The Official September 2017 Study Group Forum

[twiix]

if everyone left who wasnt sitting for the september test we would have a pretty lonesome crowd..

pls dont leave me

[Alexandros]

if everyone left who wasnt sitting for the september test we would have a pretty lonesome crowd..

pls dont leave me

"TWiiX's and DJ's September 2017 LSAT Study Duo"

[oopsu812]

If it makes things better, I'm studying, just not the LSAT. Currently re-teaching myself calculus.

[Alexandros]

If it makes things better, I'm studying, just not the LSAT. Currently re-teaching myself calculus.

This is the first time in almost 2 years I haven't had a big academic thing hanging over my head and it's glorious.

...Sorry, y'all. :/

[oopsu812]

If it makes things better, I'm studying, just not the LSAT. Currently re-teaching myself calculus.

This is the first time in almost 2 years I haven't had a big academic thing hanging over my head and it's glorious.

...Sorry, y'all. :/

Enjoy it! I have 25+ hours of just lectures Mon-Thurs for the next 6 weeks, so I'm going to be busy as all hell. But I'll pretty much have July and August completely free, so it's not too bad. No idea what I'm going to do with that free time.

[Alexandros]

If it makes things better, I'm studying, just not the LSAT. Currently re-teaching myself calculus.

This is the first time in almost 2 years I haven't had a big academic thing hanging over my head and it's glorious.

...Sorry, y'all. :/

Enjoy it! I have 25+ hours of just lectures Mon-Thurs for the next 6 weeks, so I'm going to be busy as all hell. But I'll pretty much have July and August completely free, so it's not too bad. No idea what I'm going to do with that free time.

Yeah I'm just working full-time but other than that, nill.

[oopsu812]

If it makes things better, I'm studying, just not the LSAT. Currently re-teaching myself calculus.

This is the first time in almost 2 years I haven't had a big academic thing hanging over my head and it's glorious.

...Sorry, y'all. :/

Enjoy it! I have 25+ hours of just lectures Mon-Thurs for the next 6 weeks, so I'm going to be busy as all hell. But I'll pretty much have July and August completely free, so it's not too bad. No idea what I'm going to do with that free time.

Yeah I'm just working full-time but other than that, nill.

Oooh very nice. Anything legal-ish?

[Alexandros]

If it makes things better, I'm studying, just not the LSAT. Currently re-teaching myself calculus.

This is the first time in almost 2 years I haven't had a big academic thing hanging over my head and it's glorious.

...Sorry, y'all. :/

Enjoy it! I have 25+ hours of just lectures Mon-Thurs for the next 6 weeks, so I'm going to be busy as all hell. But I'll pretty much have July and August completely free, so it's not too bad. No idea what I'm going to do with that free time.

Yeah I'm just working full-time but other than that, nill.

Oooh very nice. Anything legal-ish?

Very much not.
Gonna try to do some volunteer work in the field, but there's a certain obstacle that you can prob infer (plz don't say lol).

[oopsu812]

If it makes things better, I'm studying, just not the LSAT. Currently re-teaching myself calculus.

This is the first time in almost 2 years I haven't had a big academic thing hanging over my head and it's glorious.

...Sorry, y'all. :/

Enjoy it! I have 25+ hours of just lectures Mon-Thurs for the next 6 weeks, so I'm going to be busy as all hell. But I'll pretty much have July and August completely free, so it's not too bad. No idea what I'm going to do with that free time.

Yeah I'm just working full-time but other than that, nill.

Oooh very nice. Anything legal-ish?

Very much not.
Gonna try to do some volunteer work in the field, but there's a certain obstacle that you can prob infer (plz don't say lol).

Ah right, I really hope you can find something regardless. There are surely some capacities in which you can help where it's not a huge obstacle, just gotta find it.

[abujabal]

Brief dip into the world of Logic Games this week as I work my way through the trainer. Everything seems straightforward enough during the chapters (a couple of diagrams, writing elements vertically, nothing too difficult it seems).

