10 weeks to a 180 Forum

[calexhg88]

Checking in after being off the internet for almost 4 days. I figured out the internet was a big distraction to my 180 drive ans so i kicked it away.

I'm glad to see everyone is working hard towards the big 180

My prep is going great. I am consistently getting between 169 - 174. I really want to improve myself. My biggest setback is finishing the LR section. I consistently get -0 in LG and RC. But i always leave like 3 unanswered in both LR sections. If anyone has any tip on how i could speed up i would greatly appreciate it. I think i second guess myself way too much especially on assumption questions. With 22 days to the test i'm sure i'll get enough confidence to choose the right answer and move on.

The LSAT is tough but i am convinced that it is a learn able test. With our handwork and perseverance i am sure we'll do it.

22 MORE DAYS Y'ALL. I have 30 PTs on my desk that will get done by test day. Figuring out a strategy of doing 2 PT per day. No excuses, play like a champion.

WISH Y'ALL THE BEST.

I´ll chime in on my approach to assumption question: (I do not claim to have mastered assumption questions, by the way)

First of all, you MUST understand that there are two types of assumption questions. It may seem quite obvious, but my ridiculous Kaplan course failed to mention it.

necessary assumption:
USE THE DENIAL TEST. If you negate the answer choice and it renders the argument ridiculous. That´s the right answer. It is the assumption that has to be made in order for the argument to make any sense at all. It normally employs weak language.

Suff assumption:
If this is assumed, the argument will be follow logically in any and all cases. Therefore it has to be all-encompassing in nature. Therefore, it will likely employ strong language.

Most assumption questions, especially the suff assumption questions, can be translated into formal logic. Jot down the formal logic and you will likely be able to figure out the assumption, scan the answer choices, and move on in 45 seconds or less.

Also, in the majority of cases, the assumption will involve one of the phrases in the conclusion (the one previously unmentioned) and one in the evidence, usually only mentioned once as well. If you are at a loss. Find the answer choices with the the unclarified term in the conclusion, circle one that employs weak language (necess ass) or strong language (suff ass) and move on. My guess this will put you at a 50-50 shot or so.

One more point: if its translatable at all to formal logic, the term in the answer choice that is used in the conclusion cannot change from the suff to necess position or the necess to suff position without being negated. So, if:

b -> c
c -> d
conclusion: a -> d

The 'a' term must be in the sufficient position or 'not a' must be in the necessary position. If you understand it the argument this thoroughly you will likely already choose the right answer, but it is useful knowledge to consider when between two choices, or even when scanning the answer choices.

I hope I helped! And please add to or mention any errors I made.

[calexhg88]

Checking in after being off the internet for almost 4 days. I figured out the internet was a big distraction to my 180 drive ans so i kicked it away.

I'm glad to see everyone is working hard towards the big 180

My prep is going great. I am consistently getting between 169 - 174. I really want to improve myself. My biggest setback is finishing the LR section. I consistently get -0 in LG and RC. But i always leave like 3 unanswered in both LR sections. If anyone has any tip on how i could speed up i would greatly appreciate it. I think i second guess myself way too much especially on assumption questions. With 22 days to the test i'm sure i'll get enough confidence to choose the right answer and move on.

The LSAT is tough but i am convinced that it is a learn able test. With our handwork and perseverance i am sure we'll do it.

22 MORE DAYS Y'ALL. I have 30 PTs on my desk that will get done by test day. Figuring out a strategy of doing 2 PT per day. No excuses, play like a champion.

WISH Y'ALL THE BEST.

I´ll chime in on my approach to assumption question: (I do not claim to have mastered assumption questions, by the way)

First of all, you MUST understand that there are two types of assumption questions. It may seem quite obvious, but my ridiculous Kaplan course failed to mention it.

necessary assumption:
USE THE DENIAL TEST. If you negate the answer choice and it renders the argument ridiculous. That´s the right answer. It is the assumption that has to be made in order for the argument to make any sense at all. It normally employs weak language.

Suff assumption:
If this is assumed, the argument will be follow logically in any and all cases. Therefore it has to be all-encompassing in nature. Therefore, it will likely employ strong language.

Most assumption questions, especially the suff assumption questions, can be translated into formal logic. Jot down the formal logic and you will likely be able to figure out the assumption, scan the answer choices, and move on in 45 seconds or less.

