December 2014 RE-takers Thread Forum

[Toby Ziegler]

Checking in because I saw Movie (ETA: and Rigo) was in here. Hoping my Sept. performance was a fluke. I am going to start studying hard again on Thursday.

I'm sorry Sept. was a disappointment for you, Toby, but I'm really glad to have you here I'm spending today and tomorrow getting reacquainted with Manhattan LR, and then I'll be moving on to a PT on Thursday (typing that last sentence made me a little nauseous). Christ, I know we can beat this thing!

Thanks, Movie. I am glad we're in this together. I am going to review PT 73 tomorrow and then jump into the Trainer Thursday.

[dasani13]

I'm curious, what do you mean by Drill 58, 59, etc? Are you drilling questions from the PT that you missed?

For example, I'm taking PT 58 next Wednesday in the morning. At night (Review), I'll do some variation of blind review for LR, re-do the RC passages untimed, and re-do whichever logic game gave me a hard time until I'm ok with it. Then on Thursday I'll use the Cambridge packets to drill the LR question types that I messed up during the PT and/or blind review.

Dasani, when you drill post PT, do you do that timed or untimed?

I time myself but just to make sure I'm on track.

[alpha kenny body]

sup retaking baes

[appind]

Can't take december for the 4th take but will hang here as a retaker.

I scored full 10 pts below my last fresh pt before the test in June and lower than my previous best despite being way more prepped. So I probably know what some of the posters here are going through. Looking for ways to manage game day anxiety and speed. Speed improvement feels hard as even after limitless drilling I finish fresh sections close to the stop time, which then causes anxiety, and it should be much better than that.

[Porkypots]

I bombed RC. And did mediocre on LR. I used the bibles already and almost finished manhattan LR but I didn't find it that useful because I didn't want to confuSe techniques. I wasn't aware of blind drling so I'm reading up on that but
My anxiety is growing with all these studying options!

[koala-fy]

I bombed RC. And did mediocre on LR. I used the bibles already and almost finished manhattan LR but I didn't find it that useful because I didn't want to confuSe techniques. I wasn't aware of blind drling so I'm reading up on that but
My anxiety is growing with all these studying options!

Same here - I'm so overwhelmed, I don't know where to begin!

The problem is I don't have one huge glaring problem area. RC was, for a very long time, a strength of mine. I used to, like clockwork, get -1 or -2 max on every RC section for PT after PT, and I was fine with that. Then, suddenly, when I got to the newer tests it was -5 or -7 - absolutely devastating as this was in the weeks just prior to the exam. On the actual thing, though, I went -3 and instead lost a ton of points on LR, which I'd been pretty consistently getting -3 or -5 total between the two. So apparently something went wrong there? LG was always my weakest, and I knew I messed up on the actual test, so I know that's something to work on too. Otherwise, it seems difficult to pinpoint a distinct issue. I'll have to look at exactly what types of LR questions I missed on the exam. Hopefully there's a trend there which give me a place to start.

[appind]

I bombed RC. And did mediocre on LR. I used the bibles already and almost finished manhattan LR but I didn't find it that useful because I didn't want to confuSe techniques. I wasn't aware of blind drling so I'm reading up on that but
My anxiety is growing with all these studying options!

Same here - I'm so overwhelmed, I don't know where to begin!

The problem is I don't have one huge glaring problem area. RC was, for a very long time, a strength of mine. I used to, like clockwork, get -1 or -2 max on every RC section for PT after PT, and I was fine with that. Then, suddenly, when I got to the newer tests it was -5 or -7 - absolutely devastating as this was in the weeks just prior to the exam. On the actual thing, though, I went -3 and instead lost a ton of points on LR, which I'd been pretty consistently getting -3 or -5 total between the two. So apparently something went wrong there? LG was always my weakest, and I knew I messed up on the actual test, so I know that's something to work on too. Otherwise, it seems difficult to pinpoint a distinct issue. I'll have to look at exactly what types of LR questions I missed on the exam. Hopefully there's a trend there which give me a place to start.

