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

[20170322]

Idk if I should start upping my PT frequency, or keep drilling.

Stay the course, IMO.

See, I have 2 weeks left of free time before classes/work makes my current levels of prep untenable. So I'm considering PTing more now so that I'll have more experience with full tests, then switch to lighter PT's and more drilling once I get busier.

[PhiladelphiaCollins]

Put up a 162 today for my first PT in about 3 weeks. Not bad considering I know I screwed up one game and I got absolutely demolished by a sciences RC passage. Definitely felt the burn out writing it though, which is especially bad considering I used an LG as an experimental.

Oh well, I'll try prepping a little lighter the day before from now on and attempt to brush up on RC. Shooting for that 165/perfect LG next week.

[34iplaw]

Idk if I should start upping my PT frequency, or keep drilling.

Stay the course, IMO.

See, I have 2 weeks left of free time before classes/work makes my current levels of prep untenable. So I'm considering PTing more now so that I'll have more experience with full tests, then switch to lighter PT's and more drilling once I get busier.

Oh. Understandable. Hm. I'd go with your gut, you seem to get yourself and your study habits. I feel like you're at the point you just need to make sure you don't atrophy, so maybe PTs are best. On the other hand, drilling may help you from missing that random question or two and maintain timing better.

Dunno.

[Alexandros]

did someone says iced latte

hurr durr durr

[CoGar]

Honestly, getting really irritated with Testmasters. My account just got locked, as I, apparently, read their 2-3 sentence explanations of some drill answers too fast. Now, I have to send an e-mail explaining myself?

Better yet, I can't access literally anything.

Just curious, are you in the online or live class? we seem to be some of the only two on TestMasters in here or atleast the only to to have mentioned it a few times

Live class.

nice. same here

[Mikey]

did someone says iced latte

hurr durr durr

Also from earlier,

Did someone say iced caramel macchiato

My coffee sense are always on alert boiii

[34iplaw]

did someone says iced latte

hurr durr durr

Also from earlier,

Did someone say iced caramel macchiato

My coffee sense are always on alert boiii

Iced Caramel Macchiato with extra espresso shot or GTFO. I should start seeing if I can use my food/drink rewards on those, as it is definitely the most expensive thing I ever order here.

[Mikey]

did someone says iced latte

hurr durr durr

Also from earlier,

Did someone say iced caramel macchiato

My coffee sense are always on alert boiii

Iced Caramel Macchiato with extra espresso shot or GTFO. I should start seeing if I can use my food/drink rewards on those, as it is definitely the most expensive thing I ever order here.

I've actually never had it with an extra espresso shot before, good idea for next time! I usually get my Iced caramel macchiato with extra caramel drizzle, it's dope af!

[ngogirl12]

I have some concern with 7sage in using much older exams as PTs. Should I be concerned? It recs PT 38 onwards starting next week according to my schedule as those are all the ones w/ full video explanations available.

Should I ignore that and use tests in the 50+ range?

Also, lately I've been feeling slightly discouraged with recent prep (mostly the sequencing games w/ a twist have been murking me the last day) and debating sitting in December. This is going to be my 3rd take and I want to be a 3 time LSAT champion. I've been on this grind since getting laid off back in March (I'm basically getting paid by my previous employer to study for this exam).

I think I'm the only one in here not aiming to go anywhere in the T14 (SMU is my top choice, I'm a Texas resident and plan on staying here after LS)

I'm planning on doing some 50s, and all the 60s and 70s with the 40s as my experimental sections to ensure my eyes get a fresh look at all the prep material lol. That said, I'm using Cambridge 1-38 for drilling for LR/RC/LG. I think even if you don't have the material from the 30s on, it's important to see the newer material since that is what our LSAT looks like.

Re: sequencing games, have you thought about just drilling that game type to help improve your accuracy?

[Alexandros]

Trying to get a really specific understanding of why certain RC questions and right and others are wrong. For repeated sections, the goal is under 30 min and -0. This is obvious as all heck, but I'm finding it helps to remember that, for LR and RC as much as LG, one answer is objectively correct and the others incorrect. Practice and consistency, and -0 is going to be no problem.

Now for ch 13 of MLR!

[SalMoney13]

Hey all! Checking in for the first time.

Took the June LSAT and did not fair as well as I would have liked, hoping for better results this time around. For those who have taken the test multiple times, did anyone score much lower on their first take than expected? I was PT'ing at 162-166 consistently, scored a 155 in June. Heart breaking to say the least. For a guy who's a few years out of school, I'll claim that I forgot how to take a standardized test well. Anyone else have a similar experience?

My first go-around studying was with LSAT trainer and Preptests 62-71.

Any practical suggestions for creating better correlation between PT and actual test?

[PhiladelphiaCollins]

dltd

[ngogirl12]

So today I took notes on the last few pages of the MLSAT RC Guide. It was really helpful, they have common questions from students with answers and strategies as to how to approach such issues. There was also information/advice on what to do if you have a bit of time left versus not much time and right before test day.

