The Official September 2016 Study Group - WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS Forum

[Archer@Law]

for any Skyrim fans in here: https://twitter.com/ign/status/742183597763756033 -- I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS. and it's right after we take the LSAT.

I was never really into Skyrim, or any games like it for that matter. I've tried so hard to play them but for some reason I just can't get into them Do you like Dark Souls?

nah, there's so much in that game that I don't even feel like starting it I also heard it's EXTREMELY hard!

Dark souls... for when even the LSAT doesn't satisfy your high level masochism. As for Skyrim HD.. pumped.. too bad my free time has been sacrificed on the altar of life goals.

[Barack O'Drama]

I'm on the fence on what to do. I took a live BP course, loved it and I've been using their methods. I'm done with it and I don't know if I should either renew it and take the course again online, go through the bibles or do the lsat trainer. I have a lot of work overall to do but I'm making progress still and I haven't his any walls. This is why I think it may be good to continue with BP since it's working. I read the kindle unlimited preview of the trainer (first four chapters abridged) and I browsed through the LG and LR bibles... I'm so torn.

That is awesome. I'm glad to hear it worked out for you. Part of me sort of regrets not taking a in-person/online course. I mean I guess I'm doing alright, but I think I would liked to have been able to have someone to ask specific questions for specific types. I guess my only question is for the two month plan, how did they break down the sections? Did you do everything a little bit all at once, or did you do LR then LG, etc.

16 lessons in 2 months with 6 proctored exams, 3 workshops. Two lessons a week, some times a workshop on a third day and some times a practice test on a weekend. Each lesson has one type of LR question (they have like 13 categories) plus a game type or RC type. Some lessons have all three sections. They break LR into three families that all relate to each other. Very helpful for me to start seeing patterns and stuff.

They break RC down by structure - one perspective, two perspective, synthesis. Then they go into secondary structures. They teach each of the three main structures then go more in depth with secondary structures.

Games is pretty good. They break it down into four groups: one to one, grouping, combo and neither. They introduce the type of game, them go more in depth and complex as each lesson goes on.

It really builds on itself. I enjoyed my class and made friends. It was great to have a teacher too who was young. I wish that courses though had teachers who diagnosed low. My teacher diagnosed high and two months was good for him to get to 175. It's hard to do when you're a lot lower . But that's me being picky.

That sounds pretty awesome! I like the fact you say it builds on itself. That would have been really helpful for me I think. One last question, when teaching you how to approach the answer choices on LG did they have any particular technique. That is something I feel myself having a lot of trouble with. I can diagram most games and make inferences, but when it comes to answer choices I find myself brute forcing through the questions and just having to plug in the choices and see what works. It takes up all my time and it sucks!!!

[momoyome]

That sounds pretty awesome! I like the fact you say it builds on itself. That would have been really helpful for me I think. One last question, when teaching you how to approach the answer choices on LG did they have any particular technique. That is something I feel myself having a lot of trouble with. I can diagram most games and make inferences, but when it comes to answer choices I find myself brute forcing through the questions and just having to plug in the choices and see what works. It takes up all my time and it sucks!!!

How they did LG was through deductions for everything you can. Scenarios, combining rules. Everything you couldn't would be through guess and check. I think how they teach set ups is good because it's very streamlined through all types of games (except neither games cause those are just weird). It makes me very comfortable seeing all types of games which shaves off time. I guess you would just need to get better at inferences. I found that their lessons on LR taught formal logic well that could be applied to games since how they diagram rules is almost identical to diagraming logic in LR.

[Barack O'Drama]

That sounds pretty awesome! I like the fact you say it builds on itself. That would have been really helpful for me I think. One last question, when teaching you how to approach the answer choices on LG did they have any particular technique. That is something I feel myself having a lot of trouble with. I can diagram most games and make inferences, but when it comes to answer choices I find myself brute forcing through the questions and just having to plug in the choices and see what works. It takes up all my time and it sucks!!!

How they did LG was through deductions for everything you can. Scenarios, combining rules. Everything you couldn't would be through guess and check. I think how they teach set ups is good because it's very streamlined through all types of games (except neither games cause those are just weird). It makes me very comfortable seeing all types of games which shaves off time. I guess you would just need to get better at inferences. I found that their lessons on LR taught formal logic well that could be applied to games since how they diagram rules is almost identical to diagraming logic in LR.