Also, in the majority of cases, the assumption will involve one of the phrases in the conclusion (the one previously unmentioned) and one in the evidence, usually only mentioned once as well. If you are at a loss. Find the answer choices with the the unclarified term in the conclusion, circle one that employs weak language (necess ass) or strong language (suff ass) and move on. My guess this will put you at a 50-50 shot or so.

One more point: if its translatable at all to formal logic, the term in the answer choice that is used in the conclusion cannot change from the suff to necess position or the necess to suff position without being negated. So, if:

b -> c
c -> d
conclusion: a -> d

The 'a' term must be in the sufficient position or 'not a' must be in the necessary position. If you understand it the argument this thoroughly you will likely already choose the right answer, but it is useful knowledge to consider when between two choices, or even when scanning the answer choices.

I hope I helped! And please add to or mention any errors I made.

One more thing I should add. If the answer choices uses one of the terms in the evidence, it will almost always be in the opposite position so it can make a flowing formal logic statement.

Consider the above example:
The assumption a -> b

b has to put in the necessary position so the formal logic can flow from a to d, as it does in the conclusion.

[180asBreath]

21 days until I take the Friday off and just max and relax, knowing I have it in the bag. I know my scores aren't where they should be, but I feel my skills and aptitude are. I'm so close I can taste it. Here's to a three week spring that will put us where we need to be.

Sweet dreams, all.

[calidancer2]

Took 2 timed LR sections today, -2 and -0. My timing is already so much better than in October. I think I'm finally ready to retake the October 2011 LR sections which I got a combined -10 on

[xChiTowNx]

Had my best set of drilling ever today! usually im like 38-40 / 50 but tonight went 48 /50 on flaw (mixed difficulty)

I think I'm gonna reward myself by taking PT 33 tomorrow morning! night all!

[chesterfan1230]

Need to get off my Plateau of 163-166 right now.

LG: -0 to -2
LR1: -3 -5
LR2: -5 - 7
RC: -6 to -10.

Usually 2 or 3 of the mistakes in LR are from not enough time and 2 or 3 are from just not reading things properly.

Reading Comp: Need to work on it more... I can't get to 4 sections.

[calexhg88]

Need to get off my Plateau of 163-166 right now.

LG: -0 to -2
LR1: -3 -5
LR2: -5 - 7
RC: -6 to -10.

Usually 2 or 3 of the mistakes in LR are from not enough time and 2 or 3 are from just not reading things properly.

Reading Comp: Need to work on it more... I can't get to 4 sections.

I was in your situation a month ago. Given that you don´t have the extra month that I have had, I´d reccommend doing the following:

PREDICT the answers. This is possible on almost every question type in LR and RC. Do it, pick your answer that you predicted and move on. This will save you MINUTES.

Some will tell you otherwise, but I would avoid deliberating over each answer choice after you have picked one that you are sure of. Sure, if you consider the others you are more likely to be right, but under such time pressures (especially being that you don´t get to all of the questions), I think it is a better option to be 95% sure of 5 questions and get to 2 or 3 more than to be 99% sure of 5 questions and not get to those 2 or 3.

SKIP. SKIP. SKIP. Every question on the LSAT is figureoutable. But why waste 2.5 minutes on a really hard question you are likely to get wrong anyway? If you spend this time on the question you will likely not get to all the questions and you might even get the answer wrong that you thought about so hard.

Do not go 1-end. Personally, I do the second page, go back to the first, then skip around on 3 and 4 until I´m done. I do this because the first page is easiest, so I want to be warmed up so as to not make any stupid mistakes.

I was in your position a month ago, and now I´m in the low 170s. You have three more weeks which is more than enough time to make this jump.


LEETTSS GOOOO

[180asBreath]

Had my best set of drilling ever today! usually im like 38-40 / 50 but tonight went 48 /50 on flaw (mixed difficulty)

I think I'm gonna reward myself by taking PT 33 tomorrow morning! night all!

Nice! How'd the PT go?

[calidancer2]

Took dec 04 today, -6 and -1 on LR, -4 RC and -0 on LG for a 172. For some reason i was strangely disappointed- mostly in my -6 LR section. I know my rc is 99% of the time -0 to -5, and my LG is -2 at the max. I need my LR to be better but it always varies!!!! ARGH. As long as i get even a 170 on the real deal i'll be happy though. (169 in october, just want to score at my former PT average. Since october, my PT avg has been 175.25!!!!)

