The Official June 2016 Study Group Forum

[carasrook]

Hi all! Just checking in - it's been a while since I've posted. I hope everyone's prep is going well.

I'm hoping to get some feedback on my study schedule now that we're getting closer and closer to June.

In the past few weeks, I've mainly just been drilling sections and trying to get LG finished under 35 minutes. Now that I feel like I've accomplished that, I'm moving towards heavy PT taking. I'm PLANNING on doing full 4-section timed PTs on Monday and Wednesday nights after work (reviewing on Tuesday and Thursday), taking Friday off, and doing a 5-section PT on Saturdays, reviewing on Sundays. I have 38 PTs left untouched, I'm planning on using the 8 oldest as experimental sections and the 30 newest as my 3/week full tests

a) Is burnout imminent? Should I change it to 2 PTs a week? I work a full time job, 9-6 every day, so PTs on weekdays will be after a full day of work (i.e., burnout more likely).

b) My current average PT score is 167 and I'm hoping to bump up to 170 for test day. Will all this PT taking improve my score, or should I drill on my weaker sections and sacrifice one full PT/week?

I'm weakest on LR, and RC is really hit or miss with me. RC is usually around -3, but sometimes I'll be -1 or -8 (lol), so I'm hoping to improve on consistency with RC.

ANYWAY - any feedback appreciated.

[YupSports]

PT62 Logic Games. As I mentioned, I did really poorly here.

Watched the 7sage video for Game 1: "This is an unusually hard game." Okay, fine, I feel a little better.
Watched the 7sage video for Game 2: "This is one of the hardest games on the LSAT that I've ever seen."

Oh Come On.

Bad luck, I guess.

the worst is when jy after saying that a game is a hard one goes "if you want to do fine on this section, you should be able to do this game in under 6 or 7 min"

Every time I hear him say that, my mind translates it to:

"You're going to be drilling this until your eyes bleed".

yeah, but for some hard games 6-7 mins seems impossible esp when one hasn't seen it before

I agree with you on these.

When I think about the CD game (or Mauve Dinos) all I can think about is: imagine getting this game during your actual administration of the tests. You basically have to nail the other games quickly to give yourself any shot.

I guess all we can do is try to get as fast as we can at the easy games to give ourselves a shot at completing the super-hard games through brute force.

Also, if you add up the recommended times by JY for the LG sections as a whole they rarely add up to 35 minutes. I'm just hoping that holding myself to these times will reap benefits on Test Day by keeping me from getting backed up against the clock - even if I have to "plug & chug" a game.

[dodint]

I'm having fun with the games. I'm getting good at sequencing and can do some of the more complex sequencing games at a pretty good pace. That said, I was doing an older PT LG section last night and saw my first In/Out game and promptly fell flat on my face. Tried to diagram it as a sequence and got all twisted up. Need to add more tools to my toolbox.

[Mikey]

So My friend's cousin is an attorney and she says that on her free time she would do logic games sometimes. She enjoys them, whattttttttt.

[dodint]

They're fun when they're not timed. It's like Sudoku or a crossword puzzle. I'd probably be better off mentally if I did more LGs and played less Rocket League.

[YupSports]

Just Wrapped up PT 60:

LR1 -2
LG -2
LR2 -2
RC: -8

168 (A new high!)

The first RC passage just killed me in terms of time, and thus I had to hurry through the last passage. Cost myself my first ever achieving of my 170+ goal score.

How is everyone else coming along? I expected this thread to have more participants by now, but perhaps some feel that they can cram?

[Mikey]

Just Wrapped up PT 60:

LR1 -2
LG -2
LR2 -2
RC: -8

168 (A new high!)

The first RC passage just killed me in terms of time, and thus I had to hurry through the last passage. Cost myself my first ever achieving of my 170+ goal score.

How is everyone else coming along? I expected this thread to have more participants by now, but perhaps some feel that they can cram?

