February 2012 LSAT Study Group Forum

[willwash]

Just finished my first PT since my cold diagnostic in July. The results are encouraging!

Cold Diagnostic:

Pt 22
RC: -7
LR1: -5
LG: -7
LR2: -6

Raw Score: 76
Scaled Score: 161

PT Test Today after almost 4 months of studying

PT 40
LR1: -2
LG: -1
LR2: -2
RC: -2

Raw Score: 94
Scaled Score: 173

So my studying seems to have been productive! Super excited!

To be fair I found the RC of this test extremely easy so we will see if I can keep it up Wed when I take PT 53

Are you saving the newer tests for closer to test day?

No. Next week I am taking 59 and begining of Jan I am takingall the 60s. Just easing my way in and I left myself room after the newest ones to fix any problems that may come up. Why do you ask?

I just hate how the test subtly evolves from year to year.

[Gisney]

Finished Must Be true today

1: 100% 37/37
2: 98% 45/46
3: 86% 25/29
4: 83% 19/23

Only Parallel Valid, Parallel Flaw, Evalutate and Paradox left. Should finish up by middle of next wee. I just want to be done. I am kinda sick of these.

Tomorrow I will be moving on to PT 53. Wish me luck!

[bernaldiaz]

PT 32 Today.

-2, -2 on LR, -3 on RC, and -1 LG for a 174. Easily my highest score. My first four have been 164, 166, 161, 165 and now the 174.

I'm definitely not putting too much stock into this score but still its nice for my hard work to pay off and to finally have a day where I didn't have at least one dud of a section.

[Eichörnchen]

Finished Must Be true today

1: 100% 37/37
2: 98% 45/46
3: 86% 25/29
4: 83% 19/23

Only Parallel Valid, Parallel Flaw, Evalutate and Paradox left. Should finish up by middle of next wee. I just want to be done. I am kinda sick of these.

Tomorrow I will be moving on to PT 53. Wish me luck!

I just finished MBT drilling as well.

First 80 questions: -2/80
Last 44 questions: -6/44

Overall, ~94%. I'm hoping my dip in LR performance is because I haven't touched LR for months. Oh well, review time!

[SingleLadies]

Just finished my first timed LG section after two weeks of study/working through power score.

-13 on the PT 32. I didn't even get to do one game. How much can I hope to speed up through practice?

[bernaldiaz]

Just finished my first timed LG section after two weeks of study/working through power score.

-13 on the PT 32. I didn't even get to do one game. How much can I hope to speed up through practice?

That was my exact score on my first timed LG section (but on PT 29) after finishing the bible. Since doing more work, my last few sections have been -2, -5, -8, -1 on my last 4 practice tests. I think you may be nervous (like I was), because everyone on this site says represents the LGB as a magic elixir for getting good at LG, and once I finished it and wasn't great at LG, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to improve any further. But it takes a while to get used to all of the strategies and get good at making inferences, especially under timed conditions. Just take what you learned and keep practicing and things will get better.

[Skunky Bumps]

February LSAT? Checking in.

Today was my first real study session since summer. I spent a good part of the summer working through LG and LR, but I've decided to take it a step back and look at my techniques to get them predictable and successful. My weakest area is easily LG, which is probably a good thing since it is supposedly the easiest to fix. Put in a solid 3 hours in the library just drilling my setups for basic linear from the Bible.

Looking forward to stopping my lurking and to start contributing!

[SingleLadies]

That was my exact score on my first timed LG section (but on PT 29) after finishing the bible. Since doing more work, my last few sections have been -2, -5, -8, -1 on my last 4 practice tests. I think you may be nervous (like I was), because everyone on this site says represents the LGB as a magic elixir for getting good at LG, and once I finished it and wasn't great at LG, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to improve any further. But it takes a while to get used to all of the strategies and get good at making inferences, especially under timed conditions. Just take what you learned and keep practicing and things will get better.

Thanks for the input. Its very hard to imagine at this point that I will be able to speed up that much, but I do know that large gains can me made through dedicated training. I think that I will try and practice LG sections once a day until Feb as a means of improving. Hopefully I can find time for that on top of my prep for the LR and RC and a 40 hour work week.