Alrighty--thank you that is very helpful! I think I just need practice and to get better at making inferences and combing rules. Combining rules is something I don't think I am doing with proficiency or efficiency. I'm hoping drilling will also help me see some patterns. It sounds like BP is certainly one of the better courses you can take and their strategies have served you well. Thank you again for the help momoyme

[lgsb2014]

I just took my first diagnostic yesterday and got a 141. Am I doomed?
I have a 3.45 gpa, URM, went to one of the best public universities in the country, and I have 2 years of immigration law work experience. Has anyone ever jumped to mid 160s after a 141 diagnostic?

[proteinshake]

I just took my first diagnostic yesterday and got a 141. Am I doomed?
I have a 3.45 gpa, URM, went to one of the best public universities in the country, and I have 2 years of immigration law work experience. Has anyone ever jumped to mid 160s after a 141 diagnostic?

Yes, just study hard and you'll get there, it's actually really common.

[Mikey]

I just took my first diagnostic yesterday and got a 141. Am I doomed?
I have a 3.45 gpa, URM, went to one of the best public universities in the country, and I have 2 years of immigration law work experience. Has anyone ever jumped to mid 160s after a 141 diagnostic?

No you're not doomed, don't let a diagnostic discourage you. Lots of people start with a very low diagnostic and then with dedicated studying they get a good score.

If it makes you feel better, my diagnostic was around yours and my average PT score now is around a 167. It's definitely possible if you just put in the work.

[20170322]

Overslept this morning, had to skip the gym. Still have to do a post-mortem on 2 LSAT's, so I'm very, very far behind.

[34iplaw]

Just cranked out my PS and Yale 250. This is getting me excited about the possibility of applying in the Fall!

Good stuff SweetTort! Those things can be really tough to plow through. I still don't have any idea what to write mine about... Get excited, you're on your way to a Yale-LSAT score

All my opinion here but...

I'd spread them out and don't worry about getting the exact statement on your first try. Just hash something out if it comes to you or do it when you need a break. I have written a few things before I have gone to bed quickly. I still have yet to revisit most of them. Grammar, spelling, etc. do not need to be anywhere near perfect at this stage, nor does it have to be as long - or short, I suppose - as the prompt dictates. Writing a PS takes relatively little time of actual writing. It's more of a process that takes a long period of rest between work, and you will benefit from giving the work time to germinate naturally. Everyone's different, but, IMO, a great personal statement takes time, even if you are a fantastic writer. Time, distance, and introspection.

My college essays were about expounding on something mundane. One was about skiing competitively when I was little and relating it to other challenges in my life... although I've come to realize the idea of relating a race to college admissions - while relevant - is rather mundane and tried. This is the one that was sort of forced and done under a more how do I convey this type way. The other - which I liked far more and I think it was better - was about the importance of detail and how a lot of work can be for a very brief moment - an Americana version of a sand mandala in a way - observed while scraping off dishes at a family friend's Christmas party that I would go to every year.

EDIT: I'd also add that, in my opinion, it is even beneficial to rewrite a previous statement a week or two later without having looked at the original. You will likely word things differently, come up with different observations, etc. These are all tremendous benefits in crafting compelling writing that cannot be achieved on a compressed or constrained timeline. I think pretty much everyone would end up with a much better personal statement if they spent one hour on it a week for ten weeks than if they spent ten hours on it over one week. You will be way more critical of your writing this way.

[Shakawkaw]

Ugh.

Officially checking in *again.* Going to start studying after work today. Keep me on my toes, bbz.

[20170322]

Just drilled a packet of 5 logic games, 30 minutes, -1.


Speed and accuracy are definitely improving, but it's going to be a long battle to go -0 on test day.

[Alexandros]

.

[20170322]

Just drilled a packet of 5 logic games, 30 minutes, -1.


Speed and accuracy are definitely improving, but it's going to be a long battle to go -0 on test day.

That's fantastic. They all first-time?

Oh no, I'm guessing I've seen them all at some point in the past. I'm doing one of these packets of 5 per day to keep my LG sharp, but I've drilled the Cambridge packets into the ground. Although, I went -0 on my last PT, so I think the system is working.

[Alexandros]

.

[Barack O'Drama]

Just drilled a packet of 5 logic games, 30 minutes, -1.


Speed and accuracy are definitely improving, but it's going to be a long battle to go -0 on test day.

That's fantastic. They all first-time?

Oh no, I'm guessing I've seen them all at some point in the past. I'm doing one of these packets of 5 per day to keep my LG sharp, but I've drilled the Cambridge packets into the ground. Although, I went -0 on my last PT, so I think the system is working.

Impressive! I think your consistency really paid off!

