December 2014 RE-takers Thread Forum

[Gray]

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[dontdoitkid]

(Re) Checking in. Completely wrecked myself on LG. Wasted a huge opportunity because I got the low end of my averages wrong for LR and RC. How you go from constant -0 to -2 on LG to -8, I have not the slightest idea.

Sometimes it's just a matter of not being in the same mental state, due to nerves and everything else. That's an advantage to us in a retake though.

I did have LG last, and felt fatigued during that section (probably because my stupid brain wouldn't let me sleep the night before, and stupidly woke me up at 4:00AM the morning of the test). The good news was that LG seems to be the easiest to improve on, so if I can get my LG in working order again, and keep the LR and RC scores near where they were I am all set. That being said, it is going to be really hard to do this all over again. I can't take waiting the 3 weeks for my score.

For me the hardest parts are the stigma of retaking it (from outside communities like this one), and finding motivation to keep grinding as hard (or harder) than before. I'm the opposite about those three weeks though haha, it was like a three week vacation where I got to relax, focus on apps, and not think about the LSAT one bit

[GreenTee]

Agreed. I severely underestimated how nervous I'd be during the real thing. I'm hoping being a retaker will ease my nerves, though I can see myself getting even more nervous this time around. Hopefully I'll be able remedy that between now and December 6.

The crazy thing for me is that I didn't even realize I was nervous during the test. I felt like I was 100% in the zone during my RC and LR sections, which is why I finished ~3-4 minutes earlier than I normally do. Turns out, I was speeding through the test like a raving lunatic without reading closely or reasoning carefully at all. Somehow that didn't feel like nerves at the time. But it was obviously nerves.

In December, I'm going to slow the fuck down. I'm going to read every word carefully. I'm going to double check my answer choices and my elimination process for every question.

I'm aiming to do 30 minute sections on my PTs this time, so that I know I'll have the luxury to slow way down on test day.

[daisrt]

Agreed. I severely underestimated how nervous I'd be during the real thing. I'm hoping being a retaker will ease my nerves, though I can see myself getting even more nervous this time around. Hopefully I'll be able remedy that between now and December 6.

The crazy thing for me is that I didn't even realize I was nervous during the test. I felt like I was 100% in the zone during my RC and LR sections, which is why I finished ~3-4 minutes earlier than I normally do. Turns out, I was speeding through the test like a raving lunatic without reading closely or reasoning carefully at all. Somehow that didn't feel like nerves at the time. But it was obviously nerves.

In December, I'm going to slow the fuck down. I'm going to read every word carefully. I'm going to double check my answer choices and my elimination process for every question.

I'm aiming to do 30 minute sections on my PTs this time, so that I know I'll have the luxury to slow way down on test day.

Yes! Love this. I'm also gonna do 30 minute sections. We can totally do this.

[dontdoitkid]

Does the 30 minute version on the 7sage proctor just stop at the 30 minute mark, or does it make the entire clock (displayed on the app) move more quickly and still stop at the 35 minute mark?

[hetookmetoamovie]

Grey & GT, I had a similar issue. I usually finish LR with 0-1 minute to spare, but I ended up having 4-5 minutes left over on each section. I mistook nerves for game-day hyperfocus at the time, so I felt great leaving the test. (The only good that came out rushing through the sections was that I was able to catch a bubbling error.)

The sub-35 section is a great idea. Also, I really need to practice setting the watch before sections -- I forgot to do that during LG and subsequently panicked.

Hi dasani! Nice to see you here.

[Gray]

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[Yeezus]

Agreed. I severely underestimated how nervous I'd be during the real thing. I'm hoping being a retaker will ease my nerves, though I can see myself getting even more nervous this time around. Hopefully I'll be able remedy that between now and December 6.

The crazy thing for me is that I didn't even realize I was nervous during the test. I felt like I was 100% in the zone during my RC and LR sections, which is why I finished ~3-4 minutes earlier than I normally do. Turns out, I was speeding through the test like a raving lunatic without reading closely or reasoning carefully at all. Somehow that didn't feel like nerves at the time. But it was obviously nerves.

In December, I'm going to slow the fuck down. I'm going to read every word carefully. I'm going to double check my answer choices and my elimination process for every question.

I'm aiming to do 30 minute sections on my PTs this time, so that I know I'll have the luxury to slow way down on test day.

This. On my first take, I was noticeably nervous. On my second take, I felt fine and "focused," but in retrospect was rushing through questions without reading closely.

[HRomanus]

For what it's worth, retaking really does reduce a lot of the stress and anxiety, particularly when something "goes wrong" and gets you out of your rhythm. Spivey has written a blog about retaking and said that nearly everyone who retakes increases by at least one point.

[Yeezus]

For what it's worth, retaking really does reduce a lot of the stress and anxiety, particularly when something "goes wrong" and gets you out of your rhythm. Spivey has written a blog about retaking and said that nearly everyone who retakes increases by at least one point.

If only that was true for me. The third time's a charm.

[GreenTee]

If only that was true for me. The third time's a charm.

Hey YP (can I call you YP, for the obvious admissions jargon double entendre?)

What did you do differently, if anything, to prep for September in comparison to June? What will you do differently to prep for December?

