The Official June 2016 Study Group Forum

[naht]

I've been studying since Christmas Break. 148 diagnostic, timed and cold. Since then, I probably put well over 100 hours in during the break and finished the LG Book and got done with LR book this past week (both Powerscore). Took a second timed Preptest (SuperPrep A) without any breaks and got a 162, so it's on a positive trajectory. I was kind of expecting to be in the 150s on my second test, so I'm thrilled. Honestly, I'm going to start taking at least one preptest a week (probably two or three come early March) and review the day(s) immediately after. My goal is a 172+ for June, which I think is doable, but it's going to be a lot of work. However, anyone who says that you can't improve more than, say 7-8, from your diagnostic is wrong. I went up 14 from just one preptest later. And if it makes anyone feel any better, my score breakdown on my 148 from the June 2007 test was -9 LG, -9LR, -13 LR, -14 RC (I know, I think I was just extremely frustrated by the time that rolled around). My Superprep A breakdown was -7 LR, -5 RC, -3 LG (I had to guess on the last three), and -5 LR. So, yes, I would say (large) improvements in each section are possible. I'm aiming to get LR and LG down to -1-0 per section, and RC to keep in the -3-5 range (if better, I'd take it) by June.

[AmIElleWoodsYet]

Hey everybody!

I've been lurking on TLS for quite sometime and decided to finally make an account and this is my first post, Yippee! So, I'm a junior and looking towards graduation and unfortunately I'll probably be ending with a 3.6 GPA so I absolutely have to score top percentile for LSAT because T14 is where it's at. About a year and a half ago I decided to take a preptest to see where I was at (don't judge- been obsessed with law school forever) and I scored decently, 160 but the goal is 175+. For the past month or so I've been attempting 5-6 LG daily while I'm at work since that was my weakest section. But I just ordered the powerscore bible for LG and the LSAT trainer so I'm going to kick off hard prep starting Feb.1. I plan on taking a practice test this weekend to get a more realistic picture of where I am at but I just wanted to say hey to everybody. If anybody has tips, advice, suggestions, etc. for developing a prep plan or anything relating to admissions process I am all ears!

[Binghamton1018]

Welcome to everyone checking in!

[MAPP]

I've been studying since Christmas Break. 148 diagnostic, timed and cold. Since then, I probably put well over 100 hours in during the break and finished the LG Book and got done with LR book this past week (both Powerscore). Took a second timed Preptest (SuperPrep A) without any breaks and got a 162, so it's on a positive trajectory. I was kind of expecting to be in the 150s on my second test, so I'm thrilled. Honestly, I'm going to start taking at least one preptest a week (probably two or three come early March) and review the day(s) immediately after. My goal is a 172+ for June, which I think is doable, but it's going to be a lot of work. However, anyone who says that you can't improve more than, say 7-8, from your diagnostic is wrong. I went up 14 from just one preptest later. And if it makes anyone feel any better, my score breakdown on my 148 from the June 2007 test was -9 LG, -9LR, -13 LR, -14 RC (I know, I think I was just extremely frustrated by the time that rolled around). My Superprep A breakdown was -7 LR, -5 RC, -3 LG (I had to guess on the last three), and -5 LR. So, yes, I would say (large) improvements in each section are possible. I'm aiming to get LR and LG down to -1-0 per section, and RC to keep in the -3-5 range (if better, I'd take it) by June.

