Important Questions About Studying Approaches Forum

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Anaconda

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Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Anaconda » Sun Jun 13, 2010 1:18 am

Just wanted to get everyone's opinion and recommendations, especially in regard to the firs two questions, which I haven't read a lot on here, but I think at pretty important aspects of studying.

1. Did you tackle one section at a time when studying (ex. one whole month entirely devoted to LG, one month devoted to LR, etc) or do you study multiple sections at the same time (specify if you study 2-3 sections daily, weekly, etc)?

There is a major difference between LSAT Blog's study guide (one section at a time, for about a month or so each depending on your plan) and PithyPike's study guide (multiple sections at a time) in regards to the study content and timing.

2. When do you review the questions you missed after you take a practice LSAT exam? (ex. one hour later, next day, etc.)

3. How soon after you first started "officially" studying/practicing did you take a full length PrepTest?

4. How often did you take a full-length, timed PrepTest, and how many total did you take? Do you wish you took more?

5. What did you get on the LSAT or what is your average PrepTest score range? What did you get on your first diagnostic?
Last edited by Anaconda on Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Moxie

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Moxie » Sun Jun 13, 2010 1:31 am

1) No, I won't on all three sections simultaneously. I would be incredibly bored doing only RC or LR or LG for just a month. I usually alternated every day (grade the previous day's practice, review next section type, take a practice session of that type)

2) I reviewed the practice tests over the next two days. Usually put in about 3 hours per day.

3) Took the first PT about a month after I started reviewing. This also came after I looked at both the LGB and LRB, and developed my method for RC.

4) I took two a week, eventually took about 25 full-length. I think it was enough, I used the rest to make my PTs 5 sections long.

5) Average PT range was 171-174. Got a 168 due to test nerves/stupid LG mistake.

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by apropos » Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:13 am

1. One section at a time. LG for about a little over a month, RC for a little over a week, no dedicated time on LR.

2. Almost always right away. I figured that way it would still be fresh in my head. I suggest changing the amount of wait time more, though. In retrospect, I it would have been worthwhile to at least sometimes wait a day or two before checking things over and even grading.

3. First preptest was the very first thing I did--diagnostics I guess though. After that, the first one was a month - month and a half. I think this was good.

4. It varied, but for a few weeks there I took one almost everyday--probably 5 a week. No, I wish I did a few less.

5. Preptest range: 167-175 (not counting that first diagnostic one). Mostly between 170 and 173.

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Anaconda

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Anaconda » Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:24 am

Anyone else want to share their strategies?

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Anaconda

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Anaconda » Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:02 pm

Anyone?

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by katiem » Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:43 pm

1. I spent about a month on LG (following the LSAT Blog 3-month plan) and a couple weeks working through the LRB before starting on the prep tests. I probably should have reversed that and spent more time on LR while my school schedule was lighter. LG seemed like the most exciting and important to start with, but LR was harder for me to improve on.

2. Either later that day or the next day.

3. A couple months or so.

4. Before the test I was doing 3 or 4 PTs a week. I ended up doing 12, plus 3 more recent ones and some sections from the Next 10 book to make 5 or 6-section tests. That was probably enough, but depending on how my score goes I might regret it later.

5. I got 177-180 on the PTs except for a random 173, and waiting on the score from June.

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Anaconda

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Anaconda » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:02 pm

Is anyone else doing one section at a time, or combining different section simultaneously?

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Tave » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:20 pm

1) Multiple sections at the same time. No rhyme or reason. Basically whatever came next in the practice book(s).

2) Immediately after I finished the questions. On particularly tough questions, I would look up the answer immediately to figure out what I was doing right/wrong.

3) I know this is sacrilegious on TLS, but I didn't take any timed, full-length practice tests. Didn't even know this site existed until after my score came in and I started narrowing the list of schools I applied to.

4) See #3. One caveat: I didn't sit for a simulated exam, but once I became comfortable with the style of questions in my practice books, I kept a loose eye on the clock while I did some of the questions to get a feel for how fast I needed to work through problems.

5) 167

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goawaybee

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by goawaybee » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:32 pm

ssssnnnnnnnaaaaaaakkkkkkkkeeee.

there are prob. as many threads on method/approaches to studying as there are users. Your mission is to proceed with confidence and know that you have time to get this together. Time spent on here is not time spent studying, time worrying if your study method is flawed is not studying.

THERE IS A THEME HERE, anaconda are avoiding studying???


playing. all jokes aside. my dos centavos FWIW.

If you are paranoid about your method take a few PT's.I think you really need to figure out how the test works and figure out your strengths and weaknesses to be as efficient as possible. Rip the PTs apart and figure out where you are weakest, review LR spreadsheet you can find on LSATblog for LR q's or it may be on here somewhere. Games are games, wash rinse and repeat those until you can do them in your sleep. 2 LR sections make up the largest portion of the test, if you are weak with any specific question types focus on those first then move down the list from your weakest to strongest. I think you need to remain focused on studying. You have ample time to make some solid gains, you have to use the time efficiently and do the best you can with the time you are willing to allot to studying. The same system doesn't work for everyone. Some people are ready to rock this thing after taking 3 PT's some like myself may never really destroy it due to being stubborn and set in their ways.

