The Effects of Burnout Forum

[cloudhidden]

Obviously LSAT burnout can be like overtraining and can reduce performance, but what specific effects has anyone noticed? Lately, after having drilled over a thousand LR reasoning, I have observed that my incidence of careless mistakes has increased. I believe this to be the result of approaching the questions on autopilot and while I have a thorough acquaintence by now with convoluted wording, I have also lost some of the energy to see through it. However, switching to taking timed sections seems to rev up my focus. A similar phenomonon has occurred in RC and in careless diagraming of LG. How much of a concern is all this, or is it just the give and take of attempting every released question? I have begun to view burnout as something that comes and goes, and something you just have to power through, like the last lap in a mile.

[cahwc12]

The burnout I experienced leading up to LSAT was more due to complacency than anything. I was consistenlty prepping in the low-mid 170's and had dinged 180 a couple times. I grew complacent and decided to take a week off which turned into three weeks. I didn't start prepping again for the June test until 3 days before, and I ended up with a 168, probably because of it.

Of the 13 questions I missed, 9 were in the first 7 of the sections, and at least 8 were very silly out-of-zone mistakes I would never have made otherwise.

Also, I didn't warm-up before the real test because I wasn't sure if I could bring materials inside the center and once I got there I didnt want to go back to my car and miss any important announcement/checkin... so that may have had an impact as well.

If you need a day off, take a day off, but don't take enough time that you adjust your "routine" away from the LSAT.

[Systematic1]

I've been studying since late May, and I've only burnt out once. It was after a two week straight study block where I was literally putting in 8 hours every day and working a part-time job. I noticed it while taking a pt, I just could not stay focused no matter what I did. I would start reading a question and within seconds I'd find myself daydreaming about something else. So I got up in the middle of the pt, took the rest of the day off, and I was cured by the next day. In short, some time your body just needs a day or two off. It's kind of like working out, sometimes your muscles need a day or two of rest to rejuvenate, and the brain is the same way.

[cloudhidden]

I feel like the psychology behind taking the test remains underappreciated. I just feel like after so many questions you get tired of trying to avoid tricks and your mind starts to revert back to the more naive attitude of approaching arguments in real life. But, as the cliche goes, this too shall pass.

[Malakai]

Some specific effect(s) when you burn out: 1. you could get anxiety by running problems through your head all night before you try to sleep
2. May have dreams about formal logic
3. You critique every statement of fact/argument in real life (in your head or explicitly)
4. You neglect your hygiene
5. You neglect to feed your pets (resulting in possible death, impound, or escape)
6. Your head starts spinning after you've been studying for too long in one sitting without break.
7. You realize some DirectTV commercials are chains of conditional logic (Don't end up in a roadside ditch)

Good luck. Don't burn out. Do something fun (seriously).

- Malakai

[cloudhidden]

Or when your dreams begin by considering the template of how the different entities involved can match with one another... And the rest of the dream involves how the possibilties change given new constraints.

[PeanutsNJam]

Or when your dreams begin by considering the template of how the different entities involved can match with one another... And the rest of the dream involves how the possibilties change given new constraints.

If you think in fancy words when doing LG you're wasting your time. "This goes here if that goes there" and "Well, I suppose it could be like this" is enough to get -0 on LG.

[cloudhidden]

Naw, I use fancy words to sharpen my logical reasoning skillz.