168, nice! You would have definitely broken 170 if it weren't for the RC problem you had. Currently my RC is terrible but I'm working on it. LR I'm consistently getting around -5 per section, which I would love to get down to at least -1 or -2 with consistency by test day.

[R. Jeeves]

WASSUP YALL

I'm taking the LSAT in June. Already took it this past December. Got a 165. Shooting for a 170+. Been putting off studying until now. Trying to be a proactive poster again. Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

hey! welcome to the thread. Whats your general plan of attack for the june test?

[Pozzo]

Just Wrapped up PT 60:

LR1 -2
LG -2
LR2 -2
RC: -8

168 (A new high!)

The first RC passage just killed me in terms of time, and thus I had to hurry through the last passage. Cost myself my first ever achieving of my 170+ goal score.

How is everyone else coming along? I expected this thread to have more participants by now, but perhaps some feel that they can cram?

Well done! RC and LG can totally do that. One bad passage/game, especially if it's the first up, can screw you for the whole section.

This is my LG heavy week. Going to shore up method on some of the game types I'm less familiar with and drill a handful of sections from the mid-50s PTs.

[ayylmao]

I know lots of us joke about the LSAT turning us into dorks who are obsessed with the minutiae of pencils, but I'd like to stress a seriously important lesson I learned recently: don't use mechanical pencils to take your practice tests. As you might know, mechanical pencils aren't allowed when you take the real thing, and regular wooden pencils do behave differently in an important sense. Specifically, they get more dull more quickly than mechanical pencils do.

This is actually extremely important for logic games, which require you to write and diagram clearly and precisely. I found that my pencils were getting dull by the end of my LG sections, resulting in lighter and thicker marks that actually took appreciably more effort to read and understand. Whereas I could quickly tap a mechanical pencil on the table to draw more lead, I either had to make due with my wooden pencil or switch to another one. This would have been a real, although obviously surmountable, problem had I only started using wooden pencils on test day.

So, as neurotic as this may sound, do yourself a favor and get a feel for the performance of your pencil of choice. The last thing you want to be worrying about are your writing instruments.

[Pozzo]

I know lots of us joke about the LSAT turning us into dorks who are obsessed with the minutiae of pencils, but I'd like to stress a seriously important lesson I learned recently: don't use mechanical pencils to take your practice tests. As you might know, mechanical pencils aren't allowed when you take the real thing, and regular wooden pencils do behave differently in an important sense. Specifically, they get more dull more quickly than mechanical pencils do.

This is actually extremely important for logic games, which require you to write and diagram clearly and precisely. I found that my pencils were getting dull by the end of my LG sections, resulting in lighter and thicker marks that actually took appreciably more effort to read and understand. Whereas I could quickly tap a mechanical pencil on the table to draw more lead, I either had to make due with my wooden pencil or switch to another one. This would have been a real, although obviously surmountable, problem had I only started using wooden pencils on test day.

So, as neurotic as this may sound, do yourself a favor and get a feel for the performance of your pencil of choice. The last thing you want to be worrying about are your writing instruments.

Protip: multiple pencils. Switch each game. BTW, there is a fantastic thread on pencils here at TLS. Pure gold: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... l#p6568036

[potus]

I've become so bored of prepping for the LSAT that I need music to get me through each session (just 3 hrs). I find it more enjoyable and actually concentrate better. Sadly, I'm not sure if I should be happy that I can prep through the sound, or that I need it to study nowadays. >:s

2 months to go!

[YupSports]

I've become so bored of prepping for the LSAT that I need music to get me through each session (just 3 hrs). I find it more enjoyable and actually concentrate better. Sadly, I'm not sure if I should be happy that I can prep through the sound, or that I need it to study nowadays. >:s

2 months to go!

I'm actually in the same boat, Potus.

I listen to music and use the Promodoro technique during review (the PTs are test conditions); I feel like this combo does a great job of maximizing the benefits of my review time.

