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

[34iplaw]

Anyone doing work on LR? I just finished the first LR section of the Trainer and I have missed about 3 out of the 20 or so questions in the book so far. Haven't done the diagnostic yet, however. Small sample size and all that.

The Trainer really drills hard on flaws I am doing pretty well identifying whats wrong with arguments. The common thread of misses seems to be misinterpreting/misapplying answers. Basically, I read the answers and sometimes just whiff on its application to the stimulus. Anyone having similar experiences?

Which pages are you referring to? I find myself sort of struggling with his reasoning but I still get most questions right.

[Archer@Law]

Anyone doing work on LR? I just finished the first LR section of the Trainer and I have missed about 3 out of the 20 or so questions in the book so far. Haven't done the diagnostic yet, however. Small sample size and all that.

The Trainer really drills hard on flaws I am doing pretty well identifying whats wrong with arguments. The common thread of misses seems to be misinterpreting/misapplying answers. Basically, I read the answers and sometimes just whiff on its application to the stimulus. Anyone having similar experiences?

Which pages are you referring to? I find myself sort of struggling with his reasoning but I still get most questions right.

On page 127 of the 2016 edition, questions 28.1.21 and 29.4.20. The wording on the answer choices is what threw me off. Mike states that we should be able to articulate a reason why each wrong answer is wrong. I read the answers one way and then I read Mike's process and I think "oh wow I completely misunderstood that".

[34iplaw]

Anyone doing work on LR? I just finished the first LR section of the Trainer and I have missed about 3 out of the 20 or so questions in the book so far. Haven't done the diagnostic yet, however. Small sample size and all that.

The Trainer really drills hard on flaws I am doing pretty well identifying whats wrong with arguments. The common thread of misses seems to be misinterpreting/misapplying answers. Basically, I read the answers and sometimes just whiff on its application to the stimulus. Anyone having similar experiences?

Which pages are you referring to? I find myself sort of struggling with his reasoning but I still get most questions right.

On page 127 of the 2016 edition, questions 28.1.21 and 29.4.20. The wording on the answer choices is what threw me off. Mike states that we should be able to articulate a reason why each wrong answer is wrong. I read the answers one way and then I read Mike's process and I think "oh wow I completely misunderstood that".

Oh understood. Just pulled out my book to look back at that... I only missed the proto one which was beyond a stupid mistake. B explicitly stated what I wanted [or took A to mean/be an example of].

Those two kind of sucked. I wasn't a fan either. Then again, I think that was supposed to be a collection of hard questions, so it's not a big deal to have missed one or two.

I may need to do a tutor session or two on LR. I'm not certain if there's just something not clicking or I'm just lacking confidence even though I do fairly well on the questions. His drill sections [not strictly LSAC stuff] are what usually blow my confidence... I'm onto games for a little to give myself a bit of a brief respite from the LR sections.

Oh and probably not useful...but I made this for a cover of one of my binders with blind review stuff... kind of silly, but it helps as a reminder! it's just a compressed version of that 7sage article...

Blind Review 100% Certainty

Step One
take the test under simulated conditions
[circle any question as you go that you aren't 100% sure of]
[either certain your choice is correct or certain other four are incorrect]

Step Two
Do questions that you did not have time to do with 100% certainty
DO NOT LOOK AT THE ANSWER KEY
KEEP TRACK OF SKIPPED QUESTIONS

Step Three
Do questions that you circled in 'Step One' with 100% certainty
DO NOT LOOK AT THE ANSWER KEY
KEEP TRACK OF ANY NEW ANSWERS

Step Four
ANALYSIS

Non-Circled Questions
Right: Great; Wrong: You Fell for a Trap
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]

No Change Answer Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance; Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]

Change Answer Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance, reinforce why; Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]
[if your original answer was wrong too, figure out why both answers were wrong]
[cut this question out for future reference]

Skipped Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance and why (time?); Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]
[cut this question out for future reference]

[Archer@Law]

[quote="Archer@Law"

On the drill section what is giving you trouble?

I think I'll make one of my own for my binder. Review will be critical for me, so having a framework like that seems beneficial.

Just started the first LG section today on diagramming. Eager to see how I do on the games.

[34iplaw]

[quote="Archer@Law"

On the drill section what is giving you trouble?

I think I'll make one of my own for my binder. Review will be critical for me, so having a framework like that seems beneficial.

Just started the first LG section today on diagramming. Eager to see how I do on the games.