Also crazy name. I just read that book last year and through that it would make a great movie.

[bernaldiaz]

That was my exact score on my first timed LG section (but on PT 29) after finishing the bible. Since doing more work, my last few sections have been -2, -5, -8, -1 on my last 4 practice tests. I think you may be nervous (like I was), because everyone on this site says represents the LGB as a magic elixir for getting good at LG, and once I finished it and wasn't great at LG, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to improve any further. But it takes a while to get used to all of the strategies and get good at making inferences, especially under timed conditions. Just take what you learned and keep practicing and things will get better.

Thanks for the input. Its very hard to imagine at this point that I will be able to speed up that much, but I do know that large gains can me made through dedicated training. I think that I will try and practice LG sections once a day until Feb as a means of improving. Hopefully I can find time for that on top of my prep for the LR and RC and a 40 hour work week.

Also crazy name. I just read that book last year and through that it would make a great movie.

Haha I read it last year too. As I was registering I was trying to think of a username and just decided to go with the first words I saw, and that book was sitting on my nightstand.

[Gisney]

Took PT 53 today.

LR1: -4 (bleh!)
LG: -1
LR2: -2
RC: -6 (@#$%$!)

Raw: 87
Scaled: 168

Breakdown
LR: Def proof I need to warm up before I start a PT. But I believe my LR score will get lower and more concise when I stop with my practicing by type and do timed mixed review because while I finish on time its not comfortable. I speed through some to finish. I keep missing one or two of the last few because I am speeding to finish so I can review ones I marked as unsure.

LG: I am sticking to the idea that it is easiest to improve on. But seriously I cannot advocate enough Pikes method of doing each game 3xs. Reading LGB ad MLSAT helped but I did not start to have consistent -1 or -0 until after Pikes. Where the books told me about inferences and hypos, I could not see them without help until I did them over and over.

RC: What a shit show. I missed 5 from the same passage though. Fuck English common law. Makes me scared one bad passage in FEb will kill my goal. Really not sure how to fix this either. I am going to rerad MLSATs RC guide and pray. Anyone else have ideas?

[john1990]

I'm game for a Feb LSAT retake. I hit a 166 in October and if my prep tests get up to 168 then i will definitely take my third swing

[YoungProfessional]

How are you guys mimicing the actual test day? The library near me doesnt open until 10

[GueritaPeloChino]

I signed up to retake in December after scoring 161 on the October LSAT. My current PT scores range from 163-165. I don't see myself sitting for the test on Saturday for a mere 2-point increase (if i were even able to pull it off =/ ), however. It is more likely I will opt to take it in February.

Just nervous about it being undisclosed and all. I've been reading all sorts of theories about it being "more difficult." =/

Does anyone else have this same concern?

[062914123]

.

[Gisney]

Well just reviewed PT 53 and I could kick myself for that -6 in RC. I have only done that bad on one other timed RC section and I should not have done this bad this time. I did the common law over again before checking the answers and easily got them correct. I think yesterday I got panicked because I took too long on the first passage and the common law passage confused me at first so I let more worry in and spent too much time on content and not structure. Need to remember it is better to know the structure of the passage and the authors attitude than being able to walk away with a better understanding on whatever LSAT decides s a good topic.

[willwash]

PT 32 Today.

-2, -2 on LR, -3 on RC, and -1 LG for a 174. Easily my highest score. My first four have been 164, 166, 161, 165 and now the 174.

I'm definitely not putting too much stock into this score but still its nice for my hard work to pay off and to finally have a day where I didn't have at least one dud of a section.

That's shit hot dude! I've gotta catch up with you, I've only gotten 3 PTs done in the last month. I'd kill for a LG like that on the real test.

