I am in LSAT Hell Forum

[myverdict]

I studied the lsat trainer, powerscore books, n just started with PT A,B,C. My speed is slow. I am able to attempt half of the whole LSAT test in the given LSAT time. In the half test that I attempt, I get half of that right. I review my answers after each test and during the review I get most of the answers right. The remaining questions is a total gamble for me. My score has gone from 138 to 136 to 134. I am in hell. I want to crack this. But at my pace and bad gambling skill I am indefinitely visiting the LSAT hell. My brain just is so exhausted now that I don't know what to do? I spend nearly 10 to 14 hours every day preparing for the LSAT. But I seem to be going no where. Please advice.

[maybeman]

If you honestly read the PSBs & the trainer & have been spending large numbers of hours studying, you should find a different career path.

If you never paid close attention and are willing to put in concentrated, quality study, then maybe:

Stop working on the lsat that much, you're probably burnt out. Restart in a week at 2-3 hours/day. Reread the lsat trainer/PSBs, and pay far closer attention. Those scores indicate a complete lack of fundamentals. Build them up before you start PTing again.

[Barack O'Drama]

If you honestly read the PSBs & the trainer & have been spending large numbers of hours studying, you should find a different career path.

If you never paid close attention and are willing to put in concentrated, quality study, then maybe:

Stop working on the lsat that much, you're probably burnt out. Restart in a week at 2-3 hours/day. Reread the lsat trainer/PSBs, and pay far closer attention. Those scores indicate a complete lack of fundamentals. Build them up before you start PTing again.

I agree with this. The LSAT can be hell, but try to take a break. Also, I suggest you try a tutor or a course.

How are your reading skills? It seems with scores that low you may have a fundamental reading problem. The LSAT, above all, is a reading test at the end of the day.

[tzzzok]

I studied the lsat trainer, powerscore books, n just started with PT A,B,C. My speed is slow. I am able to attempt half of the whole LSAT test in the given LSAT time. In the half test that I attempt, I get half of that right. I review my answers after each test and during the review I get most of the answers right. The remaining questions is a total gamble for me. My score has gone from 138 to 136 to 134. I am in hell. I want to crack this. But at my pace and bad gambling skill I am indefinitely visiting the LSAT hell. My brain just is so exhausted now that I don't know what to do? I spend nearly 10 to 14 hours every day preparing for the LSAT. But I seem to be going no where. Please advice.

Is English your first language, OP?

[brinicolec]

To be honest, you might be studying... too much... which is going to sound counterintuitive since you're struggling but you could be burning yourself out before you've even really dug in. 10-14 hours everyday while commendable just seems like way too much time to be studying. You gotta give yourself some time to breathe.

Maybe you need to try another study tactic completely (veer away from self-studying and try a prep course or individual tutoring).

[myverdict]

English is not my first language. But I have had english instructing teachers all my life, so I don't actually have a problem with that I believe. I am a slow reader. And also I have noticed that when I am giving the PT with a sword over my neck, I forget everything. And when I am giving an untimed test I tend to get more accurate answers than under a timed test. My fundamentals seem to be with me when I am not under pressure. I tend to grasp things at a slow pace than normal people, but working hard has been in character, and so I spend more time studying. At a slow pace I presume I can get a score between 155 to 160. At a fast pace, I am struggling. Any suggestions on this? How do I speed up my reading and understand faster?

[cavalier1138]

English is not my first language. But I have had english instructing teachers all my life, so I don't actually have a problem with that I believe. I am a slow reader. And also I have noticed that when I am giving the PT with a sword over my neck, I forget everything. And when I am giving an untimed test I tend to get more accurate answers than under a timed test. My fundamentals seem to be with me when I am not under pressure. I tend to grasp things at a slow pace than normal people, but working hard has been in character, and so I spend more time studying. At a slow pace I presume I can get a score between 155 to 160. At a fast pace, I am struggling. Any suggestions on this? How do I speed up my reading and understand faster?

There's a lot to unpack here:

1. It seems like you're quite fluent in reading and writing, but as you mention, you aren't very quick with your reading. And that's a huge problem for the LSAT, for law school, and for the practice of law in general, because it's pretty much all reading and writing.

2. If you feel the pressure during a PT, do you think you'll feel less pressure during the real thing?

3. Your hypothetical score at a slow pace is irrelevant unless you have a diagnosed learning disability and can get special circumstances for timing. The LSAT is a timed test, and your timed score is what's relevant.

4. I'm not familiar with ESL approaches to faster reading, but if you've reached this level of fluency, you may want to take a course in speed-reading to see if it helps you. If your issue isn't just with reading English, then that might be the most effective tool for you.

Honestly, I appreciate the positive, go-get-'em-tiger advice you've gotten, but I think you should seriously think about whether law school is right for you. Why do you want to be a lawyer? What aspects of the profession appeal to you?

[floatie]

If law is really what you want to do, I don't think you should give up on it just yet.

What you need is a tutor who will extensively work on you to determine (1) where you're going wrong and (2) how you can fix it. The LSAT isn't easy but it's not impossible with the right study techniques and a solid understanding of the language. Studying alone out of textbooks isn't for everyone, and that approach does not seem to be working for you.

[myverdict]

Thanks for all the advice. I took a long break to figure out what I have to do. And will be starting with my fundamentals again. I mean my heart is still at doing law. I appreciate all the advice and will be taking into consideration all of it.

[Barack O'Drama]

Thanks for all the advice. I took a long break to figure out what I have to do. And will be starting with my fundamentals again. I mean my heart is still at doing law. I appreciate all the advice and will be taking into consideration all of it.

Have you tried 7Sage?

If not, I highly suggest trying it out.

[EmelyM23]

I studied the lsat trainer, powerscore books, n just started with PT A,B,C. My speed is slow. I am able to attempt half of the whole LSAT test in the given LSAT time. In the half test that I attempt, I get half of that right. I review my answers after each test and during the review I get most of the answers right. The remaining questions is a total gamble for me. My score has gone from 138 to 136 to 134. I am in hell. I want to crack this. But at my pace and bad gambling skill I am indefinitely visiting the LSAT hell. My brain just is so exhausted now that I don't know what to do? I spend nearly 10 to 14 hours every day preparing for the LSAT. But I seem to be going no where. Please advice.

So far I've been reading many forums and I've seen so many people put others down just based solely on diagnostic scores and such. These grades are not good, I agree but telling someone they should quit is just a clear reason why often forums like these are discouraging to read. Don't let anyone convince you to quit your dreams if law is really your dream. I'm a huge believer in fighting for what you want. And you can read forums of people who've gone from 140-180 from 7 months to as long as 2 years!. You know what it is your doing wrong and that is timing. First off give yourself over 6 months of studying 15-20 hrs weekly. Read books slowly and take notes on what you got out of them practice this. Reread your books, get a tutor, or enter a class, put yourself to work. You are at an advantage because you know your weakenesses. I'd say keep practicing untimed till you PT around 165+ and then when you feel comfortable begin to time yourself in each section and just learn It in a way that's beneficial to you. Sometimes I study and find myself not understanding it just because my minds not in it because its late at night. Like how were you reading these books, how long did it take? did you just skim through them? Take your time and don't register for the exam until you feel confident you will get your target score! Be realistic too but don't give up.