The Official September 2016 Study Group - WAKE ME UP WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS Forum

[Barack O'Drama]

how much do you all usually drill in a typical day? how many sections/questions/etc?

Luckily, I have the advantage of possessing the Cambridge packets.

If I'm drilling question types I'll usually do about 25. 5 warm-ups from the beginning of the packet and then 20 questions from the near-back of the packet (the more difficult ones). I'll keep doing the ones I miss every day until I can write out why the right answer is right and why the wrong answers are wrong.

I have a spreadsheet that tracks what sections I've "used" for drilling. I'll just pick one that I haven't done and do that section timed. If the section is LG (which I don't drill anymore) I use the 7Sage method; so I could be doing the same games for several days in a row. If the section is LR/RC I treat it like typical Blind Review. I try to limit myself to a maximum of 1 section a day, unless I did really well and thus reviewing is a breeze, then I might squeeze in 2 in a day.

I also keep all of the LR and RC questions/passages that were super difficult for me in a binder for later review when I need a break from PTing.

Note: If I am redoing questions from a previous day, that in the new days' drilling allotment.

Straight up, owning the Cambridge Packets has added a solid 5 points to my score.

I basically am doing what YupSports is doing. The 7Sage method for logic games is really helping me. Now I am excited to see my LR get more consistent. Right now I am fluctuating from -8 to -4.

Yes! Hallelujah to the Cambridge packets. The convenience of having them is great.

[YupSports]

Reviewed LG and most of LR1 from PT 45 today.

It really helps me understand things when I dig deep into LR and force myself to be 100% certain of an answer in BR. If I can't hit 100% it goes in the "review pile".

[20170322]

Just took PT 50.

PT 50
Conditions: Taken around 11 after a long warmup section, big breakfast, and coffee. 5-section, 7sage proctored.
RC: -2
LR1: -1
LG: -0
LR2: -0
Raw: 97

Scaled: 179


Very happy that I'm starting to get in this range consistently. Noticing that my incorrect answers are almost universally in the first half of the test, so I think I may start taking an even longer warmup section before PT's.

Have fun paying full tuition @ Cooley, slacker.

Yeah, 179 is some punk shit. 180 or bust, amiright?

[proteinshake]

who else is ready for the new season of Suits tomorrow?

[20170322]

who else is ready for the new season of Suits tomorrow?

IT'S COMING OUT???

Shit, I wish I had a TV. I only just watched the last season, and I had to pay for that shit on amazon.
So curious to see how they pick up after last season.

[Mikey]

who else is ready for the new season of Suits tomorrow?

OH HELL YES

[Deardevil]

Oh my goodness, people. This question [stem]...

[+] Spoiler

M: It's almost impossible to find a person between ages 85 and 90 who primarily uses the left hand.
Q: 70-90 years ago, children were punished for using their left hands to eat or to write and were forced to use right hands.

Q’s response serves to counter any use by M of the evidence about 85 to 90 year olds in support of which one of the following hypotheses?

(A) Being born right-handed confers a survival advantage.
(B) Societal attitudes toward handedness differ at different times.
(C) Forcing a person to switch from a preferred hand is harmless.
(D) Handedness is a product of both genetic predisposition and social pressures.
(E) Physical habits learned in school often persist in old age.

At first, it seemed straightforward, and I went with E,
then realized "school" isn't mentioned, so it might actually be B or D, but even those don't cut it.
This is one of those extremely rare cases of terribly worded STEMS. Tell me this is not on the LSAT...

[+] Spoiler

Weird question but I'd think of it as M giving support, Q pointing out a flaw between the support and an unknown conclusion, and the actual question asking the test taker to give the correct conclusion that the support COULD be used for. My thought process is:
A seems plausible
B is definitely wrong since the support given by M has nothing to do with societal attitudes
C is also irrelevent. Nothing M says has anything to do with that.
D is wrong because M doesn't talk about societal pressures at all
E is probably the trick answer. Like you said, neither M nor Q mention school. Plus M doesn't seem to be hinting towards answer choice E.

So I'm left with A. Could M use their statement to support A? I think so. If you put them together it would be like

M: It's almost impossible to find a person between ages 85 and 90 who primarily uses the left hand. Therefore being born right-handed confers a survival advantage.
Q [pointing out the flaw in reasoning]: 70-90 years ago, children were punished for using their left hands to eat or to write and were forced to use right hands.

Seems like an argument that made up people would have on an LR question. I'd go with A.

Yup, you got it.

My mistake was misreading the stem,
skimming it over and thinking that I must be looking for something that Q agrees with when it should be the opposite.

[20170322]

Oh my goodness, people. This question [stem]...

