Folks, it’s that time of year. The weather is turning crisp, the trees are stripping down for the winter, 3rd grade teachers are changing their window decorations from cut-out turkeys to snowflakes, and LSAT students are burning out.
This is understandable. With such a high-stakes test, prepping for the LSAT generally goes past being a part-time gig and starts becoming an obsession. Yes, practice does improve your score, but there’s a limit. Watch out for the signs of burn-out:
– Your score is starting to droop – and not because of anxiety, but because of weary eyes and a wandering mind.
– You are taking tests but are not reviewing them. Mostly because . . .
– You are angry, deeply angry.
Alright, stop. Here are some suggestions:
1. Take a day or two off. Your brain may actually do better if you give it some time to settle and organize what you’ve learned.
2. Work out. Your brain is a muscle – it needs oxygen.
3. Stop drinking, sniffing donuts or whatever you do for recreation that happily or not impairs your brain functioning. Your brain . . . well, this one is obvious.
4. Change how you are preparing. Try studying with someone else. Try playing the LSAT Arcade. Try doing just 1 or 2 full sections each day for a couple of days instead of full practice tests. Re-do some old sections.
5. Get some sleep. If you’re exhausted, this can be more helpful as doing more work.
6. Create a schedule, and add in breaks. Watch a movie to unwind and let your brain relax.
7. Recognize that you cannot learn much more – these final days are for you to solidify what you’ve learned and get into a routine.
You’re almost there, so don’t sweat it if you’re seeing a dip in scores – instead, change up what you’re doing. And don’t worry if you’re unable to get excited about the LSAT. Test day will bring adrenalin, which will help energize you a bit.
This post is provided by Manhattan LSAT, a leading LSAT-exclusive test preparation provider. To hear more from Manhattan LSAT, listen to Law School Podcaster’s full shows,The LSAT: Everything You Need to Know About the Test and Conquering the LSAT: Tips for Tackling the Test.