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[aldrinjustice]

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[eli2015]

I would do nothing else but live, eat, breathe, sleep LSAT. The LSAT should be your top priority if you really want to score that high because scoring that high is not just about knowing the test, it is about mastering the test. Not to be a complete A** about it, but all this social event crap has to be put on hold, if you really want it, you can achieve it, but that requires hard word and dedication. I am taking the December administration, and I study like 5hrs+ a day almost everyday, unless I have work which then I only study like 3hrs. What I am trying to say is don't just say you want to earn a 170+ score do the work of a 170+ scorer. I understand the journey is long and hard, its also annoying, but hey if it was easy enough to say I want to score in the 99th percentile, and score it, 1. we would have a bunch of idiot lawyers who are trash at their job, and 2. Everyone would be able to do it. My advice is only retake if you are going to dedicate all the time the LSAT needs from you. FYI I studied for like 2hrs 4th of July, and I was having heard palpitations, and anxiety from feeling that I am slacking. I am not saying get like that, but I just want to portray to you that there are people out there who do crazy things to score 170+ on the LSAT, and if you want to score on their level, unless you are a genius, your going to have to put in just as much work.

[PoopNpants]

fuck that 5 hours a day noise, seriously treat it like a full-time job, 8 hours a day minimum cept somedays where you stay in the office for "overtime". Atleast 60 hours a week for 3-4 months should do the trick

[trqdor]

my man i feel you on every level. and i wish i had an inspiring/hopeful story for you where i was in the same place as you but then i worked hard and got that 174!! but nah, that's not me, and just like you i've been living with/loving this test for years but it hasn't shown me any love back.. just a few 170s here and there to tease me into thinking i've made progress.

but i do believe if you put in the right amount of work with the right studying, the score you want in just over the horizon. i have no evidence for this personally, but i think the number of success stories in this forum serve as evidence that it is possible. not guaranteed, but possible and achievable.

i think you have to know yourself. if you think that the move in sept is going to distract you so that you won't be able to perform at all, wait it out and take december. worst case scenario, you do shitty again, wait out another cycle of law school, and take another stab at it when the next oldest score expires. but at a certain point, you're going to have to set priorities. it's not about the 'ideal' time to take the test. but being confident in your abilities so that distractions don't mean shit. MJ + flu = MJ being MJ.

some things I tell myself as i tackle this a third time:

- this is a short term investment that can have incredible returns. three years of studying (and gaining skills that will help you as a law student/lawyer in the future) is an incredibly short amount of time to earn a full scholarship value at a top tier school. i could work my shitty pay paralegal job for 10 years and i might be able to attend law school at sticker price if i don't eat and i don't live in a place with a roof and running water.

- this test is not something mysterious and unknown. it is just a test. a standardized test. as such, it is learnable, and it has a limited number of variables. there are only x number of game types, with y number of questions types/stems, all combined in 4 scored sections. if you approach this test systematically following steps and understanding rules, you can only get better.

- i'm not dumb. no real proof here. just a confidence that I know i can do better.

[03152016]

couple questions op

first, how are you prepping. be specific. how much books and what books, how much drilling, how many pts, how much review

second, how many hours are you putting in per week. no bs, no fluffing the numbers

[aldrinjustice]

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[eli2015]

Thanks for the tough love and words of encouragement! I had a great talk with my parents who were very supportive and in the "if you want it, fight for it, aka study harder, we believe in you" camp which really helped to lift my spirits. I think I have it in me to keep going - this is too important to me to just let go - so I've decided I will keep studying and plan to retake in October, or possibly push to December based on how the next few months of prep go. Here's hoping I can come back with a success story for y'all!

Brut -- for the most recent test I took the 7sage course which I felt was very helpful. I took the course for about 1.5 months and PTed the remaining 1.5 months. I was PTing 3-4 times per week and reviewing the exams in the days in between or the same day if it was a weekend day. As a result in the beginning I was studying about 15 hrs/week and toward the exam closer to 20 hrs/week. Just writing this out makes me realize how that probably wasn't enough and that I'll need to dedicate far more time in the next few months.

I'll read around the forum for advice for retakers (any fourth timers out there??), but if anyone has any thoughts on study plan strategies, especially dealing with overexposure to material/recent PTs, I'd really appreciate it!

Did you drill before you pt'd? If not I would recommend purchasing the Cambridge drill packets, finding your weaknesses and drill those to bits. PTing is not enough unless you drill prior to that. I mean don't get me wrong it is possible to just PT and get in the 170's for some people, but I think a bulk of the mistakes are diminished once you drill, and understand your weakness.