This installment of LSAT Diaries comes from John, who's retaking the LSAT in June 2011.In this diary, he talks about what he'll do differently this time around.
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Please leave him some encouragement and advice below in the comments!
John's LSAT Diary:
I am taking the LSAT for the second time in June 2011.
I've been down this path before, while prepping for the October 2010 LSAT. I scored 170 on my first PrepTest and, within 6 PrepTests, I was hitting 173-174. This was going to be a piece of cake. I was different than than all those people asking if 20-point increases were possible in 3 months. I believed I had a god-given ability to think logically. I cleared my entire summer schedule, and believed it was my destiny to ace the LSAT...man was I wrong.
I began to take the test less seriously, taking long breaks between sections (days). Every perfect section was celebrated with a night of drinking, and every wrong answer was waved off...("oh that was a stupid mistake, i definitely won't make that on the real test"). My rigid schedule broke down and my 100-day countdown timer evaporated.
My Facebook was reactivated, my no-alcohol ban was lifted, and I cruised into the test believing I'd receive a 2-3 point "concentration boost" on the real test. Then the real test came: I was confused for the first time ever on the logic game, the distractions, the 6 sections, the lack of smoke breaks, I was not prepared....I ended up scoring 10 points below my mean.
After that...I went on a law hiatus. Fueled by the scamblogging talk about the legal market, I began to focus on breaking into investment banking instead. Long story short...I realized I couldn't apply a cost-benefit analysis to my career choice. I want to do law. Sure the chances of success aren't great, the work will be hard, but I don't care. I knowingly accept the risks of the path I am taking. The safety net is gone, and I am graduating soon. I will pour my heart and soul into this LSAT, not just for the points, but just to know that at one point of my life...I went for it all in. Life only presents a few opportunities where a man/woman can truly fight for his destiny..and this is one of those times.
Words only mean so much, time for action. I am starting right now, even though it's a week from Finals. I am planning on studying 4 hours a day for now, and taking full LSAT PrepTests after my finals are over.
I will...
-keep my days tracked down to the hour...no more unaccountable breaks.
-eliminate my unnecessary distractions: Facebook is gone, soon I'll stop tracking the NBA and other vices.
-treat every answer that I am not completely sure of as wrong. I won't reward my luck when I guess.
-analyze every mistake. I made it for a reason, and I will break it down and find out why.
Thanks for reading. I hope you'll join me for this journey. I'd love to hear your questions and comments. I was served a massive slice of humble pie last time around, and I no longer have an ego. If someone has something to say, I am definitely all ears. I believe the biggest enemy is myself, the mindset, the concentration, etc. I'll detail how I work through these things along with specific LSAT deficiencies.
It's time for the hardest part...the beginning. Thanks for reading. Let's do this together.
Photo by bdorfman
that's the spirit...you now have the will to truly ace the LSAT this time around, and I actually envy your ability score in the 170s without studying much...you are gifted!
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, John. I cleared my Friday nights of drinking shenanigans (usually) for Saturday PTs, but the rest of the week was fair game.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't like the no-smoke-breaks, but I usually cheated on PTs.
And I, too, had a 10+ drop on my first LSAT.
Weird. Could this mean... NO! NO! Correlation. Correlation.
Regardless, way to avoid the cynicism of the scam blog movement. I'm not saying they don't have a great point, they're just too broad about it.
Shitty reporting data and employment numbers? Yeah, that sucks.
Crap schools shilling their students for 40k+ a year and promising jobs? Not cool.
Some lawyers are unhappy? True. Some get into law school for the wrong reason? Probably.
But that doesn't mean that 70% of law schools aren't still viable, or that 70% of students still shouldn't go to law school.
So quit telling EVERYBODY that law school sucks. Plus, if you're already in debt and already don't like your job, what are you really risking? 3 years of carefree partying?
Sign me up.
Caleb
PS great work as always, Steve!
I actually went too far the other way - I stopped seeing friends and studied in every spare moment. I knew every answer made a huge difference in admissions and scholarships, so I obsessed over the numbers. And then on test day I panicked, getting a 158.
ReplyDeleteThe second time around, I took a month off from the LSAT, period. Then I went back and spent a day looking over some chapters on my problem areas. Then I spent the four-five weeks before test day taking a timed practice test every Sunday. I made a point of taking on the task at hand and not thinking about the outcome.
The second time I scored a 165, so I'm glad I retook it.
I envy your ability to score in the 170s. I'm terrible at logic games, so I never could get higher than the high 160s. Good luck!
Hey everyone, this is John, thank you so much for your comments!
ReplyDeleteI'll be sending a longer update soon. I started taking Practice Tests again, but this time seems very different. With enough practice I've started to noticed common trap and bait answers. This mainly helps with speed, which is something I'm working hard to improve.
I've actually lightened up on the anti-social aspects. While I know that my real friends respect my commitment to LSATs, I try to use this to study smarter, not longer, and make the most of my time so I can afford a night off every once in a while.
By studying smarter, I've spent much more time analyzing mistakes. I've started making Word docs and for each wrong or uncertain question, I try to write something like: "Reading Comp Quotation: focus on context around quote, avoid global bait answer". I try to be brutally honest with myself so that I recognize holes in my "game" and address them.
I'll keep updating with my progress, anyone go through something similar? I'd love to hear!
hi well i just decided n started studyin a wek back....i hope i secure gud num ..i study 4 hrs a aday...try to focus ....i wish ill secure above 160...i dun knw my diagnostic was 147,,,is it anychances to improve it to 160...any advice?
ReplyDeleteGood luck!! I hope to read more blog posts in the future!
ReplyDeleteI'd say an untimed practice test can give you an idea of what your score CEILING is, the max range you could attain if you had full mastery of time and endurance.
ReplyDeleteIf you're not scoring 160's untimed, spend a lot of time analyzing your incorrect thought processes, clean that up first before moving onto solidifying your gains (speed/endurance).
Good Luck!
god only 30 days left ....hav nt started PT now am plannng to complete power score books n start giving pts soon on evenry third day...do u think it will work....i just studied 3 weeks uptilnow..its my first time for LSAT..u think shd i take online classes in this last month to increase score...am too tense june is near,.....am planning to study 8 hrs every day...
ReplyDelete