It depends the drill. It's mainly some of the necessities and sufficiency ones. It's really weird though, because I typically get actual questions about those ideas right. It's the structures of the drills just don't click always... i.e. the one where it gives you a stimulus, asks you to write point/support/flaw, and then asks you to assign 8-10 different lettered answer choices to a few options.

[PhiladelphiaCollins]

Blind Review 100% Certainty

Step One
take the test under simulated conditions
[circle any question as you go that you aren't 100% sure of]
[either certain your choice is correct or certain other four are incorrect]

Step Two
Do questions that you did not have time to do with 100% certainty
DO NOT LOOK AT THE ANSWER KEY
KEEP TRACK OF SKIPPED QUESTIONS

Step Three
Do questions that you circled in 'Step One' with 100% certainty
DO NOT LOOK AT THE ANSWER KEY
KEEP TRACK OF ANY NEW ANSWERS

Step Four
ANALYSIS

Non-Circled Questions
Right: Great; Wrong: You Fell for a Trap
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]

No Change Answer Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance; Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]

Change Answer Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance, reinforce why; Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]
[if your original answer was wrong too, figure out why both answers were wrong]
[cut this question out for future reference]

Skipped Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance and why (time?); Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]
[cut this question out for future reference]

Something I've never understood with BR (even though this is my 3rd go) - are you supposed to circle the question while you're taking the test for the FIRST time? Or are you supposed to go through the test a second time under timed conditions?

[34iplaw]

Blind Review 100% Certainty

Step One
take the test under simulated conditions
[circle any question as you go that you aren't 100% sure of]
[either certain your choice is correct or certain other four are incorrect]

Step Two
Do questions that you did not have time to do with 100% certainty
DO NOT LOOK AT THE ANSWER KEY
KEEP TRACK OF SKIPPED QUESTIONS

Step Three
Do questions that you circled in 'Step One' with 100% certainty
DO NOT LOOK AT THE ANSWER KEY
KEEP TRACK OF ANY NEW ANSWERS

Step Four
ANALYSIS

Non-Circled Questions
Right: Great; Wrong: You Fell for a Trap
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]

No Change Answer Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance; Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]

Change Answer Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance, reinforce why; Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]
[if your original answer was wrong too, figure out why both answers were wrong]
[cut this question out for future reference]

Skipped Questions
Right: Great, make sure not due to chance and why (time?); Wrong: Not Great
[watch a video explanation and figure out why]
[cut this question out for future reference]

Something I've never understood with BR (even though this is my 3rd go) - are you supposed to circle the question while you're taking the test for the FIRST time? Or are you supposed to go through the test a second time under timed conditions?

I'm no expert on it, but my understanding is that you circle the question while you're taking the test... if not absolutely certain, you circle/fill in your answer and the question. You then would recheck these along with those you skipped without time constraints as part of the subsequent step.

[20170322]

Today begins my summer of LSAT prep. Currently PTing in the 170-172 range. Hoping to be hitting 174-176 by July, and 176+ by September.

First obstacle-- logic games. Drill baby drill.

[20170322]

Today begins my summer of LSAT prep. Currently PTing in the 170-172 range. Hoping to be hitting 174-176 by July, and 176+ by September.

First obstacle-- logic games. Drill baby drill.

Speaking of which, if anyone is looking for a virtual study partner, I'm game. Looking to study very intensely from now through July, easing up a little in August and September. Looking for someone whose goal is in the 170+ range.

[Doubting Law]

Anyone here registered for the Kaplan prep class from June 14-July 21 at George Mason University? I decided to just sign up for the class after getting overwhelmed trying to self-prep.

[Mikey]

Anyone here registered for the Kaplan prep class from June 14-July 21 at George Mason University? I decided to just sign up for the class after getting overwhelmed trying to self-prep.

I wouldn't recommend Kaplan, they're known as a mediocre prep course for the LSAT. I haven't personally taken one, but a friend of mine did and he found it to be useless (his words lol). If you're going to take a prep course, I'd recommend taking it with a more respected company.

[Doubting Law]

Anyone here registered for the Kaplan prep class from June 14-July 21 at George Mason University? I decided to just sign up for the class after getting overwhelmed trying to self-prep.

I wouldn't recommend Kaplan, they're known as a mediocre prep course for the LSAT. I haven't personally taken one, but a friend of mine did and he found it to be useless (his words lol). If you're going to take a prep course, I'd recommend taking it with a more respected company.

Good point, thankfully I haven't paid for it yet. I actually took a Kaplan course back in 2014 as was less than impressed. I really want to take the testmasters course but there is a scheduling conflict with my classes for next fall. Has anyone here had any experience with Blueprint?

