Feeling discouraged. Advise needed, please. Forum

[Pepperdine2014]

Hi everyone,

I started studying in February 2012 and plan to take the February 2013 exam. I read all three Powerscore books first, then focused on individual game types, then focused on individual LR question types. I started taking full exams in mid November. The exams are timed but I go over the time limit. I have taken 6 exams thus far; Preptest A-C, 50, 52, and 55. My scores are 155, 152, 160, 158, 153 and 153, respectively.

My goal is to obtain a 165+ on the actual exam. I am feeling very discouraged right now...I have studied so hard for a while now and my test results are a joke. It has been my dream to attend Pepperdine for eight years but I would not waste my time applying with these scores...they're such a joke.

Can anyone provide some advice? I am willing to change my study strategy but I do not know how to because I think I have done all that I can at this point.

Feeling.Very.Discouraged

[blackbirdfly]

How do you review your tests after you take them? What is your process?


Don't feel too discouraged. Your goal is attainable!!

[retaking23]

Review those exams like a hawk. Review every single word of every single question. Review exactly why the right answer is right and why the wrong choices are wrong. Then, retake those six exams once or twice more. Don't worry about remembering the answers. But, try to focus on eliminating wrong answers using a consistent approach (that is, really try and make an effort to get to each answer using process of elimination or deduction instead of gut instinct). Then, go into newer PTs.

Use the retakes to weed out any poor habits. <<<---- This is usually the main reason for poor performance after sustained self-study.

Once you've gotten rid of your poor habits, get back on the horse and start drilling, etc. Good luck.

[dosto]

.

[DaveShady]

I agree with ^^^^

I don't think it'd be a good idea to show up and take the exam not confident in your ability to do well.

If you're interested in looking at new study guides, I sort of used this post:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=212294

as a guideline and believe it or not after 2 months I've scored consistent 166s on my last 4 PTs.

Either way, don't get bummed out.
Studying is stressful enough as it is, I don't think anyone needs the added stress of feeling like they're letting themselves down.

[reasonable_man]

You also just might not ever score better. This can happen.

[FlyingNorth]

From now on, review your PT's using this method http://7sage.com/the-blind-review-how-t ... at-part-1/

S/O to bee and tea for preaching this when I first started lurking the board. It worked wonders for me.

[bp shinners]

The exams are timed but I go over the time limit.

First off, stop doing that. If you're going to take a PT, you need to stick to the time limits. While drilling, give yourself extra time. When sitting down for a PT, it's 35 minutes/section.

As others have said, review is more important that taking the test and learning the methods. You can't know if you're applying the methods correctly without review; you can't learn everything possible from each question without review.

After studying for 10 months, you're also probably a bit burnt out, depending on how much you've studied. And you're also probably not used to jumping between question types, as it seems most of your prep has been drilling and learning methods instead of complete sections/tests.

For now, focus on your weak areas. Shore them up a bit until they're as strong as the other sections/question types. Drill them a lot.

Then, when you're pretty solid in all the areas of the test, switch over to taking PTs. Fully review them (you should spend significantly more time reviewing the questions you got wrong than taking them in the first place - 15 minutes/LR question; 30 minutes/game; 30+ minutes/passage).

[Nova]

You also just might not ever score better. This can happen.

True, but OP has only taken 6 untimed PTs.....


OP needs to forget about PTs, read the Manhattan Bundle and DRILL DRILL DRILL

OP, read this and use these materials: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=195603

[kongpat]

What does "working so hard" mean? have you done anything other than going through the bibles n taking 6, not 60 exams?
I'm not trying to be condescending but man I studied for 4 months before I took my test and studied the bibles, Kaplan and princeton review and went through over 40 pt's which took about 5 hours a day for those 4 months. If you are discouraged right now, after just going through the bibles and 6 exams, how are you expecting to survive law school where everybody studies at least 5 hours a day just to keep up?
come on man, you can't be discouraged now. you need to push through it and realize that at the moment you are already scoring better than majority of test takers, and work three times as hard as you have been working for the next 50 days.
Just have some confidence in yourself and your abilities and you will be fine.

[Louis1127]

This forum offers a study group, which could likely provide some of the encouragement (and more importantly guidance) that you need. All of us ppl are starting from different starting points. Hell, I'm starting lower than you. Ha! See you there. Link below.



http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=211248

[cloy26]

This forum offers a study group, which could likely provide some of the encouragement (and more importantly guidance) that you need. All of us ppl are starting from different starting points. Hell, I'm starting lower than you. Ha! See you there. Link below.
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=211248

He's taking February.

See you in here.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=214583

[Pepperdine2014]

Thank you all for the responses. I did not expect to see so many. Thank you all!

I've realized that I need to drill, drill, drill. After reading the Powerscore books I drilled each game type and LR question type. Drilling those sections (somewhat) helped me develop a strategy for the games and LR questions but it did not help me work on my weaknesses, which I began to see in the PTs.

I have been self-studying since February but I think I may need to go the instructor route. I have heard great things about 7Sage so I may try that.

I really wanted to apply this cycle but now I'm not so sure if that is the best idea...

Thank you all very much for taking the time to read and respond to my post. I am going to review the links each poster provided in his/her message.

[AbhiJ]

What does "working so hard" mean? have you done anything other than going through the bibles n taking 6, not 60 exams?
I'm not trying to be condescending but man I studied for 4 months before I took my test and studied the bibles, Kaplan and princeton review and went through over 40 pt's which took about 5 hours a day for those 4 months. If you are discouraged right now, after just going through the bibles and 6 exams, how are you expecting to survive law school where everybody studies at least 5 hours a day just to keep up?
come on man, you can't be discouraged now. you need to push through it and realize that at the moment you are already scoring better than majority of test takers, and work three times as hard as you have been working for the next 50 days.
Just have some confidence in yourself and your abilities and you will be fine.

+1

No one ever said being successful was gonna be easy but I tell you one thing its sure as hell is worth it.