Congrats that's awesome! I might have to put you on speed dial

[aghassemi91]

I've been studying since Christmas Break. 148 diagnostic, timed and cold. Since then, I probably put well over 100 hours in during the break and finished the LG Book and got done with LR book this past week (both Powerscore). Took a second timed Preptest (SuperPrep A) without any breaks and got a 162, so it's on a positive trajectory. I was kind of expecting to be in the 150s on my second test, so I'm thrilled. Honestly, I'm going to start taking at least one preptest a week (probably two or three come early March) and review the day(s) immediately after. My goal is a 172+ for June, which I think is doable, but it's going to be a lot of work. However, anyone who says that you can't improve more than, say 7-8, from your diagnostic is wrong. I went up 14 from just one preptest later. And if it makes anyone feel any better, my score breakdown on my 148 from the June 2007 test was -9 LG, -9LR, -13 LR, -14 RC (I know, I think I was just extremely frustrated by the time that rolled around). My Superprep A breakdown was -7 LR, -5 RC, -3 LG (I had to guess on the last three), and -5 LR. So, yes, I would say (large) improvements in each section are possible. I'm aiming to get LR and LG down to -1-0 per section, and RC to keep in the -3-5 range (if better, I'd take it) by June.

Congrats on the improvement; I hope you keep scoring higher & higher as time goes on. As you said, just about everyone can improve their score significantly, IF they're willing to put in the work and time. I don't think the material for this test is necessarily what's hard; in my opinion, it's a matter of building good habits & practicing them day in and day out. What methods are you using for drilling? Timed mixed reviews? Specific question types?

[R. Jeeves]

Just discovered that they sell watches specifically for the LSAT. Like, analog watches that do 35 min countdowns with 4 color coded sections to correspond to 4 games and/or 4 reading passages. LSAC's got this racketeering game on fire.

eta: just realized I might have been the only one clueless about this till now

[sephora_addict]

Just discovered that they sell watches specifically for the LSAT. Like, analog watches that do 35 min countdowns with 4 color coded sections to correspond to 4 games and/or 4 reading passages. LSAC's got this racketeering game on fire.

eta: just realized I might have been the only one clueless about this till now

gave me a good laugh there at the end.

[R. Jeeves]

Just discovered that they sell watches specifically for the LSAT. Like, analog watches that do 35 min countdowns with 4 color coded sections to correspond to 4 games and/or 4 reading passages. LSAC's got this racketeering game on fire.

eta: just realized I might have been the only one clueless about this till now

gave me a good laugh there at the end.

[MAPP]

LSAC's got this racketeering game on fire.

You can say that again

[naht]

For methods, honestly I do an arcade conditional reasoning game in Manhattan's LSAT Arcade every morning when I get up, and I try to read at least three online articles in the Scientific American every day before bed. I started getting in the habit of forcing myself to enjoy passages and to trace who has what viewpoint, what the author's main argument is, etc. It really helps you stay engaged, which is key. As for Logic Games, I bought the Test Type Trainer from Powerscore for that section, and honestly, sheer practice helps significantly. You see the same patterns in most games to the point where it can become automatic if you work through. I should note, I've always been a pretty fast test taker and have always finished standardized tests on time. On my first diagnostic, the structure of the Logical Reasoning questions threw me off, and I could only get to about question ~22 in the allotted time. However, after going through the Powerscore books and simply drilling, I've noticed it pays off deep dividends. I hope this helps!

On a side note, who all is aiming for T5?

[tuxedocat]

^no chill

[sephora_addict]

For methods, honestly I do an arcade conditional reasoning game in Manhattan's LSAT Arcade every morning when I get up, and I try to read at least three online articles in the Scientific American every day before bed. I started getting in the habit of forcing myself to enjoy passages and to trace who has what viewpoint, what the author's main argument is, etc. It really helps you stay engaged, which is key. As for Logic Games, I bought the Test Type Trainer from Powerscore for that section, and honestly, sheer practice helps significantly. You see the same patterns in most games to the point where it can become automatic if you work through. I should note, I've always been a pretty fast test taker and have always finished standardized tests on time. On my first diagnostic, the structure of the Logical Reasoning questions threw me off, and I could only get to about question ~22 in the allotted time. However, after going through the Powerscore books and simply drilling, I've noticed it pays off deep dividends. I hope this helps!

On a side note, who all is aiming for T5?

I'm aiming for a T5 but don't know if it will be possible for me since I'm terrible with standardized exams. I hate it. I'm so smart but when it comes to standardized exams I become overly anxious and overthink everything.

