"Studying smart" - A Conversation

[tasteofcherry]

Hello all,

I'm in my late 20s and have decided to apply to law school. Originally, the plan was to apply right out of undergrad but of course 'life happens' and I was not in the financial situation to be able to attend. My goal is to score in the mid 170s. I don't have a choice as my first year and half of undergrad really screwed up my entire GPA despite getting majority-wise A's throughout the rest of my academic career (being placed on probation really kicked my ass). I was disheartened after calculating my GPA in method of the LSAC and realizing that my 3.0+ would actually be considered as a 2.9, dwelled in it for a quite a bit but it is what it is. To have more than just a mere statistical chance of getting into some of the lower T14 schools I'm considering, I need to score in the mid 170s.

I've started studying and have been balancing this with a full time job. I've been browsing these forums as well as many other LSAT related sites for a few months now and the phrase "studying smart" excites me and slightly haunts. Of course I'm worried that I'm not utilizing my time and resources in the most efficient way possible. I know many of my questions are answered on this forum but I was hoping to pose a few questions in hope of starting a dialogue and meeting a few people that had/have similar goals.

I've started preparing with the powerscore bibles. Mostly I've been focusing on LG & LR. I have to say, when I first started I attacked LG and LR PT sections without any instruction or preparation and was entirely lost. Since starting the bibles I at least know how to approach these questions and for LG now it is becoming a matter of improving speed and memorizing inferences (as well as really nailing down my conditionals for grouping games). For LR, I'm still getting quite a few wrong but have drastically improved my understanding of how to approach the questions and have not yet gotten through the bible.

My first question, I've noticed that some people use the powerscore bibles AFTER they start studying and are well into their studying plan? Is there a flaw in using these books to get a basic understanding of questions/sections, before you start doing the practice tests? And do you guys recommend, for example completing one book (LR,LG, or RC) before starting a book for another section? I've been doing a combination of for example, LR & LG on days where I have 9-10 hours to study, and maybe focusing on just 1 book when I have 4-5 hours to study. Is there a downside to this? I figure that it's best practice given that the exam is going to include all of these sections to be taken in one sitting.

I plan on taking a PT after I'm through the Powerscore books. After which point I plan to drill practice tests and review questions I get wrong (and use the books again to review the lessons that didn't register as they should have in round 1). I did take a PT prior to studying but feel that my score now would be drastically different. Does it make sense to PT in the middle of prep?

Have any of you utilized 7Sage for LG? I've found that after completing games in the powerscore bible and reviewing their explanation-- watching a 7sage video on how that game should be approached helped me quite a bit with sequencing games. I think I preferred 7sage diagramming, the downside being that the videos are inconsistent (a lot of times inferences are missed and some of the videos are just a little lazy) that said-- I want to know if it's worth paying for some of the lessons through 7sage. And has anyone used 7sage for LR? I'd love to hear about that experience.

I welcome any thoughts (even criticisms) of my approach and would be very appreciative of any input from those that have PT'd in the mid 170s OR those that have seen a huge jump in scores through their method of studying. I know that sometimes what works for one might not work for another but I definitely feel that with the LSAT there are almost-universal methods that are fundamental to being successful and making the most out of time spent studying. I just want to make sure that I'm "studying smart" or as efficiently as I can.

Thank you to all. Nice to meet you.

[studyingeveryday]

I haven't used those materials in my first round of studying, but I can say that you should definitely PT in the middle of your studying. It'll help you to see where you're at and figure out not only what sections you've improved on from your first diagnostic, but also to see what question types you might be struggling with despite struggling, or because you haven't spent enough time on them. Taking PT in general will also help you get accustomed to the test and build your stamina (though, with those 9-10 hour study days, you're probably going to be okay with stamina), but it'll still help you develop your rhythm for the test. You don't want to wait until you're done going through everything to take PT and then discover that you have areas you thought you were good at only to discover you actually have some issues. That way, you can address the issues you find as you go through everything and learn. Hope that helps!

