The Official June 2014 Study Group Forum

[dardardelight]

Idunno .. I seem fine with Leigh9190210 putting her picture up on

912198972. But thank you.

I take it you didn't like the show growing up? In any case, you're welcome!

[BaberhamLincoln]

http://theweek.com/article/index/260112 ... law-school

Rant start:
Brazil has law as an undergraduate degree like he proposes: my cousin is younger than me (<24) and already a licensed attorney for the last year or two. I just don't think it's right. The protectors of the nation (doctors, lawyers, high political offices) need to be throroughly educated. Those who protect in a different sense like policemen, firemen, military and EMT, require throrough specialized training on those specific fields as well and years of proving themselves/practice to be where they are. Nobody I studied with in undergrad (obviously including myself) was prepared to protect people upon graduation.

To the second link: ugh. So many arrogant, self-riteous law school applicants (not talking to any of you friends on this thread, though TLS has plenty).
Rant end.


Dardar, in all my 530am-thread-responding-wonderfulness, I missed the reference. So good. Wish I could change my username and pic now.

[rebexness]

Dardar, in all my 530am-thread-responding-wonderfulness, I missed the reference. So good. Wish I could change my username and pic now.

You can do either or both. If your name is "outting" your real life self, you can always ask a mod to change it. You can change your own av on your profile page.

[Learn_Live_Hope]

http://theweek.com/article/index/260112 ... law-school

Rant start:
Brazil has law as an undergraduate degree like he proposes: my cousin is younger than me (<24) and already a licensed attorney for the last year or two. I just don't think it's right. The protectors of the nation (doctors, lawyers, high political offices) need to be throroughly educated. Those who protect in a different sense like policemen, firemen, military and EMT, require throrough specialized training on those specific fields as well and years of proving themselves/practice to be where they are. Nobody I studied with in undergrad (obviously including myself) was prepared to protect people upon graduation.

To the second link: ugh. So many arrogant, self-riteous law school applicants (not talking to any of you friends on this thread, though TLS has plenty).
Rant end.


Dardar, in all my 530am-thread-responding-wonderfulness, I missed the reference. So good. Wish I could change my username and pic now.

Its a professional degree-it should be treated as such. I don't like this belittling of law degree-profession.

[BillPackets]

Dardar, in all my 530am-thread-responding-wonderfulness, I missed the reference. So good. Wish I could change my username and pic now.[/quote]

You should definitely change both if that is an actual picture of you and you're using your real first name.

[BaberhamLincoln]

You should definitely change both if that is an actual picture of you and you're using your real first name.

I was just kidding about changing my stuff.

Not my real name, but I'm certain adcomms could figure out who I was if they wanted to. The pic is me too. I really don't care though; I've said nothing on TLS I'm ashamed of (yet...)
But thanks for the advice.

[BillPackets]

You should definitely change both if that is an actual picture of you and you're using your real first name.

I was just kidding about changing my stuff.

Not my real name, but I'm certain adcomms could figure out who I was if they wanted to. The pic is me too. I really don't care though; I've said nothing on TLS I'm ashamed of (yet...)
But thanks for the advice.

TLS is the new Facebook. When in Rome...

[tfinndogm]

welp. just bit the bullet and ordered/printed the LG & LR drill packets PTs 41-60.

[WaltGrace83]

Taking the morning off today which is very unusual for me. My girlfriend got me a Groupon massage to "help me cope with the stress of studying." I'm hoping I'll come out of it thinking the clearest I ever had, maybe I found the key to a 180: full muscle relaxation? Doubtful. Anyway, I have been drilling weaken questions for the past few days and somewhat neglecting LG. I am still on those level 1 weaken questions but I'll finish up the 1s today. The process is slowwwwww.

When do you guys know when to quit studying for the day anyway? Usually I study for about 2 hours and then take a break for lunch. Then I study for a few more hours and probably get about 4 hours of real studying a day, maybe much more but I'm unsure. However, when I feel like "ughhhh my mind just doesn't care anymore. Cannot. Process. Information." and I find my focus drifting off I stop. What about you guys? I just cannot seem to fight through because I feel like if I do then I won't really be LEARNING i'll just be DOING.

[tfinndogm]

Taking the morning off today which is very unusual for me. My girlfriend got me a Groupon massage to "help me cope with the stress of studying." I'm hoping I'll come out of it thinking the clearest I ever had, maybe I found the key to a 180: full muscle relaxation? Doubtful. Anyway, I have been drilling weaken questions for the past few days and somewhat neglecting LG. I am still on those level 1 weaken questions but I'll finish up the 1s today. The process is slowwwwww.