Then I took PT 2.3 and got destroyed on the last two games. Multiple elements! Time?! Greyhounds needing ribbons or not needing ribbons.

-6 on the section, but I straight took 52:52. Frustrating place to have to start off with - would prefer to just have to focus on time or accuracy, not both...

[Alexandros]

Brief dip into the world of Logic Games this week as I work my way through the trainer. Everything seems straightforward enough during the chapters (a couple of diagrams, writing elements vertically, nothing too difficult it seems).

Then I took PT 2.3 and got destroyed on the last two games. Multiple elements! Time?! Greyhounds needing ribbons or not needing ribbons.

-6 on the section, but I straight took 52:52. Frustrating place to have to start off with - would prefer to just have to focus on time or accuracy, not both...

Just focus on accuracy. Don't even bother timing until a few weeks in imo.

[presidentspivey]

I have the Trainer coming in soon with PS LG, MH LR, and MH RC. I was thinking that I should start with the Trainer and then move to LG?

[abujabal]

I have the Trainer coming in soon with PS LG, MH LR, and MH RC. I was thinking that I should start with the Trainer and then move to LG?

That's what I'll be doing, though I'm hearing tremors of getting the manhattan guides instead of the bibles. Thoughts?

[presidentspivey]

I have the Trainer coming in soon with PS LG, MH LR, and MH RC. I was thinking that I should start with the Trainer and then move to LG?

That's what I'll be doing, though I'm hearing tremors of getting the manhattan guides instead of the bibles. Thoughts?

The advice I received was mostly in favor of PS for LG, Manhattan for RC, and about 50-50 on LR

[abujabal]

Query for the group. When doing Logic Games, I'm assuming your "scratch paper" is the test paper itself. In that case, how do you attack games that have multiple conditionals?

That is, if it's an ordering game or something, and three of the questions ask about a specific order that's different each time, do you do a rough duplication of the board somewhere? Or should I be getting to the level where I can just mentally jump through all the hoops?

[twiix]

Query for the group. When doing Logic Games, I'm assuming your "scratch paper" is the test paper itself. In that case, how do you attack games that have multiple conditionals?

That is, if it's an ordering game or something, and three of the questions ask about a specific order that's different each time, do you do a rough duplication of the board somewhere? Or should I be getting to the level where I can just mentally jump through all the hoops?

Yes - scratch paper is the test paper. You don't get extra paper for the real test. Never mentally diagram things. You'll forget things or get confused at some point in your LSAT journey. You will always have enough time to diagram everything, so if you aren't there yet, that's your goal. But it is 100% possible, and 100% necessary.

As for game boards - There are a few ways to do it. I prefer the method where you only make your main board once (this applies to ordering). An example would be like this (assuming ordering 1-6)

_ _ _ _ _ _
1 2 3 4 5 6

(this requires that you give yourself enough room as well)

I usually put limiting elements underneath the board, and solve upward - each time you go to a new "solve" you can just go up another row. Example:

Problem 1 :
a b e c f d
1 2 3 4 5 6
b a

Problem 2 gives you a new conditional, that requires a new order :
d c a e b f
a b e c f d
1 2 3 4 5 6
b a


Other times, if you don't have a lot of diagramming to copy over (ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS COPY ALL OF YOUR RULES TO EVERY GAME BOARD YOU RE-MAKE) and you have the time, you can do a quick diagram for every problem set. It's easier to use one game board for ordering, but more difficult for in-out games. I'd usually skip writing the 1-6 underneath the board after the first time if I do copy boards for each problem. That's something you can resolve mentally, and saves a few seconds from each question (these seconds add up - it could be the difference between guessing on 1 or 2 problems).

[twiix]

I have the Trainer coming in soon with PS LG, MH LR, and MH RC. I was thinking that I should start with the Trainer and then move to LG?