[Toby Ziegler]

Grey & GT, I had a similar issue. I usually finish LR with 0-1 minute to spare, but I ended up having 4-5 minutes left over on each section. I mistook nerves for game-day hyperfocus at the time, so I felt great leaving the test. (The only good that came out rushing through the sections was that I was able to catch a bubbling error.)

The sub-35 section is a great idea. Also, I really need to practice setting the watch before sections -- I forgot to do that during LG and subsequently panicked.

Hi dasani! Nice to see you here.

this this this

[Yeezus]

If only that was true for me. The third time's a charm.

Hey YP (can I call you YP, for the obvious admissions jargon double entendre?)

What did you do differently, if anything, to prep for September in comparison to June? What will you do differently to prep for December?

Haha yeah, no problem, just hope that it doesn't become a foreshadowing of my upcoming cycle.

For September, I started by drilling logic games for a few days to shake off the rust (I took a month off after the June test), then jumped straight into PTs, taking one around every other day. I didn't really do much else to work on my LR and RC. That didn't seem to be a problem for me at the time, since I averaged ~174 on PTs 36-72. I even got 179 on PT 71 a couple days before the test in September, so I felt like I was on my game going into the test. Clearly, that didn't end up working out, since I inexplicably got -9 in LR and -7 in RC after averaging -3 for both sections during PTs. This time around, I'm planning on emphasizing LR and RC, as well as blind reviewing, which I didn't do before. I'm also considering the LSAT Trainer to develop a set strategy for LR, since I just solved the LR intuitively up to this point. The shitty part for me is that I'm seeing the results I want to see on my PTs, but screw up on the real thing, so I'm not sure if getting a 166 twice in a row is an anomaly or the result of me not preparing well.

[AOT]

Didn't think I was going to do this but... very possibly checking in. It's just an extra month of pain, right? And $160. A couple points more could really make a difference. I'm going to review the September LSAT and take a PT this weekend and see how I feel.

Any other third time retakers out there?

Edit: O hai yeezuspiece I see you

[lawjag2015]

I wish I had the whole day to study, everyday. I think the biggest reason that I have not aced this exam is that I work full-time. But then, I found out today that fra did it in the same situation. Shame on me!

[Yeezus]

Didn't think I was going to do this but... very possibly checking in. It's just an extra month of pain, right? And $160. A couple points more could really make a difference. I'm going to review the September LSAT and take a PT this weekend and see how I feel.

Any other third time retakers out there?

Edit: O hai yeezuspiece I see you

Yeah I was on the fence for a little bit, but I think I might as well retake. I don't want to wonder what if, especially since I know I'm more than capable of getting 170+. Even a 168 or 169 would help out a lot for me. I don't want to be stuck with a 50/50 shot (if that) at Cornell and UT, especially since I foolishly considered them my safety schools back when I was PTing. I figure a couple points on the LSAT would offset the fact that I'm applying in January.

[AOT]

Didn't think I was going to do this but... very possibly checking in. It's just an extra month of pain, right? And $160. A couple points more could really make a difference. I'm going to review the September LSAT and take a PT this weekend and see how I feel.

Any other third time retakers out there?

Edit: O hai yeezuspiece I see you

Yeah I was on the fence for a little bit, but I think I might as well retake. I don't want to wonder what if, especially since I know I'm more than capable of getting 170+. Even a 168 or 169 would help out a lot for me. I don't want to be stuck with a 50/50 shot (if that) at Cornell and UT, especially since I foolishly considered them my safety schools back when I was PTing. I figure a couple points on the LSAT would offset the fact that I'm applying in January.

"I don't want to wonder what if" pretty much sums up how I'm feeling too. I think I'm going to send in all my apps except HYS, and then possibly retake for those. I've just had a quick look at my answer sheet and so many of the mistakes are just massive facepalms. If we've got it in us we might as well show them.

[justabitunusual]

Oh awesome. I didn't know that using a Feb LSAT for money was a thing. How could you do that after you've been admitted?

Yeah you can even use June... they are automatically informed about a new LSAT score - plus acceptances and scholarships don't happen at the same time. There is a really good thread out there about how to negotiate effectively.

Oh wow, I didn't realize this either. Would love to read that thread...do you have it bookmarked? I will just search for it I guess.

[Sourire]

Any other third time retakers out there?

I think I might be retaking for the third time. September was a 169 which was a boost from my June score, but now I'm sitting right at the medians for my target schools, which worries me.

[Rigo]

[Sinatra]

first PT in over a year

168, pt65

feel indifferent, mostly due to the generous curve

[justabitunusual]

Oh awesome. I didn't know that using a Feb LSAT for money was a thing. How could you do that after you've been admitted?

Yeah you can even use June... they are automatically informed about a new LSAT score - plus acceptances and scholarships don't happen at the same time. There is a really good thread out there about how to negotiate effectively.

Oh wow, I didn't realize this either. Would love to read that thread...do you have it bookmarked? I will just search for it I guess.

Attax and Scotti have good info here:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... s#p8048339
Here is the main thread that most people are referring to though:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... start=1625

Oh Great, THANKS! I tried searching it and it came back with sooo many hits...this will save lots of time!

[hetookmetoamovie]

Anthem? Heh.

[youtube]btBSxtKzF6Q[/youtube]

[Rigo]

[hetookmetoamovie]

She's the bomb .com