I can't breathe when I try to time myself. Forum

[pinkstark]

I could not breathe when I tried to time myself an hour ago.
I started studying for LSAT on and off since Last summer. I finished three bibels and LG bible questions. LR Bible is the last Bible I finished studying. I get like -7 after doing 4 pt on LR. sucks.

I was reading one article about how much time is needed for studying for LSAT. It said 3 months. I'm taking June LSAT, which means, I have less than 2 months left... I just wasted the whole March struggling with some break-up issue. And It took me forever to get back to my schedule.

I'm freaking out... I can't focus when I time myself, because I would think about the freaking breakup....wth?! Thus...I literally could not breathe when I tried to time myself. I studied for LR bible when the breakup was going on, so I think I might have to re-do it again...

I'm so frustrated. I don't know what to do. I simply can't control myself...and I technically made myself miserable.

[gov]

If you are not ready, then re schedule for October.

[pinkstark]

If you are not ready, then re schedule for October.

I can't. I only time for taking it once. The one in Oct. doesn't fit into my schedule

[gov]

Well, think about it this way...if you are not ready and do not do well, what is your plan of action?? As someone who has taken it twice...and may need to retake, you do NOT want to go in there unprepared.

[pinkstark]

Well, think about it this way...if you are not ready and do not do well, what is your plan of action?? As someone who has taken it twice...and may need to retake, you do NOT want to go in there unprepared.

I should be prepared..I was planning on being prepared...but it's just. I don't know.

[Eichörnchen]

You still have 2 months. You say you've drilled 4 PT's LR, so I would say pick up the pace and do more material. You need to become comfortable with the LSAT and you just plain need to do more material before you can expect big gains. Stop panicking. Breath. Pick up a pencil and do more LR.

Ps- did you get my PM explaining those LR questions?

[Verity]

Just relax. The test you're using to practice is just something you're doing in your spare time! There shouldn't be any pressure, because it will have no effect on your future. Just have fun and relax.

[thwalls]

You absolutely need to relax, which is much easier said that done. However, I had big problems with timing, and I managed to get the score I needed to get into the school I wanted with a scholarship.

When you start practicing, get your techniques down for how you want to approach the different sections, and do that untimed if possible. Once you know how you're going to attack the test rather than just "going after it" you can begin to time yourself and get reliable feedback on how you will perform on the actual exam.

For example, break the LG section into its four games and try to just do one at a time giving yourself about 8 minutes to complete the game. Don't do the whole section, just do each game and time yourself for that individual game. You need to get out of the habit of thinking, at the start of the exam about how much time you have for all of the problems. Just focus on the one game. Then after you've done that for a few exams you should have your system down and have a good "feel" for how much time you have on a given game.

For the reasoning section, try to do the first 20 questions in 20 minutes. The last questions are always harder, and this way you'll have extra time to get to them. But just for practice, think of it as a pack of 20.

RC was tougher for me because I'm not the fastest reader. I read the questions first and then went back and read the section.

You've got plenty of time.

[BillsFan9907]

See a psychiatrist.

+1

This is obviously a type of anxiety, which is a legitimate psychological concern. I'd recommend a psychiatrist over a psychologist due to their expertise in potential pharmaceutical aids. There are medications out there than can generally help with anxiety, but talk therapy can also be effective (especially cognitive).

[soj]

Get a friend to time you surreptitiously so that you don't know it's happening. Tell them not to tell you until you're done the PT. This might help you build confidence and realize it's not quite so bad after all.

[Moral_Midgetry]

Don't be so emotional. You're making it a bigger deal than it should be.

[dr123]

chill the fuck out, its just a test. Even if you bomb it, its not the end of the world. Worst case scenario, you dont go to law schoool, is that really such a big deal?

[Drake014]

I could not breathe when I tried to time myself an hour ago.
I started studying for LSAT on and off since Last summer. I finished three bibels and LG bible questions. LR Bible is the last Bible I finished studying. I get like -7 after doing 4 pt on LR. sucks.

I was reading one article about how much time is needed for studying for LSAT. It said 3 months. I'm taking June LSAT, which means, I have less than 2 months left... I just wasted the whole March struggling with some break-up issue. And It took me forever to get back to my schedule.

I'm freaking out... I can't focus when I time myself, because I would think about the freaking breakup....wth?! Thus...I literally could not breathe when I tried to time myself. I studied for LR bible when the breakup was going on, so I think I might have to re-do it again...

I'm so frustrated. I don't know what to do. I simply can't control myself...and I technically made myself miserable.

I've personally known a couple of people with this problem. I recommend hypnosis. Seriously.

[silver7]

In my experience, the more I stressed the worse I did. Especially on test day. I only took it once but I was able to control my anxiety by trusting that I was going to do the best I could. You can't ask yourself for anything more than that. One thing that help me was to notice people around the test room. Everyone was nervous, so it was kind of comforting seeing other people in my situation. Just relax and trust that you have studied as hard as you could.

[suspicious android]

I can't. I only time for taking it once. The one in Oct. doesn't fit into my schedule

I guess law school's not going to fit into your schedule. Too bad. But at least you stuck to your principles and didn't budge on your schedule to accommodate a Saturday morning test that will determine your future professional prospects.

[Easy-E]

If you are not ready, then re schedule for October.

I can't. I only time for taking it once. The one in Oct. doesn't fit into my schedule

What facet of your schedule could be so important that it A) outweighs the importance of your financial future and B) can't be rescheduled with over 5 months notice?