If you can score -3 RC on the actual test, you have the ability to 175+ on it.

[koala-fy]

If you can score -3 RC on the actual test, you have the ability to 175+ on it.

Wow, this is incredibly encouraging. Thank you!!!

[dontdoitkid]

Saw a few posts as I was catching up about holding off until a few weeks before the exam to retake the September 2014 test. Should I not go back and see where I went wrong now, to keep that test so that I can do a proper timed PT? I did go through and look at a few things (how I did on each section, etc) but nothing specific.

[daisrt]

For people (like me) who scored 10ish points lower than their PT average on the September test, are you going to retake PT 73 under timed conditions, or just review it?

I want to retake the whole thing so I can know whether my score was just a ridiculous fluke, or if I seriously deserved it. Do you guys think this is worth doing? Does it even matter at this point?

[daisrt]

Saw a few posts as I was catching up about holding off until a few weeks before the exam to retake the September 2014 test. Should I not go back and see where I went wrong now, to keep that test so that I can do a proper timed PT? I did go through and look at a few things (how I did on each section, etc) but nothing specific.

Oh oops, just posted a replica of this question. Same boat. I really want to do a proper timed PT- want to see how I do on the test sans nerves/burnout. Ok I'm just gonna answer my own question here- I think we should hold off reviewing it until we retake. It's kind of like a fresh PT and I don't have many of those left from my earlier prep.

[superpatton]

For people (like me) who scored 10ish points lower than their PT average on the September test, are you going to retake PT 73 under timed conditions, or just review it?

I want to retake the whole thing so I can know whether my score was just a ridiculous fluke, or if I seriously deserved it. Do you guys think this is worth doing? Does it even matter at this point?

I'll do it timed, when are they supposed to release it for purchase? I never got PT 72 so I'll probably buy that one as well. I'm trying to figure out if its better to buy the newest ten tests and rework them, or buy an older book with 10 fresh tests...

[daisrt]

For people (like me) who scored 10ish points lower than their PT average on the September test, are you going to retake PT 73 under timed conditions, or just review it?

I want to retake the whole thing so I can know whether my score was just a ridiculous fluke, or if I seriously deserved it. Do you guys think this is worth doing? Does it even matter at this point?

I'll do it timed, when are they supposed to release it for purchase? I never got PT 72 so I'll probably buy that one as well. I'm trying to figure out if its better to buy the newest ten tests and rework them, or buy an older book with 10 fresh tests...

Wait, did you take the September test? Shouldn't you have access to the test via your LSAC account? In any case, I don't know when it'll be available, but probably soon.

I'd think the newer tests are more indicative of what the December test will be like, but it can't hurt to buy some of the older PTs. I feel like the more questions you expose yourself to the better prepared you'll be.

[westy822]

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[dontdoitkid]

I'm planning on retaking in December too. I almost always pt 170+, but my June and September lsat scores were in the low 160's. Is it worth applying in January (as opposed to right now) to raise my score a little, even if it is just a few points? I'm almost positive I'm gonna retake, I just need someone to tell me I'm not crazy to apply in January.

You can apply now as long as you register for the December LSAT so that they see that an additional LSAT score is forthcoming (there might be an option to request that they not consider the application complete until after the December LSAT score is received)

That way you can get everything in right away but still have it reflect your potentially better LSAT score that you will be getting in December

[Smallville]

For people (like me) who scored 10ish points lower than their PT average on the September test, are you going to retake PT 73 under timed conditions, or just review it?

I want to retake the whole thing so I can know whether my score was just a ridiculous fluke, or if I seriously deserved it. Do you guys think this is worth doing? Does it even matter at this point?

I'll do it timed, when are they supposed to release it for purchase? I never got PT 72 so I'll probably buy that one as well. I'm trying to figure out if its better to buy the newest ten tests and rework them, or buy an older book with 10 fresh tests...

