The Official September 2014 Study Group Forum

[lnick93]

For RC- I keep getting the organization of passage questions wrong (and I feel like these SHOULD be the easier questions like MP questions). Any one have any advice on these questions?

When you read, make sure you are reading for structure. Think about what purpose each paragraph serves, and relate everything back to that. It will help you improve on organization of passages questions, and make the entire RC section easier.

[Learn_Live_Hope]

I finished 30+ RC passages this morning. The whole SS Cambridge packet.

You finished the entire packet in one sitting?! You're an inspiration.

I did. I have so much material to cover, and I need to get it done. I'm heading over to the library right now to start my Humanaties packet. Will spend 7-8 hours drilling it.

[WaltGrace83]

I just thought I'd tell you all about something I've been doing recently. When I drill RC, I - of course - check the answer key after I review. Now I don't know about you all, but I like to drill one passage at a time. Doing this helps me catch little mistakes and remember my thought processes very specifically rather than doing+reviewing on a much more global scale.

Yet there isn't an effective way to check the answer key after each passage without accidentally seeing the answers to the other passages

To remedy this, I go to LSATQA.com and type in the answers individually just for that passage. It just tells you the correct answers to the ones you answered so you cannot accidentally peak at other stuff! This works for LG and LR I suppose too.

[Learn_Live_Hope]

I just thought I'd tell you all about something I've been doing recently. When I drill RC, I - of course - check the answer key after I review. Now I don't know about you all, but I like to drill one passage at a time. Doing this helps me catch little mistakes and remember my thought processes very specifically rather than doing+reviewing on a much more global scale.

Yet there isn't an effective way to check the answer key after each passage without accidentally seeing the answers to the other passages

To remedy this, I go to LSATQA.com and type in the answers individually just for that passage. It just tells you the correct answers to the ones you answered so you cannot accidentally peak at other stuff! This works for LG and LR I suppose too.

I just cover all of the answers...and unveil them as I do the passage. I too check my answers + review immediately after I do the passage, because I feel it's much more effective that way.

[CFC1524]

When drilling LR, is it better to use the question-type packets from Cambridge, or to do timed sections from old PT's? I don't struggle with a particular question type, I usually just get 3-5 wrong from stupid mistakes / timing issues. This has me leaning towards timed sections, but I've heard great things about the Cambridge packets so I figured I'd see if anyone was in a similar situation.

If its the latter case, does anyone know where I can buy individual sections from old tests? Cambridge sells them, but they're pretty expensive (at least compared to the question-type packets, which is odd because, theoretically, both products contain the exact same amount of information).

[170plusordie]

When drilling LR, is it better to use the question-type packets from Cambridge, or to do timed sections from old PT's? I don't struggle with a particular question type, I usually just get 3-5 wrong from stupid mistakes / timing issues. This has me leaning towards timed sections, but I've heard great things about the Cambridge packets so I figured I'd see if anyone was in a similar situation.

If its the latter case, does anyone know where I can buy individual sections from old tests? Cambridge sells them, but they're pretty expensive (at least compared to the question-type packets, which is odd because, theoretically, both products contain the exact same amount of information).

I am also interested as well. Curious to see what others have to say. Most of the questions I get wrong are due to sloppiness such as misreading an answer choice. In blind review I can get these questions right.

[ilikebaseball]

anybody here ever get nervous before taking a pt? lol

[kbrizz]

Didn't really study for the weekend which I know is bad.

Literally had a nightmare last night where I was at a "camp" of sorts that made you do LSATs back to back to back to back and then posted your scores within like ten minutes.

It scared the crap out of me haha.

[brooklynboy]

anybody here ever get nervous before taking a pt? lol

Every time, although it doesn't seem to affect my performance. Makes me wonder how nervous I'll be come 9/27...

