JUNE 2013 Study Group / Study Partner Thread Forum

[Daily_Double]

LG is about to keep me from going to law school.

What have you been doing? What do your scores look like now? Any game type in particular throwing you off?

LG used to be my weakest section, after putting in a sizable amount of work, it is now my most consistent section. Keep at it, because LG can be a cakewalk if you put in the work.

[itachiuchiha]

LG is about to keep me from going to law school.

What have you been doing? What do your scores look like now? Any game type in particular throwing you off?

LG used to be my weakest section, after putting in a sizable amount of work, it is now my most consistent section. Keep at it, because LG can be a cakewalk if you put in the work.

you win the prize for 4000th reply!!!! the prize is 1 free LSAT point

[mvonh001]

LG is about to keep me from going to law school.

What have you been doing? What do your scores look like now? Any game type in particular throwing you off?

LG used to be my weakest section, after putting in a sizable amount of work, it is now my most consistent section. Keep at it, because LG can be a cakewalk if you put in the work.

I wouldn't say that I'm weak in any particular game type, but some take me longer to complete. Undetermined assignment being 1 of them, but give me an extra minute or 2 and i can complete them with full accuracy. My question is how do i bring my time down?

Edit: I realize that was a question for someone else, but i thought i would answer it.

[CardozoLaw09]

Edit: I realize that was a question for someone else, but i thought i would answer it.

Thank God you clarified - I thought I was going crazy for a second.

[okaygo]

See the problem for me is that I'm not weak in any particular game type...there is no consistency with that. What is consistent is my doing horrible at the more difficult games, but all pretty decent on the easier ones. Right now I'm working my way through Powerscore and Manhattan (again), and drilling by type from my bundles. If I do well, I move on. But if I do poorly I watch the 7sage videos. But those don't even seem to be helping me much, because his methods don't seem to always coincide very well with the Manhattan methods I've learned to use (i.e. logic chain for in/out games). As far as question types, I miss the majority of the 'could be true' questions, and tend to always get the 'must be true' questions correct.

I'm just at a LOSS for what to do next. I really don't want to postpone until October because I am at the top of my game in LR and RC, and I also feel like I don't know what I could be doing between June - October that I haven't been doing from January until now that could all of a sudden give me huge progress in LG.

[Daily_Double]

One thing that has increased my timing is prephrasing answers by diagramming. So many, if not most LG questions will ask, if (insert something), what could be/must be true? So I'll diagram a hypo based on the new element. Every question that I can't mentally diagram, I physically diagram and find out what must be true, that step usually eliminates four answers on could be true questions, and helps me find the right answer on must be true questions.

I also recommend making hypos for games which obviously are going to be difficult before the first question.

[mvonh001]

One thing that has increased my timing is prephrasing answers by diagramming. So many, if not most LG questions will ask, if (insert something), what could be/must be true? So I'll diagram a hypo based on the new element. Every question that I can't mentally diagram, I physically diagram and find out what must be true, that step usually eliminates four answers on could be true questions, and helps me find the right answer on must be true questions.

I also recommend making hypos for games which obviously are going to be difficult before the first question.

Thanks, but what about very open ended games? How do you hypo those?

[okaygo]

I'm about to sit down and do PT 57, and I'll tell you all everything that happened and maybe you guys could give me some tips.

[TheMostDangerousLG]

Just took my first completely fresh test (and a recent one, to boot) in ages. I've been studying for a retake (took in February), and my retake PT average has hovered around 177-178. Just got a 176.

PT 64:
LR1: -1
LG: -1
LR2: -2
RC: -2
Total: -6 (RS: 95)

This test felt tough. Also sort of frustrated, this was a noticeably lower result than where I've been at on my last few takes (178-180), though I guess 176 is still technically solid for a fresh test. Still, I'm aiming for 180, so anything less is disappointing, particularly when I'm getting 6 wrong (and half of them in LR, where I really don't want to be missing any at this point).

LR and LG were definitely noticeably tough on this test; was down to the wire and had to rush through the last few Qs of section two. Normally I finish with at least five minutes.. Also had to rush through end of LG, but that's not completely abnormal.

Blergh. I want perfect fresh PTs, not just retake 180s. Hope there's enough time to improve before June 10th.

[Daily_Double]

One thing that has increased my timing is prephrasing answers by diagramming. So many, if not most LG questions will ask, if (insert something), what could be/must be true? So I'll diagram a hypo based on the new element. Every question that I can't mentally diagram, I physically diagram and find out what must be true, that step usually eliminates four answers on could be true questions, and helps me find the right answer on must be true questions.

