September 2014 Retakers Forum

[Learn_Live_Hope]

I wouldnt recommend reading the passage in 2 minutes. I think 3 minutes per passage and basically 5 give or take for questions is better. If you know the answer to the questions immediately (because you understood the passage), you will need way less time for questions.

There's a chart in the Manhattan guide (and I think in the Trainer as well but I'm not sure) that helps you figure out if you're reading too fast or not.

Where? I don't see it, and I need it.

[dasani13]

I wouldnt recommend reading the passage in 2 minutes. I think 3 minutes per passage and basically 5 give or take for questions is better. If you know the answer to the questions immediately (because you understood the passage), you will need way less time for questions.

There's a chart in the Manhattan guide (and I think in the Trainer as well but I'm not sure) that helps you figure out if you're reading too fast or not.

Where? I don't see it, and I need it.

I don't have it with me right now but I remember it being in the beginning.

[jk148706]

.

[Yeezus]

hai

how you guys doin itt

Nice to hear from you again, I kind of miss the June thread lol. I've recently started redoing PTs. So far, I've done PT 36-40. Averaging a 176 so far, but I've been making some brainmeltingly stupid mistakes in LR. Hopefully I can get to a point where I'm averaging 179/180.

[jk148706]

.

[jk148706]

.

[Blythe17]

I read the passage in full in about 2 minutes and spend around ~45 seconds per question. This adds up a little under 30 minutes, but there is usually a handful of Qs I find particularly hard and require double-checking that push it up to 34 minutes or so.

Yes, I read the full passage once and later its referenced points. I read much more carefully while doing the latter, because at that point I'm analyzing content as required by the question and want to make sure I'm reading something that confirms TCR. So here I allow myself a bit of subvocalization. But on the first full-passage read I try to suppress all subvocalization so I can go through it as fast as possible.

Does subvocalizing help you remember content better; Is that why you allow it when doing questions? I find that that i recall and comprehend the passage much better when I subvocalize. It does slow me down greatly however.

Did you train yourself to suppress subvocalization for initial read? The 2 min first read sounds great. I have tried to do the first read close to just as fast but I often find that i grasp only a sense of main point and structure after such a fast read and still have to refer back to passage for even main point/structure questions to reference, recall, and confirm the choices.

Sorry for the late reply. To answer your questions, I tend to understand content better when subvocalizing, although I don't think this is because I subvocalize--rather, it's because it forces me to read more slowly, which is the real cause. I can read a passage without subvocalizing and still take too long but understand it well, and conversely read a passage as fast as possible while subvocalizing and understand little.

And yes, I train using a speedreading app and just practicing by reading whatever I can find. But as is the case for most people, increasing reading speed can be a very slow process so it takes some patience. As for having to refer back to the passage even for general Qs, I think practice will eventually solve this. If not, it will hopefully at least quicken your pace enough so that the time it takes to check references points even for main point Qs will be negligible. I sometimes spend 3 seconds to check reference points for general Qs just to get that confidence boost in choosing TCR, and hardly notice any difference.

Regarding what dowu said above, I totally believe that for some people it may be better to spend more time reading and less time on the Qs. I suppose it just depends on your tendencies going into the study strategy. I've tried both approaches, and found mine to produce better results. This is probably because of my not-so-great memory with detail. For some reason I can remember structure and reference points much better than solid content. And I tend to get caught up in double-checking paranoia after spending a longer time reading , so the time I could save by understanding the passage better just goes to waste since I'm constantly going back to the reference points after the first read. So if you're like me, those extra 1-2 minutes saved for every passage can be really nice!

[Learn_Live_Hope]

This thread is sleeping.

[dardardelight]

I'm wide awake

[dowu]

I'm wide awake

[dasani13]

I'm wide awake

How's studying going?

[manu92]

Hey guys I think I found a mistake in the June LSAT- Already sent a complaint but Im hoping we can make it viral.
RC question 22- Basically I think option D is literally correct since both passages mention possible objections to progressive taxes. If anyone's in I can give out a copy of my complaint letter so we all send the exact same thing and make some noise.
I also believe questions 23 and 25 of section 2, LR, are flawed. Already sent an email about those two questions but if anyone else agrees with me, you're welcome to join. These two, however, are somehow more complicated (though still flawed). The RC question I think it's a scandal.
PS: Im not a sore loser, my motivation, as a future retaker, is that it's impossible to prepare for these kinds of questions and I think the LSAC is messing up big time.

