LSAT burnout Forum

[mynameis08]

Hey anyone here has experienced burnout a week before the lsat and just a few days before you take the test you feel so demotivated that you just want to get it done and you feel sick whenever you see something related to the test? If so, what did you guys do to recover? I'll be taking my retake this coming Sunday (schedule's different), and preparing for months made me feel so burnout right now that all my motivation just went down the drain. I'd appreciate if anyone here would share the same experience as to how he/she recovered.


Thanks in advance

[moralsentiments]

Like a week and a half before the test, my scores started to drop on PTs. So about 4 days before the test I just decided not to do any more studying and just let my brain relax and take whatever score I get. I ended up getting 1 pt. higher than my usual average (prior to the score drops).

I'm a huge believer in letting your brain relax when you feel burned out. It helps so much. Not only did I score better on test day, but I wasn't even nervous at all during the test. I used to get very anxious every timed PT I would take.

[mynameis08]

Like a week and a half before the test, my scores started to drop on PTs. So about 4 days before the test I just decided not to do any more studying and just let my brain relax and take whatever score I get. I ended up getting 1 pt. higher than my usual average (prior to the score drops).

I'm a huge believer in letting your brain relax when you feel burned out. It helps so much. Not only did I score better on test day, but I wasn't even nervous at all during the test. I used to get very anxious every timed PT I would take.

It happens to me too! Whenever I take pt I get so nervous and end up with a lower score. Thanks for this one, I think I might just have to continue resting my head

[a.sleepyhead]

I took the October LSAT, and I was doing 4ish hours of prep a day + my courseload for the weeks leading up to the test. My PT's the week before the test went 173 - 173 - 173 - 173, etc., but with no consistency as to where the points were lost. I couldn't sleep at all the night before the big day, but I was really prepared. I got a 173. My immune system also just shut down and I got like the cold, the flu, laryngitis, and the stomach flu - all in a row.

I decided to retake in November, and registered late for the December test. I did literally 3 PT's to practice and nothing else. I was rusty as hell, but I got a 175 on my retake.

Bottom line: if you feel like you're hitting a wall or burning out, you probably are. Sleeping, playing video games, and generally doing non-LSAT things can actually be better for your score (and mental health) than hitting your head against the metaphorical wall with constant prep work.

[Jeffort]

Try to relax, you don't suddenly lose LSAT skills because you're not constantly doing PTs. Just do some drilling instead of PTs to keep yourself in the mode along with some stress relieving activities. One or two more PTs should be enough in the next week plus some drilling. Drilling is what keeps your skills tuned up better than timed PTs anyway. Timed PTs don't improve skills, they just measure your current performance level and increase your stress level as test day approaches because you put too much mental importance on them.

It happens to me too! Whenever I take pt I get so nervous and end up with a lower score. Thanks for this one, I think I might just have to continue resting my head

Substitute some drilling in place of a few PTs. Drilling builds and maintains skills without freaking you out about score range. Just focus on perfect form with your step by step methods, it'll help restore your confidence and reduce stress since there is no concern about score. Obsessing too much about your score leading up to test day, and especially on test day itself while taking it is a surefire score killer that can easily knock you down several points or more due to excessive stress and pressure.

Relaxation, properly rested and being in a healthy state of mind is what's essential for being in shape for test day, a bunch of timed PTs during the last week are not essential if your skills are already in shape for your target score. Like said above, some rest and relaxation to get your head clear is going to help your score more than taking a bunch more PTs.