The Official December 2015 Study Group Forum

dellara · Post by **dellara** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:01 am

I fuckin love the LG groove I get in test-mode. I feel like a mad scientist. I pray to the LSAC gods that I can get LG as my exp

tvu · Post by **tvu** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 9:51 am

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ltowns1 · Post by **ltowns1** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:08 am

McJimJam wrote:
slizerd wrote:
ltowns1 wrote:
flash21 wrote:this thread is kind of insane. any time i see a pt score from someone its 172+ basically lol

I thought I was the only one who noticed!
It's because we're (I'm) psycho perfectionists that are unhappy with an october 170
Yeah TLS really makes 170 feel like an average score lol. Met up with an old friend who is planning on law too and she chewed me out when she heard me moping about my 170.

Most are up here because they take their score seriously. I wonder what percentage of those who score in the 90th+'percentile have come on to TLS at one point or another.

Captainduff · Post by **Captainduff** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:18 am

Hi friends! This is my first post on TLS ever (edit - just realized that it might be my 2nd. I forget the other time i posted. but point still stands - I'm a lurker). I'm bored and can't stop thinking about the test. 2 more weeks holy shit

I scored a 157 on Oct after testing at the 165-66 range (peak of 172) so I was hella bummed out. But I got a tutor and have been zeroed in on my weaknesses. I've only taken one practice test so far since I only have like 6 left, but now until the test all I'll be doing are PTs

Last test I took was 67. Got a 165

LR1 - -5
LR2 - -6
LG - -4 (ran out of time on last 2)
RC -2

Overall I ran out of time for 5 of them. If I answered everything and got those 5 right, I'm at a 169. And some of my wrong answers were ones that I'm improving my approach on. So I KNOW I have the potential to do really well. Its just frustrating when you dont reach your potential on these tests.

My main weakness is the time. And its not even that I dont have time to finish. Its that the tests that I feel like I'm in control over, time is not an issue and I feel calm and focused and I can just work through each question stress-free. But when I feel like I have to rush, it takes me longer to get the words on the page to make sense in my brain. So my tutor told me to go through a timed LR section with a commitment to skip 3 questions before getting to the last page. Like no matter what, skip 3 questions that within 10 seconds of reading them I know I should skip. Then when I get to the end with plenty of time, I am in full control over which questions I want to answer out of the last 6, in the order that I want. I did it for the first time yesterday and got -3. Which is awesome for me. If this strategy keeps working, it will get me a 170. Does anyone else do this?

tvu · Post by **tvu** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:53 am

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tvu · Post by **tvu** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 10:58 am

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Captainduff · Post by **Captainduff** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:06 am

tvu wrote:
Captainduff wrote:Hi friends! This is my first post on TLS ever (edit - just realized that it might be my 2nd. I forget the other time i posted. but point still stands - I'm a lurker). I'm bored and can't stop thinking about the test. 2 more weeks holy shit

I scored a 157 on Oct after testing at the 165-66 range (peak of 172) so I was hella bummed out. But I got a tutor and have been zeroed in on my weaknesses. I've only taken one practice test so far since I only have like 6 left, but now until the test all I'll be doing are PTs

Last test I took was 67. Got a 165

LR1 - -5
LR2 - -6
LG - -4 (ran out of time on last 2)
RC -2

Overall I ran out of time for 5 of them. If I answered everything and got those 5 right, I'm at a 169. And some of my wrong answers were ones that I'm improving my approach on. So I KNOW I have the potential to do really well. Its just frustrating when you dont reach your potential on these tests.

My main weakness is the time. And its not even that I dont have time to finish. Its that the tests that I feel like I'm in control over, time is not an issue and I feel calm and focused and I can just work through each question stress-free. But when I feel like I have to rush, it takes me longer to get the words on the page to make sense in my brain. So my tutor told me to go through a timed LR section with a commitment to skip 3 questions before getting to the last page. Like no matter what, skip 3 questions that within 10 seconds of reading them I know I should skip. Then when I get to the end with plenty of time, I am in full control over which questions I want to answer out of the last 6, in the order that I want. I did it for the first time yesterday and got -3. Which is awesome for me. If this strategy keeps working, it will get me a 170. Does anyone else do this?
I struggle with time too, miserably....is LR the only section you struggle in?
I have never heard of that strategy but that's interesting, have you done the 15 Q in 15 min strategy, that usually works for me and then I also do the last 5 in 8 min so then I have 20 in 23 min and then the middle 5-6 in 12 min.