When do you guys know when to quit studying for the day anyway? Usually I study for about 2 hours and then take a break for lunch. Then I study for a few more hours and probably get about 4 hours of real studying a day, maybe much more but I'm unsure. However, when I feel like "ughhhh my mind just doesn't care anymore. Cannot. Process. Information." and I find my focus drifting off I stop. What about you guys? I just cannot seem to fight through because I feel like if I do then I won't really be LEARNING i'll just be DOING.

I had this approach to studying in college and am still using it now. there really is no point in forcing your mind to do work when you probably aren't fully processing. 4 hours a day (especially if you're pushing to Sept now) is most certainly sufficient. You're pushing past the point of how long the LSAT is, which is great

[foamborn]

Taking the morning off today which is very unusual for me. My girlfriend got me a Groupon massage to "help me cope with the stress of studying." I'm hoping I'll come out of it thinking the clearest I ever had, maybe I found the key to a 180: full muscle relaxation? Doubtful. Anyway, I have been drilling weaken questions for the past few days and somewhat neglecting LG. I am still on those level 1 weaken questions but I'll finish up the 1s today. The process is slowwwwww.

When do you guys know when to quit studying for the day anyway? Usually I study for about 2 hours and then take a break for lunch. Then I study for a few more hours and probably get about 4 hours of real studying a day, maybe much more but I'm unsure. However, when I feel like "ughhhh my mind just doesn't care anymore. Cannot. Process. Information." and I find my focus drifting off I stop. What about you guys? I just cannot seem to fight through because I feel like if I do then I won't really be LEARNING i'll just be DOING.

Maybe this is a different issue, but I think about my ability to study as divided into 2 scenarios which affect the amount of time and/or effort I must invest in studying. The first scenario is actual PTs. When I decide that I'm going to take a PT on a day then I don't let myself not take it even if I don't feel particularly great on the day of. The second scenario is non-PT days. I'm much more lenient on these. Some days I just wake up and don't feel like studying will do much for me and I take the day off. However, when I'm sitting thinking about these non-study days I also take into account how I might be wasting PT material (by not adequately preparing for it) that's already set to happen as it falls into my 1st scenario. Sometimes this will enable me to work on those days when otherwise I wouldn't have been able to. I agree, though, that it's right to stop studying when you're just wasting effort. I think my point in this post is really how to address the point where you feel you might be wasting effort. Sometimes it can be overcome; other times not. Taking a break is always a good idea in my book.

[10052014]

.

[akechi]

Hey all,

Just out of curiosity, what is your favorite study spot? I personally found that I get the most done in complete silence, but have been slowly training myself to study in nosier environments. I am beginning the process of weening myself the quiet area of the library and moving onto crowded cafes and other areas with more background noise.

[BaberhamLincoln]

On my last practice test (one of my best) I decided to read LR and RC before the question(s)...this seemed to keep my head clear and was faster.

Thoughts? Do you read the question first or the prompt?

[rebexness]

On my last practice test (one of my best) I decided to read LR and RC before the question(s)...this seemed to keep my head clear and was faster.

Thoughts? Do you read the question first or the prompt?

For LR i always read the stimulus first.
No I don't.

Stem first.

[jk148706]

On my last practice test (one of my best) I decided to read LR and RC before the question(s)...this seemed to keep my head clear and was faster.

Thoughts? Do you read the question first or the prompt?

For LR i always read the stimulus first.

And I always read the question stem first. It's preference, I guess

[tfinndogm]

I always read the prompt. I feel like I miss out on little things when I read the q's first and try to skim.

[jk148706]

I always read the prompt. I feel like I miss out on little things when I read the q's first and try to skim.

I just think reading the stem first gives you a good idea of how to approach the stim. For example, if the stem says find the conclusion, I'm going to read that much differently than I would a sufficient assumption question. I know there has to be a conclusion and gap in a necessary assumption question, but not in a must be true question.

So, for me, reading the stem helps my approach change for each question. It's like my mindset changes each question, so I know exactly what I need to do to find TCR. Otherwise, I think I'd spend time doing superfluous things while reading them stim, which would distract me from the task I need to accomplish.

Again, this is just me. Others have been very successful reading the stim first.

[tfinndogm]

I always read the prompt. I feel like I miss out on little things when I read the q's first and try to skim.

I just think reading the stem first gives you a good idea of how to approach the stim. For example, if the stem says find the conclusion, I'm going to read that much differently than I would a sufficient assumption question. I know there has to be a conclusion and gap in a necessary assumption question, but not in a must be true question.

So, for me, reading the stem helps my approach change for each question. It's like my mindset changes each question, so I know exactly what I need to do to find TCR. Otherwise, I think I'd spend time doing superfluous things while reading them stim, which would distract me from the task I need to accomplish.

Again, this is just me. Others have been very successful reading the stim first.

ah my b. I meant in RC. Sometimes if the LR prompt seems SUPER wonky, I'll look down at the stem first and then reattack.