[Barack O'Drama]

Hello all,

I'm in my late 20s and have decided to apply to law school. Originally, the plan was to apply right out of undergrad but of course 'life happens' and I was not in the financial situation to be able to attend. My goal is to score in the mid 170s. I don't have a choice as my first year and half of undergrad really screwed up my entire GPA despite getting majority-wise A's throughout the rest of my academic career (being placed on probation really kicked my ass). I was disheartened after calculating my GPA in method of the LSAC and realizing that my 3.0+ would actually be considered as a 2.9, dwelled in it for a quite a bit but it is what it is. To have more than just a mere statistical chance of getting into some of the lower T14 schools I'm considering, I need to score in the mid 170s.

I've started studying and have been balancing this with a full time job. I've been browsing these forums as well as many other LSAT related sites for a few months now and the phrase "studying smart" excites me and slightly haunts. Of course I'm worried that I'm not utilizing my time and resources in the most efficient way possible. I know many of my questions are answered on this forum but I was hoping to pose a few questions in hope of starting a dialogue and meeting a few people that had/have similar goals.

I've started preparing with the powerscore bibles. Mostly I've been focusing on LG & LR. I have to say, when I first started I attacked LG and LR PT sections without any instruction or preparation and was entirely lost. Since starting the bibles I at least know how to approach these questions and for LG now it is becoming a matter of improving speed and memorizing inferences (as well as really nailing down my conditionals for grouping games). For LR, I'm still getting quite a few wrong but have drastically improved my understanding of how to approach the questions and have not yet gotten through the bible.

My first question, I've noticed that some people use the powerscore bibles AFTER they start studying and are well into their studying plan? Is there a flaw in using these books to get a basic understanding of questions/sections, before you start doing the practice tests? And do you guys recommend, for example completing one book (LR,LG, or RC) before starting a book for another section? I've been doing a combination of for example, LR & LG on days where I have 9-10 hours to study, and maybe focusing on just 1 book when I have 4-5 hours to study. Is there a downside to this? I figure that it's best practice given that the exam is going to include all of these sections to be taken in one sitting.

I plan on taking a PT after I'm through the Powerscore books. After which point I plan to drill practice tests and review questions I get wrong (and use the books again to review the lessons that didn't register as they should have in round 1). I did take a PT prior to studying but feel that my score now would be drastically different. Does it make sense to PT in the middle of prep?

Have any of you utilized 7Sage for LG? I've found that after completing games in the powerscore bible and reviewing their explanation-- watching a 7sage video on how that game should be approached helped me quite a bit with sequencing games. I think I preferred 7sage diagramming, the downside being that the videos are inconsistent (a lot of times inferences are missed and some of the videos are just a little lazy) that said-- I want to know if it's worth paying for some of the lessons through 7sage. And has anyone used 7sage for LR? I'd love to hear about that experience.

I welcome any thoughts (even criticisms) of my approach and would be very appreciative of any input from those that have PT'd in the mid 170s OR those that have seen a huge jump in scores through their method of studying. I know that sometimes what works for one might not work for another but I definitely feel that with the LSAT there are almost-universal methods that are fundamental to being successful and making the most out of time spent studying. I just want to make sure that I'm "studying smart" or as efficiently as I can.

Thank you to all. Nice to meet you.

I am using the Powerscore LG/LR bible now. Still going through them as well, and they are helpful, especially for building a foundation. I would also recommend the LSAT Trainer which is a complete study guide. It goes over every section and really helped me with getting the basics of every section down. Also, I would recommend checking out the Manhattan LSAT Prep stuff. I have heard really amazing things for those trying to get into the 170s. I think they are better for when you have a solid basic understanding of the LSAT and are trying to increase. Many people use them after the bibles.

