JUNE 2013 Study Group / Study Partner Thread Forum

[wtrc]

I am going to start the hardcore PT-ing in April. Essentially April 1st.

What should I go for: mass # of PTs or quality of PTs?

For instance, I could go PT every 2nd or 3rd day - PTs on Monday, Review Tues/Wed, PT Thurs, Review Fri, PT Sat, Review Sun.... taking only 1 day to review PTs I feel good about, and 2 days for ones I don't... then I could get 25-30 PTs done by test day.

Or I could go for quality of PTs, and always do: Monday PT, 2 days review, Thursday PT, 2 days review, day off or comparison of the PTs and weak point analysis. This would render 20 total PTs if I adhered to it PERFECTLY.

So I can sacrifice maybe a day of review on 5-10 of my PTs, but get the reference of 5-10 more that way. Is this a good move? What do you guys recommend with your experience?

Quality! See what works for you. I was doing too many PT's and not enough review, and saw a much smaller score improvement than when I really sat down with each PT for a while and extensively went over every question I got wrong or got correct but with difficulty. For me, when I am done reviewing, I want to know each PT backwards and forwards (and for questions I don't understand the answer to, I usually ask someone for help... about to post one on here actually from #52).

[wtrc]

PT 52, Section 3, #16

Can someone explain to me why D should be eliminated? I was stuck between C and D, with A/B/E easy eliminations.

Pretty much, the argument was flawed in two ways to me. One was the correct answer (C), since the average length of stay for all patients won't necessarily be the same since one hospital could specialize in different diseases, for example. Just because the hospital treats some patients with the same diseases doesn't mean it treats all patients with the same diseases.

However, I chose D. How do we know that University Hospital just takes longer to treat patients to their full recovery? Maybe they use different procedures or something that take longer, and thus can't reduce the average amount of time. Is the word "never" too strong there, and thus the answer choice should be eliminated?

Thanks.

[Daily_Double]

PT 52, Section 3, #16

Can someone explain to me why D should be eliminated? I was stuck between C and D, with A/B/E easy eliminations.

Pretty much, the argument was flawed in two ways to me. One was the correct answer (C), since the average length of stay for all patients won't necessarily be the same since one hospital could specialize in different diseases, for example. Just because the hospital treats some patients with the same diseases doesn't mean it treats all patients with the same diseases.

However, I chose D. How do we know that University Hospital just takes longer to treat patients to their full recovery? Maybe they use different procedures or something that take longer, and thus can't reduce the average amount of time. Is the word "never" too strong there, and thus the answer choice should be eliminated?

Thanks.

There's a few problems with D. The phrase never relevant isn't compatible with the stimulus's phrase average length of stay, because the stimulus does account for length of stay, in the form of averages though, we don't know how many, but we do know that an absolute answer like D will likely be incorrect. If this was a game day decision, I'd mentally note the problems with D, eliminate the others, and then pick between C and D, C is clearly the better answer here, C it is. Time for the next one.

[Daily_Double]

Is anyone besides Objection, Dozo, and I actually following my schedule in some form or fashion?

[arcanecircle]

How do you view the term "nothing but"?

Reference questions, for PT43, note the subtlety and context.
PT37-S2-Q26 (Parallel Reasoning)
PT43-S2-Q18 (Sufficient Assumption)
PT57-S3-Q20 (Parallel Flaw)

Edit: scrounged up an earlier example.

[Daily_Double]

How do you view the term "nothing but"?

Reference questions, note the subtlety and context.
PT37-S2-Q26 (Parallel Reasoning)
PT43-S2-Q18 (Sufficient Assumption)
PT57-S3-Q20 (Parallel Flaw)

Edit: scrounged up an earlier example.

It means it is only that thing. If I say A is nothing but B, then A = B, and nothing else, you could also interpret it to mean A ---> B. For example in PT 43, S2, Q18:

CORE: H.edu ---> propaganda, not education

Why? B/C,
(p1) propaganda =/= education
(p2) propaganda ---> attempt to influence through simple slogans
(p3) education ---> ~(attempt to influence through simple slogans)
(p4) education ---> attempt to influence through complex info

Just by looking at it, and thinking briefly, I'd bet we're looking for, if H.edu --> attempt to influence through simple slogans.

