1 Month. What to do? Forum

[Barbie]

I've seen a handful of the study-plan threads, but here is the deal. I have a month to study. I got a 163 in June and haven't really done any studying, even before the June test. I took about 4-5 PT total to prepare. I struggle primarily in LG (even though its my best on PTs, usually) and I can't get RC down to save my life (mostly because of timing).

What should I spend my time doing?? Practice tests with some LGB? Should I just take the most recent PTs since I won't be able to cover them all? I am busy with my courses and can't do something crazy like take a PT every day, or even every other day. 2 a week probably at most.... I don't know what to concentrate on... and I feel kind of lost/directionless. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it.

[whymeohgodno]

Practice your LG a LOT more.

Keep drilling it till you keep acing it.

[3|ink]

I've seen a handful of the study-plan threads, but here is the deal. I have a month to study. I got a 163 in June and haven't really done any studying, even before the June test. I took about 4-5 PT total to prepare. I struggle primarily in LG (even though its my best on PTs, usually) and I can't get RC down to save my life (mostly because of timing).

What should I spend my time doing?? Practice tests with some LGB? Should I just take the most recent PTs since I won't be able to cover them all? I am busy with my courses and can't do something crazy like take a PT every day, or even every other day. 2 a week probably at most.... I don't know what to concentrate on... and I feel kind of lost/directionless. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it.

What score do you want? If you want to secure something in the 170s, I'd wait until December. If you're looking for upper 160s, I'd say you should base your decision on how well you score on a PT. If you score a 163+, it might be worth taking October.

[dextermorgan]

Do the LG Bible, or give up on improving your score if you aren't willing to study.

[Barbie]

I've seen a handful of the study-plan threads, but here is the deal. I have a month to study. I got a 163 in June and haven't really done any studying, even before the June test. I took about 4-5 PT total to prepare. I struggle primarily in LG (even though its my best on PTs, usually) and I can't get RC down to save my life (mostly because of timing).

What should I spend my time doing?? Practice tests with some LGB? Should I just take the most recent PTs since I won't be able to cover them all? I am busy with my courses and can't do something crazy like take a PT every day, or even every other day. 2 a week probably at most.... I don't know what to concentrate on... and I feel kind of lost/directionless. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it.

What score do you want? If you want to secure something in the 170s, I'd wait until December. If you're looking for upper 160s, I'd say you should base your decision on how well you score on a PT. If you score a 163+, it might be worth taking October.

Honestly, I would be happy with ANY improvement. a 164. A 165 would make me veeeerry happy, and anything higher I would be ecstatic. I haven't started PTing yet... I'm kind of looking for a way to study and what PTs to take / how many I really need to take and how often, that would predictably yeild the best results

[3|ink]

Honestly, I would be happy with ANY improvement. a 164. A 165 would make me veeeerry happy, and anything higher I would be ecstatic. I haven't started PTing yet... I'm kind of looking for a way to study and what PTs to take / how many I really need to take and how often, that would predictably yeild the best results

Okay. Here's exactly what you should do.

Take a PT immediately (tomorrow). If you score around your goal, then it is definitely worth studying for October. If I were you, I'd take at least 10 PTs between now and the test. We have about 5 weeks. That's 2 tests a week. If you find that your weaknesses are with LG or LR, use the Bibles to improve on those weaknesses as much as you can. Take practice sections if you can afford the time. I'd say you'll need between 8-10 hours a week to study for the test. If you manage that, you can probably improve in October.

[Grizz]

Damnit Barbs you need to actually do work!

[Barbie]

Damnit Barbs you need to actually do work!

Haha I was hoping you wouldn't see this!
Rad, what should I do?? Wait til December or bust balls for a month and give it a swing!

[2011Law]

OP, IMO its not worth the trouble of taking the LSAT again if all you want is a 164/5 instead of a 163. Its not a huge difference. Until you get to the 170 mark, one or two points isn't all that big a deal. If you are intent on taking it again, my advice is to wait until December and aim for at least 170 or so, which is very possible if you scored a 163 with only doing 5 PTs. Read the LG and LR bibles, maybe the RC bible (I haven't read it but its supposedly not unhelpful), and do at least PTs 40-60.

[Barbie]

OP, IMO its not worth the trouble of taking the LSAT again if all you want is a 164/5 instead of a 163. Its not a huge difference. Until you get to the 170 mark, one or two points isn't all that big a deal. If you are intent on taking it again, my advice is to wait until December and aim for at least 170 or so, which is very possible if you scored a 163 with only doing 5 PTs. Read the LG and LR bibles, maybe the RC bible (I haven't read it but its supposedly not unhelpful), and do at least PTs 40-60.

