Steady decline in PT score (PLEASE HELP!) Forum

[NL2424]

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[GreenEggs]

Some people just can't do PTs so close together. Try spacing it out 3 days in between tests and see if this helps.

[rion91]

burnout

[peppermint]

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[NL2424]

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[GreenEggs]

Some people just can't do PTs so close together. Try spacing it out 3 days in between tests and see if this helps.

I'm going to take the advice, but the only thing is that I don't know why I wouldn't be burnt out by the end of a 6 day streak? That's where I scored my highest. And I took Sunday off purely to avoid burnout, is one day not enough? Last, like I pointed out, LSAT prep is literally my only responsibility right now. Testing from 9 - 11:30 AM and then reviewing old answers for a few hours (or less) later on shouldn't be burning me out...

Honestly, I never suffered from burnout, but I also never did PTs so close together. I would gander that burnout is a cumulative thing, not a sudden process. So maybe just doing so many timed PTs. My only advice can be what worked for me, and that's to jump from the PTs your at and start working in the 50s-60s, and do a PT with 5 sections proctored every three days in between review in detail the PT and practice timed sections from earlier PTs but not as a whole test.

[nlee10]

6 days of consecutive PT's, only a day break, and another 3 consecutive days of PT's screams burnout. Like others have suggested, I recommend spacing out PT's so you're only taking 2-3 a week based on your available study time.

[peppermint]

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[nlee10]

I talked a bit about this in the Dec thread back in the day. Basically when you're stressed, you have an actual physiological change happening in your body. Stress hormones like cortisol get released & after a while, they build up to the point where you start seeing diminished returns on your hard work. By taking a break, those levels can drop a bit & you can start seeing good results again on your PTs. Taking 6 PTs in a row may have worked for you in the past but now it has become too much for your brain to handle. Relax & enjoy the holidays & you'll be back to normal in no time.

Dr. Pepp.

[peppermint]

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[NL2424]

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[peppermint]

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[downbeat14]

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[Clemenceau]

I also studied full throttle with no other distractions for a stretch this summer, and I feel your pain.

For me, there came a point in studying for the LSAT where I became too robotic about it, and my scores dipped. It could be called burnout, but I don't think that it was mental burnout in the typical sense. I wasn't tired or unmotivated. I just wasn't looking at each question as scrupulously because I had seen so many damn questions in such a short period of time. Practice tests and sections became a less involved process; I felt like I just wanted to pick an answer and move on so I could see my score, rather than being interested (if you will) in the workings of every question. I changed my routine a little, did some more reading for pleasure, and generally provided my brain with some more enjoyable outlets, and my pt scores quickly climbed back into the mid 170s.

Tl;dr burnout takes many forms. Let your brain breathe.

Edit: the post above me hits some good points that could be useful to help refresh your approach.

[NL2424]

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