I just need to make the time for drilling, even though it's so hard to do. It should take precedence over everything else.

You gotta stick to your guns man, it's always darkest before the dawn.

Long time lurker, first time poster.

On December 3rd, I will give my best effort in hopes of scoring a 180 on the LSAT. I've never done so on a PT, nor have I been close. However, I have realized that one should always aim for past their target in all goal-setting attempts. Let's just say I need a 7 in the tens column to get into the school I want (T6), and this will be my earnest effort to do so. If I had to guess, I would probably have an average of 163-165 if I took 10 full tests. I have only taken <10 full PT's, and they ranged from 155-166 with most of them before I did any prep.

I will spend the next 10 weeks going through the Velocity LSAT training course (that I found on TLS), daily LG and RC sections, and semiweekly PT's. I have spent the last year tinkering around the edges (i.e. practicing LG, learning some LR question types, practicing with LR by question type, etc), but I have not put in even a respectable effort. I am so impressed by all of you who were able to train for several months and improve by 10+ points; it really is quite admirable. Well, I'm at the last house on the block and I will do my best to continue in the proud tradition of TLS LSAT takers.

Please feel free to comment, critique, or advise on this thread. I am not a prideful man, so I always take advice as valuable information to draw from; further, I'm not easily rattled and I have a thick skin.

I look forward to this journey and will update this thread daily, in hopes that others can draw from my experiences as I have benefited from all of yours.

Updated PT's:

09/24/11 - PT 63 - LR1: -4. LR2: -4, RC: -8, LG: -4, LRexp: -4, 81/101, 163
09/28/11 - PT 43 - LR1: -5. LR2: -6, RC: -8, LG: -3, LGexp: -7, 79/101, 163
10/01/11 - PT 44 - LR1: -3. LR2: -6, RC: -7, LG: -5, RCexp: -8, 79/100, 161
10/05/11 - PT 45 - LR1: -4, LR2: -1, RC-13, LG: -0, LRexp: -6, 81/099, 165
10/08/11 - PT 46 - LR1: -1, LR2: -2, RC: -9, LG: -0, LRexp: -5, 87/099, 167
10/12/11 - PT 47 - LR1: -2, LR2-11, RC: -2, LG: -0, LRexp: -5, 86/101, 166
10/15/11 - PT 48 - LR1: -6, LR2: -2, RC: -5, LG: -0, LGexp: -4, 88/101, 166
10/19/11 - PT 49 - LR1: -7, LR2: -2, RC: -7, LG: -1, RCexp: -9, 83/100, 164
10/23/11 - PT 50 - LR1: -5, LR2: -3, RC: -7, LG: -4, LRexp: -10, 81/100, 163
10/26/11 - PT 51 - LR1: -4, LR2: -6, RC: -4, LG: -1, LGexp: -3, 85/100, 167

My biggest regret is not taking full advantage of the summer; now that things are so hectic for me, it's really difficult to balance everything.

I know the PTs aren't part of the equation, but they are - quite literally - the only thing keeping me from peace-ing out, taking it in June, and waiting till next cycle.

There was a lot of good insight; I do see that it resembles a form of irrational self-sabotage.

I'll just say this, I don't get a thrill from PT's; I've actually had to teach myself to not be so anxious to get done with them, as I would usually shake my leg, nervously, the whole time I'd take them. I leave disappointed after each one, since I screw up on some section - each time.

Like you said, you don't know me. Everyone has their own personality and make-up, and I know what mine is. I am the type of small-minded fool who can nail down a certain behavior or certain habit, as if I was a robot, but if I am unable to "program" myself - I'm a lazy fool. As you can see, I have religiously taken the PT's because I put it in my mind and dedicated myself to it - but with drilling, since I wasn't able to program myself, I've been lazily inconsistent.

It is a good analogy with weightlifting; I lift and it struck a chord.

I don't think I've ever deluded myself about what I was really doing; I never thought that I was learning or even getting better. I just felt that PT's would help me with my anxiety, my timing, and my endurance. To those aims, I think PT'ing has been great (even if it has had some unintended consequences).

The real problem is that I haven't put in the time learning the test, like you said. All summer, all I did was learn the test; now, for the last 4.5 weeks, all I have done is practiced.

Now I need to do both.

I started doing the 4x4 but I had a question: for the first 4, when it says "look at the question" does it mean just the question stem or the stimulus and the question stem (everything but the AC's)?

Ah, that's what I thought it was.

SA, thanks for the kind words. I'll make sure to take advantage of your experience, and ensuing advice, and not let the stalling get me down. This whole time, I've almost been grateful for a lack of progress; each time I'd see my score, I'd tell myself that it's what I deserve for not putting my all into my prep. I truly feel like it is all on me and once I start doing the right things, the progress will come.

I am really trying to treat this like a watershed moment.

And the same goes to you; no matter how October went, there is still plenty of time for December

I´m about to plan out the next 5 weeks. I got 5 untouched PTs (if Oct 2011 gets released), 40 online tutorials, Kung Fu podcasts, a couple books, and the rest of the Kaplan material. It´s getting real dudes.

its soo real now! Hyper-ventilate every time I think about Dec 3rd. did you already go through the PS Bibles? if so, was there a major difference after?