179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice... Forum

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crumpetsandtea

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by crumpetsandtea » Sun May 22, 2011 3:16 am

Sorry if this has been asked, but what was your PT average before you retook? When you PT-ed right before the test, did you do anything special (ie, eat the same breakfast that you would for the test, wake up/do the same things at the same times, etc)? Any recommendations for calming test day nerves? What was your prep schedule like for the last 2 weeks?

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Kabuo

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Kabuo » Sun May 22, 2011 3:40 am

Stanley Otto Swift wrote:taking questions again if anyone has anything
Where are you now?

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boosk

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by boosk » Sun May 22, 2011 3:42 am

best way to use these last 15 days to improve LR?

to perfect LG?

I've been consistently at 163-164 for two weeks now, trying to get to 168 or better...

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ngogirl

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by ngogirl » Sun May 22, 2011 5:10 am

for someone who has been prepping for awhile, do you recommend taking several tests a week (2 to 3) or one test per week?

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by JD=Doctor » Sun May 22, 2011 5:51 am

Last week i got the highest i ever got on PT

175

Lr1 -2
Lr2 -2
LG -0
RC -3


My LR fluctuates from -3 to -6 total for both sections combined
my games are -0 and sometime an error or 2

the prob is my reading comp ... the above was great my last 2 PTs were -8 and -9 which butchered my scores..

i range from -3 to -9 on RC How should i devote my study time with RC this week - as in how should i approach it?

And how should i devote the next 2 weeks? ( i have 10 days of good studying left)

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by jortiz682 » Sun May 22, 2011 7:28 am

Stanley Otto Swift wrote:
solotee wrote:How long did it take you to increase from 154 to 179?

How many times have you sat in for the test?
I studied off and on for about nine months. I retook a 174, which everyone told me was insanity, but I knew I had a 180 or 179 in me. Probably spent 400 or 500 hours on LSAT related studying.
Can't love this quote enough. Same page. Well, not the 174 part. Had a hardcore anxiety attack that has literally never affected (effected?) me before for anything. Have spent tons of time by now though. And took TM. Now finally have the anti-anxiety cure and am just beasting practice tests. I don't have 180 or 179 in me, but 177 or so. And the scholarship $ alone makes it worth it and then some.

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Stanley Otto Swift

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Sun May 22, 2011 12:42 pm

crumpetsandtea wrote:Sorry if this has been asked, but what was your PT average before you retook? When you PT-ed right before the test, did you do anything special (ie, eat the same breakfast that you would for the test, wake up/do the same things at the same times, etc)? Any recommendations for calming test day nerves? What was your prep schedule like for the last 2 weeks?
My PT avg before taking was ~178-180. I didn't do anything special as far as testing conditions and, honestly, think that stuff is overblown. Get on a good sleep schedule, take your vitamins and eat a light breakfast. The best cure for anxiety is confidence, and confidence comes from working your ass off and knowing you've done everything you can to prepare for the test.

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Stanley Otto Swift

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Sun May 22, 2011 12:43 pm

Kabuo wrote:
Stanley Otto Swift wrote:taking questions again if anyone has anything
Where are you now?
rather not get too specific but I'm in grad school/law school at a top university.

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Stanley Otto Swift

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Sun May 22, 2011 12:45 pm

boosk wrote:best way to use these last 15 days to improve LR?

to perfect LG?

I've been consistently at 163-164 for two weeks now, trying to get to 168 or better...
I'd focus on LG since it's easier to improve. Have you done all the games on LSATs you're not saving for preptests? If not, do so. If so, do them again.

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Stanley Otto Swift

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Sun May 22, 2011 12:48 pm

ngogirl wrote:for someone who has been prepping for awhile, do you recommend taking several tests a week (2 to 3) or one test per week?
I'd say it depends on when you're taking, how many unused tests you have left, and where you are relative to your goal. If taking in June and going balls to the wall, try to take them all even if it means taking 3 per week. If taking October, go slower and do more untimed review.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Sun May 22, 2011 12:52 pm

JD=Doctor wrote:Last week i got the highest i ever got on PT

175

Lr1 -2
Lr2 -2
LG -0
RC -3


My LR fluctuates from -3 to -6 total for both sections combined
my games are -0 and sometime an error or 2

the prob is my reading comp ... the above was great my last 2 PTs were -8 and -9 which butchered my scores..

i range from -3 to -9 on RC How should i devote my study time with RC this week - as in how should i approach it?

And how should i devote the next 2 weeks? ( i have 10 days of good studying left)
I don't have any magic bullet advice for reading comp. Everyone says it's the hardest section to learn and the most individual with regard to what is effective (they're right). I'd be slightly concerned that you're still thinking about trying out methods at this point, and if you're legitimately fluctuating from 3 to 9 missed questions, I'd consider postponing.

I practiced my RC by reading absurdly difficult material outside of LSAT prep. Stuff like scientific journal articles from Nature and Archaeology, David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions, etc. Obviously this should not be your focus now, but it does help with overall comprehension and stamina.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by just win baby » Sun May 22, 2011 11:09 pm

(I am taking the exam in October)

Besides causality, what other patterns do you see in LR?

I am starting to see the similarities in some questions, but I don't think it's fully clicked yet. You mentioned your score increased tremendously when you found these patterns.

also,

I have never done an untimed PT... should I do this before I start timed practice again?


Thank you very much

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by roranoa » Mon May 23, 2011 2:07 am

Thanks for the thread.

So I noticed that your greatest improvement came from LG

How much did you improve on RC? I usually find that those who improve dramatically are ususually pretty good at RC. Are you such case?