[gnomgnomuch]

Fuck LG. Seriously, every single time I take a PT, there are three games I ace and one weird game that screws me. Just did PT 41 LG section. 7/7, 5/5, 4/5 AND 1/7. Dam circular table.

The last three PT's I've taken, I've been unable to break 165 just because of one game. UGH.

[ilikebaseball]

Fuck LG. Seriously, every single time I take a PT, there are three games I ace and one weird game that screws me. Just did PT 41 LG section. 7/7, 5/5, 4/5 AND 1/7. Dam circular table.

The last three PT's I've taken, I've been unable to break 165 just because of one game. UGH.

if the circle game is the hard one in the bunch, id be thankful lol. i think that once you make your diagram its just a matter of plug and chug. there are much harder games. keep your head up though, because it is unusual. unusual, but not hard. you just have to settle down and make the diagram

[gnomgnomuch]

Fuck LG. Seriously, every single time I take a PT, there are three games I ace and one weird game that screws me. Just did PT 41 LG section. 7/7, 5/5, 4/5 AND 1/7. Dam circular table.

The last three PT's I've taken, I've been unable to break 165 just because of one game. UGH.

if the circle game is the hard one in the bunch, id be thankful lol. i think that once you make your diagram its just a matter of plug and chug. there are much harder games. keep your head up though, because it is unusual. unusual, but not hard. you just have to settle down and make the diagram

I looked at it and went. "WHUT." Worst part was, i had 12 minutes left. I went through the first 3 games SUPER fast. I couldn't figure it out. Seriously, I usually love studying for the LSAT - its interesting stuff - but stuff like this just makes me want to punch something.

Thanks though, I'll figure it out, though idk if ill be ready for Sept.

[Louis1127]

how did u do on the other sections, gno? I also bombed that circular game, but it was because I misread a rule, I actually set the damn thing up perfectly

[gnomgnomuch]

how did u do on the other sections, gno? I also bombed that circular game, but it was because I misread a rule, I actually set the damn thing up perfectly

I actually haven't finished the test. Went -7 on the first LR, -5 on the 2nd LR. But I had to do a bunch of stuff around the house so I haven't gotten to RC yet. I'm assuming i'll get ~160 again. Add those 7 points for LG and my score looks so much better. I reviewed my -7 and -5 for LR, and literally all but 2 questions that I got wrong I were questions I had boxed. Of those 10 that were boxed, I had the answers down to 2 choices...and I of course chose wrong.

I'm feeling really frazzled. Lots of problems at work right now (I'm not in trouble or anything, I've just got A-LOT to take care off), my internship is pretty demanding, and I start chem classes next Monday. Damn you, hectic life.

[170plusordie]

how often do you all revert to the basics and just review books like Manhattan or the Trainer? I'm well past that stage but I am attempting to affirm and support my thought process for various types of LR questions.

When you are not PTing and finished Reviewing, what do you find yourselves doing? taking another PT or just doing various sections timed at 37 minutes? like lets say drilling RC sections timed at 37 minutes?

[gnomgnomuch]

how did u do on the other sections, gno? I also bombed that circular game, but it was because I misread a rule, I actually set the damn thing up perfectly

Well I went -2 on RC.

Breakdown: -12 on LR
-6 on LG
-2 on RC

overall score: 163.

Not bad, but that 168 would be so much nicer.

[kbrizz]

Finally starting to get Complex Ordering questions done in under 10 minutes, but I have this lovely knack for always getting the last two questions wrong. Heh.

[ilikebaseball]

PT 53
LR-4
LG-4
LR-1
RC-4
-13 168

Fack. The detective game absolutely killed me. I just didn't really understand the "confess" part. That REALLY threw me off. I initially skipped it once I saw that, and I came back to it and still couldn't figure it out. Every problem I missed in LG was from that game, and I only got one of them right because it had nothing to do with confessions.

[bondja]

Starting my weekly PT's this Saturday before I go on a weekend vacation (which includes studying).