That's what I'll be doing, though I'm hearing tremors of getting the manhattan guides instead of the bibles. Thoughts?

The advice I received was mostly in favor of PS for LG, Manhattan for RC, and about 50-50 on LR

Yep this is correct. Ultimately, RC is a huge bitch to learn and will require you test out multiple methods/materials. I think that is the one section where nobody can definitively recommend a book or method because it largely depends on your personal abilities more than the other "learn-able" sections. But MH/Lsat Trainer are good places to start for RC.

LR is also up in the air. A lot of places have good content on LR. The bible, MH, and the Lsat Trainer are all good in that regard.

I just can't recommend anything besides 7sage for LG. If you want to mastery LG's and get a reliable -0 to -1 on LG, 7sage is the place to be. The bible is second to 7sage though and is good for building the basics.

[abujabal]

Query for the group. When doing Logic Games, I'm assuming your "scratch paper" is the test paper itself. In that case, how do you attack games that have multiple conditionals?

That is, if it's an ordering game or something, and three of the questions ask about a specific order that's different each time, do you do a rough duplication of the board somewhere? Or should I be getting to the level where I can just mentally jump through all the hoops?

Yes - scratch paper is the test paper. You don't get extra paper for the real test. Never mentally diagram things. You'll forget things or get confused at some point in your LSAT journey. You will always have enough time to diagram everything, so if you aren't there yet, that's your goal. But it is 100% possible, and 100% necessary.

As for game boards - There are a few ways to do it. I prefer the method where you only make your main board once (this applies to ordering). An example would be like this (assuming ordering 1-6)

_ _ _ _ _ _
1 2 3 4 5 6

(this requires that you give yourself enough room as well)

I usually put limiting elements underneath the board, and solve upward - each time you go to a new "solve" you can just go up another row. Example:

Problem 1 :
a b e c f d
1 2 3 4 5 6
b a

Problem 2 gives you a new conditional, that requires a new order :
d c a e b f
a b e c f d
1 2 3 4 5 6
b a


Other times, if you don't have a lot of diagramming to copy over (ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS COPY ALL OF YOUR RULES TO EVERY GAME BOARD YOU RE-MAKE) and you have the time, you can do a quick diagram for every problem set. It's easier to use one game board for ordering, but more difficult for in-out games. I'd usually skip writing the 1-6 underneath the board after the first time if I do copy boards for each problem. That's something you can resolve mentally, and saves a few seconds from each question (these seconds add up - it could be the difference between guessing on 1 or 2 problems).

Hmm, interesting. I do recall seeing something like that in a 7Sage video I think? Could be wrong there, but that makes sense. I've also probably got to get better at "knowing" my space. That is, cleaner diagrams and more defined "RULES GO HERE ALWAYS" sets. Drill baby Drill, right?

[abujabal]

Also quick question - I don't need to be studying for this essay at all, right? Maybe as I get closer to the test I should "do" some essays, but beyond that, nothing major, right?

[Mikey]

Also quick question - I don't need to be studying for this essay at all, right? Maybe as I get closer to the test I should "do" some essays, but beyond that, nothing major, right?

you can just walk into the test and finish it in like half the allotted time and be fine. trust me, lol, don't waste your time doing any beforehand.

[dj9i27]

Also quick question - I don't need to be studying for this essay at all, right? Maybe as I get closer to the test I should "do" some essays, but beyond that, nothing major, right?

you can just walk into the test and finish it in like half the allotted time and be fine. trust me, lol, don't waste your time doing any beforehand.

Mikey is 100% wrong, the essay is probably the MOST important thing on the LSAT. Mostly because everyone will judge you if you pick the wrong topic

[Alexandros]

Also quick question - I don't need to be studying for this essay at all, right? Maybe as I get closer to the test I should "do" some essays, but beyond that, nothing major, right?

you can just walk into the test and finish it in like half the allotted time and be fine. trust me, lol, don't waste your time doing any beforehand.

