The Official September 2014 Study Group Forum

[h3jk5h]

Thanks for the encouragement guys, I needed moral support. I'm basically alone in my LSAT prep, I don't have the habit of getting into study groups and don't intend do, so it's going to continue to be a lonely journey.

In order to boost my confidence after being devastated, I looked at all my past personal accolades last night before going to bed.

Today I decided to skip the World Cup to do another practice test (PT39) to see if the one yesterday truly reflected my abilities and hopefully to fully restore my confidence. And while driving to the library I told myself that even if I still score around 156, I wouldn't be beaten by anxiety and panic attacks.

I scored a 161, which is 5 points higher than yesterday.
LG: 15/23
LR1: 20/24
RC: 20/28
LR2: 18/26

For the logic games, I couldn't diagram the second game, so I only got 1 correct.

I felt really good about the first logical reasoning section, because I was ecstatic that I didn't bomb the LG section like last time. So my thinking was clear and my mind was calm, which led to good results.

I struggled with timing on the RC section, and I've been getting -6 to -8 on all my previous 4 practice tests.

I struggled on the second logical game section. By the time I finished the RC section, I felt fatigue, which contributed to poorer performance and timing issues (I spent 3 minutes on 1 question, which is totally not worth it). I got owned on all "Point at Issue" questions, so I'm going to drill these questions.

I noticed that I've been consistently finishing the first 15 questions on the LR section in around 17-18 minutes, which is not good.


But anyways, I'm happy with this, given that it is a 9 point increase from my cold diagnostic of 152, and a 5 point increase from yesterday. But struggle will continue, I looked at the score conversion, it takes 2 more correct answers to score 1 more point in the lower to mid 160s range, so my score will probably stagnate in this range for a long time (assuming that today's performance was not a fluke).

I will start to throw in the experimental section from now on. Fatigue still seems to be an issue.

[scandk]

^congrats on breaking 160 bro, 5 points is major progress.

edit: wrong number

[some1uknown]

I decided to be a masochist and go back to redoing June 2014 for practice

RC- -9
LR- 20
LG- -3

69/101, 158, it's a start i guess to get back into things

[chimera]

Took PT33 today. Raw/Scored:85/168. Very happy with the results I've been seeing, especially in RC. The results were: -3 in RC, -3 LG and -4/-6 in LR ! It seems like difficult Assumption/Inference Family questions are still throwing me off. Worst.

Also, I ended up purchasing the Conditional Logic LR packet today. I figure it will be good for mixed review in the coming weeks, and I can drill it alongside the logic chapters in the manhattan and blueprint books. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday guys and gals!

NICE!

Have you considered drilling the assumption questions? Whenever i feel i have a problem with a certain type of question i just really hone in on them. Keep track of your thought process for eliminating answer choices, and if you're getting them wrong, you'll know exactly why you're doing that.

Thanks man. Yeah that's what I usually do too. I guess I just need more practice and pay closer attention to any patterns in my wrong answer choices. For some questions I narrow it down to two answers and just choose wrong .

[Louis1127]

I'm basically alone in my LSAT prep, I don't have the habit of getting into study groups and don't intend do, so it's going to continue to be a lonely journey.

I take offense to that. Lol, just joking.

But seriously, I know it's the Internet, but we're her with you! I think I *MAYBE COULD* speak for nearly all posters in this study group when I say that most people around us in real life either just walk in and take the test or prep for a total of about 10 hours.

We're here with you bro/sis

[Louis1127]

Good job to those who took PTs this weekend. It seems that you all did well and are improving.

I took a break this Sat and Sun for LSAT prep and did redneck things with old high school friends (dirtbikes, guns, etc.). Will begin prepping tomorrow Morning before work. Going to take PT 43.

[sfoglia]

Took today off, my first day in I don't know how long. Feel so wasteful. I think I'm going to take a bath and then do one section of logic games. It isn't much, but at least it is something.

[timegoesbytoofast]

Thank you for your responses on the Cambridge LR Drilling Pkg! I think I might buy it...
Hope it's worth spending $80 for; although printing everything seems kind of a hassle...

On that note, has anyone bought the hard copy pkgs (the ones that come in Volume 1, 2, and 3)?
I was thinking of getting just one of them (probably volume 2 or 3) because the PDF pkgs only have tests #1-38...

I'm being really indecisive with this pkg since I already have the Manhattan, Powerscore, and the Trainer...
AND all the past exams(maybe missing 1 or 2).