[somethingElse]

Just discovered that they sell watches specifically for the LSAT. Like, analog watches that do 35 min countdowns with 4 color coded sections to correspond to 4 games and/or 4 reading passages. LSAC's got this racketeering game on fire.

eta: just realized I might have been the only one clueless about this till now

They're actually worth it though IMO. I will sell you (or anyone who wants to) mine for ~half price if you want.

[R. Jeeves]

Just discovered that they sell watches specifically for the LSAT. Like, analog watches that do 35 min countdowns with 4 color coded sections to correspond to 4 games and/or 4 reading passages. LSAC's got this racketeering game on fire.

eta: just realized I might have been the only one clueless about this till now

They're actually worth it though IMO. I will sell you (or anyone who wants to) mine for ~half price if you want.

oh yeah they actually do seem useful given LSAC's strict rules on allowable watches. I might PM you later on.

[tuxedocat]

Just discovered that they sell watches specifically for the LSAT. Like, analog watches that do 35 min countdowns with 4 color coded sections to correspond to 4 games and/or 4 reading passages. LSAC's got this racketeering game on fire.

eta: just realized I might have been the only one clueless about this till now

They're actually worth it though IMO. I will sell you (or anyone who wants to) mine for ~half price if you want.

oh yeah they actually do seem useful given LSAC's strict rules on allowable watches. I might PM you later on.

Or you can just use a regular watch and set it to noon when each new section starts...

[R. Jeeves]

Just discovered that they sell watches specifically for the LSAT. Like, analog watches that do 35 min countdowns with 4 color coded sections to correspond to 4 games and/or 4 reading passages. LSAC's got this racketeering game on fire.

eta: just realized I might have been the only one clueless about this till now

They're actually worth it though IMO. I will sell you (or anyone who wants to) mine for ~half price if you want.

oh yeah they actually do seem useful given LSAC's strict rules on allowable watches. I might PM you later on.

Or you can just use a regular watch and set it to noon when each new section starts...

But I want people to see my LSAT watch and know that I'm hardcore.

[somethingElse]

Scenario: You know that there's right around a minute left in the section. You're going over your answers and you realize that there's a few questions that you marked wrong initially but now know the correct answer to. You're frantically changing them, you glance at your REGULAR watch and it looks like there's 30 seconds left, plenty of time to change the bubbles. Next thing you know:

TIME IS UP!

Why? Because with a regular watch you can't guarantee that you're counting 35 minutes exactly (i.e. down to the second). I realize of course that the proctor could potentially not call time at the exact 35 minute mark, but my point is that with a regular watch you could potentially be up to a minute off, depending on what point your seconds ticker is at.

Furthermore, the 180watch (the one I used) is super quick to reset for the next section. Remember you have like 0 time in between sections, and so its crucial to be able to reset your watch as quickly as possible. Lastly, the breaking it down into 8 minute sections is very helpful for RC and LG if you choose to utilize it.

I know this all might sound silly and like I"m trying to advertise for the company, but I can tell you that the above scenario happened to me and I was able to change 3 answers from wrong to right at the last possible second.

[Nik9639]

Removed.

[Duggiiee]

Checking in! Got a 170 a year ago, but learned from this cycle that I need a 175+ to drag up my stinky GPA for some better offers.

This thread is booming already. Nice!

[sephora_addict]

So the day before yesterday I must have been really tired or something because I was working on a logic game and none of it was making sense. I couldn't make out any deductions and what not. Yesterday I felt pretty discouraged so I decided to do unrelated LSAT things lol. And today I attempted the game again and I don't know what happened but I understood it all. I went through each question with no problems. Then went over the answers and saw that I got them all correct! I am one happy girl Need to teach myself to not get easily discouraged. Also need to learn to not stay up late working on LSAT games because me being sleepy is going to affect how I process the information and how well I do on the games.