[+] Spoiler

M: It's almost impossible to find a person between ages 85 and 90 who primarily uses the left hand.
Q: 70-90 years ago, children were punished for using their left hands to eat or to write and were forced to use right hands.

Q’s response serves to counter any use by M of the evidence about 85 to 90 year olds in support of which one of the following hypotheses?

(A) Being born right-handed confers a survival advantage.
(B) Societal attitudes toward handedness differ at different times.
(C) Forcing a person to switch from a preferred hand is harmless.
(D) Handedness is a product of both genetic predisposition and social pressures.
(E) Physical habits learned in school often persist in old age.

At first, it seemed straightforward, and I went with E,
then realized "school" isn't mentioned, so it might actually be B or D, but even those don't cut it.
This is one of those extremely rare cases of terribly worded STEMS. Tell me this is not on the LSAT...

[+] Spoiler

Weird question but I'd think of it as M giving support, Q pointing out a flaw between the support and an unknown conclusion, and the actual question asking the test taker to give the correct conclusion that the support COULD be used for. My thought process is:
A seems plausible
B is definitely wrong since the support given by M has nothing to do with societal attitudes
C is also irrelevent. Nothing M says has anything to do with that.
D is wrong because M doesn't talk about societal pressures at all
E is probably the trick answer. Like you said, neither M nor Q mention school. Plus M doesn't seem to be hinting towards answer choice E.

So I'm left with A. Could M use their statement to support A? I think so. If you put them together it would be like

M: It's almost impossible to find a person between ages 85 and 90 who primarily uses the left hand. Therefore being born right-handed confers a survival advantage.
Q [pointing out the flaw in reasoning]: 70-90 years ago, children were punished for using their left hands to eat or to write and were forced to use right hands.

Seems like an argument that made up people would have on an LR question. I'd go with A.

Yup, you got it.

My mistake was misreading the stem,
skimming it over and thinking that I must be looking for something that Q agrees with when it should be the opposite.

Wait... I don't get it. Why is it not A? It seems straightforward to me, but maybe I don't understand the Q...

[Deardevil]

Oh my goodness, people. This question [stem]...

[+] Spoiler

M: It's almost impossible to find a person between ages 85 and 90 who primarily uses the left hand.
Q: 70-90 years ago, children were punished for using their left hands to eat or to write and were forced to use right hands.

Q’s response serves to counter any use by M of the evidence about 85 to 90 year olds in support of which one of the following hypotheses?

(A) Being born right-handed confers a survival advantage.
(B) Societal attitudes toward handedness differ at different times.
(C) Forcing a person to switch from a preferred hand is harmless.
(D) Handedness is a product of both genetic predisposition and social pressures.
(E) Physical habits learned in school often persist in old age.

At first, it seemed straightforward, and I went with E,
then realized "school" isn't mentioned, so it might actually be B or D, but even those don't cut it.
This is one of those extremely rare cases of terribly worded STEMS. Tell me this is not on the LSAT...

[+] Spoiler

Weird question but I'd think of it as M giving support, Q pointing out a flaw between the support and an unknown conclusion, and the actual question asking the test taker to give the correct conclusion that the support COULD be used for. My thought process is:
A seems plausible
B is definitely wrong since the support given by M has nothing to do with societal attitudes
C is also irrelevent. Nothing M says has anything to do with that.
D is wrong because M doesn't talk about societal pressures at all
E is probably the trick answer. Like you said, neither M nor Q mention school. Plus M doesn't seem to be hinting towards answer choice E.

So I'm left with A. Could M use their statement to support A? I think so. If you put them together it would be like

M: It's almost impossible to find a person between ages 85 and 90 who primarily uses the left hand. Therefore being born right-handed confers a survival advantage.
Q [pointing out the flaw in reasoning]: 70-90 years ago, children were punished for using their left hands to eat or to write and were forced to use right hands.

Seems like an argument that made up people would have on an LR question. I'd go with A.

Yup, you got it.

My mistake was misreading the stem,
skimming it over and thinking that I must be looking for something that Q agrees with when it should be the opposite.

Wait... I don't get it. Why is it not A? It seems straightforward to me, but maybe I don't understand the Q...

It is A.

[20170322]

Oh my goodness, people. This question [stem]...

[+] Spoiler

M: It's almost impossible to find a person between ages 85 and 90 who primarily uses the left hand.
Q: 70-90 years ago, children were punished for using their left hands to eat or to write and were forced to use right hands.

Q’s response serves to counter any use by M of the evidence about 85 to 90 year olds in support of which one of the following hypotheses?

(A) Being born right-handed confers a survival advantage.
(B) Societal attitudes toward handedness differ at different times.
(C) Forcing a person to switch from a preferred hand is harmless.
(D) Handedness is a product of both genetic predisposition and social pressures.
(E) Physical habits learned in school often persist in old age.

