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I'm taking the June test, and each time I do a PT, there is always 1~2 sections when I cannot possibly focus on the test material... Half of my mistakes are due to misreading the question b/c I'm sleepy, thinking about other stuff, etc. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you bring yourself back to focus?

There are several reasons why one can't focus. The severity of the problem varies as well. Maybe you could talk about your case with such details. Folks with similar experiences would then be able to chime in with relevant inputs.

What I like to do is take a deep breath and close my eyes just for a few seconds and then reread and fully try to grasp what they are saying.

It helps to be interested in what you're reading and try to find flaws in the argument or try to see what they're alluding to. Sometimes I try to ask myself "why" when I'm reading. It not only helps keep me interested but also helps keep me organized with how the author is arguing.

If you are legitimately sleepy, fatigued, etc, then you need to evaluate your sleep schedule and diet. Cut of simple sugars and gets 8+ hours, that should help with focus and alertness. If you generally can't focus, well then there isn't much we can recommend. Either you're committed enough to the test to pay attention or you aren't. I hate to be so blunt, but I am very skeptical of people who "can't focus". That said, if you have an actual medical condition/diagnosis like ADHD or ADD seek out potential accommodations for the test. If that's not you, then you really should be able to invest 4 1/2 hours to the most important test of your life. Remember, a lot of these questions are written to disorientate and confuse you, it's your job to make them simple & abstract, that's what this test is testing.

Hey thanks for all your reply! I should elaborate a little more. When I cannot focus I find myself drifting off half-sentence, so I lose a lot of time rereading everything, and my mind is really slow so I rely a lot more on my instinct than reasoning. But when I am alert the meaning and structure are clear on my first read, and my reasoning is clearer and faster. It happens much more with LR and RC than with LG. I also tend to focus more easily on the 5th section than on any previous ones.
I sleep enough, but I do have a carb-heavy diet. I wonder if it has to do with the timing of lunch? I usually do my PTs ~30 mins after lunch.
I don't think focusing would be a problem once I'm actually in a test room with a high adrenaline level, but doing PT while I cannot focus feels like a waste of time and is not helping me discern what I should be working on, which is why I'm asking if anyone has suggestions.

Maybe an exercise routine would help. Put your phone and laptop away, that's a big one for me sometimes. Picturing myself opening my score after the June test to something way lower than I want is usually a good motivator too lol.

sunniewithoutY wrote: I sleep enough, but I do have a carb-heavy diet. I wonder if it has to do with the timing of lunch? I usually do my PTs ~30 mins after lunch.

The timing certainly has a bearing on concentration because your blood flow is directed towards the digestive area after you eat a meal, more so in case of a carb heavy one, thereby depriving the brain of it. (I don't want to expand further on this coz it's technical. But you could Google it for more.)

You should PT during the hours the actual test will be. If you need to eat before, keep it protein heavy. This alone should help you a lot. This will also help you figure what food works for you and in what quantity. Test day would be a total replication of this routine.

freekick wrote:

sunniewithoutY wrote: I sleep enough, but I do have a carb-heavy diet. I wonder if it has to do with the timing of lunch? I usually do my PTs ~30 mins after lunch.

The timing certainly has a bearing on concentration because your blood flow is directed towards the digestive area after you eat a meal, more so in case of a carb heavy one, thereby depriving the brain of it. (I don't want to expand further on this coz it's technical. But you could Google it for more.)

You should PT during the hours the actual test will be. If you need to eat before, keep it protein heavy. This alone should help you a lot. This will also help you figure what food works for you and in what quantity. Test day would be a total replication of this routine.

Great advice. Everyone definitely suffers from attention span issues in one way or another but you just really have to get yourself motivated. I recommend switching your sleep schedule and trying to PT when the actual test is going to be. While fall exams are 8AM June might be 1PM? not sure. However, either way PT when the exam is going to be and definitely focus on diet and working out. Dont eat carb heavy... Eat a balanced and healthy diet otherwise you will feel sleepy especially early afternoon (That 2:30 feeling Lol is real). It helps me focus so much better by starting my day with a workout and i tend to be more productive through periods when I am eating well and working out routinely.

jagerbom79 wrote:

freekick wrote:

sunniewithoutY wrote: I sleep enough, but I do have a carb-heavy diet. I wonder if it has to do with the timing of lunch? I usually do my PTs ~30 mins after lunch.

The timing certainly has a bearing on concentration because your blood flow is directed towards the digestive area after you eat a meal, more so in case of a carb heavy one, thereby depriving the brain of it. (I don't want to expand further on this coz it's technical. But you could Google it for more.)

You should PT during the hours the actual test will be. If you need to eat before, keep it protein heavy. This alone should help you a lot. This will also help you figure what food works for you and in what quantity. Test day would be a total replication of this routine.

Great advice. Everyone definitely suffers from attention span issues in one way or another but you just really have to get yourself motivated. I recommend switching your sleep schedule and trying to PT when the actual test is going to be. While fall exams are 8AM June might be 1PM? not sure. However, either way PT when the exam is going to be and definitely focus on diet and working out. Dont eat carb heavy... Eat a balanced and healthy diet otherwise you will feel sleepy especially early afternoon (That 2:30 feeling Lol is real). It helps me focus so much better by starting my day with a workout and i tend to be more productive through periods when I am eating well and working out routinely.

I switched to a super low carb diet and I've been getting nailed with this recently

Mint-Berry_Crunch wrote:

jagerbom79 wrote:

freekick wrote:

sunniewithoutY wrote: I sleep enough, but I do have a carb-heavy diet. I wonder if it has to do with the timing of lunch? I usually do my PTs ~30 mins after lunch.

The timing certainly has a bearing on concentration because your blood flow is directed towards the digestive area after you eat a meal, more so in case of a carb heavy one, thereby depriving the brain of it. (I don't want to expand further on this coz it's technical. But you could Google it for more.)

You should PT during the hours the actual test will be. If you need to eat before, keep it protein heavy. This alone should help you a lot. This will also help you figure what food works for you and in what quantity. Test day would be a total replication of this routine.

Great advice. Everyone definitely suffers from attention span issues in one way or another but you just really have to get yourself motivated. I recommend switching your sleep schedule and trying to PT when the actual test is going to be. While fall exams are 8AM June might be 1PM? not sure. However, either way PT when the exam is going to be and definitely focus on diet and working out. Dont eat carb heavy... Eat a balanced and healthy diet otherwise you will feel sleepy especially early afternoon (That 2:30 feeling Lol is real). It helps me focus so much better by starting my day with a workout and i tend to be more productive through periods when I am eating well and working out routinely.

I switched to a super low carb diet and I've been getting nailed with this recently

Yeah thats just as bad. I "bodybuild" and i never do truly "Low" carb diets because they crush my energy levels and when im in school and or work/studying LSAT im not productive. When I say not carb heavy, i just mean not crushing pasta, rice, burgers, fries, and pizza all day long.. Eat whole grains, veggies and ample fats and proteins at your macronutrient demands. you can even eat some fast digesting carbs and whatever you want just in moderation. If you eat mostly clean, Ive found that I feel and perform much better in everything that I do.

sunniewithoutY wrote:I'm taking the June test, and each time I do a PT, there is always 1~2 sections when I cannot possibly focus on the test material... Half of my mistakes are due to misreading the question b/c I'm sleepy, thinking about other stuff, etc. Does anyone else have this problem? How do you bring yourself back to focus?

Sometimes I get bored and lose my focus during a PT. To fix this, I imagine for a quick 10 seconds that I'm at Cooley because I slacked off on the LSAT. Usually fixes the problem.