The Official September 2014 Study Group Forum

[BillPackets]

Hello TLS'ers I'm growing more and more concerned for this upcoming lsat! IDK whats wrong but Im only scoring like a 145-150 but it's primarily because Im so DAMN slow. Im only getting to like #18 on every section but games and on games im only answering like 12. My accuracy is pretty decent but my speed is HORRENDOUS! Any tips? am I completely screwed for september? thanks in advance

how long have you been studying? what's tripping you up, as in, what, exactly, is taking you so long to read?

[Gray]

.

[longhorn65]

Hello TLS'ers I'm growing more and more concerned for this upcoming lsat! IDK whats wrong but Im only scoring like a 145-150 but it's primarily because Im so DAMN slow. Im only getting to like #18 on every section but games and on games im only answering like 12. My accuracy is pretty decent but my speed is HORRENDOUS! Any tips? am I completely screwed for september? thanks in advance

how long have you been studying? what's tripping you up, as in, what, exactly, is taking you so long to read?

Ive been studying about two months but the first month and a half was spent doing untimed work and learning each and every type of question. Honestly I think what is tripping me up is the fear of missing a question because of reading to fast. now on games im just slow. I have no clue why there im just tremendously slow. the others though I just read to thoroughly!

EDIT***Question not game!

[longhorn65]

Hello TLS'ers I'm growing more and more concerned for this upcoming lsat! IDK whats wrong but Im only scoring like a 145-150 but it's primarily because Im so DAMN slow. Im only getting to like #18 on every section but games and on games im only answering like 12. My accuracy is pretty decent but my speed is HORRENDOUS! Any tips? am I completely screwed for september? thanks in advance

How have you been studying? Just PTs?

No Not just PT's Ive only realy done 3 PT's Other than that ive done a lot of questions untimed and learned the test and its question type identifiers!

[GreenTee]

Hello TLS'ers I'm growing more and more concerned for this upcoming lsat! IDK whats wrong but Im only scoring like a 145-150 but it's primarily because Im so DAMN slow. Im only getting to like #18 on every section but games and on games im only answering like 12. My accuracy is pretty decent but my speed is HORRENDOUS! Any tips? am I completely screwed for september? thanks in advance

How have you been studying? Just PTs?

No Not just PT's Ive only realy done 3 PT's Other than that ive done a lot of questions untimed and learned the test and its question type identifiers!

I recommend targeted drilling with a count-up timer. Keep doing games, passages, LR questions, and keep a record of how long each item takes you. Each time you do another item of the same type, push to go a little bit faster. Take full timed sections intermittently to judge your progress. Once you can finish sections on time, start PTing.

[BillPackets]

I recommend targeted drilling with a count-up timer. Keep doing games, passages, LR questions, and keep a record of how long each item takes you. Each time you do another item of the same type, push to go a little bit faster. Take full timed sections intermittently to judge your progress. Once you can finish sections on time, start PTing.

what GT said is pretty credited.

also, you cant let your anxiety take over while you're doing this. so dont be scared bc its only hurtig you and youll get stuck in a self-fulfilling prophecy

[Gray]

.

[longhorn65]

Hello TLS'ers I'm growing more and more concerned for this upcoming lsat! IDK whats wrong but Im only scoring like a 145-150 but it's primarily because Im so DAMN slow. Im only getting to like #18 on every section but games and on games im only answering like 12. My accuracy is pretty decent but my speed is HORRENDOUS! Any tips? am I completely screwed for september? thanks in advance

How have you been studying? Just PTs?

No Not just PT's Ive only realy done 3 PT's Other than that ive done a lot of questions untimed and learned the test and its question type identifiers!

I recommend targeted drilling with a count-up timer. Keep doing games, passages, LR questions, and keep a record of how long each item takes you. Each time you do another item of the same type, push to go a little bit faster. Take full timed sections intermittently to judge your progress. Once you can finish sections on time, start PTing.

Thanks for the input. Think this is fixable within the next month?