[willwash]

Well, I think I'm going to take the Feb LSAT, which will be the culmination of years of contemplation. I'll just throw my life story out there. I was a UNC undergrad, class of '06, major in political science. I was all set to go to law school through my junior year and was prepping for the LSAT like mad (high PT score of 174, average in the mid-high 160s). I got married the summer after junior year, and, lo and behold, my wife got pregnant and I was in the position of requiring immediate gainful employment. So instead of applying to law school, I talked to the Navy. They took me in, sent me to OCS, flight school, and now I am a Naval Flight Officer (read: Goose) about halfway through my first tour. The money is pretty good and the job security is stellar. That being said, there is a program the Navy has called the Law Education Program (LEP) that is seriously too good to be true. After your first tour, you go on shore duty...for those accepted to this program, their shore duty IS law school. Your tuition is completely paid, you continue to be paid your active duty salary, and when you graduate you enter the JAG corps. That's a full ride to law school, a near-six-figure salary while enrolled in law school (with no other military duties), and guaranteed employment upon graduation at about 100k a year.

Needless to say, now that I'm about halfway through my tour and need to start thinking about where I want my Navy career to go, I am looking seriously at this program.

Update to this, there's no way I can possibly qualify for LEP based on my years in service. The good news there is that the Navy will no longer pick my law school for me. The bad news is I now have to pay for it, though I'll still be able to use my GI Bill. I'm going to try to use the Navy's sabbatical program to go inactive for three years, do law school, then lateral transition back to the JAG Corps. Shouldn't be a problem if I make it into UVA. C'mon, 170, my 3.47 says I need you! Also keep repeating, in-state, ED, military...In-state, ED, military...

[Manhattan LSAT Noah]

We're working on a new online course. If anyone is interested in testing it out and filling out a survey for us, create an account on our site, pm me the e-mail you registered with and I'll get you enrolled. Timing is flexible. We'll say thank you with a free strategy guide, so put your correct mailing address.

[outlookingin]

Took PT 53 today.

LR1: -4 (bleh!)
LG: -1
LR2: -2
RC: -6 (@#$%$!)

Raw: 87
Scaled: 168

Breakdown
LR: Def proof I need to warm up before I start a PT. But I believe my LR score will get lower and more concise when I stop with my practicing by type and do timed mixed review because while I finish on time its not comfortable. I speed through some to finish. I keep missing one or two of the last few because I am speeding to finish so I can review ones I marked as unsure.

LG: I am sticking to the idea that it is easiest to improve on. But seriously I cannot advocate enough Pikes method of doing each game 3xs. Reading LGB ad MLSAT helped but I did not start to have consistent -1 or -0 until after Pikes. Where the books told me about inferences and hypos, I could not see them without help until I did them over and over.

RC: What a shit show. I missed 5 from the same passage though. Fuck English common law. Makes me scared one bad passage in FEb will kill my goal. Really not sure how to fix this either. I am going to rerad MLSATs RC guide and pray. Anyone else have ideas?

Don't worry about this one man, like you said things will start to get more consistent. That's my mantra now. I feel like I am constantly getting lucky or unlucky on varying portions of the test, and just one bad passage, bad LR question (strengthen with formal logic huge stimulus on Q#14 or something like that) then it throws off my rhythm. I start to think outside of the test, shit bricks about what is happening to me, etc etc. Yeah I think that as you start taking lots of timed sections you will figure out a rhythm and a mindset for each one.

Wholeheartedly agree about pithypike's 3x method. Honestly I've taken some of those sub-38 games like 4 or 5 times.

Update on my end is that going back and carefully reading the LRB has proven at least somewhat successful. I understand the mechanics of what I am doing a whole lot better now, and I have started to actual use fail-safes like the Denial Test, Variance Test, etc. It's also helped me notice that I am not as good at some questions as I thought, especially Weaken/Strengthen and Method of Reasoning. On the other hand, questions that used to give me lots of trouble (Point at Issue, Parallel, Nec/Suff. Assumption) are now substantially easier.

Looking forward to starting to measure my progress with actual PTs maybe late next week.

[outlookingin]

I signed up to retake in December after scoring 161 on the October LSAT. My current PT scores range from 163-165. I don't see myself sitting for the test on Saturday for a mere 2-point increase (if i were even able to pull it off =/ ), however. It is more likely I will opt to take it in February.

