Helppppppp Forum

[kiklavan]

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[Jm0987]

What's your average PT score? Based on the answer, your problem might be nerves. And if that's the case, what would you do differently between now and Feb?

[kiklavan]

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[Jm0987]

What's your average PT score? Based on the answer, your problem might be nerves. And if that's the case, what would you do differently between now and Feb?

I don't know honestly. I was retaking a lot of tests so my score was ridiculously inflated, but if i had to just guess, I'd guess my average is 169. I would sleep before the test.

More sleep would help a bit. But if you don't know what your average PT score is, that's maybe the problem. Doing repeat PTs that you consider to give you an inflated score is going to allow you to expect an inflated score because you may not have an accurate measure of what you do or don't know. Yes, sleep more before the next one if you can. But that alone probably won't fix your problem.

If you have unused PTs. Try to take a few while leaving some for prep. Maybe even try to redo PTs that you haven't recently done.

[Rigo]

I'd get a score on the books, so don't cancel.

[foodlaw]

I had major anxiety last night and slept for literally only 2 hours. I took the test in September and cancelled, and I don't know if I should cancel again. Honestly I kind of blacked out most of the test & I didn't finish the last 2 problems in games & felt uncomfortable about Game 3 & LR owned me. Does anyone have any advice? Is it going to be awful to retake in February and have taken the test 3 time? I'm so bummed.

OP you should try meditation. My anxiety was bad on my first take in September. This time around I was more calm because I was focused on my breathing and state of mind.

[Rigo]

But also make a go at February.

[ms9]

Just keep taking until you get the score you want. Chill a bit, the most successful (now) law applicant I ever admitted scored a 152. Your life isn't determined by your LSAT score.

Maybe this will help some. http://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/help-i ... 7-edition/

But seriously, the LSAT can't do a thing to you. It's all what you do to yourself in your head. Never forget that.

[kiklavan]

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[kiklavan]

Just keep taking until you get the score you want. Chill a bit, the most successful (now) law applicant I ever admitted scored a 152. Your life isn't determined by your LSAT score.

Maybe this will help some. http://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/help-i ... 7-edition/

But seriously, the LSAT can't do a thing to you. It's all what you do to yourself in your head. Never forget that.

Hi Mike, thanks so much for commenting on this and for sending that link— It was reassuring to read. I regularly follow your blog and posts on the other thread. You recommended just taking the test until I’m happy with a score. Quick question: Based on your experience, do you think 3+ takes is looked upon unfavorably by HYS? I’ve heard so many conflicting things which is in part why I cancelled in September.

[kiklavan]

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[kiklavan]

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[somethingElse]

If I were you, I would retake for sure and focus more on the intangible side of things. You will definitely still want to take more PTs, drill, etc, and really delve into why each wrong answer choice for every question is wrong and why every right answer is right. Especially if you don't have any fresh material to go over, you can still improve quite a bit by just analyzing the material in a more in-depth sense. BR the shit out of every PT and drilled section, to the point where eventually you're knocking out every wrong answer for a concrete reason in real-time - kind of a pseudo BR while you're taking the PT/section within the 35 minutes.

The intangibles I'm referring to are things like having a set routine before every PT that mimics what you will do on the real test, i.e. waking up at the same time, taking the PT at the real testing center if possible, having the break at the same time and for the same length of time, going to sleep at a consistent time, warming up the same way each time (maybe like 10 questions of LR, one RC passage and one game), having the same amount of caffeine. I also recommend starting up a consistent meditation practice and working that into your routine - that will help with anxiety and will also allow you to implement your strategies more effectively. You could also read material that is significantly more dense than the LSAT, which will help mostly with RC but also with the relatively dense LR questions, and also do other logic type of puzzles like sudoku. Those things can also be worked into your pre-PT warmup. Eventually, your PT/real test warmup could look like: wake up, have coffee/breakfast, meditate for ~15 minutes, read some denser-than-LSAT stuff for 10-15 minutes, do a couple sudoku puzzles and then do your warmup sections. The last intangible thing I will mention is having confidence; all of the above practices will help with that.

[kiklavan]

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[somethingElse]

Well I will say that meditation is probably the most important intangible factor that I mentioned. It can help with anxiety, staying focused, etc, and it can also help with making sure you fully understand your strategies and that you are consistently implement them. You very well may start to notice new things that you can improve on and can also potentially get better at things like making deductions in games, understanding RC passages and LR questions more quickly. There's just so much that meditation can help with in regards to the LSAT, IMO.

Also, just to make sure, you've done every PT from 1-82 or whatever they are at now? Granted I haven't taken the test for a few years but I was never really a believer in the idea that the LSAT is suddenly getting way tougher; I thought that every single PT was useful and certainly worth it. Of course the comparative passages are new as are some of the LR question types, but it's still the same skills that they're testing and taking older PTs for the first time >>>> taking newer ones a second time. Even taking one for the second time can be useful as long as you really BR the shit out of it.

I think you should keep your score too.

[kiklavan]

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[ms9]

Just keep taking until you get the score you want. Chill a bit, the most successful (now) law applicant I ever admitted scored a 152. Your life isn't determined by your LSAT score.

Maybe this will help some. http://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/help-i ... 7-edition/

But seriously, the LSAT can't do a thing to you. It's all what you do to yourself in your head. Never forget that.

Hi Mike, thanks so much for commenting on this and for sending that link— It was reassuring to read. I regularly follow your blog and posts on the other thread. You recommended just taking the test until I’m happy with a score. Quick question: Based on your experience, do you think 3+ takes is looked upon unfavorably by HYS? I’ve heard so many conflicting things which is in part why I cancelled in September.

It depends so much on how you present yourself and the circumstances. I think schools care so much more about the only score that gets sent to USNWR, the high score. That said, I have read disastrous addenda that sound so neurotic, of course said schools would have large reason to pause. We, as a consulting firm, spend far more time trying to keep people calm than we do on making sure "i's" are typed as "I's." My point being your generation is really talented at buttoning things up -- but you tend to worry admissions officers about your cool-headedness. Because as lawyers your job is to keep your clients calm and cool. So sound calm! If it makes you feel better, Karen and I have a client at an elite school with 6 LSAT scores. We just chilled said person out a bit in their approach.

[Rigo]

But also make a go at February.

Okay. Thanks! But just to clarify you think it’s the right move for me to keep my score regardless of what I got?

Yes, I'd say so. Unless you're absolutely positively sure you massively fucked up (doesn't sound like you are), then don't cancel.