Mikey is 100% wrong, the essay is probably the MOST important thing on the LSAT. Mostly because everyone will judge you if you pick the wrong topic

^
This is true.
#boulevardgang4evr

[TedBuckland]

Contributing to the school work sentiment, I'm finishing up my master's and have 30 pages to type for next week with a 30 minute presentation. Then another 20 pages the next week+ finals. Having a good time over here

[Alexandros]

Whoever wrote Berk's PS advice absolutely slayed it:

[+] Spoiler

“I felt the cold, sharp edge of a knife at my neck.” “ ‘You rich Americans are all alike,’ she screamed.” “I’ve never been so scared in my life.” “The child’s belly was swollen and scabbed.” You get the picture. Starting the essay with a dramatic, unexplained sentence designed to grab the startled reader’s attention. (In fact, what it does to the reader is produce a dismayed feeling of, “Oh no, not another one of these.”). Continuing this dramatic episode for a short paragraph without tipping off its relevance to the application. Beginning the next paragraph by switching to expository style and informing us of what you were doing in this dire situation and how it was part of the background that makes you a special applicant to law school. Developing why you are so special in the rest of the statement. Then concluding with a touching statement returning to the opening gambit, about how now, after law school, you can really help that little girl in rags.

It is very clear that many applicants have been coached by someone that this is how to write a compelling personal statement. This format is transparently manipulative, formulaic, and coached. Except for the occasional novelist we admit, none of our students or graduates is going to write in this style again; none, thank goodness, is going to begin a brief with, “He stood frozen in fear as the gunman appeared out of the darkness.” So, this artifice is irrelevant to law and counter-productive: Once it ceases to surprise – and it did so more than 10 years ago – it just becomes a cliché…. Not only using clichés, but also having been coached ought to, in an ideal world, discount an application. Needless to say, however, I did not hold these statements against the writers. Often the bulk of the statement does report on impressive activities that are relevant to admission. But it is transparent when essay formulas have been coached, and we (should) strongly advise applicants to write in their own voice and style and without trying to dramatize what they have to say in order to attract our attention.”

[oopsu812]

Whoever wrote Berk's PS advice absolutely slayed it:

[+] Spoiler

“I felt the cold, sharp edge of a knife at my neck.” “ ‘You rich Americans are all alike,’ she screamed.” “I’ve never been so scared in my life.” “The child’s belly was swollen and scabbed.” You get the picture. Starting the essay with a dramatic, unexplained sentence designed to grab the startled reader’s attention. (In fact, what it does to the reader is produce a dismayed feeling of, “Oh no, not another one of these.”). Continuing this dramatic episode for a short paragraph without tipping off its relevance to the application. Beginning the next paragraph by switching to expository style and informing us of what you were doing in this dire situation and how it was part of the background that makes you a special applicant to law school. Developing why you are so special in the rest of the statement. Then concluding with a touching statement returning to the opening gambit, about how now, after law school, you can really help that little girl in rags.

It is very clear that many applicants have been coached by someone that this is how to write a compelling personal statement. This format is transparently manipulative, formulaic, and coached. Except for the occasional novelist we admit, none of our students or graduates is going to write in this style again; none, thank goodness, is going to begin a brief with, “He stood frozen in fear as the gunman appeared out of the darkness.” So, this artifice is irrelevant to law and counter-productive: Once it ceases to surprise – and it did so more than 10 years ago – it just becomes a cliché…. Not only using clichés, but also having been coached ought to, in an ideal world, discount an application. Needless to say, however, I did not hold these statements against the writers. Often the bulk of the statement does report on impressive activities that are relevant to admission. But it is transparent when essay formulas have been coached, and we (should) strongly advise applicants to write in their own voice and style and without trying to dramatize what they have to say in order to attract our attention.”

HAIL STANNYBERK. The Bay is the way!