June 2011 Study Group Forum

[99.9luft]

You'll be surprised how common this practice is among many takers.

I've read the Powerscore bible and done the questions at the ends of its chapters. Any benefit for me to buy and read the Manhattan LSAT LR guide too?

Yes.

[99.9luft]

Just got done with PT 43. I bombed it pretty badly - note to self, don't take it at home again.

PT 43

LR: -3
LR: -6
LG: 0
RC: -5

-14, raw 87, scaled 168. So fucking angry with dumb LR mistakes (just tuned out - WTF!). Not bad, considering i missed 21 questions on this one in September.

All is fine, though. There are still 61 days to get my arse into the 170s consistently (that's my mantra, i guess).

Next, PT 41.

[jim-green]

I've read the Powerscore bible and done the questions at the ends of its chapters. Any benefit for me to buy and read the Manhattan LSAT LR guide too?

Yes.

What does Manhattan teach addditionally or differently for LR? Are there really areas or question types you can improve in? The other alternative is for me to just do more PTs with my time since I've read the PS LR bible.

[99.9luft]

I've read the Powerscore bible and done the questions at the ends of its chapters. Any benefit for me to buy and read the Manhattan LSAT LR guide too?

Yes.

What does Manhattan teach addditionally or differently for LR? Are there really areas or question types you can improve in? The other alternative is for me to just do more PTs with my time since I've read the PS LR bible.

Yes, it has important insights to diff question types. Each person will absorb diff. things, i don't think there is a consensus on which question types the guide explains better than others (or better than the bible).

For more info in MLSAT, look in this thread (it's been discussed a lot), as well as look through these:

Atlas Reading Comprehension Guide
Atlas Reading Comprehension Guide (different from above)
ATLAS LG
Atlas LR and RC guides
Atlas vs. PowerScore (comparison of books, not classes)
Atlas vs. PS (ditto)

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

Just got done with PT 43. I bombed it pretty badly - note to self, don't take it at home again.

PT 43

LR: -3
LR: -6
LG: 0
RC: -5

-14, raw 87, scaled 168. So fucking angry with dumb LR mistakes (just tuned out - WTF!). Not bad, considering i missed 21 questions on this one in September.

All is fine, though. There are still 61 days to get my arse into the 170s consistently (that's my mantra, i guess).

Next, PT 41.

Keep on rockin' in the free world

[Eichörnchen]

Hey guys, I've been making my PT schedule tonight and I'm trying to figure out how soon before the LSAT to taper off PTing and prepping. I know everyone says to save the most recent preptests for close to the LSAT, but in the rest of my schedule I take pts on Thursday and review Friday and Sat. Should I stick to this the last week (doing multiple pts and them being the most recent)? What is your plan?

[goose2010]

I'm jealous of you that are already at the point of taking lots of practice exams and doing really well. I'm feeling really discouraged. Had my first real class tonight (Testmasters) and left feeling like I was just mindfucked. When we were discussing the concepts in the abstract, I was following pretty well. It was mostly dealing with diagramming. I just couldn't manage to apply it to the LR questions. I couldn't figure out what was the sufficient or necessary condition in the actual questions themselves. We sort of sped through them and I was just really lost. I'm planning on starting the homework tomorrow and completing every problem and hope that with some slow repetition, I can improve on my understanding of the concepts.

The techniques for sequencing logic games actually made a lot of sense to me and I'm happy about that. LG is by far my worst section.

Here's hoping for the best...

[dr123]

Grouping games are murdering me, the LGB didnt really help too much. TBF though it has done wonders for me with sequencing and linear/adv linear. It used to take me 10 mins to do a linear game, now it only takes 5.

[mickeyD]

I'm jealous of you that are already at the point of taking lots of practice exams and doing really well. I'm feeling really discouraged. Had my first real class tonight (Testmasters) and left feeling like I was just mindfucked. When we were discussing the concepts in the abstract, I was following pretty well. It was mostly dealing with diagramming. I just couldn't manage to apply it to the LR questions. I couldn't figure out what was the sufficient or necessary condition in the actual questions themselves. We sort of sped through them and I was just really lost. I'm planning on starting the homework tomorrow and completing every problem and hope that with some slow repetition, I can improve on my understanding of the concepts.