My dream schools only require a 164/165 which is why I want such a score. There have been a few walls put up around these scores too (see UGA's 164 wall last cycle), and I want to be able to overcome these walls. A 165 should put me there. So pretty much I have a month to gain 2 points. I really have no specific desire to break into the 170's or near it.

[Grizz]

Damnit Barbs you need to actually do work!

Haha I was hoping you wouldn't see this!
Rad, what should I do?? Wait til December or bust balls for a month and give it a swing!

I'm inclined to say bust balls because you only want like 2 points, but a compelling argument could be made the other way.

[Adjudicator]

Don't aim to settle for a certain number... try to do the very best you can do! You're only going to take this test once more in your life, most likely, so you can bust your butt for one month. Go through the LG Bible and make sure you know how to set up every game type, and then drill LG sections every day.

Take some more full PTs too, and analyze the LR and RC that you miss to find out what you're missing.

Trust me, I think if you aim high, you'll be happy with the results.

[gdane]

Play some rugby with your boyfriend the day before and go for one of his legendary 2 hour poundings of you the night before.

[FlanAl]

Do you have a job? I'm going for it but I'm unemployed and made LSAT my full time job. That and I studied in july in august (but like only an hour every couple of days)

[inmans]

if you really are that naturally gifted, then you owe it to yourself to actually study. you might not "need" a 170 to get into your dream school, but it will certainly go a long way in scholarship consideration. the potential return on a little bit of hard work is something that you should consider...

[Barbie]

Play some rugby with your boyfriend the day before and go for one of his legendary 2 hour poundings of you the night before.

You are weird and unhelpful

[Barbie]

if you really are that naturally gifted, then you owe it to yourself to actually study. you might not "need" a 170 to get into your dream school, but it will certainly go a long way in scholarship consideration. the potential return on a little bit of hard work is something that you should consider...

So you think I should just give it a good shot this month or wait until december? I feel like if I wait it won't really matter what score I get... December is pretty late in the application cycle...

[NonTradHealthLaw]

Either get to work and stop f**king around or accept your score and move on with applications. You don't necessarily need a method since you've laid the groundwork with your 163. You just need to sharpen your inferences and deductions through repetition. Depending on how much unused material you have left, create a ledger outlining the best utilization of that material and stick to it. Treat this as an opportunity to hone your study skills. There are going to be plenty of times in 1L when we don't want to study, but the habits developed in prep work will re-surface: good and bad.

[2011Law]

if you really are that naturally gifted, then you owe it to yourself to actually study. you might not "need" a 170 to get into your dream school, but it will certainly go a long way in scholarship consideration. the potential return on a little bit of hard work is something that you should consider...

So you think I should just give it a good shot this month or wait until december? I feel like if I wait it won't really matter what score I get... December is pretty late in the application cycle...

Scores from the Dec test don't get in until Jan 10, so you have to wait until then to apply, which is pretty late. The disadvantage to applying late (January) is that schools that you are on the line for are less likely to accept you, and schools you do get accepted to will most likely give you less money. But like I said before, if you can score more than a few points higher, then it will be worth it. If you score say a 167 (you can prob do better) and the school you want to go to has a 75th of 165, then you will almost certainly get accepted with some money even though its late in the cycle, vs a toss up at getting in at all with a 163 (depending on gpa) even if you apply early (applying early ED is a different story though). Not an expert on this though, this is just my understanding of applying late gathered from too much time on TLS, so I could be wrong.

[Barbie]

Either get to work and stop f**king around or accept your score and move on with applications. You don't necessarily need a method since you've laid the groundwork with your 163. You just need to sharpen your inferences and deductions through repetition. Depending on how much unused material you have left, create a ledger outlining the best utilization of that material and stick to it. Treat this as an opportunity to hone your study skills. There are going to be plenty of times in 1L when we don't want to study, but the habits developed in prep work will re-surface: good and bad.

I haven't laid the groundwork. I did not study for the June test. Every inference made about my ability to do well in certain sections are judging how I did ON the June test, or the 4 PTs I did, over time, before it. And I have ALL the material left, so I was just trying to see which would be best to concentrate on since I have a short amt of time.

Started LGB today.

[NonTradHealthLaw]

I haven't laid the groundwork. I did not study for the June test. Every inference made about my ability to do well in certain sections are judging how I did ON the June test, or the 4 PTs I did, over time, before it. And I have ALL the material left, so I was just trying to see which would be best to concentrate on since I have a short amt of time.

Started LGB today.

Then it seems you have a great natural ability for this type of test and the sections should be very learnable...or should become even more intuitive for the way your brain works. Just put in the work!