And you said you spent time reading difficult material outside LSAT material. How much time did you spend on those? 1 hour a day? 2 hours day?

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by psm11 » Mon May 23, 2011 2:27 am

did you to a point during your prep where you felt burnt out? if so, how did you overcome the feeling?

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by MoneyBags » Tue May 24, 2011 5:57 pm

Hero.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by MoneyBags » Tue May 24, 2011 5:58 pm

Is better to start with older tests then progress to new ones?
Last edited by MoneyBags on Tue May 24, 2011 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by crumpetsandtea » Tue May 24, 2011 6:08 pm

Advice for someone consistently scoring ~-3 total on LR, -0 on LG, and -4 or 5 on RC?

Also, what's your opinion of taking 3 or 4 '6 section tests' instead of '5 section tests' leading up to the actual thing, assuming you are leaving a couple days before the test with no PT to just review/calm nerves?

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Stanley Otto Swift

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Wed May 25, 2011 12:29 am

just win baby wrote:(I am taking the exam in October)

Besides causality, what other patterns do you see in LR?

I am starting to see the similarities in some questions, but I don't think it's fully clicked yet. You mentioned your score increased tremendously when you found these patterns.

also,

I have never done an untimed PT... should I do this before I start timed practice again?


Thank you very much
it's been a few years since I looked at the LSAT materials, so I can't speak to specific patterns. I just meant that once you see particular logical relationship being tested over and over it becomes very easy to recognize it and solve it. The test-makers only have so many tricks up their sleeve.

I'm a big believer in untimed review, especially if you're still struggling with the basics.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Wed May 25, 2011 12:32 am

roranoa wrote:Thanks for the thread.

So I noticed that your greatest improvement came from LG

How much did you improve on RC? I usually find that those who improve dramatically are ususually pretty good at RC. Are you such case?

And you said you spent time reading difficult material outside LSAT material. How much time did you spend on those? 1 hour a day? 2 hours day?
I improved my RC probably from around -5 per section to missing 1 or so. I have always been an avid reader and my undergrad majors both involved a ton of reading and writing.

As fro outside, difficult reading, maybe a few hours or so per week. I went to the library and read Nature or Science or Current Anthropology a couple mornings per week.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Wed May 25, 2011 12:33 am

psm11 wrote:did you to a point during your prep where you felt burnt out? if so, how did you overcome the feeling?
I've always thought burnout was overrated. You have to be single-minded if you want massive improvement in your score.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Wed May 25, 2011 12:35 am

MoneyBags wrote:Is better to start with older tests then progress to new ones?
that's what I did. Ideally leave yourself a minimum of 10 unspoiled tests for the last few weeks.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Wed May 25, 2011 12:39 am

crumpetsandtea wrote:Advice for someone consistently scoring ~-3 total on LR, -0 on LG, and -4 or 5 on RC?

Also, what's your opinion of taking 3 or 4 '6 section tests' instead of '5 section tests' leading up to the actual thing, assuming you are leaving a couple days before the test with no PT to just review/calm nerves?
You're in the 170s so I doubt I have much to tell you that you haven't already heard. Keep plugging away.

I like the idea of simulating the real thing but I never did it myself. Adrenaline carried the day.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by crumpetsandtea » Wed May 25, 2011 1:47 am

Stanley Otto Swift wrote:I like the idea of simulating the real thing but I never did it myself. Adrenaline carried the day.
Thanks for replying and keeping this thread alive <3

You said above you took your RC from -5 to -1...how? 2 weeks is kinda late I know, but it's my last stubborn section and it's killing me that I can't break the 175+ barrier because of it. Also what do you mean by the bolded? You never took a 5 section PT?

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by Stanley Otto Swift » Wed May 25, 2011 3:12 am

crumpetsandtea wrote:
Stanley Otto Swift wrote:I like the idea of simulating the real thing but I never did it myself. Adrenaline carried the day.
Thanks for replying and keeping this thread alive <3

You said above you took your RC from -5 to -1...how? 2 weeks is kinda late I know, but it's my last stubborn section and it's killing me that I can't break the 175+ barrier because of it. Also what do you mean by the bolded? You never took a 5 section PT?
Now that I think about it, I did take a few 5 section tests as part of a Testmasters course, but when I prepped on my own I just took the exams as they were.

It really is hard to give specific advice about RC. Do you have a consistent markup strategy that you're applying systematically? My improvement came as I did passage after passage after passage; it just kind of happened as I got better at taking the test. My specific strategy was to use minimal markups and to refer back to the passage as necessary. In general I found excessive notation and diagramming to be a waste of time.

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Re: 179 LSAT, 154 diagnostic, taking questions, giving advice...

Post by crumpetsandtea » Wed May 25, 2011 4:49 am

Stanley Otto Swift wrote:Now that I think about it, I did take a few 5 section tests as part of a Testmasters course, but when I prepped on my own I just took the exams as they were.

It really is hard to give specific advice about RC. Do you have a consistent markup strategy that you're applying systematically? My improvement came as I did passage after passage after passage; it just kind of happened as I got better at taking the test. My specific strategy was to use minimal markups and to refer back to the passage as necessary. In general I found excessive notation and diagramming to be a waste of time.
Ohhhh ok I wasn't sure if that's what you meant (about the 5 section tests)

My markup strategy mainly consists of: boxing the main ideas/args, brackets around each supporting idea (with a S1/S2 on the margin), underlining words that seem important. It's definitely been consistently my worst section (a list of all my scores from 29 till 55 can be found here, to make the awfulness of my RC clear lol). It's frustrating that it's also the hardest to improve on...:\ LG has always been the easiest for me, I feel like I got the short end of the LSAT studying stick XD!!

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