Death By Logic Game

Yay!  Its done!  As of 6 PM today, I have reclaimed my life.

(at least until I take the test again in October, which I will likely do because that's what most people do- - the girl next to me in line has now taken it 3 times.  Most schools used to average your scores, but now many are taking the highest... wheee more fun for meeeee...)

So, the last 72 hours have been anal-retentive type A fest 2008.  For those of you (all of you) who knew me in college when I could not be bothered to turn in papers within a week of their due date, I wish to share.  

My test prep countdown started Wednesday night, when I took a practice test at 10 PM after finishing my work at the office.  I took Thursday and Friday off to prepare, so I stayed late on Wednesday as there was stuff to finish up and documents to shred in order to destroy evidence of work I neglected to finish up.  We finished up the test at about 12:10 AM, which was a New Year's Eve style kickoff to our LSAT countdown.  Except instead of champagne, we toasted with anxiety.  

Starting Thursday morning, I embarked upon a sort of LSAT infused yoga retreat that involved drinking enormous amounts of ginko and st. john's wort tea (which I've been drinking every day for a month now), doing timed sections and meditating.  Most people feel that the logic games require a sort of zen-like stoicism, so I have been cultivating my inner cocoon.  Indeed, one cannot determine whether Mike sits next to Bob if Melanie must sit to the right of Juan when Juan wears a hat on Tuesday and Mike prefers lemonade over unsliced bread without the proper frame of mind.

This routine occupied my time Thursday and Friday until Mattie and I accepted that our apartment is a HUGE mess and that a bunch people were coming over this week (MCS and MGS are both out of town so there's a string of people taking shifts babysitting me), so I then alternated practice sections with cleaning with checking the cost of one way flights to Cyprus.

My next strategy for game day was to intimidate my opponents with the sheer number of pencils I brought to the test.  I seriously had like 25.  And about 10 erasers.  And a pencil sharpener (which I used during the break only because I was so jacked up on adderall and the espresso beans I was downing by the fistful that I needed something to steady my hand... this too explains why I'm still up at 6 AM).  Anyhow, I believe that studies have shown that the more pencils a test-taker brings to the exam, the more likely he or she is to be admitted to the supreme court.  

There is no way that this is the case.

But, I went with it anyway.  The final 24 hours consisted of the following:

6/15

3PM- Arrive at William and Mary, find testing room take practice section in the testing room in the preferred seat.  Matt tests many seats in order to determine which is the most desirable, based on the ventilation and possible draft, proximity to the door, lighting,  angle to clock and a myriad of other factors outlined in his report.  We select a seat in the front right.

4PM- Lunch.  I had 1/2 a beer.  I haven't been drinking for a week in prep, but it was so hot out and it was from a microbrewery so I had to try.  After drinking the 1/2 beer, I then become extremely paranoid that I am drunk and that my brain has been compromised.  Matt somehow convinces me that I am not drunk and we return to our hotel.

7PM- We nap.

8PM- We meditate.

9:30 PM- We sleep.  (I use this term loosely, I woke up every hour or so...)

9:30 AM- We awaken.  I am in a cold sweat. I drink a lot of water.  I had decided to stop drinking water at 10 AM because, you may not know this, I have a tendency to use the restroom often.  As I am aware of the health benefits of staying well hydrated, and I drink fantastic amounts of beer and wine, I try to drink a LOT of water during the day.  Like, I'm used to going to the bathroom like every 45 minutes or so.  So, I made my cutoff 9:30 so that I would have time to process the beverage before the exam, so that I could induce a state of dehydration, preventing a bathroom break.  Note that on the LSAT a bathroom break could cost 5 minutes that are simply not available.  I would almost certainly not finish a section and lose many points.  Leaving the test to use the restroom is NOT an option.  Please retain this information...

10:00 AM- Breakfast.  Lots of protein and citrus (Richard on Gilmore Girls says that grapefruit is "brain food" so I followed his advice)

11:00 AM- Work Out- including bike, calisthenics, and "brain gym" exercises that Matt led which are designed to use coordination to increase bloodflow to the brain.  I also hang upside down for a few minutes.

11:30- Shower.

12:00- Depart for test Center, check-in time is 12:30.

Once I arrive, I join roughly 50 other ziploc-bag clad friends who look smart.  I loathe them on site, but make conversation.  People say things like "I've taken a full practice test every day for the past year" and "I've been doing logic games blindfolded upside down at high altitudes while chewing fresh basil, you should try it."  My yoga LSAT retreat seems inadequate.

Matt has taken on a sort of "trainer" role (he really likes the Rocky movies) and waits with me in line while rubbing my shoulders and whispering "you're a champ" in my ear.  People ask him if he's taking the test.  He frankly replies "No, I'm just hanging out."  

Because that's where the cool kids hang out.  In line.  Waiting to take the LSAT.

Anyway, I get inside after being fingerprinted (check in lady says "very nice"... yay!  at least I have a good fingerprint!  Can I have a 180?), and ... oh boy... assigned seats.  A wirey man with glasses gestures for me to join him... in the front row, by the clock, away from the vent.  Hooray!  That throws a little wrench in my plan, but I still feel good about the real estate that he has selected for me.

After 45 minutes of name filling out... we begin.

Things are rocky at first,  the logic games section (which turned out to be experimental) seemed weird and different from the games I've been preparing with.  And having taken almost every logic games section that's been offered during the last 10 years, I have a basis for this judgement.

Then during the (also rocky) reading comp... it comes....

I really have to pee.

I panic, look around.  Crap.  I CAN NOT leave.  This will forfeit the test.  I'll have to cancel.  Start anew.  Brain gym for naught.  I persist... and I release.

Yup, I peed on myself in a room full of people.  Fortunately, the thickly upholstered seats and my black gauchos concealed my deed but, ya.  That's how it went down.  And the best part was I had to stay in pee pants for the following 3 1/2 hours of testing.

We have a "what happens on the blog, stays on the blog rule, right?"

Overall the test went OK, I never can tell and some tests that have felt great turned out to yield lower scores than tests where I left feeling awful.  I have no way of knowing, at least for now I have a reprieve and can concentrate on work and sunshine.

I'm glad to hear that Nicky is enjoying Miami!!  I sent Erin and email about visiting you, I was thinking maybe Halloween?  So I can check out UMiami and we can have matching costumes of awesomeness?  What do you think?

Love you ladies.  Off to the office, cheers. :-)