As far as what order to do stuff in...Well, there are a few different schools of thought. One is to start with the logic games because it is the easiest to get consistent -0 on. Furthermore, the formal logic you'll learn doing the games may translate into helping you with LR. I started by trying to get a solid understanding of the questions for each section, then began with logical reasoning because it makes up half your score. I just figured that if I could get those perfect I'd be in good shape. I am sort of rethinking that now and have begun going LG this week. I am still missing ~5 per section of LR, but my thinking is that if I can get games around the same (-5) I can begin practice testing in earnest and BR and drill to make the necessary improvement before test day. I am also aiming for the 170s FWIW.


Practice testing is really important. I would certainly start doing them and blind reviewing one you're done with all your books and drilling

[RamTitan]

I sat for my first LSAT yesterday, so I'm no expert but I was consistently scoring in the 170s prior to my exam. My study schedule was broken into 3 chunks:

Phase 1 - learn the test by reading the bibles; spent a lot of time working on games
Phase 2 - drilling all 3 sections with the occasional practice test to gauge my progress; probably spent the majority of my time working on LR
Phase 3 - shoving practice tests down my throat; I think this was the least helpful part to be honest. It's very easy to get burned out when you're doing a practice test every other day, and once you're in the 165+ range you're getting most of the problems right anyways.....you should be focusing on understanding why you're getting certain problems wrong.

[Deardevil]

Hiya, tasteofcherry!

I haven't taken any PTs yet, as I'm still breezing through the Bibles.
While you may see a drastic improvement, that improvement might not be sufficient, especially if you're gunning for 170s.
When I was taking an SAT review, I found that I didn't do enough tests, which definitely hurt my overall score.
However, not only the teaching of the material, but also the willingness to attack the section is vital to success.
My math and writing were fine, and even though my teachers weren't that exciting to listen to, those parts were easy.
My English/reading teacher was amazing (I still keep in contact with her), but RC is such a hassle that I didn't care for it,
resulting in an average of 5XX while I consistently got 6XX on the others.
If I had actually been motivated and absorbed the skills more, I might've improved to the point where it mattered.

As for your question, I'd say tackle the books first, then see where your range lies. Also, I'd stick with one book at a time.
If you're just learning to literally juggle balls, you'd probably start with the bare minimum, right?
Let's say someone tosses in another ball, then another; the chances of them not dropping are pretty slim, I would assume.
The point is... Why add more difficulty when you haven't gotten good at one thing yet? Master one section and then you could up the ante.

I heard 7Sage is indispensible; I have it bookmarked on my computer and will be referring to it once I get to LG.
Starting out, I'd probably score in the 140s (since LG is 50% of the test, that part would annhilate me, as I didn't know many methods).
But now (I just finished the chapter containing strengthen, justify, and assumptions), I'm a bit more confident in myself.
Certainly not at the 170+ level yet, but... It'll happen! And I'm sure you'll be able to reach your desired goal as well. Just keep at it.

[tasteofcherry]

I haven't used those materials in my first round of studying, but I can say that you should definitely PT in the middle of your studying. It'll help you to see where you're at and figure out not only what sections you've improved on from your first diagnostic, but also to see what question types you might be struggling with despite struggling, or because you haven't spent enough time on them. Taking PT in general will also help you get accustomed to the test and build your stamina (though, with those 9-10 hour study days, you're probably going to be okay with stamina), but it'll still help you develop your rhythm for the test. You don't want to wait until you're done going through everything to take PT and then discover that you have areas you thought you were good at only to discover you actually have some issues. That way, you can address the issues you find as you go through everything and learn. Hope that helps!

Thank you for your insight! I'm going to take the PT as soon as I finish my LR prep (almost done). I have to admit that on my 9-10 hour days, often times an hour or two is wasted by me browsing on my phone or taking a break. Although I feel I need to change that.

