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

[Alexandros]

No fucking motivation at all today. Consistently scoring 2 points below where I'd like to be right now and I'm not sure where to go - I guess just stay vigilant and keep at it, and trust that the points will come.

I think I'm gonna get ahead on some stuff for work so I can justify working a few less hours during the week to make time for PTs and such.

[34iplaw]

Damned library doesn't open until 1PM. I'm near where I grew up (I take classes tues/sat over here for the LSAT since the schedule/instructor is better) rather than where I live / study during the rest of the week. Hopefully this library is more quiet. I kind of assume it will be (it's also like 5x the size of the library with fewer parking spots [not a walkable urban area] I've been complaining about the noise at).

[LawTweet]

Damn. So thrilled with today.

LR: -2
LG: -1
LR: -0
RC: -4

Total: 175

Wish I could just stop studying now.

[Alexandros]

Damn. So thrilled with today.

LR: -2
LG: -1
LR: -0
RC: -4

Total: 175

Wish I could just stop studying now.

DAMN. You're crushing it! Congrats!!

[appind]

Tour question: would I get anything out of touring during Thanksgiving break? Like, I know classes wouldn't be in session, but would it be worth it if it's one of the few times that works for my schedule?

I mean I don't see why not if you have nothing else to do or it isn't too much of a financial burden. Granted, you're not going to get that much of a feel for a place in a day or two.

Agreed. I guess things would be potentially closed, and no classes, but I don't see why not.

Also, totally unrelated, but - how are you doing timing for the Economist passages, SweetTort?

I don't time anything but the recap part.

Ah, okay.

not sure what this is in reference to, but in case it's for RC, why time recap of the passage?

Look up 7sage's RC memory method.

i hope i am using the right link

https://7sage.com/lsat-reading-comprehe ... ry-method/

so the goal is to get the recap/check you memory done in 30 secs?

[appind]

how did you train to not read in your own voice and in someone else's? do you mean no subvocalization? i thought it wasn't possible to have no subvocalization.

I did it by spending a few months reading while saying the alphabet or counting out loud. That way you put yourself in a spot where you can't really subvocalize and you have to just put what's on the page directly into your brain. Now if I push myself I can test out around 800-900 wpm with 90%ish comprehension, but it's not really comfortable for any extended period. So I usually go a fair bit slower than that at around 400-500 wpm with only rare instances of subvocalization. I also listen to a lot of K-pop on headphones when I'm reading for pleasure because it's bouncy and pleasant, has a good pace to it, and since I don't speak Korean it fills up the sound part of my brain without taking up much if any space in the language part. The Obama voice is really to force myself back into subvocalizing because I'm not in the habit of it and if I don't intentionally slow myself down I'll end up going too fast and the RC passages are hard enough material that I'll end up not getting it all.

welcome back

did you take the test since last year when you're prepping?

it seems like it's a continuum between subvocalizing and not doing so. i guess everyone subvocalizes at least some words and tries to skip some when reading.

i find that whenever i don't have a voice running through my head when reading the passage, i lose comprehension along with the voice.

[34iplaw]

Diag tomorrow. Apparently, libraries around here aren't open on Sundays during the summer. The few that are close at 4. Just going to do some of the homework LR and then do the diag tomorrow.

[ngogirl12]

Going back and rewatching the NA lessons in 7sage I feel so dumb. JY explains them in perfect terms I can relate to (basketball) I nearly fell out of my chair laughing because they're so simple to find....tomorrow needs to come sooner so I can wreck PT60.

NA's one of the types that get really easy/predictable once you get the hang of them. Definitely my favorite LR type. Good luck on the PT tomorrow!

Whaaat!? I legit hate NA questions, I sometimes mess up with my diagramming.I actually hate the diagramming the opposite rule. I'm hoping that it will change when I get to the NA lesson. What's your trick to "getting the hang of it"?

[ngogirl12]

Damned library doesn't open until 1PM. I'm near where I grew up (I take classes tues/sat over here for the LSAT since the schedule/instructor is better) rather than where I live / study during the rest of the week. Hopefully this library is more quiet. I kind of assume it will be (it's also like 5x the size of the library with fewer parking spots [not a walkable urban area] I've been complaining about the noise at).

Sounds like a nice alternative.