7sage will be selling PT73 Nov1-3 as pdf for $6 so so they say on their site

eta: http://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussio ... vember-1st

[Gray]

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[daisrt]

Hey guys - I think I'll probably be retaking in Feb instead but I haven't decided yet. I'm like 99% sure that had I not been so anxious about time, I would have at least hit my average. I went -7 combined on LR, and I was usually at -2 or -3 combined in PTs. In the actual thing, I hurried a LOT, I guess because of nerves, and finished 5 or 6 minutes early, for no good reason.

I think if I could just chill the fuck out next time, I'd be fine, because RC and LG weren't bad.

No way. I struggled with nerves the whole time- hand was shaking throughout the first few sections- but my score drop was far more dramatic than -7 on LR. Are you sitting out this cycle? I was really excited to see you admitted to GULC before December!

[ThankYou]

(Re) Checking in. Completely wrecked myself on LG. Wasted a huge opportunity because I got the low end of my averages wrong for LR and RC. How you go from constant -0 to -2 on LG to -8, I have not the slightest idea.

[daisrt]

I'm planning on retaking in December too. I almost always pt 170+, but my June and September lsat scores were in the low 160's. Is it worth applying in January (as opposed to right now) to raise my score a little, even if it is just a few points? I'm almost positive I'm gonna retake, I just need someone to tell me I'm not crazy to apply in January.

If you almost always PT 170+, then you should retake and focus on calming your nerves and dealing with difficult test taking conditions- seems like that's the fundamental problem? It's not crazy to apply in January if you can get a 170+ this time around.

[dontdoitkid]

(Re) Checking in. Completely wrecked myself on LG. Wasted a huge opportunity because I got the low end of my averages wrong for LR and RC. How you go from constant -0 to -2 on LG to -8, I have not the slightest idea.

Sometimes it's just a matter of not being in the same mental state, due to nerves and everything else. That's an advantage to us in a retake though.

[Gray]

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[ThankYou]

(Re) Checking in. Completely wrecked myself on LG. Wasted a huge opportunity because I got the low end of my averages wrong for LR and RC. How you go from constant -0 to -2 on LG to -8, I have not the slightest idea.

Sometimes it's just a matter of not being in the same mental state, due to nerves and everything else. That's an advantage to us in a retake though.

I did have LG last, and felt fatigued during that section (probably because my stupid brain wouldn't let me sleep the night before, and stupidly woke me up at 4:00AM the morning of the test). The good news was that LG seems to be the easiest to improve on, so if I can get my LG in working order again, and keep the LR and RC scores near where they were I am all set. That being said, it is going to be really hard to do this all over again. I can't take waiting the 3 weeks for my score.

[daisrt]

(Re) Checking in. Completely wrecked myself on LG. Wasted a huge opportunity because I got the low end of my averages wrong for LR and RC. How you go from constant -0 to -2 on LG to -8, I have not the slightest idea.

Sometimes it's just a matter of not being in the same mental state, due to nerves and everything else. That's an advantage to us in a retake though.

Agreed. I severely underestimated how nervous I'd be during the real thing. I'm hoping being a retaker will ease my nerves, though I can see myself getting even more nervous this time around. Hopefully I'll be able remedy that between now and December 6.

[daisrt]

No way. I struggled with nerves the whole time- hand was shaking throughout the first few sections- but my score drop was far more dramatic than -7 on LR. Are you sitting out this cycle? I was really excited to see you admitted to GULC before December!

Oh no I'm definitely not sitting out! My retake will be for $$$, and because I know I could have done better. I think I'll be fine for GULC. I'm over their 75th by a couple of points, and everyone has convinced me that I don't need to worry about getting in, just getting a bit of cash.

Oh awesome. I didn't know that using a Feb LSAT for money was a thing. How could you do that after you've been admitted?