LSAT Diary: LSAT Prep Concluding Thoughts

If you want to be in LSAT Diaries, please email me at LSATUnplugged@gmail.com. (You can be in LSAT Diaries whether you've taken the exam already or not.)

Thanks to Law School Dreamer for sharing her experience and advice!

Law School Dreamer's LSAT Diary:

The week before the exam I took four practice tests – two of which produced scores below 150. I panicked. In fact, I scored a 149 on my very last practice test prior to the June 2010 test administration. This led me feeling, understandably, less than confident in myself – not the way I wanted to go into test day.

I spent the last 48 hours prior to my test day plastering my bathroom mirror with post-its containing messages like “sufficient assumption questions: premise + correct answer choice = conclusion”. I deeply regret having jumped into taking timed practice tests before completing the prep books. In one sentence, an overview of my prep could be described as: “learned about Logic Games, jumped into timed practice tests, got frustrated, freaked out, learned about Logical Reasoning, no time left to practice acquired skills, take four more practice tests, and arrive at test day.”

I wish I would have learned Logical Reasoning as soon as I was finished with Logic Games or maybe even together. It is unrealistic to expect that one can always know how to apply the skills without really practicing them so they become second nature. And though not too much time should be spent taking untimed practice tests, I found that doing so periodically improved my skills (and my score on the following timed practice tests) because it gave me the opportunity to really think about what I needed to do and why answer choices were correct or incorrect.

Additionally, I wish I would have waited to take timed practice tests until my improvement on untimed practice tests had plateaued, or I felt there was no longer any need to take them untimed because I had my strategy down to a science. Instead, I rushed into taking timed practice tests, and It was only a month ago that I said to myself “hey, maybe you should learn to walk before you run – slow down and figure out what’s going on.” Allowing myself to take the untimed practice tests actually increased my score considerably. This was evident by the very next timed practice test I took (I jumped 8 points).

Lastly, I would have reviewed all of my practice tests and forced myself to understand why I chose wrong. I never took the time to do this until a week before the LSAT. For some reason, I took the poor scores personally and was insulted, ticked off, and wanted to never see the test again. What a mistake. Also, to force myself to slow down and understand why I got a question wrong (instead of just saying well that was stupid, next) – I would actually type out in a word document where I went wrong and what I need to watch out for next time. I forced myself to do this for every question – but again, I’ve only done this on one test (far too few, and far too late) but even still that was a big help.

I was of course nervous for Monday and took a PT on Saturday and a PT on Sunday. I know some people advise against this, but I wanted everything fresh in my mind come Monday – and I think the reason why some people do not recommend this is for fear of burnout, but in all honesty, I did not spend enough time to be anywhere near burnout. I keep improving, and I want to capitalize on that every day until test day.

The night before test day, I packed my ziploc baggy with four sharpened pencils, my pencil sharpener, a banana, bottled water, and my admission ticket and laid out my test taking attire (which include comfy pants and shoes, a light top, plus a non-hooded zip up light jacket in case I am cold). I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. Probably not my most fashionable attire but it was the least restrictive.

I also packed my zip lock baggy, printed my LSAC ticket. I already visited my test center, and most important (but maybe silly to some men) I planned how I would be doing my hair in such a way that it will not be in my way – the last thing I want is my bags or strands of hair in my face while I’m looking down at my test booklet for four hours. I also knew what I would be eating for breakfast and lunch and packed a banana for the break.

I began telling myself that this test simply determines whether I retake in October, nothing more. Can you hear the positive and controlled tone in that? By telling myself it only determines whether I retake in October (and NOT that this test could ruin my entire life and break all chances of going to law school) I was able to put things into perspective. I told my husband that after 5:00 on Sunday, June 6th we were not to mention the LSAT, Law School, or anything with the word “test.” I tried to banish all thoughts related thereto from my mind. In fact, we even went out and saw a movie, “Killers” with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, returned home and I went to sleep. Surprisingly, I slept well.

The next morning I paid close attention to my thoughts, and even my breathing. My thoughts and actions were almost machine-like. I refused to let myself be the emotional basket case I sometimes succumb to. I looked for positive reinforcements – and I got them. For instance, I want to study animal law and advocate for animal rights and welfare.

I left a ridiculous two hours early for my test center and on the way saw a giant turtle in a pond near the road and a deer (in the middle of the day) in a nearby field. Additionally, I did not notice it before, but when I examined my LSAT admission ticket, I realized my four-digit test center code was made up the last two digits of both my father’s and step-father’s birth years. It was these little things that allowed me to tell myself I was going to be okay.

I was amazingly calm – because I told myself I had to be. I did not allow my thoughts to run away with my emotions.

The entire day was a whirlwind. I walked out feeling good about the test, but had no clue how I had done. I didn’t even want to guess my score and I could hardly remember any of the questions. (I think that LSAC somehow brainwashes you as you're exiting the test center to be sure you don’t let any of the details slip). Over the following 2 ½ weeks I did my best to not think about my score (which was very hard to do). And then one day . . . .

My score arrived two days early – on Friday, June 25th. I was at my university in my Spanish professor’s office just about to do my oral interview in Spanish. She was very well aware that I was waiting for my LSAT score, and I glanced at my blackberry just one last time before I began the interview. And there it was – a 155/64th percentile. I was shocked. In all honesty, I thought I had gotten the wrong email. I thought I was misreading it. I had NEVER scored that high on any practice test (my best timed was 153).

I told myself going into this that my goal was 160, but that if I scored a 155 I would not retake. I had taken myself from a 143 to a 155 in four months practicing roughly 8-10 hours a week while working full time and attending full time classes - totally on my own. Realizing my accomplishment was so empowering and I began to think about how I had really achieved something that, going into, I was not totally sure was possible.

I am now within the range of schools I want to attend, but am encouraged by my first-time test success to consider retaking to shoot for a high enough score that may heighten my chances of obtaining scholarship money at the schools I want to attend. I’m still deciding whether I want to, or should retake, but nevertheless, I’m very happy with my June 2010 score.

If I do choose to retake, I will follow Steve’s retaking test strategy. In the meantime, I’ve already drafted two versions of a personal statement and have notified my letter of recommendation writers that I will be providing them a packet of information to aid them in their letter writing. I hope to have my transcript, personal statement, and letters of recommendation completed and submitted by the end of August and ready to apply to schools in September.

Photo by Paul Watson