I also recommend making hypos for games which obviously are going to be difficult before the first question.

Thanks, but what about very open ended games? How do you hypo those?

More hypos. Usually I focus on the rule that triggers the most things.

[mvonh001]

One thing that has increased my timing is prephrasing answers by diagramming. So many, if not most LG questions will ask, if (insert something), what could be/must be true? So I'll diagram a hypo based on the new element. Every question that I can't mentally diagram, I physically diagram and find out what must be true, that step usually eliminates four answers on could be true questions, and helps me find the right answer on must be true questions.

I also recommend making hypos for games which obviously are going to be difficult before the first question.

Thanks, but what about very open ended games? How do you hypo those?

More hypos. Usually I focus on the rule that triggers the most things.

Ya see when im doing questions that are mainly open ended I just do a quick diagram and get into the questions asap. So you suggest that i emphasize hypos more, thereby limiting my time to draw out possible diagrams but hoping that my hypo relates to at least 1 question (which it should if i use the right rule to hypo with)

[rdelaney]

I have been studying off and on for the past couple of weeks and started with a diagnostic of a 151.

I just took a PT and got a 155 with:
-11/-9 LR
-1 LG
-11 RC

I'm signed up to take the June test and I can put in quite a bit of studying up until then, but should I go ahead and take that test? I'm shooting for a 160+ preferably upper 160s.

[mvonh001]

I have been studying off and on for the past couple of weeks and started with a diagnostic of a 151.

I just took a PT and got a 155 with:
-11/-9 LR
-1 LG
-11 RC

I'm signed up to take the June test and I can put in quite a bit of studying up until then, but should I go ahead and take that test? I'm shooting for a 160+ preferably upper 160s.

Do you have any materials to study with? MLSAT RC, LG, LR?

[rdelaney]

I have been studying off and on for the past couple of weeks and started with a diagnostic of a 151.

I just took a PT and got a 155 with:
-11/-9 LR
-1 LG
-11 RC

I'm signed up to take the June test and I can put in quite a bit of studying up until then, but should I go ahead and take that test? I'm shooting for a 160+ preferably upper 160s.

Do you have any materials to study with? MLSAT RC, LG, LR?

I have an online class (BenchPrep), it's not really good. I also have the LG/LR Bible and about 30 preptests (up to 61). Should I get something else?

[TheMostDangerousLG]

I have been studying off and on for the past couple of weeks and started with a diagnostic of a 151.

I just took a PT and got a 155 with:
-11/-9 LR
-1 LG
-11 RC

I'm signed up to take the June test and I can put in quite a bit of studying up until then, but should I go ahead and take that test? I'm shooting for a 160+ preferably upper 160s.

I would wait till October. Particularly if you haven't read any of the credited guides yet, you could definitely do better.

[mvonh001]

I have been studying off and on for the past couple of weeks and started with a diagnostic of a 151.

I just took a PT and got a 155 with:
-11/-9 LR
-1 LG
-11 RC

I'm signed up to take the June test and I can put in quite a bit of studying up until then, but should I go ahead and take that test? I'm shooting for a 160+ preferably upper 160s.

I would wait till October. Particularly if you haven't read any of the credited guides yet, you could definitely do better.

TITCR

[patfeeney]

I just took a PT and got a 155 with:
-11/-9 LR
-1 LG
-11 RC

I'm signed up to take the June test and I can put in quite a bit of studying up until then, but should I go ahead and take that test? I'm shooting for a 160+ preferably upper 160s.

You're going to want at least a few months to work on that. From personal experience, it could take three months or more to go up even 5 points. I personally spent January through March struggling to get above a 165, with fairly regular studying.

[patfeeney]

See the problem for me is that I'm not weak in any particular game type...there is no consistency with that. What is consistent is my doing horrible at the more difficult games, but all pretty decent on the easier ones. Right now I'm working my way through Powerscore and Manhattan (again), and drilling by type from my bundles. If I do well, I move on. But if I do poorly I watch the 7sage videos. But those don't even seem to be helping me much, because his methods don't seem to always coincide very well with the Manhattan methods I've learned to use (i.e. logic chain for in/out games). As far as question types, I miss the majority of the 'could be true' questions, and tend to always get the 'must be true' questions correct.

I'm just at a LOSS for what to do next. I really don't want to postpone until October because I am at the top of my game in LR and RC, and I also feel like I don't know what I could be doing between June - October that I haven't been doing from January until now that could all of a sudden give me huge progress in LG.

I know that pain. I'm spending the next three weeks pounding the LG sections over and over again because, no matter how much work I've put into them over the past 4.5 months, I still can't get a perfect section, while I put half the time into RC/LG and can finish a section with no errors.