I also just watched the 7Sage webinar on LSAT Prep for 170+, such an invaluable webinar. The speaker, Allison talked about her study prep and essentials in prep. One thing she mentioned was how she pushed her PT date back to ensure she had the curriculum/foundation down. That was really reassuring for me because I was supposed to be PTing by now, but I pushed it back to make sure I got through the curriculum coupled with my Cambridge drilling. I spent a lot of time on the conditional logic lessons, drills, quizzes, and repetition of the lessons because I find them to be crucial in MBT, strengthening, and weakening questions.

She also talked about the importance of BR and not just looking at JY and other forums for explanations. She said this is where the real learning curve is. She suggested printing out a fresh copy of the PT for blind review so you are not influenced by your initial go/reasoning. I haven't been PTing yet, but when I am drilling I don't really BR. I just mark the questions I get wrong and after I do a set of 30 or 50 questions I take a break and try to review why the question is wrong (essentially what you would do in BR but with the knowledge of the correct answer). I think when I get to the PT stage, I will definitely follow her recommendation for the BR.

[Mikey]

She also talked about the importance of BR and not just looking at JY and other forums for explanations. She said this is where the real learning curve is. She suggested printing out a fresh copy of the PT for blind review so you are not influenced by your initial go/reasoning. I haven't been PTing yet, but when I am drilling I don't really BR. I just mark the questions I get wrong and after I do a set of 30 or 50 questions I take a break and try to review why the question is wrong (essentially what you would do in BR but with the knowledge of the correct answer). I think when I get to the PT stage, I will definitely follow her recommendation for the BR.

I would recommend doing BR during your drilling as well, not just for PT. I think it's beneficial to do so during drilling, even for questions you know 100% for a fact you got right, because it allows you to really hone in on how answer choices are attractive but wrong for certain question types, which is very important to get used to.

I mean, I'm by no means amazing at this test, but because of BR during drilling, I've gotten to the point where I can go like -3 on a timed LR section. It makes you go deep into the actual patterns of each question type, and how they try to screw you with wrong answer choices.

[tofuspeedstar]

I have some concern with 7sage in using much older exams as PTs. Should I be concerned? It recs PT 38 onwards starting next week according to my schedule as those are all the ones w/ full video explanations available.

Should I ignore that and use tests in the 50+ range?

Also, lately I've been feeling slightly discouraged with recent prep (mostly the sequencing games w/ a twist have been murking me the last day) and debating sitting in December. This is going to be my 3rd take and I want to be a 3 time LSAT champion. I've been on this grind since getting laid off back in March (I'm basically getting paid by my previous employer to study for this exam).

I think I'm the only one in here not aiming to go anywhere in the T14 (SMU is my top choice, I'm a Texas resident and plan on staying here after LS)

I'm planning on doing some 50s, and all the 60s and 70s with the 40s as my experimental sections to ensure my eyes get a fresh look at all the prep material lol. That said, I'm using Cambridge 1-38 for drilling for LR/RC/LG. I think even if you don't have the material from the 30s on, it's important to see the newer material since that is what our LSAT looks like.

Re: sequencing games, have you thought about just drilling that game type to help improve your accuracy?

I would like to do 50+ to PT ( I have all the exams, I've taken 62/70 IRL (June '12/Oct '13) however, my 7sage account access is limited from PT 38-59 atm..I could upgrade...but it's a few extra hundred bucks.. I have the cambridge packets as well.

I plan on doing that this weekend while my girlfriend is getting her white coat. Standard sequencing games I can blur through no problem. But when they add some conditional like PT 35, game 4 I just look at it like wtf mate.

Edit: Did just BR/check PT 34, Game 1. Went 6/7 but took 2 1/2 minutes over the 7sage target time of 8 min. Missed one due to a careless reading mistake.

[thatlawlkid]

Took PT38 yesterday: 169
LR1: -2
LG: - 4 (3 in the last game, that one was unexpected)
RC: -6 (This is my main focus, along with just getting back to 0-1 on LG like i used to be)
LR2: -2

Edit: LR2: was only -1. The other was redacted.

[proteinshake]

Took PT38 yesterday: 169
LR1: -2
LG: - 4 (3 in the last game, that one was unexpected)
RC: -6 (This is my main focus, along with just getting back to 0-1 on LG like i used to be)
LR2: -2

nice!

[thatlawlkid]

Took PT38 yesterday: 169
LR1: -2
LG: - 4 (3 in the last game, that one was unexpected)
RC: -6 (This is my main focus, along with just getting back to 0-1 on LG like i used to be)
LR2: -2

nice!

Yeah i just can't figure out what happened to me in RC. I guess a year out of school and too much reddit rots the mind a little bit?

[20170322]

LR question from one of the first 38 PT's.

[+] Spoiler

Nearly all mail that is correctly addressed arrives at its destination within two business days of being sent. In fact, correctly addressed mail takes longer than this only when it is damaged in transit. Overall, however, most mail arrives three business days or more after being sent.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true?


Correct Answer: D) A large proportion of the mail is incorrectly addressed.

Here's my question; couldn't it be the case that all the mail that is sent is addressed correctly, but damaged in transit? In which case, answer D doesn't HAVE to be true?

