watch the explanations, etc. There is something that have missed from your last retake so you have time to find out what that is. Did you deconstruct every argument? Have you isolated all the possibilities in the game? Do you really understand formal logic? Did you really find out author's main point and reasons in RC? Be honest with yourself.
Practice and drill the foundations into your skull. Then practice (timed) over and over until you suddenly get tired of the test and a 35 minute exam feels like a 15 minute quiz with 5 questions. Get rid of the pressure to meet deadlines or worry about when the next LSAT exam is.
You can do this. Your past scores tell you nothing about your future success as a lawyer or your ability to survive law school. It simply means that you need more preparation with this test. Simple as that.
Amazing book! Definitely recommend. I listened to the audio book last month and although I'm not a big mediation guy, this book seemed very insightful!