[chesterfan1230]

Need to get off my Plateau of 163-166 right now.

LG: -0 to -2
LR1: -3 -5
LR2: -5 - 7
RC: -6 to -10.

Usually 2 or 3 of the mistakes in LR are from not enough time and 2 or 3 are from just not reading things properly.

Reading Comp: Need to work on it more... I can't get to 4 sections.

I was in your situation a month ago. Given that you don´t have the extra month that I have had, I´d reccommend doing the following:

PREDICT the answers. This is possible on almost every question type in LR and RC. Do it, pick your answer that you predicted and move on. This will save you MINUTES.

Some will tell you otherwise, but I would avoid deliberating over each answer choice after you have picked one that you are sure of. Sure, if you consider the others you are more likely to be right, but under such time pressures (especially being that you don´t get to all of the questions), I think it is a better option to be 95% sure of 5 questions and get to 2 or 3 more than to be 99% sure of 5 questions and not get to those 2 or 3.

SKIP. SKIP. SKIP. Every question on the LSAT is figureoutable. But why waste 2.5 minutes on a really hard question you are likely to get wrong anyway? If you spend this time on the question you will likely not get to all the questions and you might even get the answer wrong that you thought about so hard.

Do not go 1-end. Personally, I do the second page, go back to the first, then skip around on 3 and 4 until I´m done. I do this because the first page is easiest, so I want to be warmed up so as to not make any stupid mistakes.

I was in your position a month ago, and now I´m in the low 170s. You have three more weeks which is more than enough time to make this jump.


LEETTSS GOOOO

Thanks man. I'll give it a shot. Gonna spend all of tomorrow Drilling on Logical reasoning and Reading Comp... gotta work out the kinks in those. Then take a PT Sunday!

[180asBreath]

Took dec 04 today, -6 and -1 on LR, -4 RC and -0 on LG for a 172. For some reason i was strangely disappointed- mostly in my -6 LR section. I know my rc is 99% of the time -0 to -5, and my LG is -2 at the max. I need my LR to be better but it always varies!!!! ARGH. As long as i get even a 170 on the real deal i'll be happy though. (169 in october, just want to score at my former PT average. Since october, my PT avg has been 175.25!!!!)

Congrats and best avatar ever!

When a crime breaks out, all the cute girls shout...

[calidancer2]

Took dec 04 today, -6 and -1 on LR, -4 RC and -0 on LG for a 172. For some reason i was strangely disappointed- mostly in my -6 LR section. I know my rc is 99% of the time -0 to -5, and my LG is -2 at the max. I need my LR to be better but it always varies!!!! ARGH. As long as i get even a 170 on the real deal i'll be happy though. (169 in october, just want to score at my former PT average. Since october, my PT avg has been 175.25!!!!)

Congrats and best avatar ever!

When a crime breaks out, all the cute girls shout...

Haha YESSS, a fellow BMW fan. I always wonder how my high school career would have been if i had fa-ha-ha-heeny in my life. I think tomorrow im going to do some more LR/LG Drills, and then sunday take oct 11 timed in the AM.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend! I baked some snickerdoodles and now im off to sugar coma induced bed.

[chesterfan1230]

Drilled 3 sections today:

Logical Reasoning: -6, 1 mistake from misreading an answer choice, 1 from not analyzing an answer choice properly, 1 from not understanding the prompt and 3 from not enough time.

Logical games: -2 (stupid mistakes)

Reading Comp: -5, attempted three passages. -1 from the passages I did and guessed on the last passage and got 4 out of 6 wrong.

[calexhg88]

Drilled 3 sections today:

Logical Reasoning: -6, 1 mistake from misreading an answer choice, 1 from not analyzing an answer choice properly, 1 from not understanding the prompt and 3 from not enough time.

Logical games: -2 (stupid mistakes)

Reading Comp: -5, attempted three passages. -1 from the passages I did and guessed on the last passage and got 4 out of 6 wrong.

Did you try the techniques I told you about?

[calexhg88]

I took PT55 today: 177 (I had taken in mid-september)

-1 on RC
-0 on LG
-3 combined on LR

(I missed the cotton-cloth analogy question on passage 3)

on LR I missed a question a gimme and 2 others, both I couldn´t have gotten right without looking at the key. I get it now (I think). If you got any additional insight please jump in.