[BillPackets]

Anxiety Poll
(because it's the friday before a long weekend and I am bored at work)

Complete the sentence: High pressure situations____
A) Stress me out and distract me
B) Make me freeze up with anxiety
C) Turn me into a highly focused machine
D) Don't have a huge effect on me

i'm generally c, but within c i can deviate to slightly freezing up/the pressure getting to me to the point that i'm not performing optimally. so maybe turn me into a highly focused, at times anxiety ridden, machine

[Colonel_funkadunk]

Employment stats?

Considering not studying for the LSAT, and just applying to McGill.

Great for Montreal/Ottawa/Toronto

McGill also has a good reputation with overseas firms, apparently.

Would not recommend for US Biglaw.

EDIT: They don't have to release actual numbers, so this is largely anecdotal.

I tend to base career choices on anecdotes

[boris09]

Anxiety Poll
(because it's the friday before a long weekend and I am bored at work)

Complete the sentence: High pressure situations____
A) Stress me out and distract me
B) Make me freeze up with anxiety
C) Turn me into a highly focused machine
D) Don't have a huge effect on me

I think it depends on how prepared I am for the situation, and how much room i have to bullshit and talk my way out of it. Based on my memory from social psych class, people tend to perform better in high-pressure situations when they are prepared once they get their adrenaline boost. So, while the general idea is that you would want to be scoring a bit higher than what you want to score on test day during your PTs, i like to stick with the idea that the more prepared you are the more focused you become and the better you will do.

Of course this is totally differentif i'm coming into an exam that is esay-based, worth half your course grade, and i've read one out of the 12 or so required readings..

final answer: c

[BillPackets]

Thanks for the input. Think this is fixable within the next month?

what score r u looking 2 cop?

[sfoglia]

Anxiety Poll
(because it's the friday before a long weekend and I am bored at work)

Complete the sentence: High pressure situations____
A) Stress me out and distract me
B) Make me freeze up with anxiety
C) Turn me into a highly focused machine
D) Don't have a huge effect on me

COMPLETELY HYSTERICAL.

[hetookmetoamovie]

Anxiety Poll
(because it's the friday before a long weekend and I am bored at work)

Complete the sentence: High pressure situations____
A) Stress me out and distract me
B) Make me freeze up with anxiety
C) Turn me into a highly focused machine
D) Don't have a huge effect on me

Turn me into a highly focused cleaning machine. So, I guess A.

[Gray]

.

[Colonel_funkadunk]

Turn me into a highly focused cleaning machine. So, I guess A.

hahaha I meant DURING the exam, but yes me too.

During exams I'm usually a C/D. Hopefully that's what happens this time!

Maybe you'll rabidly clean pencil shavings

[GreenTee]

Anxiety Poll
(because it's the friday before a long weekend and I am bored at work)

Complete the sentence: High pressure situations____
A) Stress me out and distract me
B) Make me freeze up with anxiety
C) Turn me into a highly focused machine
D) Don't have a huge effect on me

B. Absolutely B. When I feel anxious, my brain processes exactly nothing.

I think my biggest challenge on test day is going to be breaking through that anxiety wall and into hyper-focus mode. Any suggestions on how to do this? I hear crying and rubbing your earlobes can be helpful. I plan to do both.

[Gray]

.

[hetookmetoamovie]

Turn me into a highly focused cleaning machine. So, I guess A.

hahaha I meant DURING the exam, but yes me too.

During exams I'm usually a C/D. Hopefully that's what happens this time!

Haha, I'm imagining myself rearranging everyone's materials on their desks on a grid.

You're lucky! I guess I usually need to diffuse/sublimate a lot of nervous energy before I can find my serenity. My friend said she popped a Xanax before her LSAT, but I think if I did that, I'd just end up with a test booklet full of doodles and drool.

[GreenTee]

Maybe you'll rabidly clean pencil shavings

"Ticonderoga must be sharp. THE SHARPEST. NO MESS. NO MESS."
*eye twitch*

[sfoglia]

Anxiety Poll
(because it's the friday before a long weekend and I am bored at work)

Complete the sentence: High pressure situations____
A) Stress me out and distract me
B) Make me freeze up with anxiety
C) Turn me into a highly focused machine
D) Don't have a huge effect on me

B. Absolutely B. When I feel anxious, my brain processes exactly nothing.

I think my biggest challenge on test day is going to be breaking through that anxiety wall and into hyper-focus mode. Any suggestions on how to do this? I hear crying and rubbing your earlobes can be helpful. I plan to do both.