[CFC1524]

Hey guys I think I found a mistake in the June LSAT- Already sent a complaint but Im hoping we can make it viral.
RC question 22- Basically I think option D is literally correct since both passages mention possible objections to progressive taxes. If anyone's in I can give out a copy of my complaint letter so we all send the exact same thing and make some noise.
I also believe questions 23 and 25 of section 2, LR, are flawed. Already sent an email about those two questions but if anyone else agrees with me, you're welcome to join. These two, however, are somehow more complicated (though still flawed). The RC question I think it's a scandal.
PS: Im not a sore loser, my motivation, as a future retaker, is that it's impossible to prepare for these kinds of questions and I think the LSAC is messing up big time.

Did you post this on 7sage's website too? If you did, I responded there as well, but if you didn't, I'll respond here too haha.

This question (RC #22) was tricky - be extremely careful when reading the question stem. We are not being asked to identify something that both passages "mentioned," but rather to identify something that both passages are "concerned with." The differene is subtle, but, as you can imagine, incredibly important.

Jeffort gives a really nice explanation (and it will certainly be better than any I can give), so I'll defer to him to explain the rest. Link: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=232719 His explanation is in the second post of the thread.

You may want to try and figure out why C is correct (and why D is incorrect) before reading his explanation. There is a good chance the LSAC uses that subtlety again, and you'll have a leg-up on a lot of test takers if you really understand the distinction.

[Learn_Live_Hope]

I'm wide awake

How's studying going?

Your tar! OMG! Lol

If the real housewives are your quilty pleasure as much as they are mine you and I could be best friends.

[bohemiandaisy]

I'm wide awake

How's studying going?

Your tar! OMG! Lol

If the real housewives are your quilty pleasure as much as they are mine you and I could be best friends.

But...he's my best friend and Bravo buddy. Take a number, doll.

[Learn_Live_Hope]

I'm wide awake

How's studying going?

Your tar! OMG! Lol

If the real housewives are your quilty pleasure as much as they are mine you and I could be best friends.

But...he's my best friend and Bravo buddy. Take a number, doll.

Oh, look who it is!!! Long time no see.

[dasani13]

I'm wide awake

How's studying going?

Your tar! OMG! Lol

If the real housewives are your quilty pleasure as much as they are mine you and I could be best friends.

But...he's my best friend and Bravo buddy. Take a number, doll.

lol yes, we are soulmates. If she had a penis we would be married by now.

[Yeezus]

How is everyone's prep going?

[MtnGinger]

How is everyone's prep going?

Does procrastination count as real world prep. Everyone knows once you're a lawyer you're whole day is procrastinating lol
As far as LSAT goes though I'm just glad to have found tls

[berkeleynick]

I think about the LSAT and law school a lot, does that count? I've been trying to write my personal statement. I can't seem to find the motivation to study like I was in preparation of the June LSAT (which I didn't end up taking because I got sick). Not sure if I am being unnecessarily cocky or if I start this early to study again I'll burn out. Anyone else have these thoughts?

I've been kind of drilling the LR questions I have most difficulty with (did the parallel questions and think I have those down pretty well, now working on weaken questions).

Parallel questions are kind of fun for me now - I feel like I crack the code that I didn't really see before, even noting the minor reasons why one answer is better than the other and kind of going, "aha! You didn't fool me LSAC." I guess I am kind of having nerdgasms when I do study...which I should do more...haha.

[Yeezus]

Just got a 169, on a retake no less, after averaging 177 on them up to this point. Soooo many stupid mistakes. Maybe I should lay off the PT's for a little bit...

[dasani13]

I took 61 yesterday and I'll be taking 47 some time this week. Another TLSer and I will be reviewing both tests on Skype this weekend so if anyone would like to join, just let me know.

[Learn_Live_Hope]

This thread has no movement…

I hope all of you are studying.

[dardardelight]

Sleep is the cousin of death. I'm wide awake-- but I don't want to jinx myself by posting my good PT scores / study updates. I did that a lot before June and effed up.

[Learn_Live_Hope]

Sleep is the cousin of death. I'm wide awake-- but I don't want to jinx myself by posting my good PT scores / study updates. I did that a lot before June and effed up.

You don't have to…you can just assure us that you are studying.