Any thoughts would help! Thanks!

ALSO, congrats to those PT-ing closer to their goals!
This site is so addicting... I come and read this thread almost everyday...
I guess knowing that I'm not alone in this helps. =)

[shakenbake]

Hey everyone, long time thread creeper here! Now seemed like a good time to join in the conversation…

I had initially planned on taking the June 2014 test (which I am so happy I didn't) but because I have a mediocre GPA (3.5X) and need a 170+ to really get to my goal schools I decided to postpone. I started studying in January, but it was really on and off and I didn't take it seriously enough, so when May came around and I was scoring about a 165 I knew I needed to wait.

I got the LSAT Trainer and the Manhattan LR books (because LR used to be my biggest downfall) in the middle of May and sat down to really start studying. I decided to revisit the fundamentals before taking any more PT's. I am pretty good with standardized tests so I knew if I kept working I would see some progress, and yesterday I did! I took PT 54 and got a 171 (RC: -4, LR 1: -3, LG: -0, LR 2: -2) and it was a great feeling! I have been drilling with the Manhattan Grouped Questions Book for tests 41-50 and working through the trainer, and if anyone seems to feel like they need a new perspective on the LSAT, I think the Trainer is a great idea! I am hoping to consistently test at about a 174-176 before September because I know people's scores drop a little, and with all the jazz about the June test, I want to minimize any chance of getting caught off guard.

BUT now I am looking for some advice… I don't know if I should keep working through the Manhattan grouped book or get the Cambridge drilling packets instead and save tests 41-50 to actually work through completely. Anyone have any thoughts? Also, recently I have started to consistently get -0 on all LG's, but I am only about halfway through the Trainer LG sections. Does anyone think it is valuable to keep reading through that, or should I just focus more on practicing. I feel bad that I have only been half-assing the drills in the Trainer and it's been making my study sessions feel fruitless. I just don't know if there is any point to keep reading when I feel quite comfortable with games, so I am at a loss for what to do. Please let me know what you think! With about 2.5 months to go I think that we can all get where we need. Good luck!

[gnomgnomuch]

Good job to those who took PTs this weekend. It seems that you all did well and are improving.

I took a break this Sat and Sun for LSAT prep and did redneck things with old high school friends (dirtbikes, guns, etc.). Will begin prepping tomorrow Morning before work. Going to take PT 43.

GUNS <3.... i mean >.>

Also, we're so close on our PT schedule, I'm taking 41 on Tuesday.

On an unrelated note (thought it is LSAT related) i finally honed in on my LG weaknesses. It seems i really suck at distribution games. Not even in/out games, just distribution. I'm gonna spend the next day off i have (Wednesday) just drilling them over and over again, until i can get them down.

I'm really hoping that this is a breakthrough of some kind, because the -5 or so I'm getting on LG right now, if erased, vaults me into 165+ range. (That would give me 2+ months to break 5 points, which would be super doable.)


YAY, for unbridled optimism.


Oh, also for a real unrelated note. Finally ordered my piano, and its coming this week and I'm just so damn excited <3

[gnomgnomuch]

Thank you for your responses on the Cambridge LR Drilling Pkg! I think I might buy it...
Hope it's worth spending $80 for; although printing everything seems kind of a hassle...

On that note, has anyone bought the hard copy pkgs (the ones that come in Volume 1, 2, and 3)?
I was thinking of getting just one of them (probably volume 2 or 3) because the PDF pkgs only have tests #1-38...

I'm being really indecisive with this pkg since I already have the Manhattan, Powerscore, and the Trainer...
AND all the past exams(maybe missing 1 or 2).

Any thoughts would help! Thanks!

ALSO, congrats to those PT-ing closer to their goals!
This site is so addicting... I come and read this thread almost everyday...
I guess knowing that I'm not alone in this helps. =)

I would seriously recommend getting the PDF versions. I've printed them out numerous times. Printing is a bit of a hassle, but with the hardcover books, you're only gonna be able to use them once. Whenever i make a mistake, i mark it down, and then when I've forgotten the problem, i retake it, to see if I'm now getting it right, or if I'm getting it wrong, why am i STILL getting it wrong.

Serious preparation for the LSAT, shouldn't break the bank, but its not SUPER cheap, I've shelled out ~400 so far, and i might shell out more. (I'm not counting the money on my BP course, though in retrospect, I'm much better as a self studier.)

[Learn_Live_Hope]

I woke up this morning at 5:30am to study for couple of hours but had to read an unflattering RC passage, and now Im so unmotivated.