[tasteofcherry]

I am using the Powerscore LG/LR bible now. Still going through them as well, and they are helpful, especially for building a foundation. I would also recommend the LSAT Trainer which is a complete study guide. It goes over every section and really helped me with getting the basics of every section down. Also, I would recommend checking out the Manhattan LSAT Prep stuff. I have heard really amazing things for those trying to get into the 170s. I think they are better for when you have a solid basic understanding of the LSAT and are trying to increase. Many people use them after the bibles.

As far as what order to do stuff in...Well, there are a few different schools of thought. One is to start with the logic games because it is the easiest to get consistent -0 on. Furthermore, the formal logic you'll learn doing the games may translate into helping you with LR. I started by trying to get a solid understanding of the questions for each section, then began with logical reasoning because it makes up half your score. I just figured that if I could get those perfect I'd be in good shape. I am sort of rethinking that now and have begun going LG this week. I am still missing ~5 per section of LR, but my thinking is that if I can get games around the same (-5) I can begin practice testing in earnest and BR and drill to make the necessary improvement before test day. I am also aiming for the 170s FWIW.


Practice testing is really important. I would certainly start doing them and blind reviewing one you're done with all your books and drilling

Thank you for the insight! I'm definitely going to order the LSAT trainer next week. I've been going through Mike's thread and it seems like the LSAT trainer is definitely essential. I love working on LG, it's naturally much easier to spend hours studying for LG, as the games are pretty 'fun'. So far I've only been doing them untimed, and when I do time them-- even the easier sequencing games I've been going over on. Sometimes only by a minute but I hope this is going to be improved by really memorizing inferences and remembering to be keen on my floaters and not-laws. I was delighted to find that I don't find grouping games to be that difficult. I was dreading them but I actually like them quite a bit, and with those, the inferences are key. Memorizing a few things is almost sure to guarantee a lot of minutes shaved off!

I am taking the advice of a few people on here and getting through LR before I do any more LG or start RC. I will definitely keep you updated on how the Trainer will work for me, but I agree that the bibles are so crucial to fundamentals. Good luck to you! Great to meet you .

[tasteofcherry]

I sat for my first LSAT yesterday, so I'm no expert but I was consistently scoring in the 170s prior to my exam. My study schedule was broken into 3 chunks:

Phase 1 - learn the test by reading the bibles; spent a lot of time working on games
Phase 2 - drilling all 3 sections with the occasional practice test to gauge my progress; probably spent the majority of my time working on LR
Phase 3 - shoving practice tests down my throat; I think this was the least helpful part to be honest. It's very easy to get burned out when you're doing a practice test every other day, and once you're in the 165+ range you're getting most of the problems right anyways.....you should be focusing on understanding why you're getting certain problems wrong.

I am hoping that practice tests are going to be the MOST helpful part for me. Honestly as I work through the LR bible, when I do the mini-practice sets, for most question types, I am scoring around 75% untimed. So I am hoping that practice tests are going to be what will help me best, and of course reviewing what I get wrong. I'm also curious about whether Manhattan, Testmasters, and the LSAT Trainer have addition value when it comes to breaking down LR.

How do you think you did? I would love to hear about the experience. I know most people score a few points lower than they do on their PTS, but I hope it's the opposite for you

Did you find yourself being slow on LR problems at the start? How much time did you spend when it came to memorizing how to approach each question type? What contributed in you speeding up? I find myself wishing that I was more of an avid reader, because I do feel that being someone that reads a lot in general, gives you a great advantage when it comes to RC and in parts, LR.

[tasteofcherry]

Hiya, tasteofcherry!

I haven't taken any PTs yet, as I'm still breezing through the Bibles.
While you may see a drastic improvement, that improvement might not be sufficient, especially if you're gunning for 170s.
When I was taking an SAT review, I found that I didn't do enough tests, which definitely hurt my overall score.
However, not only the teaching of the material, but also the willingness to attack the section is vital to success.
My math and writing were fine, and even though my teachers weren't that exciting to listen to, those parts were easy.
My English/reading teacher was amazing (I still keep in contact with her), but RC is such a hassle that I didn't care for it,
resulting in an average of 5XX while I consistently got 6XX on the others.
If I had actually been motivated and absorbed the skills more, I might've improved to the point where it mattered.

