paranoia for lsat Forum

[jarofsoup]

I am having some paranoia. I have taken the lsat three times June will be my fourth. The first time I was not prepared. The second time my proctors talked. The third time I didn't sleep before the test and canceled. I get some test anxiety, but I have been working hard to over come this.

Now I am starting to worry about stupid irrational things. Like getting a cold on test day.

Has anyone taking the test with the common cold and how did it effect you?

Everyone is getting sick in Norcal.

I know this is paranoia, but all I just want is a good shot at the test and I am bloody ready for it.

Anyone else having such fears?

[jayn3]

get 8+ hours of sleep a night, eat a balanced diet, and exercise. then you won't get sick.

there's always something that can go wrong, but there's no point in worrying about it unless you can do something to prevent it. don't add unnecessary stress to your life.

[jayn3]

oh, and buy a portable bottle of hand sanitizer and use it liberally.

[Onion]

I took the LSAT with a common cold, got my highest score ever. You won't even be thinking about it once the test starts... the only thing on your mind will be killing the LSAT.

[roger8219]

if you're worrying about getting sick the night before, i think you might have a larger problem with worrying in general. but perhaps not, so in that event, i'll address this for other people...

the lsat is a big and important test that can help determine the course of your life, so everybody gets stressed out. for some people this effect is more pronounced. i also tend to worry. when in the test, i worried every time the experience departed from my practice test experience. so i screwed up twice. i also worried the third time, but somehow pulled out a 172 (though this too was below my average).

i would say, for stress balls like me, you need to be spending a significant amount of time addressing relaxation skills. not as much as regular test studying, but you need to be able to pull yourself out of panic mode at the drop of a hat. it's an important skill to have. do yourself a favor and cultivate it.

how to cultivate? i don't know. read some taoist literature. meditate. it'll be different for everyone. for me, i needed to consciously will a change in my thought patterns. of course, i was never fully successful, but i did well enough.

[WWAD]

The LSAT is a test for paranoia as much as anything else, or we would be able to take it at home on the computer. That just has to be part of your studying. I take PT with Howard Stern on, you think talking proctors will hurt me? Of course your paranoia is going to hurt you if you are trying to figure EVERYTHING that can go wrong. For each thing that can go wrong come up with a solution. Then check it off your list and be done with it.

[isaiah6v8]

I barely slept the night before because I had to take it out of town, and my wife and 7 month old daughter came with me. So sleep really didn't happen, I was sick at the time as well, not bad, just a cold. In the end, I decided that it was unlikely that my conditions in Law School were going to be better 100% of the time, so I might as well see how I did under pressure. I was happy with my score. You can plan all you want, but it won't give you perfect conditions. Sometimes you just have to rise above them. I know the test is important, and you want to prepare for the best, but don't let the conditions themselves psych you out.

[isaiah6v8]

The LSAT is a test for paranoia as much as anything else, or we would be able to take it at home on the computer. That just has to be part of your studying. I take PT with Howard Stern on, you think talking proctors will hurt me? Of course your paranoia is going to hurt you if you are trying to figure EVERYTHING that can go wrong. For each thing that can go wrong come up with a solution. Then check it off your list and be done with it.

and what he said.

[jarofsoup]

Thanks for the advice. I have been taking the test in public places, and have been working on sleep and destressing. I also took a practice test at the test center that I will be at on June 7 and this I think is helping too.


I read somewhere that you have to be a type A which sounds stupid but I guess I just need to power through and be confident that I practiced and I can do it.

[LSAT Blog]

The test requires focus and a healthy dose of skepticism. Paranoia might be pushing it.

+1 on sleep, diet, and exercise.

A Type A personality certainly isn't necessary. Reading critically is.

Take some tests in mildly stressful environments (like a library or a coffee shop). Keep your own time, and don't count a proctor to give you a 5 minute warning. This will all help you get ready for some potential distractions and issues on test day.

-Steve


P.S. Here's what paranoia can do to you:

[Knock]

The test requires focus and a healthy dose of skepticism. Paranoia might be pushing it.

+1 on sleep, diet, and exercise.

A Type A personality certainly isn't necessary. Reading critically is.

Take some tests in mildly stressful environments (like a library or a coffee shop). Keep your own time, and don't count a proctor to give you a 5 minute warning. This will all help you get ready for some potential distractions and issues on test day.

-Steve


P.S. Here's what paranoia can do to you:

LMAO. CREDITED!

[jarofsoup]

The test requires focus and a healthy dose of skepticism. Paranoia might be pushing it.

+1 on sleep, diet, and exercise.

A Type A personality certainly isn't necessary. Reading critically is.

Take some tests in mildly stressful environments (like a library or a coffee shop). Keep your own time, and don't count a proctor to give you a 5 minute warning. This will all help you get ready for some potential distractions and issues on test day.

-Steve


P.S. Here's what paranoia can do to you:

LMAO. CREDITED!

I dont like glenn, but I would sure the hell like his pay check if that's what parania could get me.

[isaiah6v8]

The test requires focus and a healthy dose of skepticism. Paranoia might be pushing it.

+1 on sleep, diet, and exercise.

A Type A personality certainly isn't necessary. Reading critically is.

Take some tests in mildly stressful environments (like a library or a coffee shop). Keep your own time, and don't count a proctor to give you a 5 minute warning. This will all help you get ready for some potential distractions and issues on test day.

-Steve


P.S. Here's what paranoia can do to you:

LMAO. CREDITED!

I dont like glenn, but I would sure the hell like his pay check if that's what parania could get me.

who?

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009 ... riley-owen

[isaiah6v8]

I am not busting your balls, I know typos happen, I just thought the word parania existed but that it meant something else, turns out this is all I could find.