I dropped the ball in the beginning, I think I could have benefited greatly from reviewing the first 3-4 PT's in depth, all answers whether right or wrong. It isn't only about why you got questions wrong when you are getting acclimated to this exam, if you pick the ones apart you got correct you can apply that knowledge over again it will probably help boost your confidence. These things are very repetitive. I got so deep in the forest I forget to look around and notice that A: I was in the damn forest to begin with and B: Lots of trees were the same species just had a slightly different branch structure if you know what i am saying.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat. You just have to do your best and remain focused on studying. Accuracy is your ally. Speed will come. It is a numbers game in the end, def. work on games but that doesn't mean you can't work on say Flaw type questions or Par. reasoning if you are weak on those when you are all gamed out. You know how you learn best, I think this is all about personalization. This site has an absurd amount of info, use it as a tool. With this site, a few hundo to spend on study materials and a commitment on your end to spend your hours efficiently you can perform well. Don't get lost in "you need X score" or "this person scores X" this is all about you. Get an idea of where you stand, bust your ass to do better. It takes time for this info and some of the methods to sink in. Patience is good to exercise. Consume it (the LSAT), don't let it consume you.

Confidence reigns supreme in this kingdom. It is YOU vs. the LSAT. I suggest you focus inward and figure out how you are going to beat it down proper.

just one mans opinion.

Stay focused mang. Do you.

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Anaconda

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Anaconda » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:44 pm

goawaybee wrote:ssssnnnnnnnaaaaaaakkkkkkkkeeee.

there are prob. as many threads on method/approaches to studying as there are users. Your mission is to proceed with confidence and know that you have time to get this together. Time spent on here is not time spent studying, time worrying if your study method is flawed is not studying.

THERE IS A THEME HERE, anaconda are avoiding studying???

Haha. I actually started studying over a week ago, and I've done at least a solid 2-3 hours of practice/reading every day, with most days 3-4 hours. Done a good number on linear & advanced linear games (about 6 a day, with 3-4 of them problem I already tried and struggled with), and I'm finishing games within 9-12 minutes, with -1 on most problems and -2/-3 on more difficult problems. I actually like doing the LG's now, and I utilize Kaplan's book of answer explanations, so I'm not blindly trying to figure out why I got a question wrong. I've noticed that I'm handling questions much better now. I can spot which questions will cause me trouble, and simply skip them, and when I do get questions wrong they're usually a silly mistake or the fact I missed an inference.

I've only done logic games so far in the first 12-14 days. I was debating on whether to move onto grouping games (with 1-2 linear/advanced linear games per day to keep developing my skills) or instead start the LR bible, and slow down my advancement in the LGB. I also wanted to take another PrepTest before the end of the month, and take at least one a week until October.

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goawaybee

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by goawaybee » Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:53 pm

You'll have up to #60 available by then minus a few randoms that leaves with plenty of PT's. take X amt. as 4 sections early on if you would like to start to get acclimated, save a handful to rip up and supp. as 5th sections periodically through July, then on into August & sept.

Keep beating it down. Get your confidence up and don't let any of it shake you, not even a 10 pt. drop on a PT. these things can happen. Psychologist told me when I was in my early teens, "variety, it's the spice of life" I don't remember what he was talking about but I do remember it to this day.

I don't see any reason to back of LG stuff until you are 100% accurate minus a random Q here and there and you have the time down. That should be the Gimme section, after that just keep pushing. I would rock that spreadsheet or any system that makes it easy to reference q #'s from specific tests so you can map out your errors with ease. plug and play, notice the trend and cut the head of the beast that haunts you in your sleep.

You have all kinds of time but it will indeed be gone soon enough and you will be sitting for that exam. You seem to be making progress. I expect to see two more PT's done both above 170 by the end of the week.

over.

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Anaconda

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Anaconda » Tue Jun 15, 2010 12:39 pm

I think I'm going to move onto Grouping games now (slowly) while simultaneously doing a little bit of LRB reading too, at least the first 2-3 chapters of the LRB before I take a PrepTest before the end of the month. Did 3 more LG's this morning, one repeat, and two new. Got -0/-4 on the 2 news ones, -0 on the repeat I originally struggled on, but misread one of the rules for the -4, but once I redid the problem I got -0. Took me 9-12 minutes for each problem, but I did tend to check (on a couple questions) all answers rather than moving on once I found a correct choice. I'm feeling pretty good now about linear/advanced linear problems.

I am very worried about RC, I think that is going to be my weakest section by far in a couple of months, once I learn all the LG and improve on LR.

For reference, I got a 152 on my diagnostic, I'm hoping to get at least a 167 on the actual LSAT, and ideally get a 170+ come October.

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Anaconda

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by Anaconda » Thu Jun 17, 2010 9:21 pm

friendly bump, just want to see a few more responses about personal strategy.

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Re: Important Questions About Studying Approaches

Post by doublefocus4 » Sat Jun 19, 2010 8:03 am

bump

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