Grinding through the Manhattan LG book. About 60-100 pages a day for 3-4 hours worth of studying + working 830-500 and being married. Like a boss.

[Louis1127]

how did u do on the other sections, gno? I also bombed that circular game, but it was because I misread a rule, I actually set the damn thing up perfectly

I actually haven't finished the test. Went -7 on the first LR, -5 on the 2nd LR. But I had to do a bunch of stuff around the house so I haven't gotten to RC yet. I'm assuming i'll get ~160 again. Add those 7 points for LG and my score looks so much better. I reviewed my -7 and -5 for LR, and literally all but 2 questions that I got wrong I were questions I had boxed. Of those 10 that were boxed, I had the answers down to 2 choices...and I of course chose wrong.

I'm feeling really frazzled. Lots of problems at work right now (I'm not in trouble or anything, I've just got A-LOT to take care off), my internship is pretty demanding, and I start chem classes next Monday. Damn you, hectic life.

You do have quite a hectic schedule. Take a one or two day break if you think it's time to do so!

[Learn_Live_Hope]

Starting my weekly PT's this Saturday before I go on a weekend vacation (which includes studying).

Grinding through the Manhattan LG book. About 60-100 pages a day for 3-4 hours worth of studying + working 830-500 and being married. Like a boss.

Hm…where are you going?

P.S. You don't have to share if its too personal.

[ilikebaseball]

no offense to anyone here, but i freakin cant wait til I dont have to be apart of any study groups anymore. Its mentally exhausting.

Good thing law school will be a breeze right?

[h3jk5h]

Oh my goodness... I bombed PT40, scored a 159 (2 points lower than PT39), very disappointed, and I was feeling good about it the whole way.

I'm already seeing that there is no point taking further practice tests when I'm not feeling ready. I highly doubt that doing a crap load more PT's will magically accelerate my score. I'm going to drill more and analyze my mistakes much more critically.

My LR performance is very inconsistent, I scored 20/24 and 18/26 in PT39, and 21/25 and 16/25 in PT39. I'm not sure why there is such a high variance. What's even more disturbing is that 7sage shows that the sections I'm doing much better are supposedly 4 star in difficulty, whereas the sections I'm doing terribly are only 2 star in difficulty. Perhaps it's just natural variance due to bad fundamentals.

Also, I need to keep my concentration throughout the test, I was thinking of cute co-workers at some point during a LR section.

[gnomgnomuch]

Since I'm still going ~12 on LR I decided to bite the bullet and buy Manhattan, and since one was 40$ and all three were 80$, I got them all. They're coming on Thursday, so tmrw I'll go over PT 41 in depth, do some games, and maybe a couple of RC sections. It'll be a light day, but once my books come, back to the grind.


On the plus side, I looked over my excel sheet and my last three PT's have been 158-161-163, so it does seem like I'm getting better.

Also, want to really thank everyone on here, my family and friends want to strangle me every time I bring up the LSAT...which is basically the only thing on my mind, so I'm trying to refrain from talking about it and LS. You guys allow me to vent my frustrations (and my successes) while being supportive. So really, thank you =)

[h3jk5h]

Since I'm still going ~12 on LR I decided to bite the bullet and buy Manhattan, and since one was 40$ and all three were 80$, I got them all. They're coming on Thursday, so tmrw I'll go over PT 41 in depth, do some games, and maybe a couple of RC sections. It'll be a light day, but once my books come, back to the grind.


On the plus side, I looked over my excel sheet and my last three PT's have been 158-161-163, so it does seem like I'm getting better.

Also, want to really thank everyone on here, my family and friends want to strangle me every time I bring up the LSAT...which is basically the only thing on my mind, so I'm trying to refrain from talking about it and LS. You guys allow me to vent my frustrations (and my successes) while being supportive. So really, thank you =)

Oh my goodness... I just hope my parents don't bring up a word of the LSAT, it puts too much pressure.

Good progress, bro.