As for your question, I'd say tackle the books first, then see where your range lies. Also, I'd stick with one book at a time.
If you're just learning to literally juggle balls, you'd probably start with the bare minimum, right?
Let's say someone tosses in another ball, then another; the chances of them not dropping are pretty slim, I would assume.
The point is... Why add more difficulty when you haven't gotten good at one thing yet? Master one section and then you could up the ante.

I heard 7Sage is indispensible; I have it bookmarked on my computer and will be referring to it once I get to LG.
Starting out, I'd probably score in the 140s (since LG is 50% of the test, that part would annhilate me, as I didn't know many methods).
But now (I just finished the chapter containing strengthen, justify, and assumptions), I'm a bit more confident in myself.
Certainly not at the 170+ level yet, but... It'll happen! And I'm sure you'll be able to reach your desired goal as well. Just keep at it.

Hey Daredevil,

Of course it's not sufficient! I'm just relieved that I have a completely different understanding of how to approach the questions when I was definitely blind at the start of it all. But I am under no delusions-- I know I have a lot of work to do.

I think we're in the same place as I'm still working through the bibles. Definitely going to stop trying to get through all of them at the same time and switching from one to another. Currently working through LR, Should be done soon. It's so tempting to want to take a break from LR and dive into LG. But I need to be done with these books so I can start my PTs and also utilize other resources.

As far as LG goes-- I've found 7sage to be more indispensable when it comes to sequencing games. The way the bible diagrams is not as helpful to me as the way the 7sage trainers do, but I watch the videos in addition to reviewing the bible explanations. There's also little things, like for example with more advanced sequencing games-- 7sage will (in my opinion CORRECTLY) suggest TWO sequencing boards when one of the rules has a splitter-space, where as the bible will tell you not to do that, depending on the other variables/rules-- doing this sometimes can save you minutes. I find that you really have to gauge what works for you and what doesn't, but I'm definitely happy that I've found 7sage. I will look into them for LR though. Best of luck to you!!!! I'd love to stay in touch and hear more about your journey and what's working for you.

[tasteofcherry]

Getting through the LR bible, I'm not sure if I'm just having an off day because I'm generally pretty good with the lessons and getting the answers at the end of the chapter correctly--but these sections today have been kicking my ass!

Anyone else have a very difficult time with Assumption questions? Strengthen and Justify the Conclusion aren't too bad for me, but Assumption questions....

ALSO, Resolve the paradox questions gave me a tough time as well and I really did not expect them to. Method of reasoning was a tiny bit better but I'm just not feeling as confident today. One of those days! Will keep trudging though...

[Barack O'Drama]

Getting through the LR bible, I'm not sure if I'm just having an off day because I'm generally pretty good with the lessons and getting the answers at the end of the chapter correctly--but these sections today have been kicking my ass!

Anyone else have a very difficult time with Assumption questions? Strengthen and Justify the Conclusion aren't too bad for me, but Assumption questions....

ALSO, Resolve the paradox questions gave me a tough time as well and I really did not expect them to. Method of reasoning was a tiny bit better but I'm just not feeling as confident today. One of those days! Will keep trudging though...

Don't worry man, that is to be expected. Just keep going forward with consistent and deliberate action towards your LSAT goal.

"some days you'll have breakthroughs, some days you won't, but patience and consistency are key." -Blueprint mithun

Alos, check out his thread for awesome advice.. viewtopic.php?f=43&t=185758&start=1500

[zeglo]

.