To avoid copyright I won´t put them down here, I´ll just put down their structure:

Strengthener:
A building in a particular site is composed of X Y and Z
X - natural
Y and Z - not natural
Most buildings in this site is only composed of X
Most of these buildings are D
Therefore: Probably not D

51% only X
26% D

The strengthener is: most not D are not natural. Which must mean at least 37% (51% of 74%) of the buildings are not natural. Since not natural D can only fill the remaining 22%, it is likely that the building is not D.

Is this a correct analysis???




One more:

Sufficient Assumption:
not X -> will not do all Y
Therefore: Many Y and not X -> not Z

Answer: Will not do all Y -> not Z

The answers become very clear if you assume that the will not do all Y term necesitates the existence of many Y. It becomes simply:

not X -> not Y
Therefore: not X -> not Z
Assumption: not Y -> not Z

Is that a warranted assumption?????

Thanks!

[calexhg88]

I'm psyched to hear everyone is doing so well, calidancer you seem to be killing it.

180, how are you doing?

Prephrasing is helping me a ton on RC, before, the answer choices always seemed to trick me. Now, magically, it seems I get tricked a lot less often. I'm a little scared on what will happen once I start doing new passages, but a 177 is several points above a score that I would happy with - I hope that the drop will fall within this buffer zone.

I'm bout to send in my application for Boalt Anyone else applying there?

Who's ready for December 4th?

[chesterfan1230]

Drilled 3 sections today:

Logical Reasoning: -6, 1 mistake from misreading an answer choice, 1 from not analyzing an answer choice properly, 1 from not understanding the prompt and 3 from not enough time.

Logical games: -2 (stupid mistakes)

Reading Comp: -5, attempted three passages. -1 from the passages I did and guessed on the last passage and got 4 out of 6 wrong.

Did you try the techniques I told you about?

I've been predicting the answers for a while and most of the answers come quickly to me. I did go 1-END (I got 1-13 completely right but got 14, 19 and 20 wrong. Guessed on 22, 23 and 25 and got them wrong.)

I feel more comfortable going from 1-END because I rarely get 1-10 wrong. I did skip some that I didn't get but my problem is by the time I've figured out that I should skip its too late..... I do 1-10 in 10 minutes. What hurts me is I spend 15-17 minutes on 11-20. Leaving me not enough for 21-25.

Need to be more careful at reading things and take less time for 11-20.

Reading comp: I need to drill more to get faster to get to the fourth passage. I definitely have the skills to do so, just need to be faster.

FYI: I've been studying since july, took blueprintprep, mistakenly decided to take the October when I wasn't ready (Because of time).

[chesterfan1230]

I took PT55 today: 177 (I had taken in mid-september)

-1 on RC
-0 on LG
-3 combined on LR

(I missed the cotton-cloth analogy question on passage 3)

on LR I missed a question a gimme and 2 others, both I couldn´t have gotten right without looking at the key. I get it now (I think). If you got any additional insight please jump in.

To avoid copyright I won´t put them down here, I´ll just put down their structure:

Strengthener:
A building in a particular site is composed of X Y and Z
X - natural
Y and Z - not natural
Most buildings in this site is only composed of X
Most of these buildings are D
Therefore: Probably not D

51% only X
26% D

The strengthener is: most not D are not natural. Which must mean at least 37% (51% of 74%) of the buildings are not natural. Since not natural D can only fill the remaining 22%, it is likely that the building is not D.

Is this a correct analysis???




One more:

Sufficient Assumption:
not X -> will not do all Y
Therefore: Many Y and not X -> not Z

Answer: Will not do all Y -> not Z

The answers become very clear if you assume that the will not do all Y term necesitates the existence of many Y. It becomes simply:

not X -> not Y
Therefore: not X -> not Z
Assumption: not Y -> not Z

Is that a warranted assumption?????

Thanks!

Which question #'s are these so that I can look them up?

[180asBreath]

Hey all. calex, I'm mad jelly. Those scores are sexy.

I did PT56 today and it felt okay.

LR1: -4
LR2: -2
LG: -1 (can't believe I missed one)
RC: -4
LGX: -0

-11 for a 170.

I'm kind of upset that im not further along but I feel like I am progressing. I spent some time going through some LR velocity chapters, for a second time, and I felt like I learned some things. I think I'll be able to get back to -0 to -4, combined, for LR after I spend a good deal of time re-learning some methods and making them permanent with drilling.