The techniques for sequencing logic games actually made a lot of sense to me and I'm happy about that. LG is by far my worst section.

Here's hoping for the best...

Hey, I'm in Testmasters too, and one thing that they don't do very well compared to the Bibles that I noticed in the first class is give you a list of conditional indicators. You said that you're having trouble figuring out which is sufficient/necessary in the questions themselves. There is a (noncomprehensive) list of words that automatically allow you to determine whether you are dealing with a sufficient or necessary condition. Powerscore lists them as follows:

Sufficient:
If
When
Whenever
Every
All
Any
People Who
In Order To

Necessary
Then
Only
Only if
Must
Required

Necessary (with Unless Formula)
Unless
Except
Until
Without

Using this list, it's much easier to quickly identify which part goes where and translate that into a diagram.

So for, "You must consume protein to gain weight," the indicator "must" always modifies the necessary condition, so you know to place it accordingly.

Gain Weight -> Consume Protein.

Hope this helps!

[Eichörnchen]

I'm jealous of you that are already at the point of taking lots of practice exams and doing really well. I'm feeling really discouraged. Had my first real class tonight (Testmasters) and left feeling like I was just mindfucked. When we were discussing the concepts in the abstract, I was following pretty well. It was mostly dealing with diagramming. I just couldn't manage to apply it to the LR questions. I couldn't figure out what was the sufficient or necessary condition in the actual questions themselves. We sort of sped through them and I was just really lost. I'm planning on starting the homework tomorrow and completing every problem and hope that with some slow repetition, I can improve on my understanding of the concepts.

The techniques for sequencing logic games actually made a lot of sense to me and I'm happy about that. LG is by far my worst section.

Here's hoping for the best...

Depends what you mean by "really well" But if it helps, Ive only done 4 thus far, and I still need to finish half my LRB and haven't read superprep, etc. Actually, now that I think about it, the only book I've done so far is the games bible (induce panic haha). I'm really awful at games, so my PTing will be mixed with drilling LG and (hopefully if I conquer games) doing some more books. I just really want a good schedule because I have all these stacks of material covering my desk (see 'tar haha) and I am just the sort of person who feels much calmer when I can say "Ok, I can get through all of this. Here's my schedule that proves it, and my color coded list of preptests is so lovely". Good luck with your prep, you're gonna be fine!

[jim-green]

Has anyone done PT28 LR S1 #20? What makes ans A correct?

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

Hey all, I was curious about how people approached LG. When I run through a question - let's call it a could be true - I generally move from A, to B, etc. eliminating those answers that cannot be true until, obviously, the one that could be true remains. Sometimes though, I second guess myself and run a hypothetical of that condition just to make sure it could be true, and occasionally I eliminate the remaining ACs just to ensure I selected the right answer. Anyone else do this, or am I wasting precious time?

Also, if I'm super crunched for time on LG (the last question or two) I jump to the ACs that have statistically higher odds of being chosen, and work from there. So that would mean starting at D, E, B, C, and then A, instead of running A-E. Dumb idea?

[maxpower430]

Hey all, I was curious about how people approached LG. When I run through a question - let's call it a could be true - I generally move from A, to B, etc. eliminating those answers that cannot be true until, obviously, the one that could be true remains. Sometimes though, I second guess myself and run a hypothetical of that condition just to make sure it could be true, and occasionally I eliminate the remaining ACs just to ensure I selected the right answer. Anyone else do this, or am I wasting precious time?