[footballlax55]

I haven't used those materials in my first round of studying, but I can say that you should definitely PT in the middle of your studying. It'll help you to see where you're at and figure out not only what sections you've improved on from your first diagnostic, but also to see what question types you might be struggling with despite struggling, or because you haven't spent enough time on them. Taking PT in general will also help you get accustomed to the test and build your stamina (though, with those 9-10 hour study days, you're probably going to be okay with stamina), but it'll still help you develop your rhythm for the test. You don't want to wait until you're done going through everything to take PT and then discover that you have areas you thought you were good at only to discover you actually have some issues. That way, you can address the issues you find as you go through everything and learn. Hope that helps!

Thank you for your insight! I'm going to take the PT as soon as I finish my LR prep (almost done). I have to admit that on my 9-10 hour days, often times an hour or two is wasted by me browsing on my phone or taking a break. Although I feel I need to change that.

Taking breaks is fine/probably good. It will keep you from burning out. Just make sure that when you do full practice tests you don't take more than a 15 min break 3 sections in.

[Stardust84]

You will make much more progress towards making larger score jumps simply taking practice tests and doing serious blind review than going through books. Perhaps If you get stuck on a concept, referring to the LSAT trainer would be ideal. Although I do think working through books have some utility for people with weaker fundamentals and a low diagnostic. 7sage is great for games review. Taking a game section, watching the corresponding 7sage video, adjusting your approach to the game as necessary and repeating the game until you perfect it was the most effective method for games in my case.

[Stardust84]

You will make much more progress towards making larger score jumps simply taking practice tests and doing serious blind review than going through books. Perhaps If you get stuck on a concept, referring to the LSAT trainer would be ideal. Although I do think working through books have some utility for people with weaker fundamentals and a low diagnostic. 7sage is great for games review. Taking a game section, watching the corresponding 7sage video, adjusting your approach to the game as necessary and repeating the game until you perfect it was the most effective method for games in my case.

EDIT: Your prep should atleast be more PT heavy IMO. You don't know what you need to focus on and what your weaknesses are unless you are taking timed practice tests.

[Deardevil]

Hey Daredevil,

Of course it's not sufficient! I'm just relieved that I have a completely different understanding of how to approach the questions when I was definitely blind at the start of it all. But I am under no delusions-- I know I have a lot of work to do.

I think we're in the same place as I'm still working through the bibles. Definitely going to stop trying to get through all of them at the same time and switching from one to another. Currently working through LR, Should be done soon. It's so tempting to want to take a break from LR and dive into LG. But I need to be done with these books so I can start my PTs and also utilize other resources.

As far as LG goes-- I've found 7sage to be more indispensable when it comes to sequencing games. The way the bible diagrams is not as helpful to me as the way the 7sage trainers do, but I watch the videos in addition to reviewing the bible explanations. There's also little things, like for example with more advanced sequencing games-- 7sage will (in my opinion CORRECTLY) suggest TWO sequencing boards when one of the rules has a splitter-space, where as the bible will tell you not to do that, depending on the other variables/rules-- doing this sometimes can save you minutes. I find that you really have to gauge what works for you and what doesn't, but I'm definitely happy that I've found 7sage. I will look into them for LR though. Best of luck to you!!!! I'd love to stay in touch and hear more about your journey and what's working for you.

Yes, it's absolutely tempting to switch gears, but the thing is I take notes, so doing so may result in confusion and disorganization.
What I do is give myself a small break after each chapter; it helps that the pages aren't that ridiculously long.
I'll be done with the LRB today and starting on the LGB. Honestly have little to no idea of what to expect,
but I did watch a YouTube video with Mike Kim giving an introduction a while back, and it doesn't seem too bad; hopefully, that is the case.
I also hear that the LGB isn't that effective, especially when compared to 7Sage, but I'll have to see for myself.

I'm also interested in your progress! Don't listen to Taylor Swift TOO much now.

[tasteofcherry]

Hey Daredevil,

Of course it's not sufficient! I'm just relieved that I have a completely different understanding of how to approach the questions when I was definitely blind at the start of it all. But I am under no delusions-- I know I have a lot of work to do.