[YupSports]

did someone says iced latte

hurr durr durr

Also from earlier,

Did someone say iced caramel macchiato

My coffee sense are always on alert boiii

Iced Caramel Macchiato with extra espresso shot or GTFO. I should start seeing if I can use my food/drink rewards on those, as it is definitely the most expensive thing I ever order here.

I've actually never had it with an extra espresso shot before, good idea for next time! I usually get my Iced caramel macchiato with extra caramel drizzle, it's dope af!

When I am in need of a major caffeine boost that regular black coffee won't take care of, there is only one answer, kids:

Starbucks Venti Doubleshot On Ice with an Extra Shot.

They usually have to look it up, but it is some good stuff.

[34iplaw]

LR question from one of the first 38 PT's.

[+] Spoiler

Nearly all mail that is correctly addressed arrives at its destination within two business days of being sent. In fact, correctly addressed mail takes longer than this only when it is damaged in transit. Overall, however, most mail arrives three business days or more after being sent.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true?


Correct Answer: D) A large proportion of the mail is incorrectly addressed.

Here's my question; couldn't it be the case that all the mail that is sent is addressed correctly, but damaged in transit? In which case, answer D doesn't HAVE to be true?

D seems to make sense. I think your reasoning would contradict the paragraph. It's saying that almost all mail that is correctly addressed arrives in two days. If it arrives in more than two days, it is either incorrectly addressed or correctly addressed and damaged in transit. *Most* mail that is correctly addressed arrives on time, so only a small portion of that can actually be damaged.

Correctly addressed, not damaged = two days [nearly all correctly addressed mail falls into this category]
Correctly addressed, damaged = more than two days [very few falls into this category]
Incorrectly addressed, damaged or not = don't really know how long it takes

Correctly addressed, damaged mail can't constitute a large proportion of mail by virtue of the stimulus.

I'm not sure if that's clear...but I think your justification for why it could be wrong is contradicted by the paragraph.

[20170322]

LR question from one of the first 38 PT's.

[+] Spoiler

Nearly all mail that is correctly addressed arrives at its destination within two business days of being sent. In fact, correctly addressed mail takes longer than this only when it is damaged in transit. Overall, however, most mail arrives three business days or more after being sent.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true?


Correct Answer: D) A large proportion of the mail is incorrectly addressed.

Here's my question; couldn't it be the case that all the mail that is sent is addressed correctly, but damaged in transit? In which case, answer D doesn't HAVE to be true?

D seems to make sense. I think your reasoning would contradict the paragraph. It's saying that almost all mail that is correctly addressed arrives in two days. If it arrives in more than two days, it is either incorrectly addressed or correctly addressed and damaged in transit. *Most* mail that is correctly addressed arrives on time, so only a small portion of that can actually be damaged.

I'm not sure if that's clear...but I think your justification for why it could be wrong is contradicted by the paragraph.

OOOOHHHHHH, I totally overlooked the first sentence. That makes sense. Thanks!

[Alexandros]

LR question from one of the first 38 PT's.

[+] Spoiler

Nearly all mail that is correctly addressed arrives at its destination within two business days of being sent. In fact, correctly addressed mail takes longer than this only when it is damaged in transit. Overall, however, most mail arrives three business days or more after being sent.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true?


Correct Answer: D) A large proportion of the mail is incorrectly addressed.

Here's my question; couldn't it be the case that all the mail that is sent is addressed correctly, but damaged in transit? In which case, answer D doesn't HAVE to be true?

[+] Spoiler

This question screwed me up too. My best attempt at an explanation is the same as iplaw's - We are told that nearly all correctly addressed mail arrives within two business days. Therefore, if all of the mail is correctly addressed but damaged in transit, most of it still has got to arrive within two business days. So, the answer must be that a large proportion is incorrectly addressed.

eta: too slow, sorry for the superfluous response!

[Barack O'Drama]

Decided to do un-timed RC stuff for a while to get used to 7sage's method. I figured I shouldn't go hard with the timing yet and to just try and get good at RC the same way I got decent at LR and LG.. Un-timed, understanding what I'm doing--> Timed later on

Did 1 RC passage un-timed with 7sage's memory method, thoroughly reviewed it and then watched their explanation. Went 5/7 pre-review.

That is what I'm thinking I am going to do. And I honestly think that is the best way. Hopefully over time you will start to recognize patterns, much like with LR/LG.

[Mikey]

Decided to do un-timed RC stuff for a while to get used to 7sage's method. I figured I shouldn't go hard with the timing yet and to just try and get good at RC the same way I got decent at LR and LG.. Un-timed, understanding what I'm doing--> Timed later on

Did 1 RC passage un-timed with 7sage's memory method, thoroughly reviewed it and then watched their explanation. Went 5/7 pre-review.

That is what I'm thinking I am going to do. And I honestly think that is the best way. Hopefully over time you will start to recognize patterns, much like with LR/LG.

Yup! Did 4 passages using the memory method un-timed. I didn't do so well, imo, but I'm hoping to get better as I do more passages.. Might do another passage before I give up for the night, but not sure.