Freaking out! Is it a burnout? Forum

[PrayFor170]

Long time lurker. I thought I was a gunner and could study for months of LSAT, but it proves wrong. Now I start to doubt if I do have the intelligence to get through LSAT.

I have been studying rigorously for the past month, and I've been PTing consistently between 166-168, and while I'm still dreaming that I would get a lower 170s in October test, and all of a sudden, from yesterday, I've PTed a 163, which freaks me out, and today I couldn't even concentrate, so halfway through one PT I have to quit and head out for a walk. And I've been feeling down ever since this morning.

It's only 35 days left before the October test, and I'm thinking whether I should withdraw from test. I'm not sure if this 163 is an accident or it means I haven't grasped the fundamentals yet. I seemed to have made a lot of careless mistakes. Also I'm thinking of whether I should have several days off, but then I'm afraid I would forget what I have studied.

Anyone in a similar situation? Any advice would be appreciated!

[Leonardo DiCaprio]

burnout is absolutely normal and you should not let one or even a series of bad practice scores affect you too much. i remember i was absolutely killing my PTs with 172~175 scores for a bit, and then randomly i dropped to like 165, 167, 167 for like three tests. you just gotta rest a bit. during the break, don't do PTs but go over that bad PT and just focus on the questions you got wrong.

so if those questions were mostly questions of a specific type, then maybe do some light drills of that particular type of question. but the important thing is to just give yourself a short break.

[PrayFor170]

burnout is absolutely normal and you should not let one or even a series of bad practice scores affect you too much. i remember i was absolutely killing my PTs with 172~175 scores for a bit, and then randomly i dropped to like 165, 167, 167 for like three tests. you just gotta rest a bit. during the break, don't do PTs but go over that bad PT and just focus on the questions you got wrong.

so if those questions were mostly questions of a specific type, then maybe do some light drills of that particular type of question. but the important thing is to just give yourself a short break.

Before I touched the LSAT I thought it was testing intelligence. Now it seems it mostly tests how you get through tons of frustration.

[Talarose]

I would take 2 days off, completely 100% LSAT free. No PTs, no drilling, not even a single game. Just rest your mind, get a good nights sleep and don't think about it. If you truly relax and go back after 2 days, you'll be refreshed and you should be fine.

For me, I even get burnout if I study for too long in one day. I'll stop and take a break and once I truly feel like ok, I'm in the mindset to do this, I start back up again. It really makes a difference.

[LitigatingLiar]

Burnout happens to everyone that studies the way many of us on here does. Remember, if you've been studying for months, you're not just going to forget it for no reason. It's like anything else. If you work out excessively for several days, you're going to wake sore as heck. Same thing applies to your brain. Take a couple of days off. Go catch up with friends (watch the alcohol consumption) or maybe lunch with your parents. You'll come back fresh.