I think we're in the same place as I'm still working through the bibles. Definitely going to stop trying to get through all of them at the same time and switching from one to another. Currently working through LR, Should be done soon. It's so tempting to want to take a break from LR and dive into LG. But I need to be done with these books so I can start my PTs and also utilize other resources.

As far as LG goes-- I've found 7sage to be more indispensable when it comes to sequencing games. The way the bible diagrams is not as helpful to me as the way the 7sage trainers do, but I watch the videos in addition to reviewing the bible explanations. There's also little things, like for example with more advanced sequencing games-- 7sage will (in my opinion CORRECTLY) suggest TWO sequencing boards when one of the rules has a splitter-space, where as the bible will tell you not to do that, depending on the other variables/rules-- doing this sometimes can save you minutes. I find that you really have to gauge what works for you and what doesn't, but I'm definitely happy that I've found 7sage. I will look into them for LR though. Best of luck to you!!!! I'd love to stay in touch and hear more about your journey and what's working for you.

Yes, it's absolutely tempting to switch gears, but the thing is I take notes, so doing so may result in confusion and disorganization.
What I do is give myself a small break after each chapter; it helps that the pages aren't that ridiculously long.
I'll be done with the LRB today and starting on the LGB. Honestly have little to no idea of what to expect,
but I did watch a YouTube video with Mike Kim giving an introduction a while back, and it doesn't seem too bad; hopefully, that is the case.
I also hear that the LGB isn't that effective, especially when compared to 7Sage, but I'll have to see for myself.

I'm also interested in your progress! Don't listen to Taylor Swift TOO much now.

I'm (thankfully) not familiar with Taylor swift's music in the slightest so your joke might have just gone over my head.

LG is fun for me. I need to drastically improve on my time but I expect that will happen with mastering inferences as well as practicing. I also miss stupid things on LG games sometimes. I'll miss *one* question from a super difficult game, and it's because I circled the wrong thing or misread an essential part of the stem. It happens in all my angst to improve time.

The advice I can give:

1. Spend a decent amount of time on the lessons and trying to thoroughly understand the foundation behind the purpose of the LGs/setting up games
2. Don't panic if you don't understand the application of 'not-laws' and the rules right away. Sequencing rules are easier than grouping rules because grouping rules more heavily rely on conditionals.
3. Inferences and the ability to recognize the impact they have on the game board is going to be key. It's an on going process. 7 sage videos will help with this.
4. Make sure you watch 7Sage explanations for EVERY mid-chapter and end of chapter example in LGB. It's going to help you realize that things in LGB can be made simpler.
5. Focus on getting the answers right while doing the LGB. More so than the timing. After you work through LGB sequencing/grouping-- then start to focus on timing. I'm going to start the 'sequencing+grouping' game chapter after I'm through with LRB.

I also take notes when I go through LRB. Honestly, it's a little bit time consuming because essentially I'm just writing down notes that appear at the end of the chapter in the review anyway. But I've found that writing things down helps me memorize them. I also type up my notes while I'm at work. I can't full-on study because there would be too many interruptions, but I definitely type notes and actively think about inferences while working.

[tasteofcherry]

You will make much more progress towards making larger score jumps simply taking practice tests and doing serious blind review than going through books. Perhaps If you get stuck on a concept, referring to the LSAT trainer would be ideal. Although I do think working through books have some utility for people with weaker fundamentals and a low diagnostic. 7sage is great for games review. Taking a game section, watching the corresponding 7sage video, adjusting your approach to the game as necessary and repeating the game until you perfect it was the most effective method for games in my case.

Thanks for the input stardust! I agree with you. I think I'm going to try to get through LRB and LGB since I'm almost done, and then I'll start PTing before I refer to the LSAT Trainer (though I just ordered it)

I'm scared of the fact that I have not yet cracked open my RCB. Think I should start PTing before I start that? I'm a bit concerned as while I can read at a decent speed, I'm not an avid reader and I feel it puts me at a slight disadvantage.

