December 2013 LSAT Study Group Forum

[Nonconsecutive]

Anyone buy LSAT trainer? Useful? I’m a retaker and so I’ve already read the Powerscore Bibles and the Manhattan LG and LR guides and doing a quick refresher before diving back into serious drilling/PTing (was 165 in Feb but PTing 170-174). Any thoughts?

I'd recommend it.

I'm a retaker as well. I've only done the PS LG Bible, but I've done all the Manhattan Guides, and I'm still getting new little "tidbits" from the trainer. Unfortunately I'm only about 1/4 of the way through it at the moment, so I can't offer an major insights yet. However, if you are concerned that you won't be exposed to a new methodology/thought process, then I can at the very least tell you that you needn't worry about that. Sure, this is some overlap, where you can tell that there are fragments of the Manhattan style in there, but overall, I definitely wish I had started it sooner. [I'm aiming for October, but December is definitely on the radar].

[Erickt26]

Cancelled October and joining December! Hello all!

[vicpin5190]

Worked on 6 logic games timed today in the Cambridge LSAT difficult games packet. Overall did alright, missed on average 1 per game due to careless errors though so that is reassuring (gotta not make those on the big day...). Then drilled about 20 flaw LR questions. Will do some RC sections tomorrow and a PT Saturday.

[dasani13]

Cancelled October and joining December! Hello all!

Welcome!

[Erickt26]

Any recommendation on how to go from a 150 to a 165? How should my study schedule look?

[062914123]

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[ManoftheHour]

Any recommendation on how to go from a 150 to a 165? How should my study schedule look?

I would use the Manhattan books and the Cambridge Questions by Types packets. You should drill each packet after reading the corresponding chapter. If you're not sure which packet(s) to use after each chapter, you can use my list.

For LR:

The name of the chapters (Keep in mind I have the Manhattan LR 2nd edition, not the 3rd) are on the left and the corresponding packets that I drill after that chapter are on the right after the colon:

Analyze Argument Structure: Main conclusion, Method (Argument), Method (Statement), Point
Assumption: Necessary Assumption and Sufficient Assumption
Conditional Logic: Cannot Be True, Must Be True
Explain a Result: Paradox
Identify a Flaw: Flaw
Inference: Complete the Passage, Most Strongly Supported
Matching: Parallel (Flaw), Parallel (Reasoning)
Principle Example: Principle (Identify)
Principle Support: Principle (Apply)
Strengthen and Weaken: Strengthen, Weaken, Evaluate

Same for LG. The LG types and chapters are pretty straight forward.

For drilling, don't worry too much about timing. You have to learn the concepts before worrying about speed. With unlimited time, you should be able to get almost every question right. Figure out why each incorrect answer is wrong. You should also be able to confirm the right answer with full authority.

After that, I would PT 39-69. After each PT, make sure to do a blind review before heading to the answers.

[Nonconsecutive]

After that, I would PT 39-69. After each PT, make sure to do a blind review before heading to the answers.

Great advice from ManoftheHour.

To reinforce one point, definitely, definitely, do blind review. I didn't buy into it at first, but it was seriously what pushed me from a mid 160s average to a low 170s average.

[062914123]

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[Erickt26]

I have used Blueprint Method. I also have Manhattan LR and RC books. However, I think Blueprint is superior than Manhattan.

I plan on using Cambridge LG and some Extra LR problems from Blueprint similar to from PT1-59. For PT I will use PT60-70 and some of the February test.

[ManoftheHour]

However, I think Blueprint is superior than Manhattan.

GET OUT








Jk. Blueprint is great. I think as long as you're drilling properly, you should hit the 160s consistently in no time.

[062914123]

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[Erickt26]

I used Blueprint, and after finishing up to Lesson 15ish, I was at 170 consistently. At that point, nothing is going to help you except familiarity, which means PTing and drilling religiously. That's what eventually pushed me to the mid 170s.

If BP's methods aren't getting you to at least the mid 160s, I think that you need to go back and really get them ingrained into your head. At this point, it really sounds like your problem is fundamentals. You HAVE to be able to complete common LR/LG sets with ease and speed, so that you can have time on hand to work on the curveballs the LSAT puts on the test. You need to be finishing RC on time, with enough time left over at the end of the section to accurately complete passage 4, which is often the most difficult and time consuming. Ideally, you will finish all sections at the 30 min mark (or earlier) so that you have time left over to check back over your work and ensure you didn't misread anything.

Wow. I can't even finish LR on time. Lol. Ok. Going to go hit the books. Thanks everyone.

[062914123]

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[SwindlersList]

I'm in for December, life threw me a curveball but that's out of the way now. Lets get it!

[fnma2jd]

After that, I would PT 39-69. After each PT, make sure to do a blind review before heading to the answers.

Great advice from ManoftheHour.