I guess the best strategy is to not only focus on the game types that are hardest, but also to leave the hardest question types for last and give them extreme emphasis. I'm even going back to basics and doing untimed sections. I've been timing myself since the beginning, so perhaps the problem personally was that I never got the fundamentals down to a science; I just dove right into them. It's like practicing a difficult song at full tempo for three months. At the end of that time, you can play the song mostly correct, but it's sloppy in its execution. However, if you start slowly and then build up to full tempo, you can play the song neatly and perhaps without error.

There's approx. 20 days left until the test. If you only have certain trouble areas that are punishing you, there is no need to look at the whole test right now. Drill these little bits. Take the Yo Yo Ma method and rehearse the smallest, hardest bits like mad, THEN fit it into the whole piece.

And I apologize for the musical analogies.

[CardozoLaw09]

Just took my first completely fresh test (and a recent one, to boot) in ages. I've been studying for a retake (took in February), and my retake PT average has hovered around 177-178. Just got a 176.

PT 64:
LR1: -1
LG: -1
LR2: -2
RC: -2
Total: -6 (RS: 95)

This test felt tough. Also sort of frustrated, this was a noticeably lower result than where I've been at on my last few takes (178-180), though I guess 176 is still technically solid for a fresh test. Still, I'm aiming for 180, so anything less is disappointing, particularly when I'm getting 6 wrong (and half of them in LR, where I really don't want to be missing any at this point).

LR and LG were definitely noticeably tough on this test; was down to the wire and had to rush through the last few Qs of section two. Normally I finish with at least five minutes.. Also had to rush through end of LG, but that's not completely abnormal.

Blergh. I want perfect fresh PTs, not just retake 180s. Hope there's enough time to improve before June 10th.

Congrats. I just did the LG section and yeah it's a tough one, especially the third game - that last question was super time consuming. I finished at the buzzer and went -1; spent way too much time on number 18.

[okaygo]

If I want to drill only LG sections, is that a waste of PTs?

[xmking07]

If I want to drill only LG sections, is that a waste of PTs?

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=195603

[mqt]

PT 64

LR1: -1
LG: -1 (Gah!)
LR2: -3
RC: -2

Raw Score: 94
Scaled Score: 175

Made some pretty brain-dead mistakes on the second LR section, and for some reason could not wrap my mind around one of the replacement rule questions on one of the games.

[mvonh001]

I have a question, I have 9 PT's left before June 10th. I planned on taking 1 on Monday Wednesday and Friday with the other days to review and drill (This week i have to PT on tuesday thursday and saturday). I have just ordered the LSAT Trainer and will be getting it tomorrow. I was wondering if I should continue to PT as usual, or if I should focus on drilling today and start reading the LSAT Trainer on Wednesday then continue PTing on Thursday, or finish reading it on thursday, then continue my PTing on Friday, But if i do that then i lose 2 possible PT's, but i would imagine that if I drill these next 3 days and not just sit on my ass than that will benefit my score more than taking PT's unprepared.

Im confused as to how to proceed, do I take the PT's or give it a couple of days to review and drill?

I also planned on drilling all of the 30-40 LR question types that posed a problem to me, but if I don't take my next PT until friday, I may drill every type of LR question 30-40. Let me know what you guys think.

[SteelPenguin]

Past two RCs have been -8 and -7 respectively. That's the worst I've done since September.

EDIT: Just went -3 on PT 59, which I haven't looked at since October.

[SteelPenguin]

I have a question, I have 9 PT's left before June 10th. I planned on taking 1 on Monday Wednesday and Friday with the other days to review and drill (This week i have to PT on tuesday thursday and saturday). I have just ordered the LSAT Trainer and will be getting it tomorrow. I was wondering if I should continue to PT as usual, or if I should focus on drilling today and start reading the LSAT Trainer on Wednesday then continue PTing on Thursday, or finish reading it on thursday, then continue my PTing on Friday, But if i do that then i lose 2 possible PT's, but i would imagine that if I drill these next 3 days and not just sit on my ass than that will benefit my score more than taking PT's unprepared.

Im confused as to how to proceed, do I take the PT's or give it a couple of days to review and drill?

I also planned on drilling all of the 30-40 LR question types that posed a problem to me, but if I don't take my next PT until friday, I may drill every type of LR question 30-40. Let me know what you guys think.

How far away from your target score are you? I'd say drilling is actually more useful for learning the material while PTs are more about endurance and pacing. From your post it sounds like the drills would be more important.