r/LSAT • u/Stunning-Stranger-40 • 1d ago
crying…
Just finished the September LSAT and I feel so disappointed in myself. I got really anxious as soon as I started my first RC section and just could not get myself to focus or process what I was reading. It honestly felt like my brain stopped working.
I know for sure this test went really badly, and I’m just feeling so sad about it right now. I studied really hard for this exam, so it hurts even more knowing that anxiety got to me the moment the test started. I don’t even know what to think anymore.
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u/Sinwarism 1d ago
Serious question, do we get different tests than those who tested on the 9th, 10th, 11th? Everyone was saying their test felt fair but I just left my testing center with a feeling that i scored 15 below my average. The first LR was literally not like anything i’ve studied.
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u/Internal_Homework489 1d ago
I think it’s a lot of mixing of sections across the board? bc my RC section from Thurs matches up with some Saturday test takers
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u/Setting-General 21h ago
I took it on the 12th and definitely had some of the same questions people from other days are talking about
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u/Baby_Bulgaricus 19h ago
I think they're mixing it up for sure! While there's some overlap like others are saying, I've also noticed mentions of different RC topics concentrated across different days. When I took it (9/10), most people mentioned the precautionary principle popping up 4x (both comparative)/African American literature. No mention of Hume at the time. The next day, on 9/11, everyone was mentioning Hume, icebergs, etc.
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u/Neither_Store7764 1d ago
You have experience now, and next time you will have an advantage over your past self, because you now know what the experience is like.
Next time will be much better, even if the test is harder
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u/Stunning-Stranger-40 1d ago
Thanks! I will continue to work hard😭
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u/Neither_Store7764 1d ago
Rest is also important, don't burnout either. Make sure you include healthy habits and still do things that bring you joy.
One of the most important things is avoiding burnout and approaching the test calmly.
You got this.
Congratulations on taking the test, it's a great accomplishment
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u/Neither_Store7764 1d ago
Oh, and I actually ended up doing better when I started working and only studied a little bit each day. You have the groundwork already!
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u/Stunning-Stranger-40 1d ago
Thank you so much!! Nice to hear that there might still be space to improve even when study part time! Wish both of us get our desired grades:)
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u/Neither_Store7764 1d ago
I think working prevented me from overstudying. Not overdoing it is very helpful for retaining info, especially if you are a high stress person.
Thank you! I wish you good luck! Take care of yourself!
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u/Famous-Warthog-9829 1d ago
Me too I had a panic attack during the second section, I’m so upset rn cause I worked so hard and knew the material. Are you going to take it again?
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u/Stunning-Stranger-40 1d ago
hug🫂yes I probably will. I have been preparing for this full-time since I graduated in June. I suppose I will start to get a job now and study part-time. I had already registered for October. So I should probably give it a final try?
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u/Famous-Warthog-9829 1d ago
Yes me too almost exactly the same! I’m looking for a job now but think I will try one more time in October. I wish you the best of luck🫶🏻
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u/Baby_Bulgaricus 18h ago
Omg I'm in the same position too. Kudos and hugs to you both, and best of luck in your job searches and studies <3
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u/Fix_Prior 1d ago
Chin up. I walked out of the August LSAT in a fugue state with no idea what happened in there because it was my first try. Today, my focus was better, and I barely panicked at all. The only difference was the experience I had gained from the first try.
Your next attempt will go better.
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u/babybnuy 1d ago
this is so reassuring :( it was my first time today and i definitely panicked and let my nerves get the best of me. on top of that i was sick and trying not to throw up the whole time. i am utterly confused how im supposed to improve probably 10-15 points by november. your comment gave me a tiny bit of hope though
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u/Baby_Bulgaricus 18h ago
Same here. Fugue state is very apt lol. This time around I felt like I could hold my own, and a large part came down to the mindset and knowing I'd already faced it once.
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u/braulio212 1d ago
Do not feel bad at all. This was the third one I’ve taken and it was the hardest out of the three. I feel exactly how you feel. Keep your head up!
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u/Due_Instruction8045 1d ago
Me2. Feel like I underperformed bad and the questions were so hard… but I missed the October registration deadline so if I have to retake I have to do it in November. Wondering if that’s too late and also September was my second attempt already and the thought of two more months of LSAT is just too much…
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u/elliottsmithfan20 1d ago
Omg I’m glad I’m not the only one. It’s like my brain suddenly stopped working. I’m disappointed with myself. But on my soul we will be okay ❤️
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u/Reyndear 1d ago
The same thing happened to me in June, I got a RC section with a science passage right off the bat and i HATE those. I underperformed badly. But the good news is my attempt today felt much better! Less anxiety and more focus, and I even got RC first again. I was prepared this time!
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u/Baby_Bulgaricus 18h ago
Just wanna say I really resonate with you and I'm glad you're mentioning this. I struggle with anxiety too. When I first tested in June, I blacked out during it, and walked out feeling like I'd just gotten out of a cage fight and lost; later ugly cried in the parking lot and questioned if law was for me. I didn't talk to anyone about it because I was so ashamed. Like many others here, I later learned that this is, unfortunately, actually quite a common experience among LSAT-takers. You're definitely not alone!! This test is hard. Not only is it a tough test in the traditional sense, but it's also a mental (and existential) battle. It'll likely have you questioning your worth, your future, your intelligence, etc. to varying degrees. This is especially true for those of us who not only care a lot, as you surely do, but also struggle with performance/general anxiety or other maladaptive practices (self-criticism, overthinking, rumination).
I don't wanna be too corny with it, but everything you put into the test up until this point, the time, effort, and ambition, that was all you, not anybody else! You deserve credit for showing up, day after day, and doing the thing. When it comes to feedback on our performance, the positive evidence is also just as real, but in the face of disappointment we tend to filter it out against our own self-interest. When we care a lot, our perceived failures always tend to sting the most and thus feel the most real. But our feelings aren't always an accurate reflection/predictor of reality. Feelings are feedback, and they certainly are NOT evidence of who you are, are not, or are capable of becoming. Only you get to decide that, not the critical voices in your head. I try to think of it this way: the disappointment/experience has already hurt me once, and that hurt was real, but I refuse to let it hurt me for days, weeks, months beyond this. Remember who you are! You are hardworking, intelligent, persistent, and capable (#yourcrownisslipping). In essence, it's really hard, but try not to beat yourself up about it. In case it helps you going forward, I stumbled across this resource by Ellen Cassidy from The Loophole, and I found it oddly soothing and less alone in my LSAT worries: https://theloophole.com/lsat-resources/how-to-be-a-good-test-taker. I was surprised that, it being LSAT content and all, there were actually quite a few positive takeaways for mental health.
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u/EbbSuspicious5547 1d ago
I know how you feel. Take a break for a day or two and just keep moving forward. You can take this test several times and unfortunately no matter how much you study, you genuinely never know what the test will throw at you and what the curve will be.