Not Again

[Coreysmommy]

Ok, so I scored a low 145 but I guess thats better than a 139 I've improved by 6 points. I am wondering shoud I retake or take my chances. I'm not trying to go anywhere fancy and I'm only going to be able to go part-time anyway. I applied to 15 schools last time and with that 139 I didn't even get into the lowest of the tier 4. I'm so fustrated and discouraged but I know I can not allow myself to give up. I won't give up but at this point I don't know what to do because I've taken testmasters twice, did all the homework and took pratice test after pratice test but when it comes to the test no matter how much I try to relax I get nervous and begin to cry by the third section. I've even went so far to try and get some meds for my anxiety but my doctor told me they could in fact hurt my chances of scoring high. I don't know what to do. Someone HELP

[S2X]

Well, you're looking at it the right way: your score improved by 6, which is good. 

I like that you're very determined to get into law school.  I say apply to a few T4 schools (not 15, but maybe 5-7), but consider retaking again in September.  With that new ABA policy of taking the higher score, you really don't have anything to lose.  Just looking at your TM experiences and how you approached the hw, don't take another prep course.  The problem is psychological.  All I can tell you to do is breathe and think of happy thoughts.  Deep breaths help.  The doc is right, meds could hurt performance.

HTH.

[Heinz57]

You most definitely need to get help for your anxiety. There are a number of things you can do to get it under control. All of these have worked for me:

1. Change your diet. Cut out processed foods and starchy carbs (potatoes, rice, pasta, cereal, most breads). You'll be able to concentrate a LOT better and will have less anxiety.

2. Get on a medication that can help with anxiety, but not make you foggy. Anti-depressants are no good. When my anxiety was pretty bad, I took propanolol, a beta blocker (it helps regulate your heartbeat but has the added bonus of controlling anxiety). I took it for a while when needed and felt much calmer.

3. Try 5-HTP. It is a natural building block for serotonin, which is key for anxiety (not to mention sleep, pain, depression, etc.). I recently started taking it for chronic pain, but it has mellowed me out considerably. I sleep harder, so I have to make sure I take it at least 2 hours before sleep, but it doesn't make me drowsy or foggy during the day. I would recommend researching it.

All of that said...If your anxiety is so bad that you start crying during the LSAT, then you NEED to get on medication. Therapy might help as well, but anxiety is less an emotional thing than a brain thing, and there are medications that work without making you feel like you're floating. Go see your doctor again. If you give yourself time to get used to the medication before you take the LSAT, you'll be ok.

Good luck!!!!!

[juliemccoy]

All of that said...If your anxiety is so bad that you start crying during the LSAT, then you NEED to get on medication.

What about law school final exams, 80 hour workweeks and deadlines?

[juliemccoy]

My point is that if she can't get through the LSAT without anxiety medication, then law school and a legal career may not be a good idea.

[MJT0801]

Some people get test anxiety much more than they do everyday anxiety. But, just because you take meds for it, doesn't mean you'll always have such bad anxiety or that it will limit you in a law career. Part of dealing with anxiety is getting therapy and learning coping skills, so that you either consciously change your reaction to things that make you anxious, or avoid them if that isn't possible. I know someone who took anxiety meds for a while to get through the worst of it, then learned coping skills and gradually tapered off her medicine. I agree that there's a chemical brain component to anxiety, and some people will always need medicine for it, but so what? Some people need to take allergy meds their whole lives. Big deal.