To reinforce one point, definitely, definitely, do blind review. I didn't buy into it at first, but it was seriously what pushed me from a mid 160s average to a low 170s average.

I've seen a lot of recommendations for the blind review method. Including on on here from a guy that went 150s to 179 or something ridiculous like that.

I tried it and felt like I was eating up alot of time, this was before I had a strong foundation and also when I was in a rush to study for october. Now that I have more time, since I pushed back to december, I might start this again...... How long on average does it take you guys to do the blind review? do you do all problems or just the ones that you weren't sure about (7sage's suggestion)? How do you feel it helps? like do you feel like you catch how your thinking was wrong the second time through or does stuff click better?

I know alot of questions but blind review seems to be the popular wisdom here.... but I just didn't feel like I was doing it right.

[062914123]

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[Nonconsecutive]

bee sums it up very nicely. I know it can feel like you are burning time, especially when you don't have tons of it, but blind review really pulls a lot of information out of a PT that you would have otherwise missed. Also, don't feel like you have to hit -0 on BR, I never have. What I have gained is additional insight into my exact thought process, both on the questions I do get right in BR and those that I still get wrong.

[modernista]

I've seen a lot of recommendations for the blind review method. Including on on here from a guy that went 150s to 179 or something ridiculous like that.

I tried it and felt like I was eating up alot of time, this was before I had a strong foundation and also when I was in a rush to study for october. Now that I have more time, since I pushed back to december, I might start this again...... How long on average does it take you guys to do the blind review? do you do all problems or just the ones that you weren't sure about (7sage's suggestion)? How do you feel it helps? like do you feel like you catch how your thinking was wrong the second time through or does stuff click better?

I know alot of questions but blind review seems to be the popular wisdom here.... but I just didn't feel like I was doing it right.

1. It takes me about 4-5 minutes per question. I think through every possible interpretation of the stim and the ACs, then settle on an answer

2. I do only the problems that I circled while PTing. If you're missing q's that you didn't circle, then you have a fundamental problem/you're reading too quickly (both should be addressed right away)

3. It helps because you're not seeing the answer then retroactively justifying it to yourself. This way, you force yourself to seriously and thoroughly THINK about the question, its logical structure, and why the 4 incorrect ACs are incorrect, without having the magic cheat code.

4. For me, it helps because it trains my brain to think things through deliberately. The more practice I get at this, the faster and more efficient and more accurate I am during timed LR sections.

What exactly is blind review? Is blind review the method where you circle the questions you're not sure of, go back to them, and take a little longer answering them? Then, you defend why your answer was right or wrong. Do I have the basic idea down?

[modernista]

If anyone is at the very beginning of their studies, did you go through a period where you were really slow in answering questions but could get most of the questions right? On one section I just did, I got the first 14 questions right but... unfortunately, that's all I got up to when my buzzer went off. Any tips on how to improve on this?

[Nonconsecutive]

What exactly is blind review? Is blind review the method where you circle the questions you're not sure of, go back to them, and take a little longer answering them? Then, you defend why your answer was right or wrong. Do I have the basic idea down?

Pretty much, yep.

Check this out for the finer details:

http://7sage.com/the-blind-review-how-t ... at-part-1/

[Erickt26]

If anyone is at the very beginning of their studies, did you go through a period where you were really slow in answering questions but could get most of the questions right? On one section I just did, I got the first 14 questions right but... unfortunately, that's all I got up to when my buzzer went off. Any tips on how to improve on this?

Yeah, its normal. Understand that speed does not come from reading faster or skipping questions(except sometimes Parallel Flaws), rather from understanding the conclusion and premises and anticipating the answer( this can be easier if you understand the assumption being made).

What prep company or books are you using?

[062914123]

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[062914123]

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[vicpin5190]

What exactly is blind review? Is blind review the method where you circle the questions you're not sure of, go back to them, and take a little longer answering them? Then, you defend why your answer was right or wrong. Do I have the basic idea down?

Pretty much, yep.

Check this out for the finer details:

http://7sage.com/the-blind-review-how-t ... at-part-1/

If anyone's looking to improve their LR scores, I really really really really rec blind review. It doesn't sound like it's going to work, but it WORKS. I didn't do it when I was prepping for June 2013 because I thought it sounded pointless, but I really wish I had. Maybe I wouldn't have postponed June and now I wouldn't be stressed out for October

i think its helped me a tone. I'm usually able to get myself 2 more points by realizing where i made an error in either reading, or just to big of a jump. THough sometimes i do reason myself out of the right answer so I need to start getting better at that...

Just had a solid Friday study mini session (my big days are the weekend with work). Did about some Difficulty: 4 Logic Games in the Cambridge Difficult Logic Games bible, and then did a section or RC from December 1994, each one timed but not all together. Scored -4 total. 38 minutes total time when I added up, so need to get quicker but I'm really happy about the improvements i'm making in RC.