[mornincounselor]

Post removed.

[BlackCanary]

Didn't really study a whole lot this weekend. I did get my highest score yet (+10 from diagnostic) on a PT I took Friday, so I guess that's good. Not good enough though....

I suspect my score would have been higher even a month back, had I taken a practice test at the end of my prep course.

[sfoglia]

Sounds like we're all feeling less than productive. I just received the LSAT Trainer in the mail, so I can play cheerleader for the moment: Come on, everyone! We can do this!!

[Jon McCarty]

June LSAT attempts are down another ~9%.

Not good news for law schools, but great news for applicants. Looks like another forgiving admissions cycle is about to start! This should be some motivation to get back to studying!!

[fra]

I'm about half way through the LSAT Trainer and I'm feeling thoroughly underwhelmed by it. I'm strongly considering just tossing it.
Can anyone who has finished it vouch for the second half of the trainer? Does it suddenly get awesome at the end?

[axel.foley]

I'm about half way through the LSAT Trainer and I'm feeling thoroughly underwhelmed by it. I'm strongly considering just tossing it.
Can anyone who has finished it vouch for the second half of the trainer? Does it suddenly get awesome at the end?

I began my prep with the Trainer a few months back and, in retrospect, I think that time was largely wasted. Since then I have read through most of the LR Bible and Blueprint LG, and found them much better. While the Trainer's approach is commendable in many ways, insofar as trying to simplify everything based on key commonalities between all LSAT questions (classifying LR flaws into those 3 nice categories for example), I personally have found the nitty gritty approach of the aforementioned books far more useful. If I have time before the test, I may return to the Trainer since it might be helpful now that I have experience with the test. But in general I also was underwhelmed and wish I hadn't spent the time with it. I realize this goes against TLS dogma as of late, but ultimately I think everyone finds different approaches useful. If the 1st half didn't do it for you, the 2nd half definitely won't either. HTH!

[axel.foley]

Unrelated to the above, did anyone else find the Cambridge Weaken packet particularly brutal? I found myself struggling much more than I did with the other assumption family packets. Maybe it's just me and I need to work on my Weaken skills. I didn't find the MLSAT section too helpful and I'm planning on re-reading the LR Bible section later today.

[Straw_Mandible]

I'm about half way through the LSAT Trainer and I'm feeling thoroughly underwhelmed by it. I'm strongly considering just tossing it.
Can anyone who has finished it vouch for the second half of the trainer? Does it suddenly get awesome at the end?

Personally, I was swooning over the intro chapters when I read them for the first time (c. Sept 2013). I thought the entire book was pretty much the most groundbreakingly sexy piece of writing ever conceived by anyone about the LSAT. But I was a young, naive, bright-eyed, and excited to learn back in those days. I'm sure if I read it now, after 10.5 months of studying, my jaded self would consider tossing it too.

If it doesn't move you, move on to something else.

[fra]

I'm about half way through the LSAT Trainer and I'm feeling thoroughly underwhelmed by it. I'm strongly considering just tossing it.
Can anyone who has finished it vouch for the second half of the trainer? Does it suddenly get awesome at the end?

I began my prep with the Trainer a few months back and, in retrospect, I think that time was largely wasted. Since then I have read through most of the LR Bible and Blueprint LG, and found them much better. While the Trainer's approach is commendable in many ways, insofar as trying to simplify everything based on key commonalities between all LSAT questions (classifying LR flaws into those 3 nice categories for example), I personally have found the nitty gritty approach of the aforementioned books far more useful. If I have time before the test, I may return to the Trainer since it might be helpful now that I have experience with the test. But in general I also was underwhelmed and wish I hadn't spent the time with it. I realize this goes against TLS dogma as of late, but ultimately I think everyone finds different approaches useful. If the 1st half didn't do it for you, the 2nd half definitely won't either. HTH!

I've done the LR bible and LG bible and much preferred them as well.

Anyone want to buy an LSAT Trainer? It hasn't been written in at all.

[Louis1127]

PT 42

Score: 163 (Personal best but I still need to improve significantly to be where I want to be)

LG: -8 (Messed up on an easy game, took too long, and din't even get to the last game)

LR1: -6

LR2: -5

RC: -2 (Personal best)

I'm not sure what's going on with my logic games. I've been studying them really hard since January. Nevertheless, I'll print out multiple copies of each game form this set and do them multiple times to try to learn.