If I get to that point, continue rocking LG, and get more consistent with -0 to -2 on RC - it'll all be good.

Trying to stay positive. I'm starting the test every other day (M, W, Sa).

[calexhg88]

chester they be PT55 LR2 14 and 21

[calexhg88]

Hey all. calex, I'm mad jelly. Those scores are sexy.

I did PT56 today and it felt okay.

LR1: -4
LR2: -2
LG: -1 (can't believe I missed one)
RC: -4
LGX: -0

-11 for a 170.

I'm kind of upset that im not further along but I feel like I am progressing. I spent some time going through some LR velocity chapters, for a second time, and I felt like I learned some things. I think I'll be able to get back to -0 to -4, combined, for LR after I spend a good deal of time re-learning some methods and making them permanent with drilling.

If I get to that point, continue rocking LG, and get more consistent with -0 to -2 on RC - it'll all be good.

Trying to stay positive. I'm starting the test every other day (M, W, Sa).

You as well señor.

LEETTSSS GOOOOO

[180asBreath]

chester they be PT55 LR2 14 and 21

I'll post about them tomorrow. I just talked about those with my tutor, this past week, and we gained an understanding of what was going on.

[chesterfan1230]

Looked at 14.

Basically, the building has three different compositions X and Y (not natural) and Z (natural).

Most of the buildings had ONLY Z. And Most were dwellings

Therefore: This building is probably not a dwelling.

Well, the missing link is that though most of the buildings were dwellings, we don't know about the composition of the one's that aren't dwellings.

Answer choice B: totally clarifies that by saying that non-dwellings had non natural (X and Y perhaps).


For 21, while I don't quiet understand your Diagramming it is pretty clear. I don't even think diagramming is too necessary, I did it and didn't find it too helpful.

Basically If a certain requirement isn't mandated, students won't do the reading. And even the most motivated won't do the reading if the requirement isn't put upon them.

Thefore: If there is no requirement to write, students won't get a high grade.

Whats the jump? Between the reading and the grade. What needs to be said is that if a student doesn't do All of the reading their grades will Suffer as in Answer choice A.

Hope it helps...

[calexhg88]

AHHHHH

I see my error in 14. I thought most of the dwellings were made of only limestone, not most buildings overall were limestone.

Clearing that up makes it extremely clear. I hate when I do that.


with 21:

I didn´t get the answer wrong, it was just one of the questions I wasn´t 100% sure about. I saw that the jump is with the reading and the grade, and the only answer choice that makes any sense at all is A. But, the formal logic didn´t make sense.

The problem I have is with the Many Y statement. The argument clearly follows logically without out, but it is in there, my question is this:
If the students don´t complete all of the reading assignments, then does there have to be Many reading assignments. The argument, with the assumption included, is this:

Not X -> not Y
Not Y -> not Z
Therefore: Some Y and not X -> not Z

You see what I'm talking about? I understand that since not X must yield not Z, so is the some Y inconsequential? Could you say, therefore: some Q and not X -> not Z ???

[chesterfan1230]

AHHHHH

I see my error in 14. I thought most of the dwellings were made of only limestone, not most buildings overall were limestone.

Clearing that up makes it extremely clear. I hate when I do that.


with 21:

I didn´t get the answer wrong, it was just one of the questions I wasn´t 100% sure about. I saw that the jump is with the reading and the grade, and the only answer choice that makes any sense at all is A. But, the formal logic didn´t make sense.

The problem I have is with the Many Y statement. The argument clearly follows logically without out, but it is in there, my question is this:
If the students don´t complete all of the reading assignments, then does there have to be Many reading assignments. The argument, with the assumption included, is this:

Not X -> not Y
Not Y -> not Z
Therefore: Some Y and not X -> not Z

You see what I'm talking about? I understand that since not X must yield not Z, so is the some Y inconsequential? Could you say, therefore: some Q and not X -> not Z ???

I think you have a diagramming problem.

For me its Not RWH --> Not Do All RA
HM and Not RWH --> Not do All RA

Conclusion: Not RWH --> Not High Grade

Gap to be filled: Not Do all RA--> Not high grade.

I think the Several reading assignments isn't really important. You assume that students will be given reading assignments for this to work at all.