[carasrook]

I've become so bored of prepping for the LSAT that I need music to get me through each session (just 3 hrs). I find it more enjoyable and actually concentrate better. Sadly, I'm not sure if I should be happy that I can prep through the sound, or that I need it to study nowadays. >:s

2 months to go!

I can't focus with music, so I'm envious! I'm sure it helps with the boredom.

I also had a dream last night that I scored 10 points lower than my current average on test day, and a friend of mine who didn't study for the test at all managed to get a 170. I can't escape it!

2...more...months...

[proteinshake]

where do you all take your PTs? I find the library to be very annoying at times with all the little kids and babies. one time I had to pause my PT in the middle of a section because a lady was strolling her crying baby around the quiet section

[unodostres]

where do you all take your PTs? I find the library to be very annoying at times with all the little kids and babies. one time I had to pause my PT in the middle of a section because a lady was strolling her crying baby around the quiet section

Unless you're assuming that's bad, it's actually the best place to do it. I've had cops come into my library and escort people for child porn, being crazy, and whatnot.

[proteinshake]

where do you all take your PTs? I find the library to be very annoying at times with all the little kids and babies. one time I had to pause my PT in the middle of a section because a lady was strolling her crying baby around the quiet section

Unless you're assuming that's bad, it's actually the best place to do it. I've had cops come into my library and escort people for child porn, being crazy, and whatnot.

I agree that there should be SOME noise, but sometimes it's just ridiculous and unrealistic to test conditions.

[Pozzo]

where do you all take your PTs? I find the library to be very annoying at times with all the little kids and babies. one time I had to pause my PT in the middle of a section because a lady was strolling her crying baby around the quiet section

Generally in coffee shops. I've had my fair share of muttering schizos, medical emergencies, and general ridiculousness from the Saturday morning post-workout latte crowd. My best PT was at home, undisturbed.

[Mikey]

where do you all take your PTs? I find the library to be very annoying at times with all the little kids and babies. one time I had to pause my PT in the middle of a section because a lady was strolling her crying baby around the quiet section

Unless you're assuming that's bad, it's actually the best place to do it. I've had cops come into my library and escort people for child porn, being crazy, and whatnot.

I agree that there should be SOME noise, but sometimes it's just ridiculous and unrealistic to test conditions.

Usually I would do a PT or do individual sections (timed) in a quiet place in my house. Sometimes though, I will sit in the living room and just tell my family not to bother me while I study, yet I tell them it's ok to talk, watch TV, etc. but not at a ridiculously high volume of course. I think doing this is a start for me since there's some background noise.

[proteinshake]

where do you all take your PTs? I find the library to be very annoying at times with all the little kids and babies. one time I had to pause my PT in the middle of a section because a lady was strolling her crying baby around the quiet section

Unless you're assuming that's bad, it's actually the best place to do it. I've had cops come into my library and escort people for child porn, being crazy, and whatnot.

I agree that there should be SOME noise, but sometimes it's just ridiculous and unrealistic to test conditions.

Usually I would do a PT or do individual sections (timed) in a quiet place in my house. Sometimes though, I will sit in the living room and just tell my family not to bother me while I study, yet I tell them it's ok to talk, watch TV, etc. but not at a ridiculously high volume of course. I think doing this is a start for me since there's some background noise.

if you download the 7Sage app they have a function where you can adjust the level of "crowd noises." It's pretty neat!

[YupSports]

where do you all take your PTs? I find the library to be very annoying at times with all the little kids and babies. one time I had to pause my PT in the middle of a section because a lady was strolling her crying baby around the quiet section

I take PTs at my apartment with the window open.

I live on a pretty busy street, so this provides a good consistent amount of noise.

[YupSports]

Something I am doing on the LR front is using Anki to make flash cards of question stims.

I have the stim on one side, with the question-type and attack plan on the other side.

These cards take about 20 minutes every day, and have already been beneficial to my LR score through lesser hesitation leading to quicker section times.

I plan on using this strategy for any other issues that may come up - it has proven helpful so far.