Also, time to cut out those LR problems that I missed here.

[h3jk5h]

Wow, congrats. Imagine if you got perfect on LG, you would have scored even higher.

PT 42

Score: 163 (Personal best but I still need to improve significantly to be where I want to be)

LG: -8 (Messed up on an easy game, took too long, and din't even get to the last game)

LR1: -6

LR2: -5

RC: -2 (Personal best)

I'm not sure what's going on with my logic games. I've been studying them really hard since January. Nevertheless, I'll print out multiple copies of each game form this set and do them multiple times to try to learn.

Also, time to cut out those LR problems that I missed here.

[Comstock]

I would mark this up as a "pretty fucking TERRIBLE" day category. Literally my worst day of LSAT prep in history.

Took PT 47, scored a 157. Haven't been that low since early may and it was just…bad. Like three points above my diagnostic bad.
Went:
-8 LR (Haven't been this bad in a loooong time.)
-7 RC (terrible, normally am consistently -3/-4 and at most -5)
-11 LG (my worst in a long time after doing so well before on my past two PTs. The games weren't even hard. Literally in two games I just didn't read a rule, and tried to answer all the questions without that rule. I did that all for the 3rd game (Struggling through it thinking WHAT THE FUCK is wrong this this game), then did the same on the lsat game until I realized what was wrong, had to erase it all, scrambled, panicked, etc. Just bad. So stupid.)
-3 LR (…yay? At least this kept me above my diagnostic score )

To say the least, I was sufficiently rattled after this exam. To see a score that low after doing so well for so long was hard. So I wallowed around in sadness for 30 minutes before deciding I didn't want to feel like shit the rest of the day so I'll go home (I was at the library) have lunch and do another test since I have the time and I was hoping to chalk this one up to just one bad test.

So then…
Took PT 48, scored 160, way below the average of my 167-168. 100% Still sufficiently rattled.

Went
-5 LR
-10 RC (about as bad as my diagnostic, or worse, just ouch)
-3 LG (So many dumb mistakes)
-5 LR

Yeah, just a terrible day overall.
I'm going to refrain from my urges to do another PT today and choose instead to watch House on Netflix and wallow in my own misery until tomorrow where I'll get back in the game. Maybe go for a run or something too.

My hope is that one day when people come here and underperform I can point them to this post and say "look how bad I did, now I'm back at and/or above my average!". The alternative is that I'm cursed and/or dumb and will never regain my form, meaning this would be a really uninspiring LSAT story.

Sigh..

[some1uknown]

I would mark this up as a "pretty fucking TERRIBLE" day category. Literally my worst day of LSAT prep in history.

Took PT 47, scored a 157. Haven't been that low since early may and it was just…bad. Like three points above my diagnostic bad.
Went:
-8 LR (Haven't been this bad in a loooong time.)
-7 RC (terrible, normally am consistently -3/-4 and at most -5)
-11 LG (my worst in a long time after doing so well before on my past two PTs. The games weren't even hard. Literally in two games I just didn't read a rule, and tried to answer all the questions without that rule. I did that all for the 3rd game (Struggling through it thinking WHAT THE FUCK is wrong this this game), then did the same on the lsat game until I realized what was wrong, had to erase it all, scrambled, panicked, etc. Just bad. So stupid.)
-3 LR (…yay? At least this kept me above my diagnostic score )

To say the least, I was sufficiently rattled after this exam. To see a score that low after doing so well for so long was hard. So I wallowed around in sadness for 30 minutes before deciding I didn't want to feel like shit the rest of the day so I'll go home (I was at the library) have lunch and do another test since I have the time and I was hoping to chalk this one up to just one bad test.

So then…
Took PT 48, scored 160, way below the average of my 167-168. 100% Still sufficiently rattled.

Went
-5 LR
-10 RC (about as bad as my diagnostic, or worse, just ouch)
-3 LG (So many dumb mistakes)
-5 LR

Yeah, just a terrible day overall.
I'm going to refrain from my urges to do another PT today and choose instead to watch House on Netflix and wallow in my own misery until tomorrow where I'll get back in the game. Maybe go for a run or something too.

My hope is that one day when people come here and underperform I can point them to this post and say "look how bad I did, now I'm back at and/or above my average!". The alternative is that I'm cursed and/or dumb and will never regain my form, meaning this would be a really uninspiring LSAT story.

Sigh..

Don't beat yourself up too hard. Take a breather and then come back to it tomorrow reviewing everything.