Also, if I'm super crunched for time on LG (the last question or two) I jump to the ACs that have statistically higher odds of being chosen, and work from there. So that would mean starting at D, E, B, C, and then A, instead of running A-E. Dumb idea?

for could be true questions, my general rule of thumb is that if i find the one that could be true and it fits all the rules etc and i'm confident, i pick it and move on. that being said, if i'm not 100% i'll try and eliminate the other ones. i think the general tls wisdom is that you should always read every answer choice, but personally, if a could be true fits and makes sense i try to move on.

i don't think that's a dumb idea necessarily tho, since going A-E is arbitrary as well. if jumping around is distracting you though you could always try going E-A instead, but honestly you should just do w/e you are comfortable with

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

Also, taking Superprep A today. I was wanting to take it untimed to really dig my claws into every question and get the most out of the commentary at the end. Untimed superprep a waste?

[Eichörnchen]

Also, taking Superprep A today. I was wanting to take it untimed to really dig my claws into every question and get the most out of the commentary at the end. Untimed superprep a waste?

I'm too curious- I want to know how I would do if I took the LSAT now. I might do it timed, then untimed if I had a buttload of time I didn't know what to do with but this is just for my own personal curiosity. I don't think an untimed test would be a waste at all as long as seeing how you'd actually do timed isn't your main concern (obviously).

[jim-green]

Also, taking Superprep A today. I was wanting to take it untimed to really dig my claws into every question and get the most out of the commentary at the end. Untimed superprep a waste?

Do it untimed and read ans explanations well. I did it timed and wasted it. Just tried to rush thru.

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

I'm too curious- I want to know how I would do if I took the LSAT now. I might do it timed, then untimed if I had a buttload of time I didn't know what to do with but this is just for my own personal curiosity. I don't think an untimed test would be a waste at all as long as seeing how you'd actually do timed isn't your main concern (obviously).

Hm good idea. If I can find enough time I may just take it timed, and not grade it until I take untimed. And then of course reading explanations after as well. No work/school today = yay

[Eichörnchen]

I'm too curious- I want to know how I would do if I took the LSAT now. I might do it timed, then untimed if I had a buttload of time I didn't know what to do with but this is just for my own personal curiosity. I don't think an untimed test would be a waste at all as long as seeing how you'd actually do timed isn't your main concern (obviously).

Hm good idea. If I can find enough time I may just take it timed, and not grade it until I take untimed. And then of course reading explanations after as well. No work/school today = yay

Haha that's exactly what my day is going to consist of too. We are the cool kids for sure.

[maxpower430]

i'm actually thinking about adding some untimed work into my studying as well. i'm at the point with my LR where i can finish with a couple minutes to spare and go -1-3 consistently, and i've been hearing that doing some untimed LR sections, with a real focus on prephrasing whenever possible, can help to really nail down problem areas. my studying is a little bit different from you guys (more timed sections then preptests, which come later), but i'd like to hear your thoughts on adding some untimed work along with the timed stuff to keep my pacing. thanks

[naijagirl90]

Hey guys! Taking LSAT in June. Working through the Bibles first just to be more comfortable with approaches/format of the exam.

[jim-green]

Hey guys! Taking LSAT in June. Working through the Bibles first just to be more comfortable with approaches/format of the exam.

Good luck! You're doing the right thing.

[Eichörnchen]

On break from my pt. Just got wrecked by LG even worse than usual which is saying a LOT. I decided to try the technique of going for 3 of the games, so when I saw a pattern game I skipped it cause I've only done a few. Halfway through the third one I decided on I realized that I screwed up something fundamentally and that I should've done the pattern Sigh, there goes my dream of getting a second 170+. I wonder how bad the damage will be...

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

Decided to take superprep A by timing 1 section, then doing it untimed. Repeat and rinse. Exhausted.

Sigh, there goes my dream of getting a second 170+. I wonder how bad the damage will be...

I wrecked LG too :/. -7 timed only to realize untimed I made dumb diagramming errors

[Eichörnchen]

The verdict is in:

PT 20-
LR1: -2
RC: -2
LG: -9
LR2: -2
raw: 86
scaled: 168
my opinion: Meh. Mehhhhhh

[geverett]

Just had my ass handed to me in a section from the Ace the LSAT book. sucks.