[poptart123]

Hi all! Just checking in - it's been a while since I've posted. I hope everyone's prep is going well.

I'm hoping to get some feedback on my study schedule now that we're getting closer and closer to June.

In the past few weeks, I've mainly just been drilling sections and trying to get LG finished under 35 minutes. Now that I feel like I've accomplished that, I'm moving towards heavy PT taking. I'm PLANNING on doing full 4-section timed PTs on Monday and Wednesday nights after work (reviewing on Tuesday and Thursday), taking Friday off, and doing a 5-section PT on Saturdays, reviewing on Sundays. I have 38 PTs left untouched, I'm planning on using the 8 oldest as experimental sections and the 30 newest as my 3/week full tests

a) Is burnout imminent? Should I change it to 2 PTs a week? I work a full time job, 9-6 every day, so PTs on weekdays will be after a full day of work (i.e., burnout more likely).

b) My current average PT score is 167 and I'm hoping to bump up to 170 for test day. Will all this PT taking improve my score, or should I drill on my weaker sections and sacrifice one full PT/week?

I'm weakest on LR, and RC is really hit or miss with me. RC is usually around -3, but sometimes I'll be -1 or -8 (lol), so I'm hoping to improve on consistency with RC.

ANYWAY - any feedback appreciated.

I also work (8:30-5:30) with an over hour commute each way. I've found that I can manage waking up at 4, showering and beginning to study by 4:15-30 and going until 6:30 or so (I leave at 7). Then in the evening I try to go to bed no later than 8. I found that shifting my sleep schedule earlier lets me wake up earlier and study more refreshed. It takes a little while to get used to, but if you don't have evening things, kids, or a S/O I recommend it.

[YupSports]

Hi all! Just checking in - it's been a while since I've posted. I hope everyone's prep is going well.

I'm hoping to get some feedback on my study schedule now that we're getting closer and closer to June.

In the past few weeks, I've mainly just been drilling sections and trying to get LG finished under 35 minutes. Now that I feel like I've accomplished that, I'm moving towards heavy PT taking. I'm PLANNING on doing full 4-section timed PTs on Monday and Wednesday nights after work (reviewing on Tuesday and Thursday), taking Friday off, and doing a 5-section PT on Saturdays, reviewing on Sundays. I have 38 PTs left untouched, I'm planning on using the 8 oldest as experimental sections and the 30 newest as my 3/week full tests

a) Is burnout imminent? Should I change it to 2 PTs a week? I work a full time job, 9-6 every day, so PTs on weekdays will be after a full day of work (i.e., burnout more likely).

b) My current average PT score is 167 and I'm hoping to bump up to 170 for test day. Will all this PT taking improve my score, or should I drill on my weaker sections and sacrifice one full PT/week?

I'm weakest on LR, and RC is really hit or miss with me. RC is usually around -3, but sometimes I'll be -1 or -8 (lol), so I'm hoping to improve on consistency with RC.

ANYWAY - any feedback appreciated.

I also work (8:30-5:30) with an over hour commute each way. I've found that I can manage waking up at 4, showering and beginning to study by 4:15-30 and going until 6:30 or so (I leave at 7). Then in the evening I try to go to bed no later than 8. I found that shifting my sleep schedule earlier lets me wake up earlier and study more refreshed. It takes a little while to get used to, but if you don't have evening things, kids, or a S/O I recommend it.

I do something very similar and fully endorse schedule adjustment.

On workout days I get up at get to the gym by 5a and prep from 7a - 8a. I then prep from 4:30p - 6:30p that night. In bed by 8.

On non-workout days, prep begins by 5a and I go until 8a. Review as needed from 4:30 - 6p. Again, in bed by 8.

[somewhatferal]

PT 65, 177 (-1 LR, -2 LG, -3 RC)

Feeling much better about the games. I stopped trying to diagram every little thing like PowerScore and 7Sage do, and just started thinking through the rules conceptually. I find that much easier. This test had some of the tougher RC questions I have ever encountered.