RC has usually given me time-related struggles. But again, its always when I feel the need to rush through a passage, which means I dont understand what the author is saying, and then I screw up the questions. Once I feel the need to rush, everything just compounds into larger problems.

I know that the key to success is being calm and composed throughout each section, and working methodically through each answer, with the understanding that I'm in full control of every question. The tests I do best on are the ones where I am in full control of the entire test. The ones I do worse, I feel like the test is in control of me. And I feel it throughout the test. I know when I bomb a test (like oct). and I know when I just killed a test.

What's been helping with RC (and do an extent LR and LG) is my approach to my answer choices, thanks to my tutor. In the past, I would sit there and make sure to eliminate every answer choice I could before than making sure I was 100% sure about the one I'm selecting. The result of that was a bunch of questions wasting time just sitting on without doing anything productive. So now, I approach every RC answer choice by either 1) realizing its the right answer, circle it and moving on to the next ? 2) realizing its the wrong answer, and moving to the next choice 3) realizing that there's something in it that is tripping me up and making me feel 50/50, and then circling the part that is confusing me and moving on to the next choice. I'm NOT ever again doing 4) sitting and pondering an answer choice for as long as it takes to either pick it or eliminate it. If im not sure, I move on for the time being until I get to the right answer, and then I circle that right answer. Another realization that has helped is the full understanding that there are 4 wrong answers and only 1 right answer. Stopping my instinct to compare answer choices for which one is "the most right" has helped with timing as well.

Well, for now all that is helping. Hopefully it all translate to the Dec test!

newcareernewtown · Post by **newcareernewtown** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 12:18 pm

tvu · Post by **tvu** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 1:04 pm

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davey jones · Post by **davey jones** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 1:24 pm

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tvu · Post by **tvu** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 2:15 pm

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appind · Post by **appind** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 2:46 pm

newcareernewtown wrote:I wonder why so many post PT scores here, and why they're consistently in at least the 97th percentile. It could simply be that high scorers tend to post here, but I tend to take the more pessimistic road...

yeah I mean about half of the posters here are like 170+, but other thing that's interesting is that a vast majority, may be even upto more than 95%, of173+ and 180s never post or lurk here.

how they get such scores without the forum is something I kinda don't fully get.

flash21 · Post by **flash21** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:02 pm

pt 72, 166 (retake). I havent looked @ the breakdown yet but that last game was annoying and the second LR felt pretty tough. Also the last RC passage felt tough

MAPP · Post by **MAPP** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:15 pm

gamerish wrote:
MAPP wrote:
PoopNpants wrote:
MAPP wrote:
PoopNpants wrote:
It really depends on the game rules etc. like if there is a really powerful rule that means only one of 2 things can occur, than I'd make two seperate diagrams showing those two "worlds" but if their are tons of rules, like for example Game 3 from PT 36, I would be spending forever diagramming out all those possibilities. I usually just jot down the rules, make sure I get how they work etc. and then attack the questions.
Ok so basically I've been eavesdropping on all you LSAT-taker pros to try and glean some of your wisdom since I haven't even taken the LSAT yet . Your method sounds like it's contrary to what powerscore preaches (powerscore is the only LG prep I've done) and I don't really like their method. Is there a LG prep book that teaches a method similar to yours? (i.e. basic initial diagram, not some elaborate masterpiece before moving to the questions)
I actually started with the powerscore bible, it's the best prepbook for LG imo. I used to watch 7sage videos heavily and have done basically every game out there at least 2-3x at this point, and alot more even more than that. The guy from 7sage JY is like a logic games genius the way he explains games makes them seem so simple I can't praise it enough.
So you would have no opinion on the Manhattan LG book then? I'm trying to decide if I should go through powerscore's book again or buy Manhattan's or do both.
I read both. They are virtually the same and 7Sage is superior to both.

So basically read a game type in powerscore, drill that game type, then 7Sage each game you drilled?

Have you tried 7Sage for LG and/or RC?

Mint-Berry_Crunch · Post by **Mint-Berry_Crunch** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:19 pm

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gamerish · Post by **gamerish** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:21 pm

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CAJOLER · Post by **CAJOLER** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:19 pm

So just took PT 66

LR1 -1 !!!
RC -6(...)
LG -3 (extremely stupid mistakes)
LR2 -6 (idk...)