[Mikey]

Going back and rewatching the NA lessons in 7sage I feel so dumb. JY explains them in perfect terms I can relate to (basketball) I nearly fell out of my chair laughing because they're so simple to find....tomorrow needs to come sooner so I can wreck PT60.

NA's one of the types that get really easy/predictable once you get the hang of them. Definitely my favorite LR type. Good luck on the PT tomorrow!

Whaaat!? I legit hate NA questions, I sometimes mess up with my diagramming.I actually hate the diagramming the opposite rule. I'm hoping that it will change when I get to the NA lesson. What's your trick to "getting the hang of it"?

You diagram NA questions? I'm not too sure whether that's really necessary tbh. I can see diagramming for SA and MBT questions, but not for NA. Maybe that's why you hate NA questions?

[ngogirl12]

I just finished the rest of my Sufficient Assumptions questions. I went -6/26, not the best I know, but I'm going to take this as an opportunity to really understand the question type. One thing I realized was the questions I diagrammed, I got 100% correct. I even got the math questions correct (I usually have trouble with these percentages-numbers, but I think watching some of the videos helped dispel this issue). However, some of the questions I got wrong were science related, got to get on the reading from those science journal articles I downloaded..

So, the plan for today is review all sufficient questions I got wrong, and ones I was a bit iffy on. If there's extra time, I'll hit RC as well.

[ngogirl12]

Going back and rewatching the NA lessons in 7sage I feel so dumb. JY explains them in perfect terms I can relate to (basketball) I nearly fell out of my chair laughing because they're so simple to find....tomorrow needs to come sooner so I can wreck PT60.

NA's one of the types that get really easy/predictable once you get the hang of them. Definitely my favorite LR type. Good luck on the PT tomorrow!

Whaaat!? I legit hate NA questions, I sometimes mess up with my diagramming.I actually hate the diagramming the opposite rule. I'm hoping that it will change when I get to the NA lesson. What's your trick to "getting the hang of it"?

You diagram NA questions? I'm not too sure whether that's really necessary tbh. I can see diagramming for SA and MBT questions, but not for NA. Maybe that's why you hate NA questions?

Well, not right now, but before I started going through the 7Sage curriculum slowly when I was taking PT's (and rushing through the first half of the curriculum) I would diagram the answer choices. Don't most of the books (I think Manhattan does) tell you to diagram the logical opposite of the conclusion and whatever breaks the conclusions strength is the correct answer? I was trying to do that, but I suck at that so I would try the same approach as SA questions and it was not the best approach. I haven't gotten to the NA questions yet in the curriculum, so I'm hoping whatever JY's approach is will be sufficient lol.

How do you approach these questions? I've always had issues with this type ugh.

[Mikey]

I just finished the rest of my Sufficient Assumptions questions. I went -6/26, not the best I know, but I'm going to take this as an opportunity to really understand the question type. One thing I realized was the questions I diagrammed, I got 100% correct. I even got the math questions correct (I usually have trouble with these percentages-numbers, but I think watching some of the videos helped dispel this issue). However, some of the questions I got wrong were science related, got to get on the reading from those science journal articles I downloaded..

So, the plan for today is review all sufficient questions I got wrong, and ones I was a bit iffy on. If there's extra time, I'll hit RC as well.

I can give some good advice on SA questions, they're my favorite Q type in LR because I find them the easiest out of all Q types. I know I know I'm crazy lol, but everyone has that one Q type they're good at.

Some tips:
1. Always keep in mind that the harder SA questions can have a correct answer that is the contrapositive of what you think is right. So always keep an open mind when it comes to that because at the beginning of my prep that used to always screw me up but I quickly adapted.

2. You don't always need to diagram these questions. The only time you should (if you don't see the correct answer by intuition) is when there's a lot of conditional statements like "whoever is X is Y, therefore blah blah is a blah blah".

3. Most importantly, the correct answer should be thought of as a taken out premise. When the correct A/C is put in between existing premises and the conclusion, it should make sense that the conclusion is what it is. Sometimes for the non-diagram SA questions, I just read the A/C and then quickly read the conclusion again, and if it follows, then BOOM.