Just by scanning the answers, I see D, boom. Trigger pulled, time for the next question.

[eliztudorr]

my score is dropping.....the heck?

[CardozoLaw09]

Short but insightful tip: when doing LR questions don't over think the answer choices -- that will mess you up. If you find yourself spending time trying to justify an answer choice, it's probably wrong and you should pick the one you "felt" was right and move on.

[eliztudorr]

Short but insightful tip: when doing LR questions don't over think the answer choices -- that will mess you up. If you find yourself spending time trying to justify an answer choice, it's probably wrong and you should pick the one you "felt" was right and move on.

i understand what you are saying. this method works really well for me with LG. so that totally solves the timing issue i had with LG. and i have no problem with LG which is really great because that means i just have to focus on LR and RC.

now for LR, im slowly trying to solve my slow reading problem and inability to pick up what the stim is even trying to say. but i keep picking the wrong answers. i will narrow it down to 2 and just pick the wrong one. i still cannot finish the sections in time. i try to limit my time down to about 43 min atm...hoping that by being able to spot the right answer choices faster will drop the time.

i really don't want to sound whiny but im exactly where i was when i started studying for this..only the "timing" part improved..i used to spend 1 hr per LR section...seriously. im not sure what it is im not getting. i tried the reviewing method everyone on here suggested and yes im now able to understand why my answers are wrong and why the right answer is right. but i just cannot see it when im taking the test. it's also not a specific question type anymore, its really random.

im starting to feel im not ready for june. but i really have no idea how to improve. i read through MLSAT LR again yesterday, still cannot understand what am i not doing. i don't know where to look for help.

[CardozoLaw09]

^ I'm sure one of us can probably help you out and point you in the right direction but we'd need to first identify exactly what your problem is when doing LR otherwise it's hard to give you concrete advice. Maybe explaining your thought process of a particular LR question might help in identifying where you're going wrong.

[AT9]

I started studying hard for the February test in early January. My first timed test I scored a 161....I took about 6 other PTs in the next 3 weeks, but never scored above my initial 161. I eventually decided to drop the Feb date and go for June.

After taking a break for several weeks, I came back to studying. My first two PTs since have been a 165 and a 167, and I'm studying LESS than I was in January. Lesson here: be cautious of burn out. The added stress from 3ish hours studying each day (especially working 45 hours a week) can really be counterproductive. So, study hard, but studying more and adding more stress may hurt more than help.

My goal is a 170...with my current PT scores, does anyone have recommendations as to the best way to achieve my goal in the next couple months? Here are my incorrect answers over the last two tests:

LG: -11
LR: -12
CR: -9

Clearly, LG is my worst section at the moment. My problem is almost all timing....I've improved a lot, but accurately finishing 4 games in 35 mins is still difficult for me. Any tips?

[ZGr88n]

Hello all,

I see I'm late to the party; I hope everybody is enjoying their time spent studying.

So far I've taken two practice tests:
1st (sometime back in Jan.) June 2007--- 151 (untimed, I went over on every section)
2nd (March 16th) LSAT 19 June 1996--- 166

I'm shooting for a +170! I wish you all the best of luck!

[magickware]

I started studying hard for the February test in early January. My first timed test I scored a 161....I took about 6 other PTs in the next 3 weeks, but never scored above my initial 161. I eventually decided to drop the Feb date and go for June.

After taking a break for several weeks, I came back to studying. My first two PTs since have been a 165 and a 167, and I'm studying LESS than I was in January. Lesson here: be cautious of burn out. The added stress from 3ish hours studying each day (especially working 45 hours a week) can really be counterproductive. So, study hard, but studying more and adding more stress may hurt more than help.

My goal is a 170...with my current PT scores, does anyone have recommendations as to the best way to achieve my goal in the next couple months? Here are my incorrect answers over the last two tests:

LG: -11
LR: -12
CR: -9

Clearly, LG is my worst section at the moment. My problem is almost all timing....I've improved a lot, but accurately finishing 4 games in 35 mins is still difficult for me. Any tips?