166. Not happy but I'll chalk it up to lack of sleep and careless errors.

fishpaste1 · Post by **fishpaste1** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:35 pm

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december1205 · Post by **december1205** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 4:49 pm

Did two timed LRs for PT 68

LR1: -3
LR2: -2

For both, I thought TOO much on one easy question per section (1-7Q) Now it's just all up for me to see through the nuances but I hate tricky LRs.

Planning on doing 4 section PT tonight after work (PT 50)
Saving PT 75 for Saturday.

I would be so ecstatic if I improve more and get 0-2 wrong on each LR. It's funny how few years ago, my goal was 180. It was 175 for a while and now I just want 170.

beantheshadow · Post by **beantheshadow** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:47 pm

Mint-Berry_Crunch wrote:Im throwing PT 31 game 4 out there as a recomendation. Pretty tough game and pretty unusual. Might be a good test for game fundamentals.

What a weird game. Took me 12 minutes but I got them all. I was tripped up by that third rule about every crew member does at least one task.

You recommend any other games like that? Lol

shineoncrazydiamond · Post by **shineoncrazydiamond** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:55 pm

PT64 went very well but I could easily get my ass handed to me by 72 etc so I'm not getting complacent. Also, I felt really unsure of some of the RC answers on the Doestoevsky passage and still want to get to where I'm finishing with a little more time left on most sections. LG drilling got me back up to speed but need to keep it up. I will say paying really close attention to subtle differences in wording on LR, and to conditional logic and associated contrapositives with some/most/many was really helpful. Also, making LG my experimental didn't hurt. We will see how double RCs go on Saturday.

Experimental LG: -1
LR1: -0 but barely finished in time
LG: -0
LR2: -0
RC: -1 but only had a minute to spare at the end.

flash21 · Post by **flash21** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:05 pm

blind reviewing that final game from pt 72 was such a nightmare. eventually got it, but damn. and I'm still confused about the first game's wording a bit.. off to 7sage

edit;; still missed 2 on that final game after blind review, missed them all except the rule elimination in timed

shineoncrazydiamond · Post by **shineoncrazydiamond** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:06 pm

dellara wrote:I fuckin love the LG groove I get in test-mode. I feel like a mad scientist. I pray to the LSAC gods that I can get LG as my exp

Yes! Definitely best-case scenario. I find it fires up my brain rather than fatiguing it the way RC does.

shineoncrazydiamond · Post by **shineoncrazydiamond** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:12 pm

beantheshadow wrote:
Mint-Berry_Crunch wrote:Im throwing PT 31 game 4 out there as a recomendation. Pretty tough game and pretty unusual. Might be a good test for game fundamentals.

What a weird game. Took me 12 minutes but I got them all. I was tripped up by that third rule about every crew member does at least one task.

You recommend any other games like that? Lol

Game 3 on PT 57 about the dinosaurs is an infamous one, I would take a look at that if you haven't already. I also found the stained glass game (game 2) from PT 62 a bit time consuming.

betterLawyerUP · Post by **betterLawyerUP** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:34 pm

shineoncrazydiamond wrote:PT64 went very well but I could easily get my ass handed to me by 72 etc so I'm not getting complacent. Also, I felt really unsure of some of the RC answers on the Doestoevsky passage and still want to get to where I'm finishing with a little more time left on most sections. LG drilling got me back up to speed but need to keep it up. I will say paying really close attention to subtle differences in wording on LR, and to conditional logic and associated contrapositives with some/most/many was really helpful. Also, making LG my experimental didn't hurt. We will see how double RCs go on Saturday.

Experimental LG: -1
LR1: -0 but barely finished in time
LG: -0
LR2: -0
RC: -1 but only had a minute to spare at the end.

lmao I just took PT64 today so its fresh in my memory. I am guessing u didnt struggle at all? I got 16,23 wrong on first LR which were kind of tough. 14,15,17,18 on the second LR which I havent looked at but its crazy you got none of them wrong thought they were pretty difficult.

And RC I thought I had decent understanding and got -7. 3 wrong in the evolution passage (did you not find the answers tricky? I thought the passage was ok but the answers were tricky). And 3 wrong in Dostoyevsky but I think mainly was a timing issue, q25 was ass.

It baffles me how you got a perfect basically, congrats though thats impressive im wayyyyy behind.