4th time taker. No more material. Need suggestions Forum

[StrictlyLiable]

Although I have searched, I cannot find anything exactly like my predicament. Okay, so like the title says I need to find alternative study materials. I have all of the PS bibles and have taken every single LSAT (printed from Cambridge) and I have nothing left to use to study for the February LSAT. I took every LSAT to the face to prep for December, and didn't do as well as I had hoped. I don't really find it useful to look over my old LSATs because I did that before the December test and I don't feel that it is doing me any good.

Would anyone think it would be useful to retake the 20-30 PTs or the 30-40 PTs? I seem to remember most of the questions and answers from the 50-Present PTs. I just need some advice or new ideas from others that have been in a similar situation.

[03121202698008]

4th time? If you haven't mastered it by now...you probably aren't going to. Maybe re-evaluate if LS is right for you?

[AreJay711]

I think studying formal logic really helped me on the LR sections and if you can get used to seeing the underling structure in arguments it can only help you. I think the PS bibles really make it too simple (in an effort to condense I'm sure). Formal logic is also useful if you get stuck on a question and have time to work it out. Any highly rated intro to logic textbook can help.

[StrictlyLiable]

4th time? If you haven't mastered it by now...you probably aren't going to. Maybe re-evaluate if LS is right for you?

Haha its not like I topped out at 143 or something. I have been accepted to the school I want to go to. In case you didn't fully read, I took the December test (which many would argue was hard) and I just didn't hit my PT average. My fourth time taking is merely for $$ so think what you want about my LS abilities.

[FlanAl]

if you are just shooting for money maybe get a book like kaplan 180 or law school for dummies one of the ones that makes up their own questions. kaplan 180 is good because the questions they make up are actually pretty hard.

[Kurst]

So you've run out of material and now don't know what to do? This post is for you.

Logical Reasoning: Approach the question as you normally would. When it comes to finding the answers, you're probably going to remember the correct one. So take the time to prove why each answer is correct/incorrect. If you tend toward the lazy side, make yourself write out the reasons (in fact, this is a great idea for everyone, even if you're not lazy. Forcing yourself to verbalize your explanations forces you to find the tiny gaps in your reasoning and fill them in.) Make sure that the reasons are REAL and SUBSTANTIVE. Don't let yourself fly with any "irrelevant" or "outside the scope". Write explanations like "the fact that young akabe drink the tea in only weak form isn't inconsistent with the idea that the tea contains lots of caffeine (wouldn't want the infants hopped up on caffeine and crying all night). Thus, this answer does not call the explanation of the high caffeine amount into question."

Logic Games: Take a game and redo it 10 times in a row, different ways. Find the fastest way to do each question. Figure out what questions you can ask up front to make the big deductions. Figure out what makes the game tick. Does it remind you of another game? Go find that game and compare the two to find the patterns/similar questions.

For an extra dose of fun and understanding, try writing your own logic game. The correct answers are so easy to write; it's the wrong answers that are tricky to create. Give it a go and see what makes a game 'tick'.

Reading Comp: Read a passage and then go to the questions. (You'll probably remember fewer of these questions that with LR). Force yourself to justify each right and wrong answer based on the passage (again, writing out the justification is hugely helpful.) After you've finished, go back and reread the passage again. Were there any important pieces to the argument that you missed the first time around? What could you have looked for in order to understand the passage even better the first time. Does this passage remind you of any other passage you've done? (Structurally, not by content). Pull that passage out and compare them. Look for similar questions. Create strategies for what to look for when asked those types of questions.

For all sections:

Aim for 100% accuracy. If you miss a question, let it bother you for days until you understand it.

Teach the LSAT to others. It'll force you to understand things in a new and more solid way.

Keep a "mistake log", for both substantive mistakes and silly mistakes. Don't brush off the 'silly mistakes'; they're real and can be avoided. Devise strategies, checkpoints, and questions that you can ask to help yourself avoid them. For example, I tend to mix up my right and left. But instead of kicking myself for being stupid, if I have a game that involves right and left, I just label them in the picture. Keeping a log will help you identify your own silly mistakes. Just make sure you devise strategies to overcome them. Simply saying "oh, I won't do that again" won't keep a silly mistake from happening again.

If you have ANY prep tests left that you haven't touched, keep them for the end and have faith that your studying is improving your score. You'll need to keep those tests for the end for a final run-through or if you need to gauge whether to take or postpone. Listen, you're going to want to use them halfway through, but that's just because you don't have enough faith in yourself. If you're worried that your not studying enough/improving enough, then WORK HARDER. Don't waste 3 hours of study time and one of those few remaining practice exams to test whether you're studying enough. You're going to need them for far more important things down the line.

Do NOT, under ANY circumstances, touch the fake stuff. Guys, it is awful, awful, awful. I can't emphasize that enough. There are so many flaws running through the fake stuff, and it can actually endanger your score by making you believe that certain rules apply when they don't (go find the thread on the fake Kaplan question to get a good example). It's far better to have nothing new than to have new questions that could harm your prep.

[ResolutePear]

After the third time, you're really just pouring money into a toilet and flushing.

[PhiloLogicGames]

I don't really agree with alot of the more cynical/realistic comments here. Teaching the LSAT to someone is good. Making your own questions between now and your test is a good idea; so is enrolling in a course that aims for its students to reach the 99%. (Manhattan has loads of these.)