Do every LG in existence. Three times.

It will solve timing issues. It may not solve accuracy.

Other things to consider-

What particular questions are taking the most time? Those incredibly vague and annoying questions that force you to check every answer choice? Or is it actually a problem with your inference making skills? There are a wide variety of reasons why you're not finishing the LG section in time, and it's essential that you find out which it is. They are all solved by different methods.

But, really,do every LG in existence three times.

[Daily_Double]

Meant to do this at the end of February, TLS has been far too distracting, and I know it will become more so in the future. So I'm taking a long break from the thread until June. If you want to stay in touch, or have any specific questions, in the meantime, PM me and I might get back to you. Good luck guys, keep killing it.

[lsatkid007]

Has anyone done PT 9 RC passage 3? Was it me or was really difficult?

[A.Taarabt7]

do you guys drill RC sections or rc passages by type?

also how do you guys drill LR?

Do you just buy the cambridge books ? I have all the PTs in pdf form.

I am considering printing out all the sections and just going through them but only doing the specific type I am drilling (ie only do Flaw questions from pt 7-15)

or would it be easier just to read it off the cpu screen?

Thanks

[kmc]

Is anyone besides Objection, Dozo, and I actually following my schedule in some form or fashion?

i'm back on now after a week of transitioning back to the world of gainful employment.

[CardozoLaw09]

Meant to do this at the end of February, TLS has been far too distracting, and I know it will become more so in the future. So I'm taking a long break from the thread until June. If you want to stay in touch, or have any specific questions, in the meantime, PM me and I might get back to you. Good luck guys, keep killing it.

Hopefully you're not serious but if you are then good luck. That 180 is yours for the taking on the 10th. Keep grinding my dude.

[A → B ⊨ ¬B → ¬A]

Meant to do this at the end of February, TLS has been far too distracting, and I know it will become more so in the future. So I'm taking a long break from the thread until June. If you want to stay in touch, or have any specific questions, in the meantime, PM me and I might get back to you. Good luck guys, keep killing it.

Hopefully you're not serious but if you are then good luck. That 180 is yours for the taking on the 10th. Keep grinding my dude.

I need to do this too.

[A.Taarabt7]

so should I print out the LR sections of all the PTs ?

I only have PTs in pdf form. Since I do not own the cambridge volumes I can either print out all the LR sections and just do the assigned problems for the LR category I am drilling

Or I can just drill by reading the LR problem off the CPU screen

what would be best? Just need to know what u guys would do. Prefer to see it on paper or rather read off cpu screen. Thanks

[052220151]

Just drilled PT 35, S3, Game 4 because it was in the difficult q bundle. This was quite possibly one if the easiest games ever. If you can diagram, this game takes less than five minutes. I suggest folks take it.

[CardozoLaw09]

Just drilled PT 35, S3, Game 4 because it was in the difficult q bundle. This was quite possibly one if the easiest games ever. If you can diagram, this game takes less than five minutes. I suggest folks take it.

Yeah real easy game if you make the inferences up front. Finished it in 4 minutes

[Fianna13]

what kind of quantifier can you equate a few to? I read on MLSAt forum its not the same thing as few, so what exactly is it?

[052220151]

what kind of quantifier can you equate a few to? I read on MLSAt forum its not the same thing as few, so what exactly is it?

Some.

[052220151]

PT 43 -

87 Raw
168 Scaled

RC -10 - I dropped the entire Bilingual Puerto Rican Family Passage, I felt like an idiot after I thought the section went well. I've been drilling the shit out of RC so its frustrating to see a huge step back like this.

LR1 -2 - Finished at the buzzer. I missed the parallel reasoning question that I was rushing through to finish and an earlier question that I misread

LR2 -2 - I finished with a couple minutes, I had two misreads

LG -0 - I finished several minutes before the five minute mark.

I really hope I can get this RC thing under control before June, otherwise I'm screwed.