- Posts: 116
- Joined: Dec 02, 2020
- Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:23 pm
#84315
Today I finally pushed through my text anxiety and did an honest PT. I did well but did not feel good about my performance. I still felt panic during the exam and experienced this veil over my consciousness I often feel during exams. In prior PTs, I would panic so hard that often would have to stop the test and come back hours later.
Pushing through feels like a win. But I still have so much further to go in terms of test mentality.
Tonight I realized that the key to LSAT mindset mastery and will attempt to implement as follows. I hope this helps someone else as much as it inspires me to try.
1. Be more negative on the exam and more positive about myself and my ability to dominate the exam. Approach the arguments with a martial stance of attack. Attack the answer choices with an eye of skepticism and negativity. 80% of them are wrong, after all. Do not choose answer until you've sorted contenders from losers. Trust your instincts. If something looks off in an answer choice, it's more than likely wrong. If if smells good, look closer. Either way, look closer. Be more critical. Transfer the self-criticism to the questions - look for the flaws in LR; hold the answer choices to high standards in all sections. In other words, take the negativity and doubt I would have in myself and transfer that to the exam. Channel the energy and use it against the exam itself. Play the game. And get excited about it. Use the nerves as a positive -- think of the electric energy and flip the switch like transfer switches on trains. I am the conductor of this brain, I can learn how to channel mental energy and redirect it in a way that serves me on the LSAT and in life.
2. Focus on the process rather than the outcome. For each PT and even the test itself, evaluate your performance based on how you responded to the exam as the sections were playing out. Note the mental and emotional state of being as the timer winds down. If you do this well, then your score will increase too. Mental and emotional mastery is as key to the LSAT as learning how to solve an assumption question. Visualize yourself performing well. How do you imagine responding to something really hard or dense or surprising? What is your mental talk track at that time? Speak with confidence to and about yourself. You got this. Dominate!
3. Meditation and the power of the breath can help. Will write more about this later.
4. Be Kind, Lift Heavy. When all else fails, be compassionate with yourself. If you're having a rough go during the exam, or just had a crappy exam or PT, comfort yourself. I am queen of mental self-flagellation after a poor performance. I replay it out in my mind aware of moments I froze or panicked and lost time. Often I can see it playing out in front of me real time during the exam, and I can't wipe the veil away from my consciousness enough to focus. Sometimes the veil is so strong that it takes me minutes to bring meaning back to words on the screen. Today I even had to smack myself during the PT to focus. Wake up, Julie! Get it together. After you fail, don't be afraid to get back up and try again -- the LSAT is a heavy lift but it is well worth the prize. Work the process and you will get it.
I think with practice of mental fortitude and toughness, I can get there too. With intention and practice, right practice, practice evaluated using the method described above, I have no doubt I will achieve my goal score. That said, it will probably take me a few sittings and I am totally cool with that. When I step back I am excited about this exam. The LSAT is hands down the most interesting exam I have ever studied for. I am fascinated by the psychology of it all and have made it a life goal to meet a psychometrician. I will probably take this exam as many times as I can in my lifetime. Hoping to leave at least a few in reserve for years down the line, just for fun. LSAT nerd for life. Though I promise not to be that jerk who talks about their LSAT score in law school.
I hope this post inspired your LAST prep as much as it has mine. I may have to come back here and remind myself of these lessons many times in the next few months.
Julie
P.S. Does anyone have the link to the post with the GRE study?
Pushing through feels like a win. But I still have so much further to go in terms of test mentality.
Tonight I realized that the key to LSAT mindset mastery and will attempt to implement as follows. I hope this helps someone else as much as it inspires me to try.
1. Be more negative on the exam and more positive about myself and my ability to dominate the exam. Approach the arguments with a martial stance of attack. Attack the answer choices with an eye of skepticism and negativity. 80% of them are wrong, after all. Do not choose answer until you've sorted contenders from losers. Trust your instincts. If something looks off in an answer choice, it's more than likely wrong. If if smells good, look closer. Either way, look closer. Be more critical. Transfer the self-criticism to the questions - look for the flaws in LR; hold the answer choices to high standards in all sections. In other words, take the negativity and doubt I would have in myself and transfer that to the exam. Channel the energy and use it against the exam itself. Play the game. And get excited about it. Use the nerves as a positive -- think of the electric energy and flip the switch like transfer switches on trains. I am the conductor of this brain, I can learn how to channel mental energy and redirect it in a way that serves me on the LSAT and in life.
2. Focus on the process rather than the outcome. For each PT and even the test itself, evaluate your performance based on how you responded to the exam as the sections were playing out. Note the mental and emotional state of being as the timer winds down. If you do this well, then your score will increase too. Mental and emotional mastery is as key to the LSAT as learning how to solve an assumption question. Visualize yourself performing well. How do you imagine responding to something really hard or dense or surprising? What is your mental talk track at that time? Speak with confidence to and about yourself. You got this. Dominate!
3. Meditation and the power of the breath can help. Will write more about this later.
4. Be Kind, Lift Heavy. When all else fails, be compassionate with yourself. If you're having a rough go during the exam, or just had a crappy exam or PT, comfort yourself. I am queen of mental self-flagellation after a poor performance. I replay it out in my mind aware of moments I froze or panicked and lost time. Often I can see it playing out in front of me real time during the exam, and I can't wipe the veil away from my consciousness enough to focus. Sometimes the veil is so strong that it takes me minutes to bring meaning back to words on the screen. Today I even had to smack myself during the PT to focus. Wake up, Julie! Get it together. After you fail, don't be afraid to get back up and try again -- the LSAT is a heavy lift but it is well worth the prize. Work the process and you will get it.
I think with practice of mental fortitude and toughness, I can get there too. With intention and practice, right practice, practice evaluated using the method described above, I have no doubt I will achieve my goal score. That said, it will probably take me a few sittings and I am totally cool with that. When I step back I am excited about this exam. The LSAT is hands down the most interesting exam I have ever studied for. I am fascinated by the psychology of it all and have made it a life goal to meet a psychometrician. I will probably take this exam as many times as I can in my lifetime. Hoping to leave at least a few in reserve for years down the line, just for fun. LSAT nerd for life. Though I promise not to be that jerk who talks about their LSAT score in law school.
I hope this post inspired your LAST prep as much as it has mine. I may have to come back here and remind myself of these lessons many times in the next few months.
Julie
P.S. Does anyone have the link to the post with the GRE study?