Have you tried running? Sudoku? Sitting cross-legged and breathing? These are things that helped me forget to remember questions I couldn't not forget to remember during study.

[fuzzypeach]

I agree about the fake stuff!!!!!!

I took in Oct and was happy but decided to retake in Dec for scholarship money. (Since I scored below my PT average.)

I picked up a book of logic games and man I hit that thing hard!!! However, the reasoning was not the same as the LSAT or something.....cause I severely fucked up on the real thing!

Verdict: -7 lower on logic games section on retake
Overall:-5 points

Ouchiewawa!

You could just save yourself a lot of effort and not worry about it but then you might risk not being in this "Boy I Feel Like A Total Jackass" boat with me.

Wow. Glad I got that off my chest.

[cinephile]

Are you taking it in Feb. to get more money this year? Because by that point, all/most of the scholarship money may be gone already.

[Jeffort]

OP is being a greedy jackwagon. He/she is already accepted to target school, claims to have scored well, just a little bit off average/high PT score range (which is pretty normal) but wants to take the LSAT a 4th time and is whining about not having fresh LSAT questions to analyze!!??!??!! WTF? Talk about selfish immature pretentious arrogance...

This is the type of person you DO NOT want to be in a study group with while in law school. (S)he'll just assign the group to do a bunch of research to collect info about classes, professors, their grading reputation, to find and grab good outlines, etc., then once the other members compile/email/exchange all the research data, POOF, the dude will just vanish and talk $hit about people in the group behind their backs.

[bartleby]

OP is being a greedy jackwagon. He/she is already accepted to target school, claims to have scored well, just a little bit off average/high PT score range (which is pretty normal) but wants to take the LSAT a 4th time and is whining about not having fresh LSAT questions to analyze!!??!??!! WTF? Talk about selfish immature pretentious arrogance...

This is the type of person you DO NOT want to be in a study group with while in law school. (S)he'll just assign the group to do a bunch of research to collect info about classes, professors, their grading reputation, to find and grab good outlines, etc., then once the other members compile/email/exchange all the research data, POOF, the dude will just vanish and talk $hit about people in the group behind their backs.

I hope this is sarcastic.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

After the third time, you're really just pouring money into a toilet and flushing.

Or working hard to potentially increase his chance at scholarship money...

[Jeffort]

OP is being a greedy jackwagon. He/she is already accepted to target school, claims to have scored well, just a little bit off average/high PT score range (which is pretty normal) but wants to take the LSAT a 4th time and is whining about not having fresh LSAT questions to analyze!!??!??!! WTF? Talk about selfish immature pretentious arrogance...

This is the type of person you DO NOT want to be in a study group with while in law school. (S)he'll just assign the group to do a bunch of research to collect info about classes, professors, their grading reputation, to find and grab good outlines, etc., then once the other members compile/email/exchange all the research data, POOF, the dude will just vanish and talk $hit about people in the group behind their backs.

I hope this is sarcastic.

You got it, I still haven't figured out a clear font/text way to convey sarcastic tone. Microsoft or somebody should come up with a universally recognized font called sarcastic.

It's just past mid January, the dude is comfortable by already being accepted to his top choice law school, faced and fought the LSAT three times and is still chomping at the bit and wants to voluntarily prep for and take the LSAT again for the fourth time to put the cherry on top of his application cycle with possible scholarship $$$. How much more ahead of the game, well prepared, motivated, able to make it over some hurdles/setbacks (3 takes of the LSAT, so first score probably wasn't his best but he fought it out to get a good score in time to get apps in early) can one be?

The thing to worry about with him is that if you let him into your study group/social group (assuming he's a he), he'll get all the good grades, plus all the quality women too since they will want to be around him and go home with him for the night!, thus leaving lower quality leftovers for everyone else to fight over.

[bartleby]

OP is being a greedy jackwagon. He/she is already accepted to target school, claims to have scored well, just a little bit off average/high PT score range (which is pretty normal) but wants to take the LSAT a 4th time and is whining about not having fresh LSAT questions to analyze!!??!??!! WTF? Talk about selfish immature pretentious arrogance...

This is the type of person you DO NOT want to be in a study group with while in law school. (S)he'll just assign the group to do a bunch of research to collect info about classes, professors, their grading reputation, to find and grab good outlines, etc., then once the other members compile/email/exchange all the research data, POOF, the dude will just vanish and talk $hit about people in the group behind their backs.

I hope this is sarcastic.

The thing to worry about with him is that if you let him into your study group/social group (assuming he's a he), he'll get all the good grades, plus all the quality women too since they will want to be around him and go home with him for the night!, thus leaving lower quality leftovers for everyone else to fight over.

I hope this is sarcastic.

Okay, I'll stop.

[suspicious android]

You got it, I still haven't figured out a clear font/text way to convey sarcastic tone. Microsoft or somebody should come up with a universally . . . The thing to worry about with him is that if you let him into your study group/social group (assuming he's a he), he'll get all the good grades, plus all the quality women too since they will want to be around him and go home with him for the night!, thus leaving lower quality leftovers for everyone else to fight over.

I have no idea what your real position is.