[proteinshake]

Anyone here registered for the Kaplan prep class from June 14-July 21 at George Mason University? I decided to just sign up for the class after getting overwhelmed trying to self-prep.

I wouldn't recommend Kaplan, they're known as a mediocre prep course for the LSAT. I haven't personally taken one, but a friend of mine did and he found it to be useless (his words lol). If you're going to take a prep course, I'd recommend taking it with a more respected company.

Good point, thankfully I haven't paid for it yet. I actually took a Kaplan course back in 2014 as was less than impressed. I really want to take the testmasters course but there is a scheduling conflict with my classes for next fall. Has anyone here had any experience with Blueprint?

7Sage is very respected and it's online.

[Archer@Law]

Today begins my summer of LSAT prep. Currently PTing in the 170-172 range. Hoping to be hitting 174-176 by July, and 176+ by September.

First obstacle-- logic games. Drill baby drill.

Congrats on the 170-172 start range. Crazy high score to begin with. Are you retaking?

[Doubting Law]

I actually just found a private tutor, meeting up to do a free diagnostic test on Saturday.

[20170322]

Today begins my summer of LSAT prep. Currently PTing in the 170-172 range. Hoping to be hitting 174-176 by July, and 176+ by September.

First obstacle-- logic games. Drill baby drill.

Congrats on the 170-172 start range. Crazy high score to begin with. Are you retaking?

Oh, sorry, I may have misworded what I was trying to say. I've been studying for a bit, so 170-172 is where I'm currently PTing. However, my initial diagnostic was a 164. September will be my first (and hopefully last) time taking the LSAT.

[MAPP]

Anyone doing work on LR? I just finished the first LR section of the Trainer and I have missed about 3 out of the 20 or so questions in the book so far. Haven't done the diagnostic yet, however. Small sample size and all that.

I found the Trainer's LR questions to be easier than the ones Manhattan chose to include. I've almost drilled from each cambridge LR bundle and I can say the Trainer's questions were typically easy/middle-of-the-road-difficulty questions

[proteinshake]

just finished up the Mastery Challenge in the Trainer and only missed 2 (both on the mannequin game). that game was just too much to handle for some reason, but overall, happy about the performance!

[20170322]

Logic games are a slog, but I'm noticing improvement even in the short term. Hopeful about getting to -0 by July.

[mintme]

Semi checking in. I took the LSAT for the first time in December and didn't score as high as I had hoped. I haven't decided if I want to take it again in September or December this year.

Curious, why wouldn't you take in September, considering there is plenty of time to study for it, between now and then? I mean, taking in December gives you limited options if you don't do well, but September allows you to re-take in December if needed.

I don't plan on applying until the next cycle - for Fall 2018

[34iplaw]

just finished up the Mastery Challenge in the Trainer and only missed 2 (both on the mannequin game). that game was just too much to handle for some reason, but overall, happy about the performance!

Awesome! Great to hear! I just got to that section, but I noticed I was making some really stupid mistakes... so I'm going to just take a day or two off from the actual problems and just make sure that I'm not getting hung up on any language type of stuff.

[YupSports]

Been drilling RC for the past couple of days.

To my immense relief, speed is no longer an issue, as I am finishing sections with 3 to 4 minutes to spare.

Now, if only I could not miss 2 - 3 questions for each section from hurrying and misreading!

Also, if anyone wants to know: Diagnostic 151 then 160 on December 2015 and currently PTing at the 167 mark.

Anything over 170 is fine by me!

[MAPP]

How much review work are you guys doing on your LR drills? When I drill a cambridge packet I star questions I had difficulty with, so even if I get it right I still go back and review it once I complete the questions in the drill (I also, of course, review the questions I get wrong). Should I be doing more with each drill, or are you all doing something similar with your drills?

[20170322]

Eventually getting around to the misc. LG. Nothing scares me more than opening the test in September and seeing a game involving mapping.

[Rupert Pupkin]

I finished Manhattan's RC guide in about 2 days. I would def recommend this combined with some of the other methods stated. Gave me a great grasp on RC strategy wise. I found it very to the point and helpful. And now its just practice and another book for an alt approach for a new/diff perspective.

Although some say its not necessary, I have made it a goal to read every night before bed and am currently reading fountainhead. I found that this is making my mind sharper and when i am working on any of the sections, focus and comprehension is coming a lot easier. would def recommend. I always try to read, but I went through phases of consistency due to school work.