[pinkstark]

I can't. I only time for taking it once. The one in Oct. doesn't fit into my schedule

I guess law school's not going to fit into your schedule. Too bad. But at least you stuck to your principles and didn't budge on your schedule to accommodate a Saturday morning test that will determine your future professional prospects.

I'll be in another country with no place to take LSAT.

[cinephile]

I can't. I only time for taking it once. The one in Oct. doesn't fit into my schedule

I guess law school's not going to fit into your schedule. Too bad. But at least you stuck to your principles and didn't budge on your schedule to accommodate a Saturday morning test that will determine your future professional prospects.

I'll be in another country with no place to take LSAT.

I guess it depends where you'll be, but it is possible to take the LSAT while abroad. You might have to travel a few countries over (did that once) but it's totally doable. And it's much better to take it when you're feeling more prepared. It sounds like you feel rushed now, so even if you're adequately prepped, the stress from feeling rushed will probably hurt your score.

[pinkstark]

I can't. I only time for taking it once. The one in Oct. doesn't fit into my schedule

I guess law school's not going to fit into your schedule. Too bad. But at least you stuck to your principles and didn't budge on your schedule to accommodate a Saturday morning test that will determine your future professional prospects.

I'll be in another country with no place to take LSAT.

I guess it depends where you'll be, but it is possible to take the LSAT while abroad. You might have to travel a few countries over (did that once) but it's totally doable. And it's much better to take it when you're feeling more prepared. It sounds like you feel rushed now, so even if you're adequately prepped, the stress from feeling rushed will probably hurt your score.

The stress of thinking about things I should not be thinking makes me feel stressed. I mean, you can't go daydreaming when you're timed.....so I made myself miserable. This is my point....

[Whatever'sClever]

As they say, "sounds like a mf'n personal problem"

I'll try and help you out though.

Smoke a joint. Get laid. (SERIOUSLY you sound like you need both)

Also, your life sounds like it sucks, thanks for making mine look awesome.

[artichoke]

I can completely relate to this. When I was studying for the LSAT I was completely fine taking practice tests up until about 1.5 months prior to the test. After getting within that time frame even thinking about the LSAT was enough to send me into a panic. I would schedule a practice test for the following day only to sit down at the time I meant to take it and being hyperventilating/having a panic attack/uncontrollably crying.

Unfortunately I can not be of much help in terms of how to ameliorate this problem. Essentially I was just a nervous/drunken wreck until I accessed my score online over two months later. You could certainly see a doctor for anti-anxiety drugs, although I'm not sure how this would affect your test taking/memory retention.

However, I can say this: LSAT stress is only a precursor to the incredible stress that will come along with law school. I believe in your ability to overcome it and do awesome but don't forget that this will only be repeated again and again for the three years you are in law school and possibly beyond. Maybe it is best to figure out coping skills now, and avoid the distress later. Maybe take up yoga? Go for a jog when you start feeling panicky? See a hypnotherapist? I know those suggestions seem trite in context, but that's why the anxiety issue is so horrible to begin with - there is never an easy solution.

I wish you the best of luck, I know how crippling test anxiety can be.

[071816]

yikes...

[artichoke]

Oh, I should add... I did well on my test. Not as well as I had hoped but about what I expected from my practice test scores + super super high anxiety. That probably doesn't help you at all but my point is: anxiety does not necessarily mean you will do poorly. In my experience once the test day actually came I was certainly VERY anxious and VERY nervous, but the fact that the wait was over helped a lot. Knowing it would all be over soon did wonders to preventing a full-scale panic attack breakdown in the testing room.

SO, don't freak out if you're having trouble studying. If you have prepared prior to this point you should be fine, just do what you can when you can (if that includes anything at all) if you have a moment of calm between now and the test.

Again, good luck. Your anxiety is obviously a sign of caring a great deal about the test, as anyone truly committed to the practice of law would be.

[BeeNic]

Relax....I know its easier said than done but maybe you need to give yourself a break, even for just a few hours. Calm down now so you won't be freaking out on test day (although if I were you, maybe I'd consider pushing the test date back if your scores are not where you want them to be).

[zpetrov]

I could not breathe when I tried to time myself an hour ago.
I started studying for LSAT on and off since Last summer. I finished three bibels and LG bible questions. LR Bible is the last Bible I finished studying. I get like -7 after doing 4 pt on LR. sucks.

I was reading one article about how much time is needed for studying for LSAT. It said 3 months. I'm taking June LSAT, which means, I have less than 2 months left... I just wasted the whole March struggling with some break-up issue. And It took me forever to get back to my schedule.

I'm freaking out... I can't focus when I time myself, because I would think about the freaking breakup....wth?! Thus...I literally could not breathe when I tried to time myself. I studied for LR bible when the breakup was going on, so I think I might have to re-do it again...

I'm so frustrated. I don't know what to do. I simply can't control myself...and I technically made myself miserable.

This is gonna sound unpleasantly trite, but you have to practice some zen Buddhism and realize that all will be fine. The test is a small, minute part of your life. In the grand scheme of things, it is close to meaningless.

I cannot say enough about how much I've been helped by using basic relaxation techniques and taking a few minutes before each PT to calm myself down. The difference between taking the test stressed out and panicked, in my experience, and taking it relaxed and composed is no less than 2-3 points. So call me crazy, call me weird, but I think that at least 10% of your preparation for the LSAT should be with meditation and relaxation techniques that allow you to control yourself and concentrate when you're under the pressure of the clock.