[Deardevil]

I'm (thankfully) not familiar with Taylor swift's music in the slightest so your joke might have just gone over my head.

LG is fun for me. I need to drastically improve on my time but I expect that will happen with mastering inferences as well as practicing. I also miss stupid things on LG games sometimes. I'll miss *one* question from a super difficult game, and it's because I circled the wrong thing or misread an essential part of the stem. It happens in all my angst to improve time.

The advice I can give:

1. Spend a decent amount of time on the lessons and trying to thoroughly understand the foundation behind the purpose of the LGs/setting up games
2. Don't panic if you don't understand the application of 'not-laws' and the rules right away. Sequencing rules are easier than grouping rules because grouping rules more heavily rely on conditionals.
3. Inferences and the ability to recognize the impact they have on the game board is going to be key. It's an on going process. 7 sage videos will help with this.
4. Make sure you watch 7Sage explanations for EVERY mid-chapter and end of chapter example in LGB. It's going to help you realize that things in LGB can be made simpler.
5. Focus on getting the answers right while doing the LGB. More so than the timing. After you work through LGB sequencing/grouping-- then start to focus on timing. I'm going to start the 'sequencing+grouping' game chapter after I'm through with LRB.

I also take notes when I go through LRB. Honestly, it's a little bit time consuming because essentially I'm just writing down notes that appear at the end of the chapter in the review anyway. But I've found that writing things down helps me memorize them. I also type up my notes while I'm at work. I can't full-on study because there would be too many interruptions, but I definitely type notes and actively think about inferences while working.

Fail...
From a distance, your avatar looks like Taylor.
Guess I really am blind (bad Daredevil joke).

Taking notes helps me remember things easier, too. Been doing it for any kind of review.
I've accumulated roughly 100 pages from the LRB alone, but what I also do is trim it to focus more on topics I'm not 100% on.
I'll keep your tips in mind as I dive into the green book.

[tasteofcherry]

Don't be in any rush for any kind of improvement. In fact, my score dropped when I first started studying and then went back up. Just start looking at the material, doing timed practice sections, etc. staring at logic games for hours and incrementally improve. Repetition and patience. I went from 153 to a begrudging 160 in two months, but then after another two months, I jumped to 165. And now (June LSAT) probably another jump (hoping).

Thanks for the tip! I am going to PT soon so I can establish a 'starting point'.

Fail...
From a distance, your avatar looks like Taylor.
Guess I really am blind (bad Daredevil joke).

Oh god. Now I might have to change it.

It's actually a still of Haydée Politoff in Eric Rohmer's 'La collectionneuse'

[Stardust84]

You will make much more progress towards making larger score jumps simply taking practice tests and doing serious blind review than going through books. Perhaps If you get stuck on a concept, referring to the LSAT trainer would be ideal. Although I do think working through books have some utility for people with weaker fundamentals and a low diagnostic. 7sage is great for games review. Taking a game section, watching the corresponding 7sage video, adjusting your approach to the game as necessary and repeating the game until you perfect it was the most effective method for games in my case.

Thanks for the input stardust! I agree with you. I think I'm going to try to get through LRB and LGB since I'm almost done, and then I'll start PTing before I refer to the LSAT Trainer (though I just ordered it)

I'm scared of the fact that I have not yet cracked open my RCB. Think I should start PTing before I start that? I'm a bit concerned as while I can read at a decent speed, I'm not an avid reader and I feel it puts me at a slight disadvantage.

I think you should PT before you read through RCB, to see where you are at with RC. I think if you crack 20 + on RC, I would save it and work on LG and LR and the LSAT Trainer if you feel the need for books. I will say your concern about RC is somewhat understandable as it is the hardest section to make any improvement on. I think the RC has been trending more difficult in the last couple years of tests as well.