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Hi all,

I'm new here but as you can guess I want to take the LSAT in December and go to a nice midwestern ls like Indiana (safety) or Wisconsin (target) or Michigan (reach) or Chicago (reach). I took the October LSAT and scored 157, which was very disappointing for me because I know that this score doesn't reflect my abilities at all. I have a 2010 BA in Classics and Philosophy (double, not joint) with a 3.6 GPA from a NESCAC school. I know this score is below what I could achieve, but I have limited resources and can't afford private tutoring or a class. Compared to what you all seem to be doing, my preparation for the October test was almost nothing. After all, isn't this one of those tests you "can't study for?"

I analyzed my results and found that I did very well on the first two sections (logical reasoning, I believe), on track to a score above 165, but suddenly crashed in the logic games. I missed out on something like 14 points. My confidence was shaken and I did the reading comprehension section in a daze, so my score was better there but not by much. I signed up to retake the test in December, sure that more preparation would lead to a better score.

I decided that I needed to master those games, but I've been at it for weeks and they haven't gotten any easier. What baffles me most is how they could be difficult to someone who has studied logic as thoroughly as I have. It was my favorite subject in philosophy and I always did well. I do computer programming as a hobby, too, so I don't think my logical skills are weak at all. These questions just have an effect on me. I try to translate the propositions and rules into modern logical notation and make relevant deductions, but my diagrams and notes seem to just complicate things. It seems like my brain is overwhelmed by how open-ended these games are. I mean, the number and character of possible scenarios just floods over me and makes me go completely numb. It's like my brain is trying to figure out all the possibilities and shorts out.

Anyway, I'm feeling extremely discouraged, almost like I don't belong in law school. After all those years of Greek and Latin and logic and philosophy I put in, if I can't become a good lawyer I don't know what I can be good at.

Any advice would be much appreciated. I hope to learning more about you, as well.

Best,
tronDB

1) this is something everyone after this posting will agree w/: this IS NOT one of those tests "you can't study for." the LSAT is extremely learnable (which mozilla tells me isn't a word, oh well). the LG are learnable.
2) you definitely don't need a private tutor or class to succeed. don't let the fact that others might use those impede your success.
3) you need to troll TLS more. and maybe have worked through PowerScores's Logic Games Bible (LGB) for help w/ LG
4) an important thing to note about the LSAT and LG is that it's a speeded test. it's designed to produce a median of 150 or 151. you're given less than the optimal amount of time for an average test taker to finish the games. meaning you just need to learn how to get the answers faster
5) the key to LG is not to find all the solutions. the key to LG and the LSAT is to find the correct answer choice out of 5.
6) be not discouraged. the LSAT is an opportunity not an obstacle.