Just nervous about it being undisclosed and all. I've been reading all sorts of theories about it being "more difficult." =/

Does anyone else have this same concern?

Definitely, I have this (probably unfounded) rabid paranoia about taking an undisclosed LSAT *sigh*

Are all overseas testing locations "undisclosed"? Does undisclosed just mean that we won't get the detailed break-down of our scores after the test?

[outlookingin]

We're working on a new online course. If anyone is interested in testing it out and filling out a survey for us, create an account on our site, pm me the e-mail you registered with and I'll get you enrolled. Timing is flexible. We'll say thank you with a free strategy guide, so put your correct mailing address.

So wait, you're going to start a new on-line course and you'll enroll us for free just so that we can test it out? If this is the case, I might be interested.

Can you actually tell us more about how this course is different, why this is so, and what the course will focus on? Because it is like a "LSAT 101" kind of thing... that would probably be a waste of time for many of us who have already put in a lot of work.

edit: OK i just checked your website... $1100, haha, it was too good to be true. let me know if you're down to give it to me for free!

[outlookingin]

How are you guys mimicing the actual test day? The library near me doesnt open until 10

Yeah this is a problem for me too. I think I'm just going to start waking up early the month before (get into an early-night, early morning sleep pattern), do some yoga or something, do some practice sections, etc. Then the real deal on test day will just be the same thing except shorter. Hopefully that will help. I have no way of actually simulating the actual test time unless I started the test at my own house, which I don't think is very useful.

[outlookingin]

February LSAT? Checking in.

Today was my first real study session since summer. I spent a good part of the summer working through LG and LR, but I've decided to take it a step back and look at my techniques to get them predictable and successful. My weakest area is easily LG, which is probably a good thing since it is supposedly the easiest to fix. Put in a solid 3 hours in the library just drilling my setups for basic linear from the Bible.

Looking forward to stopping my lurking and to start contributing!

Welcome. Yeah your position is similar to mine, at least as far as going back and working on the basic techniques to make it all predictable etc.

[Gisney]

Finished Must Be true today

1: 100% 37/37
2: 98% 45/46
3: 86% 25/29
4: 83% 19/23

Only Parallel Valid, Parallel Flaw, Evalutate and Paradox left. Should finish up by middle of next wee. I just want to be done. I am kinda sick of these.

Tomorrow I will be moving on to PT 53. Wish me luck!

I just finished MBT drilling as well.

First 80 questions: -2/80
Last 44 questions: -6/44

Overall, ~94%. I'm hoping my dip in LR performance is because I haven't touched LR for months. Oh well, review time!

So you have been going through Cambridge too? Is it justme or are there a crazy amount of LR (in pts 1-38 at least) about dinosaures? I keep picturing nerdy men in cubicals dreaming of Jurasic Park which to be fair is undeniable an awesome movie

[Gisney]

I signed up to retake in December after scoring 161 on the October LSAT. My current PT scores range from 163-165. I don't see myself sitting for the test on Saturday for a mere 2-point increase (if i were even able to pull it off =/ ), however. It is more likely I will opt to take it in February.

Just nervous about it being undisclosed and all. I've been reading all sorts of theories about it being "more difficult." =/

Does anyone else have this same concern?

Definitely, I have this (probably unfounded) rabid paranoia about taking an undisclosed LSAT *sigh*

Are all overseas testing locations "undisclosed"? Does undisclosed just mean that we won't get the detailed break-down of our scores after the test?

Yea undisclosed means we just get our scores with no break down of what we missed. Which sucks cause if you end up wanting to retake you dont know which part of the test you didnt do as well as you normally do.

Also yea for you outlookin it wouldnt matter because all tests given overseas are undisclosed if I remember correctly frm when I was going to take it in country.

Also for Feb being harder, I have really never heard that other than as a comment on it being undisclosed. But as far as the "curve" (what you can miss and still get a 170) according to LSAT Blog`s website the toughest is June and the easiest is December. So Feb is in between.

@bee- your avatar is awesome :>)