At first, it seemed straightforward, and I went with E,
then realized "school" isn't mentioned, so it might actually be B or D, but even those don't cut it.
This is one of those extremely rare cases of terribly worded STEMS. Tell me this is not on the LSAT...

[+] Spoiler

Weird question but I'd think of it as M giving support, Q pointing out a flaw between the support and an unknown conclusion, and the actual question asking the test taker to give the correct conclusion that the support COULD be used for. My thought process is:
A seems plausible
B is definitely wrong since the support given by M has nothing to do with societal attitudes
C is also irrelevent. Nothing M says has anything to do with that.
D is wrong because M doesn't talk about societal pressures at all
E is probably the trick answer. Like you said, neither M nor Q mention school. Plus M doesn't seem to be hinting towards answer choice E.

So I'm left with A. Could M use their statement to support A? I think so. If you put them together it would be like

M: It's almost impossible to find a person between ages 85 and 90 who primarily uses the left hand. Therefore being born right-handed confers a survival advantage.
Q [pointing out the flaw in reasoning]: 70-90 years ago, children were punished for using their left hands to eat or to write and were forced to use right hands.

Seems like an argument that made up people would have on an LR question. I'd go with A.

Yup, you got it.

My mistake was misreading the stem,
skimming it over and thinking that I must be looking for something that Q agrees with when it should be the opposite.

Wait... I don't get it. Why is it not A? It seems straightforward to me, but maybe I don't understand the Q...

It is A.

OH my b

[meeseeks]

After some serious procrastination, I finally got back in the saddle tonight.

Luckily I picked up right where I left off

Now to ride this baby out until Sept

[Mikey]

After some serious procrastination, I finally got back in the saddle tonight.

Luckily I picked up right where I left off

Now to ride this baby out until Sept

[Rupert Pupkin]

who else is ready for the new season of Suits tomorrow?

OH HELL YES

Its our time boys! Mikey I guess we will find out if our predictions are right

[proteinshake]

who else is ready for the new season of Suits tomorrow?

OH HELL YES

Its our time boys! Mikey I guess we will find out if our predictions are right

I didn't watch it while I still had class and I watched the last 6 episodes these past 2 days! it's great!

[Rupert Pupkin]

who else is ready for the new season of Suits tomorrow?

OH HELL YES

Its our time boys! Mikey I guess we will find out if our predictions are right

I didn't watch it while I still had class and I watched the last 6 episodes these past 2 days! it's great!

Nice! it is going to be a very good season i think. Although, between work and trying to study i don't think i will have much time to watch it in the near future...

[Mikey]

who else is ready for the new season of Suits tomorrow?

OH HELL YES

Its our time boys! Mikey I guess we will find out if our predictions are right

I didn't watch it while I still had class and I watched the last 6 episodes these past 2 days! it's great!

Nice! it is going to be a very good season i think. Although, between work and trying to study i don't think i will have much time to watch it in the near future...

It'll just be an hour Bruh. There's always time for some suits

[TheKingLives]

.

[Deardevil]

You guys are bros, thanks for the encouragement and feedback. Will stay positive and definitely consider switching to 8-week if I feel the load is unmanageable. I was in a weird place when deciding because I know I have the next month free and definitely want to spend every waking moment on LSAT prep, given that I've started kind of late. Leaves me more room to further prepare with other resources if need be.

Weirdly, I found a trick that works for me on LR. So embarrassed to admit this LAWLZ but silently reading the stimulus and the stem in an overpronounced, somewhat snarky way makes it easier for me to draw connections and I feel much more confident on the answer choices. Practiced it on a random LR section in PT 64 and got every question I attempted right. Not going to get me the score I'd like on test day, obviously, but I was not going to allow myself sleep until I felt I made at least a marginal improvement

I feel good. Not sure why, but I feel like the LSAT can be successful for me in September with the right work ethic and practice. Each section requires prep and a good assembly of habits which will surely come in time. Just have to make good use of the next few months. Good luck guys!

Dig the attitude!

[appind]

Just finished up PT 45 - an interesting observation at the end of this post.

LR1: - 8
RC: -4
LG: -1
LR2: -3

Score: 167

I just could not get my brain moving on the first LR section. 5 minutes was called towards the end and I missed the last 4 by trying to go too quickly (not including the 1 I missed by running out of time). I then proceeded to finish the other LR section before 5 minutes was even called...

This was my first PT in almost a month - perhaps that had something to do with this.

we got the same score. I got wrecked by the Hippocratic Oath passage.

I've actually done that passage, and it was an earlier one where I went through everything very closely. I can post my thoughts on it here if you are interested. I have what I consider pretty thorough explanations that were checked by the TM people.