[tuxedocat]

Or you can just use a regular watch and set it to noon when each new section starts...

But I want people to see my LSAT watch and know that I'm hardcore.

you right, you right

[Mikey]

So the day before yesterday I must have been really tired or something because I was working on a logic game and none of it was making sense. I couldn't make out any deductions and what not. Yesterday I felt pretty discouraged so I decided to do unrelated LSAT things lol. And today I attempted the game again and I don't know what happened but I understood it all. I went through each question with no problems. Then went over the answers and saw that I got them all correct! I am one happy girl Need to teach myself to not get easily discouraged. Also need to learn to not stay up late working on LSAT games because me being sleepy is going to affect how I process the information and how well I do on the games.

Same happened to me, but because of burn out a few days ago. I've been intensely studying for the LSAT since I'm off from college until this up coming week. The games started looking blurry and I couldn't understand any of it. I did 1 game today since I took a small break from them, and I managed 6/7 correct on the one that I did (the one that I got wrong was because of a stupid mistake haha).

[sephora_addict]

So the day before yesterday I must have been really tired or something because I was working on a logic game and none of it was making sense. I couldn't make out any deductions and what not. Yesterday I felt pretty discouraged so I decided to do unrelated LSAT things lol. And today I attempted the game again and I don't know what happened but I understood it all. I went through each question with no problems. Then went over the answers and saw that I got them all correct! I am one happy girl Need to teach myself to not get easily discouraged. Also need to learn to not stay up late working on LSAT games because me being sleepy is going to affect how I process the information and how well I do on the games.

Same happened to me, but because of burn out a few days ago. I've been intensely studying for the LSAT since I'm off from college until this up coming week. The games started looking blurry and I couldn't understand any of it. I did 1 game today since I took a small break from them, and I managed 6/7 correct on the one that I did (the one that I got wrong was because of a stupid mistake haha).

Glad that you took a break and then did well and lol every time I get one wrong I'm like "damn.. rookie mistake" because it usually is a dumb rookie mistake.

[ngogirl12]

So the day before yesterday I must have been really tired or something because I was working on a logic game and none of it was making sense. I couldn't make out any deductions and what not. Yesterday I felt pretty discouraged so I decided to do unrelated LSAT things lol. And today I attempted the game again and I don't know what happened but I understood it all. I went through each question with no problems. Then went over the answers and saw that I got them all correct! I am one happy girl Need to teach myself to not get easily discouraged. Also need to learn to not stay up late working on LSAT games because me being sleepy is going to affect how I process the information and how well I do on the games.

+1

I find when I am sleepy I cannot comprehend anything I am watching (7sage curriculum), reading, or doing (as in a LSAT LR problem). When I am well rested, my performance is great. What worries/concerns me is what is going to happen the night before the LSAT? I know my adrenaline will be at an all time high and it will be hard to sleep!

[sephora_addict]

So the day before yesterday I must have been really tired or something because I was working on a logic game and none of it was making sense. I couldn't make out any deductions and what not. Yesterday I felt pretty discouraged so I decided to do unrelated LSAT things lol. And today I attempted the game again and I don't know what happened but I understood it all. I went through each question with no problems. Then went over the answers and saw that I got them all correct! I am one happy girl Need to teach myself to not get easily discouraged. Also need to learn to not stay up late working on LSAT games because me being sleepy is going to affect how I process the information and how well I do on the games.

+1

I find when I am sleepy I cannot comprehend anything I am watching (7sage curriculum), reading, or doing (as in a LSAT LR problem). When I am well rested, my performance is great. What worries/concerns me is what is going to happen the night before the LSAT? I know my adrenaline will be at an all time high and it will be hard to sleep!

I'm going to start taking melatonin about one or two months prior to test day! Gotta start getting a good nights sleep so I can wake up on my A game! I usually sleep for about 6 hours. Would like to get around 8 hours prior to test day! Thank God the June test is in the afternoon!!!!!