[jk148706]

I always read the prompt. I feel like I miss out on little things when I read the q's first and try to skim.

I just think reading the stem first gives you a good idea of how to approach the stim. For example, if the stem says find the conclusion, I'm going to read that much differently than I would a sufficient assumption question. I know there has to be a conclusion and gap in a necessary assumption question, but not in a must be true question.

So, for me, reading the stem helps my approach change for each question. It's like my mindset changes each question, so I know exactly what I need to do to find TCR. Otherwise, I think I'd spend time doing superfluous things while reading them stim, which would distract me from the task I need to accomplish.

Again, this is just me. Others have been very successful reading the stim first.

ah my b. I meant in RC. Sometimes if the LR prompt seems SUPER wonky, I'll look down at the stem first and then reattack.

Ah, I see.

Yeah, for RC I've never read the questions first.

[Louis1127]

Hey all,

Just out of curiosity, what is your favorite study spot? I personally found that I get the most done in complete silence, but have been slowly training myself to study in nosier environments. I am beginning the process of weening myself the quiet area of the library and moving onto crowded cafes and other areas with more background noise.

The local public library for me. Lots of distractions (intercom, meetings coming in and out, kids chattering). Also, the tables are way to small for my legs and so I'm really uncomfortable while taking the PT. I figure that way on test day, if I'm uncomfortable for whatever reason, I'll at least be accustomed to it.

Also, I think your plan is a good idea. Test day conditions might not be perfect. They might not even be good.

[BaberhamLincoln]

Hey all,

Just out of curiosity, what is your favorite study spot? I personally found that I get the most done in complete silence, but have been slowly training myself to study in nosier environments. I am beginning the process of weening myself the quiet area of the library and moving onto crowded cafes and other areas with more background noise.

The local public library for me. Lots of distractions (intercom, meetings coming in and out, kids chattering). Also, the tables are way to small for my legs and so I'm really uncomfortable while taking the PT. I figure that way on test day, if I'm uncomfortable for whatever reason, I'll at least be accustomed to it.

Also, I think your plan is a good idea. Test day conditions might not be perfect. They might not even be good.

Last PT was my first using the 7sage proctor and I put the background noise and distraction frequency at like 1/3. It was so different than taking tests in my apt silently. My score was actually good (167) but I THOUGHT I was doing a lot worse (would have bet it was a
160 before I scored it) and I found I ran out of time because I had to reread stuff due to being so distracted. It sucked but it was really good important practice.

When I took the real test last June, my dog had just shat all over my apt the morning of (which he never did before or again. Of course.) AND I had this super chatty annoying girl who wouldn't shut up during breaks sitting right in front of me. So distractions are real.

[Straw_Mandible]

I always read the prompt. I feel like I miss out on little things when I read the q's first and try to skim.

I just think reading the stem first gives you a good idea of how to approach the stim. For example, if the stem says find the conclusion, I'm going to read that much differently than I would a sufficient assumption question. I know there has to be a conclusion and gap in a necessary assumption question, but not in a must be true question.

So, for me, reading the stem helps my approach change for each question. It's like my mindset changes each question, so I know exactly what I need to do to find TCR. Otherwise, I think I'd spend time doing superfluous things while reading them stim, which would distract me from the task I need to accomplish.

Again, this is just me. Others have been very successful reading the stim first.

ah my b. I meant in RC. Sometimes if the LR prompt seems SUPER wonky, I'll look down at the stem first and then reattack.

Ah, I see.

Yeah, for RC I've never read the questions first.

Is this a thing? Reading the questions before the passage? That seems like a totally wonky strategy, and I've never heard anyone suggest it before this very moment.

Does anyone see merit in this approach? In my experience, all RC question sets ask for very similar kinds of information, and our pattern recognition should be strong enough to pick out the important information from a passage in anticipation of the questions, without actually having to read them beforehand. It just seems like reading the questions out of context would be a waste of time, and it wouldn't actually get you any closer to finding the right answers until you've taken the time to understand the passage.

[jk148706]

Is this a thing? Reading the questions before the passage? That seems like a totally wonky strategy, and I've never heard anyone suggest it before this very moment.

Does anyone see merit in this approach? In my experience, all RC question sets ask for very similar kinds of information, and our pattern recognition should be strong enough to pick out the important information from a passage in anticipation of the questions, without actually having to read them beforehand. It just seems like reading the questions out of context would be a waste of time, and it wouldn't actually get you any closer to finding the right answers until you've taken the time to understand the passage.

I don't think anyone recommends it

[alexrodriguez]

For RC you should have a pretty good idea what the questions will be asking. Reading them before the passage is just nonsense. I'd equate that to reading the LSAT instructions in section 1 during your 35 minutes.