I actually checked the Manhattan explanations. I think I just did a terrible job at reading it.

Ah - it happens.

i did 45 right before the Dec test and remember finding that passage rough.

[appind]

Just took PT 50.

PT 50
Conditions: Taken around 11 after a long warmup section, big breakfast, and coffee. 5-section, 7sage proctored.
RC: -2
LR1: -1
LG: -0
LR2: -0
Raw: 97

Scaled: 179


Very happy that I'm starting to get in this range consistently. Noticing that my incorrect answers are almost universally in the first half of the test, so I think I may start taking an even longer warmup section before PT's.

Have fun paying full tuition @ Cooley, slacker.

nice score

[Archer@Law]

Still out here grinding people. Though haven't been quite as diligent as I should.

Making slow and steady improvement in LG and LR. Really have been focusing on those two.

On LR sufficient assumption/supporting principle and strengthen Qs are strong points.
Been going anywhere from -2 to -4 on sets of 25 of these types.

Need to do work on those damn matching flaw questions and required assumption Qs though. F'ing hate match questions with a passion.

As for LG, I just finished a mixed set of 4 games under 35 mins and went -0. So making strides there.

Got my next full PT in like a week or so. Have a goal score of 160 on it. Nose to the grind stone.

[appind]

I made a post about uploading a recording me doing a section to get feedback on why i may be slow in the early LR questions and give feedback to someone if needed, but that got buried in the pile of more interesting posts since, lol



think it could help to figure out the blind spot?

[34iplaw]

Quick question for anyone involved in TestMasters...


Why am I having so much trouble with the homework for Sufficent-Nesseasry relationships - the focus is on diagramming the stim, then reading the stem and answering the questions, but I'm left trying to do way too muc, confused by how to approach the question and almost feel like I'm doing much worse already than going into the class (specifically limited to sufficient-necessary questions)

I feel like Lesson 1 should be one of the easier ones for obvious reasons but I just dont know.... would someone, anyone mind throwing some advice my way.

Thanks

I'm in it. Going to Lesson 6 in a little bit. I don't think it is the easiest one by any means. I've been scoring really high on the homeworks, and, looking back, I'm going to go over that a bit more once I'm caught back up. Use academic support.

Nice, nice i remember you telling me this a couple weeks ago.. Thanks for that, it was just alot of new stuff being thrown at me contradicting with my more inherent or natural way of solving things, but its coming together.

In regards to explanations, how do you like the course explanations? Personally I'm more comfortable with LSAT Hacks but i'm making the transition.

Eh - I dunno. I've found that my reasoning is usually pretty solid, and, when I get a question wrong, I typically know I am guessing and, occasionally, I misread something. Their explanations and academic support are sufficient to cover that IMO. I haven't looked too much at their games. For RC, I didn't like them, but the support staff was helpful. I also can pretty solidly reason through any question typically...went 127/132 on the first RC homework or something...two definition type mistakes and 3 from just misinterpreting one passage.

I'd say just make sure you are comfortable with it and try to keep up to pace. I had to miss a lesson and was away for the weekend. It is *really* hard to catch back up. This week is going to just be all around miserable trying to do so. I have the RC from HW 5 to do now [14 passages], 100 Strengthen [and this is the first question type that, so far, isn't coming super naturally to me...I may have been just too trapped in the weaken mindset], a dozen games, and another few passages for Saturday. I'm going to make sure to do four or so of the HW5RC tomorrow and get plugging on the new homework. Games I'll blow through in an hour or two sitting and do that again before Sat...games I can just grind through and actually enjoy.

As for tonight, I absolutely decimated the in class game and finished a few minutes before the teacher called time...zero work done on answer choices and all questions right... gotta love masterable games. Really just all around exhausted. I'm hoping I can be productive tomorrow.

[34iplaw]

who else is ready for the new season of Suits tomorrow?

IT'S COMING OUT???

Shit, I wish I had a TV. I only just watched the last season, and I had to pay for that shit on amazon.
So curious to see how they pick up after last season.

I kind of lost interest in it during the season when...

[+] Spoiler

his mom or grandmom dies or something

How many seasons behind am I? lol

Also, 179...I think you may have to have a family member provide a sizable donation to Cooley. They only take 180s.

[ngogirl12]

Political Science major at Big State U. I've basically learned that you shouldn't pass out with your shoes on, and an obscene amount of info on SEC football.

If you have a good gpa and your serious about the gap year you might want to look into the Marshall Scholarship (it's for people just graduating or about to graduate from UG and under 25). If you get chosen, you basically get funded to do a master's for free in the UK.

Also consider the Fulbright, you could either do US-student or ETA (teaching English abroad), their deadline I think is in October.