[Barack O'Drama]

So today I've been trying to make some progress on advanced ordering games / grouping. I'm going through the Logic Games Bible and trying to get through all the examples, then reviewing them afterwards on 7Sage. After I understand how to do them better, and become more proficient, I will drill a 25 games from the Cambridge packets on them. My goal is to get myself to go -0 untimed and then I'm going to read the MLAST LG and keep drilling.
I did 2 hours this morning and I want to get in at least another 2 before the night is over.

My ultimate goal is to go -0 on test day because I don't see any reason why these shouldn't be gimme points. I think it is all going to come down to timing and efficiency.

I also ordered this: http://www.perfectscorewatch.com

I have been researching what kind of LSAT watch to get and originally I was going to get a cheap one, but I figured if the extra money makes it even a little easier to see how much time I have left, it may very well be worth it. I choose this one because it has 4 sections within the 35 minutes that are color coded. The other LSAT watches I looked at only had 3 sections, and some--not specifically for that LSAT-- had none at all. I'll let you guys know what I think when I get it. Hoping it lays flat on the table so I don't have to keep looking at my wrist.

[proteinshake]

So today I've been trying to make some progress on advanced ordering games / grouping. I'm going through the Logic Games Bible and trying to get through all the examples, then reviewing them afterwards on 7Sage. After I understand how to do them better, and become more proficient, I will drill a 25 games from the Cambridge packets on them. My goal is to get myself to go -0 untimed and then I'm going to read the MLAST LG and keep drilling.
I did 2 hours this morning and I want to get in at least another 2 before the night is over.

My ultimate goal is to go -0 on test day because I don't see any reason why these shouldn't be gimme points. I think it is all going to come down to timing and efficiency.

I also ordered this: http://www.perfectscorewatch.com

I have been researching what kind of LSAT watch to get and originally I was going to get a cheap one, but I figured if the extra money makes it even a little easier to see how much time I have left, it may very well be worth it. I choose this one because it has 4 sections within the 35 minutes that are color coded. The other LSAT watches I looked at only had 3 sections, and some--not specifically for that LSAT-- had none at all. I'll let you guys know what I think when I get it. Hoping it lays flat on the table so I don't have to keep looking at my wrist.

have you seen the 180 watch? it's more expensive (like 60) but it's the best one you can get.

[proteinshake]

~140 pages left in Manhattan LG. should be done with it by the end of the week and then moving on the Manhattan LR next week after a PT!

[mwells56]

So I took my first diagnostic (June 07) yesterday and got a 157. My goals are Cls/NYU or anywhere in the t14 so I'm trying to get at the very least a 168, but am striving for a 172+.

I'm currently abroad, and don't really have access to a great study space or a printer. I also don't have much room in my suitcases for [what I assume are] large LSAT practice books. So I was planning on starting my prep when I got home in late July and taking it in either December, February, or June. However, given how well I did on the diagnostic, I'm thinking about starting to study now and then taking it in September, getting it over with before the rest of my Junior year really kicks in (unless I need to retake).

The way I see it is like this: September and June are probably the best options as far as interfering with regular schoolwork goes, but if I don't take it in September I'd be more inclined to take it in December or February just to get it over with. I think my current approach is going to be to just sit on it for now and then when I get home, start PTing and see where I'm at before deciding to register. My worry is that if I don't take it in September, I'm going to push it off until June and will lose some motivation studying the damn thing for like 10 months.

Thoughts?

[Barack O'Drama]

So today I've been trying to make some progress on advanced ordering games / grouping. I'm going through the Logic Games Bible and trying to get through all the examples, then reviewing them afterwards on 7Sage. After I understand how to do them better, and become more proficient, I will drill a 25 games from the Cambridge packets on them. My goal is to get myself to go -0 untimed and then I'm going to read the MLAST LG and keep drilling.
I did 2 hours this morning and I want to get in at least another 2 before the night is over.

My ultimate goal is to go -0 on test day because I don't see any reason why these shouldn't be gimme points. I think it is all going to come down to timing and efficiency.

I also ordered this: http://www.perfectscorewatch.com

I have been researching what kind of LSAT watch to get and originally I was going to get a cheap one, but I figured if the extra money makes it even a little easier to see how much time I have left, it may very well be worth it. I choose this one because it has 4 sections within the 35 minutes that are color coded. The other LSAT watches I looked at only had 3 sections, and some--not specifically for that LSAT-- had none at all. I'll let you guys know what I think when I get it. Hoping it lays flat on the table so I don't have to keep looking at my wrist.

have you seen the 180 watch? it's more expensive (like 60) but it's the best one you can get.

