Wine? Forum

[bre.kidman]

I'm up for round 2 of LSAT on Saturday. I got 163 in June of 2012 and only decided to re-take as a last ditch effort to get some slightly better prospects out of this cycle at Christmas. After studying hardcore and PT-ing every 3 days since the day after Christmas, I'd been stuck (and inconsistently so) between 166 and 169. Totally inadvertently (had dinner out and came home to study), I PT'd with 3/4 of a bottle of wine in me on Saturday night and got 175. As in "broke 170 for the first time ever." On Sunday morning I tried again sober and got a 166. This morning, to test the hypothesis further, I woke up with a glass of merlot (I know it's ridiculous. Stop hating. ) at 7AM on an empty stomach and, sure enough, busted out a 174.

Can anyone see a reason why I shouldn't drink a generous glass before the real deal on Saturday? Are there rules against showing up with any amount of alcohol in you? Are PTs 28 and 55 widely giggled about as the easiest LSATs of all time? Am I mistaking correlation for causation here? Should I get some more tests and PT with a glass or two for the rest of the week?

Full disclosure: I got in everywhere I applied but H-bomb (I applied the same day I registered for the test... and am patiently awaiting for my rejection letter ) and have all but put in my seat deposit at a well-regarded (in the area) state school. I'm mostly in this to get a little more scholarship money/a little more satisfaction/a little less "RETAKE" every time I ask TLS for advice. Anyone have thoughts? For realsies?

[h_jane_w]

Do it. Probably helps you with stress

[Teflon_Don]

It probably helps you relax. The biggest concern would probably be going to the restroom/getting sleepy during the test

[objection_your_honor]

Cask strength single malt Scotch whisky — the real secret to a 180.

[wtrc]

I read a study recently that people that had a small amount of alcohol in them at work were better at teambuilding and solving projects and being creative, or something. I'd be worried and probably couldn't do it myself, but interesting idea....

[bp shinners]

Cask strength single malt Scotch whisky — the real secret to a 180.

I had Scotch and gator meat the night before my exam. I swear by it.

[BlaqBella]

Alcoholism in the profession starts early, I see.

[piccolittle]

I would PT your ass off on the most recent tests with a glass of wine in you for each one to test your hypothesis. Don't make any assumptions at this point based on two discrete PTs.

[bre.kidman]

I would PT your ass off on the most recent tests with a glass of wine in you for each one to test your hypothesis. Don't make any assumptions at this point based on two discrete PTs.

I think that's the plan. I'm going to pick up a few tests tonight and PT with a glass today, tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday. Hopefully all will be well and I can get some rest on Friday to kill it on Saturday. I'm worried that those two tests were unusually easy or that there was some other explanation for the anomaly.

[h_jane_w]

I wonder if life in general would be better if we'd all just had a glass of wine at all times. Ahhh....(wishes life was still, or ever had been, like Mad Men)

[gobosox]

I am very very interested in seeing how this turns out. Please keep us posted.

Also, I kinda want to try it.

[bre.kidman]

I am very very interested in seeing how this turns out. Please keep us posted.

Also, I kinda want to try it.

I think it's worth at least a try for a PT. I mean, I wasn't hammered or slurring or even particularly tipsy. I was a little rosy in the cheeks, you know? 2-3 generous glasses of moscato for a 175, one generous glass of merlot for a 174. I noticed that I seemed to finish sections a bit more quickly. My theory is that the lowered inhibitions (much like alcohol does when one tries to speak a foreign language) made me stop second-guessing myself as much and go with my instincts... which might be pretty good, after all this studying.

I'm going to PT with a spot of merlot again tonight, tomorrow, and probably Thursday. I'll let you all know my findings!

[Shmoopy]

[bre.kidman]

BAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!!

That DID inspire me to check a BAC calculator, though. I'm a big lady and three glasses of wine puts me around .06 if I chug them all in 15 minutes and walk in. At 3 hours, the BAC goes down to .009, so maybe it's a placebo effect? Shit, don't tell my brain!

[gobosox]

BAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!!

That DID inspire me to check a BAC calculator, though. I'm a big lady and three glasses of wine puts me around .06 if I chug them all in 15 minutes and walk in. At 3 hours, the BAC goes down to .009, so maybe it's a placebo effect? Shit, don't tell my brain!

Gotta get extra drunk so that as it wears off you still have a buzz throughout the whole test.

[guinness1547]

YOLO

[redbullvodka]

Did most of my studying with a glass of bourbon or scotch, 173 without a retake (but didn't actually consume alcohol on test day).

[KFV]

I've heard of a similar situation in line with exactly what you said. A very strong chess player I know (e.g. national team level) plays blitz chess much stronger when he's had a couple drinks. He'd never do it for a standard tournament game because it obviously does slightly impair his ability to calculate/reason, but it works for blitz, because rather than spending time analysing a move that he intuitively recognises as correct, he just plays it.

It makes total sense. How much time have you wasted checking B through E thoroughly even though you knew A was the answer? But I'm sure a lot of us, myself included, would have a nagging feeling if we didn't.

[bre.kidman]

Got a 169 last night after a day of work and a goodly glass. I was upset until I realized that it was the highest score I'd obtained prior to this drinking revelation. A big glass on an empty stomach with 20 minutes rest before testing proved too much this morning, however, and I sunk to a 162 ENTIRELY because I ran out of time while reading the last RC passage (and went -2 on the other sections). I think the key is striking a balance on the empty-stomach-in-the-morning thing, since Monday was a spectacular success (for me) and involved a somewhat smaller glass and included no waiting between drinking and testing. Trying again tomorrow morning...

[gobosox]

Got a 169 last night after a day of work and a goodly glass. I was upset until I realized that it was the highest score I'd obtained prior to this drinking revelation. A big glass on an empty stomach with 20 minutes rest before testing proved too much this morning, however, and I sunk to a 162 ENTIRELY because I ran out of time while reading the last RC passage (and went -2 on the other sections). I think the key is striking a balance on the empty-stomach-in-the-morning thing, since Monday was a spectacular success (for me) and involved a somewhat smaller glass and included no waiting between drinking and testing. Trying again tomorrow morning...

I'm starting to think a good vodka redbull the morning of the exam would do wonders... All of my mistakes are overthinking...

[cinephile]

There's never a wrong reason to drink.

[bre.kidman]

168 with moscato today. Seems like the only drawback is that I'm a little slow on RC if it comes first. I went -0 on the last LR section and -1 on games... and this was my first go 'round with PT 67. The much lamented zones made perfect sense...?

I think the plan is to do some timing drills on RC today/tonight, rest Friday, and then drink a glass of moscato and hope for the best Saturday! Thanks for the input, all!

[ruthevans41]

Alcohol at work place is hilarious idea for me. How people can implement this.

[Skill Game]

my view on this is that if you can only really get motivated to study through alcohol, then its probably the thing to do. youre at least going to learn and retain some amount of information

[Volunteer]

Why did I read this post AFTER Saturday? Crazy thing, I had noticed the same thing after a little rum. Shoulda gone with it.