klaudiaxo wrote:Does anyone have any tips in regards to anxiety?
Even when I'm not doing a timed section I still get anxiety correcting my answers, and thinking about taking the LSAT makes my stomach turn.
I have anxiety in general, so I feel like it's keeping me from racking up those valuable extra points. How did you remain calm and anxiety free on test day?
Test anxiety is one of those things that differs from person to person, so it's impossible to give you a catch-all solution. But the best I can offer are some tips that have helped me and students that I've worked with.
First off, you need to use your prep time to confront your anxieties about the LSAT head on. If you're getting anxiety from correcting your answers, then keep doing it. In fact, do it more often than you are now. If there's a specific section or question type that gives you anxiety because you tend to struggle with it, spend extra time studying and practicing it. You're goal should be to keep working on that aspect of the test until it's no longer a source of fear.
I'd also recommend practicing mindful meditation on a daily basis, to help keep your anxiety under control. This is something that has helped me both inside and outside the context of the LSAT. Practicing mindfulness is simple: the core concept is taking a short chunk of time out of each day to be by yourself and think about the emotions you're experiencing. Try to identify why you're feeling a certain way, and try to think of ways to change that behavior. It can help your achieve a greater degree of self-awareness and self-control.
I would recommend combining mindfulness exercises with simple meditative breathing exercises. The more consistently you practice this, the more effective it will become. When I was feeling overcome by nerves while doing a practice test or something, I'd take 10 seconds to close my eyes, take some deep breaths, and give myself a reassuring pep talk. It might sound trivial, but it can be incredibly effective. The LSAT is also a looong test, and there are a lot of opportunities to get tripped up by a difficult or confusingly worded question - being able to recalibrate your mental state is vital, in my opinion.
Finally, doing timed practice tests is the closest you can get to experiencing the real LSAT. I'd recommend doing some of these in unfamiliar places, like a study hall if you're in university, or a library.
Hope some of those tips are helpful!