Yeah I did! I was stuck between and just didn't want to spend that much on it. If I don't like this one I'll probably just return it and get the 180 watch. It looks really nice! Now from looking at it again, I might have to return it anyways and get the 180 watch haha

[Barack O'Drama]

~140 pages left in Manhattan LG. should be done with it by the end of the week and then moving on the Manhattan LR next week after a PT!

How are you liking it so far? I'm planning on starting MLSAT LG at the end of the week myself thanks to your awesome advice. I just looked through the first chapter or so of each MLSAT book and I like the layout and explanations much better!
Hoping it translates to some solid success, lord knows I need it.

Congrats on the progress Protein Shake

[proteinshake]

~140 pages left in Manhattan LG. should be done with it by the end of the week and then moving on the Manhattan LR next week after a PT!

How are you liking it so far? I'm planning on starting MLSAT LG at the end of the week myself thanks to your awesome advice. I just looked through the first chapter or so of each MLSAT book and I like the layout and explanations much better!
Hoping it translates to some solid success, lord knows I need it.

Congrats on the progress Protein Shake

it's awesome! I read it for my last take in December so I am familiar with its awesomeness. so far I've drilled all the Simple/Complex/Relative ordering games and went -1/0 on every game (mostly -0)! the games in the book are pretty hard, so the the drill packs seem much easier.

[Alexandros]

.

[Barack O'Drama]

~140 pages left in Manhattan LG. should be done with it by the end of the week and then moving on the Manhattan LR next week after a PT!

How are you liking it so far? I'm planning on starting MLSAT LG at the end of the week myself thanks to your awesome advice. I just looked through the first chapter or so of each MLSAT book and I like the layout and explanations much better!
Hoping it translates to some solid success, lord knows I need it.

Congrats on the progress Protein Shake

it's awesome! I read it for my last take in December so I am familiar with its awesomeness. so far I've drilled all the Simple/Complex/Relative ordering games and went -1/0 on every game (mostly -0)! the games in the book are pretty hard, so the the drill packs seem much easier.

I'm excited to start! I'm about 1/3 of the way through the LGB and hope to be starting MLSAT LG within a week or two.

And that is amazing! Good work, keep it up!

[mwells56]

So I took my first diagnostic (June 07) yesterday and got a 157. My goals are Cls/NYU or anywhere in the t14 so I'm trying to get at the very least a 168, but am striving for a 172+.

I'm currently abroad, and don't really have access to a great study space or a printer. I also don't have much room in my suitcases for [what I assume are] large LSAT practice books. So I was planning on starting my prep when I got home in late July and taking it in either December, February, or June. However, given how well I did on the diagnostic, I'm thinking about starting to study now and then taking it in September, getting it over with before the rest of my Junior year really kicks in (unless I need to retake).

The way I see it is like this: September and June are probably the best options as far as interfering with regular schoolwork goes, but if I don't take it in September I'd be more inclined to take it in December or February just to get it over with. I think my current approach is going to be to just sit on it for now and then when I get home, start PTing and see where I'm at before deciding to register. My worry is that if I don't take it in September, I'm going to push it off until June and will lose some motivation studying the damn thing for like 10 months.

Thoughts?

I wouldn't recommend you start studying in late July with the plan of taking it in September unless you're very prepared to retake, as, while not impossible, I'm not sure increasing your score by that much in that short of a time is realistic. But, of course, you could see how it goes.

How limited are you for space? I got through about a month and a half at my parents' with just the Trainer, 1 book of practice tests, and the LGB, and made quite a bit of progress. I think, if supplemented by online materials such as 7sage, I could have made similar progress with just the Trainer and the book of practice tests. While the Trainer's a bit hefty, the books of 10 aren't really that large and could easily be fit in a backpack. I'm really not sure if there's enough online, no printer necessary, material to replace something like the Trainer as I haven't had experience with that.

Of course, if you delay registering, start studying now and find you're unable to make much progress with the space and resources available to you, you wouldn't really have lost much and could just drag your prep books home with you and put it off to a time that would work better. And if you are able to make progress and think you're ready to take it in September, then fantastic!

I'm living in a hotel room with a roommate and one desk with just enough room for a laptop and a stack of scrap paper, no lounges that are open late enough for realistic study hours. And yeah, I was hoping to go paperless, I'm already right at the limit for my luggage's weight even with a ridiculously heavy travel duffel bag. Sounds like September isn't really in the cards, but I'll see if my mind changes about starting in the next couple of weeks and saying screw it to space constraints.