ZT: A good post for those having great difficulty seeing improvement

showmearound

By: premieraw  on L.S.D.

Alright here it goes, answers are in bold.

Are you in under grad at UofM? 

I am, graduating next may

What do you think it was that made everything come together?  Do you think it ewas the class? 

Tough question to answer, but i will say is that it didn't come easy. Basically my approach was going through the tests section by section un-timed and really understanding the questions, especially for LR. The process for me was pretty painstaking, but after doing probably 10-15 tests that way, things just sort of started to click. (not to mention I read both the LRB and LGB as a supplement along the way) As i’m sure you know, the LSAT reuses concepts and ideas over and over, and after some diligent studying you start finding yourself catching on to what the test expects of you. In regards to the class, i went in having done the LRB and LGB, which certainly made things easier for me in terms of understanding the basic concepts of the test. I've also learned quite a bit so far in the class though, not to mention it forces me to be in an LSAT environment 8-12 hours a week (plus about 20-25 hrs per week of homework) so id say most of the work in making everything come together for me was through self study, but thats not to say i couldn’t have gotten there without it.

Yuo said you have been studying for 5 months - how much of this was with the course?  How many points did you increase in the 5 months?

The course started in late July, the other 4 months were on and off for probably 15 hours a week at my low points and upwards of 25-30 at the high end. My score has gone up about 12 points from my starting point, but i expect that will climb to at least 18 before i take the test. (Or at least hope, i mean it’s certainly possible i just have to continue working)

did you find yourself getting discouraged in the beginning? 

Most definitively. Contrary to what the vast majority of the others on the board claim, (which btw i have a really really hard time believing) most people don't just wake up one day and score a 160, its just not that common. With that said, yes i worked quite hard to get were i am, and i can't seem to remember a day of that wasn't extremely frustrating, especially the infant stages. It's like trying to learn any difficult thing for the first time, it takes perseverance, but that doesn't mean you can't overcome it. 

I think i am going to discontinue doing practice tests until I study much more and am ready to test - because right now they are pointless.

good plan, i strongly agree.

 the diagnostics bring me down and waste time - because u dont learn  hat much from them.  I hope ur right that everything will eventually start coming together.  i havent been studying that long and im probably/hopefully being too harsh on myself to expect perfection after only a very short time, and never being shown how to do the logic games.

Yes, you are, but its probably for the best. The test is 7 short weeks away, you need to be realistic. Study hard, see were you’re at in Sept and make the decision to take or postpone based upon your progress. I should say however, you have more then enough time to hit it really hard and be ready for September, just be ready to dedicate the rest of your days from this point forward to the cause. Best of Luck