Pausing to take a deep, slow breath and mentally telling myself to relax usually helps me. It's worth the five or so seconds lost.

I'm starting to get extremely stressed about the LSAT. I just keep thinking, "But what if I don't?" What if I backslide and go low 160s like I did during my first few tests? What if I stay the same and don't make it to the mid 170s? What if I have to postpone the test until December? What if I use up too many tests preparing for September, but then still have to postpone, and then have no new material available? What if I take a nap right now rather than go study?

[Colonel_funkadunk]

Maybe you'll rabidly clean pencil shavings

"Ticonderoga must be sharp. THE SHARPEST. NO MESS. NO MESS."
*eye twitch*

[Gray]

.

[boris09]

Anxiety Poll
(because it's the friday before a long weekend and I am bored at work)

Complete the sentence: High pressure situations____
A) Stress me out and distract me
B) Make me freeze up with anxiety
C) Turn me into a highly focused machine
D) Don't have a huge effect on me

B. Absolutely B. When I feel anxious, my brain processes exactly nothing.

I think my biggest challenge on test day is going to be breaking through that anxiety wall and into hyper-focus mode. Any suggestions on how to do this? I hear crying and rubbing your earlobes can be helpful. I plan to do both.

I've never written the LSAT before in test-center conditions, nor have i written an exam that is worth nearly as much to my future as this test is, but perhaps i can offer some advice. I've noticed that one of the biggest changes i've made from my 2nd to my 3rd year of undergrad, where i achieved better than i ever thought i was capable of, was recognizing that if you've given yourself the chance to prepare then you shouldn't place any more pressure on yourself than to just do your best. I know it's overly cliche, and for some people this may be their last attempt, or even an attempt they don't want to have to mess up, but how can you ask for more than trying your best? Yes this is an important test, yes this may elicit nerviousness, anxiety, and trouble sleeping, but at the end of the day once you're done your life goes on. If you really want to be a lawyer, or in the field of law, you will be happy to get into a law school, no matter the rank. Of course it may result in an inconvenience (aka scholarships, geography, friendships), but that's just another decision that you would have to make, and a decision that is in your complete control. This test does NOT define your intellectual ability, it does NOT define your potential in life and it does NOT define your future (unless you slack off during the rest of your graduate/legal career). If you can re-write it, then you can choose to do so and i promise you that, with the work ethic i've seen around here, you will do better than your previous score. If you don't, then you should take a second to recognize that the people on this thread is no where near representative of the actual population of people who write this test. So when you get a score back on a PT and you see 160 (if you've ever seen a score that low that you can remember of), sure...that may not sound great, but that is better than approximately 80% of the people who wrote this test!!! How can you truly convince yourself that you are sub-par or not good enough, or at a point in your life that you should let this one test make or break you?

The biggest hurdle in this test isn't your intellectual capacity, but your psyche and your mentality coming into this test. You are a great person with many benefits to this world and to the people around you. You have a great life now, and you will have an even better one ahead of you. You have practiced and dedicated yourself to this test, and so you will reap the benefits of this test, no matter how much worse you do than you expect or how much worse you do relative to others.

When you come into the test center, or while you are on your way there, perhaps consider listening to whatever music you feel calms you down or just takes your mind off the test. Your brain will not forget what it has to do during the test the morning of. Use this time to calm yourself down, forget everyone around you doing questions and asking people how much they studied and what not. Focus on you, keep yourself calm, and once you sit down and you're ready to begin tell yourself "i will try my best", and be happy knowing that you didn't let yourself down by holding back, and you didn't place yourself any expectations that would be unfair to place on yourself given the position you will be in at that moment

Sorry for the long post, just felt that maybe this could help a few other people as well. Coming to these threads prematurely in my studies placed me in a tough place, as i spent my days comparing myself to those who have studied much longer and harder than i have, and expressed my inability to match any of you guys. Once you forget about everyone else, and just internalize your feelings, and recognize who you are, and what kind of expectations you can justly place on yourself given your current position in life, then you will fare much better in the anxiety department

[GreenTee]

Boris, I think I'm in love with you.

Seriously, that was a great post.