When I say that the correct A/C should be thought of as a taken out premise, for example I mean this:

If you want to go to law school then you must take the LSAT. It follows that ngogirl12 is going to take the LSAT.
A correct A/C can be something such as "ngogirl12 wants to go to law school"

So look at it again with the "A/C"--> If you want to go to law school then you must take the LSAT. (ngogirl12 wants to go to law school). It follows that ngogirl12 is going to take the LSAT.

[34iplaw]

Going back and rewatching the NA lessons in 7sage I feel so dumb. JY explains them in perfect terms I can relate to (basketball) I nearly fell out of my chair laughing because they're so simple to find....tomorrow needs to come sooner so I can wreck PT60.

NA's one of the types that get really easy/predictable once you get the hang of them. Definitely my favorite LR type. Good luck on the PT tomorrow!

Whaaat!? I legit hate NA questions, I sometimes mess up with my diagramming.I actually hate the diagramming the opposite rule. I'm hoping that it will change when I get to the NA lesson. What's your trick to "getting the hang of it"?

You diagram NA questions? I'm not too sure whether that's really necessary tbh. I can see diagramming for SA and MBT questions, but not for NA. Maybe that's why you hate NA questions?

Well, not right now, but before I started going through the 7Sage curriculum slowly when I was taking PT's (and rushing through the first half of the curriculum) I would diagram the answer choices. Don't most of the books (I think Manhattan does) tell you to diagram the logical opposite of the conclusion and whatever breaks the conclusions strength is the correct answer? I was trying to do that, but I suck at that so I would try the same approach as SA questions and it was not the best approach. I haven't gotten to the NA questions yet in the curriculum, so I'm hoping whatever JY's approach is will be sufficient lol.

How do you approach these questions? I've always had issues with this type ugh.

Just stating the answer choice in it's negative and thinking about how it impacts the argument should be enough for most NA questions, IMO. I think it would actually be a challenge to diagram a lot of NA questions. Many of them just don't lend themselves to being diagrammed.

[Mikey]

How do you approach these questions? I've always had issues with this type ugh.

I just approach them with knowing why the premises "support" the conclusion. The right answer choice, when negated, will destroy the arguments support, therefore leaving no argument to be made. The right answer is (shocker lol) something that the argument depends on, and without it, it won't make sense.

Frank likes cats. Therefore, Frank hates dogs.

The argument is relying on the fact that everyone who likes cats must hates dogs.

Answer choice example: anyone who likes cats also hate dogs
When negated, it can read as something like: not all people who like cats also hate dogs. If this were true, then the fact that frank likes cats doesn't justify him hating dogs.

I suck at explaining negations, but i do it in a way that makes sense to me sooo ye

[Alexandros]

Going back and rewatching the NA lessons in 7sage I feel so dumb. JY explains them in perfect terms I can relate to (basketball) I nearly fell out of my chair laughing because they're so simple to find....tomorrow needs to come sooner so I can wreck PT60.

NA's one of the types that get really easy/predictable once you get the hang of them. Definitely my favorite LR type. Good luck on the PT tomorrow!

Whaaat!? I legit hate NA questions, I sometimes mess up with my diagramming.I actually hate the diagramming the opposite rule. I'm hoping that it will change when I get to the NA lesson. What's your trick to "getting the hang of it"?

You diagram NA questions? I'm not too sure whether that's really necessary tbh. I can see diagramming for SA and MBT questions, but not for NA. Maybe that's why you hate NA questions?

Well, not right now, but before I started going through the 7Sage curriculum slowly when I was taking PT's (and rushing through the first half of the curriculum) I would diagram the answer choices. Don't most of the books (I think Manhattan does) tell you to diagram the logical opposite of the conclusion and whatever breaks the conclusions strength is the correct answer? I was trying to do that, but I suck at that so I would try the same approach as SA questions and it was not the best approach. I haven't gotten to the NA questions yet in the curriculum, so I'm hoping whatever JY's approach is will be sufficient lol.

How do you approach these questions? I've always had issues with this type ugh.

The only questions I diagram relatively often are parallel flaw/reasoning.

I bracket the conclusion, underline the support, and pay extra attention to anything that alters - terms, percentage/numbers, relationships - conclusion and support. Basically there's going to be a gap in there somewhere, sometimes a few, and one of the answers will address that gap / one of the gaps (as opposed to all of the gaps, which would be SA). I find them easier than ID the flaw because there's usually less room for ambiguity. Once you drill more of that type, I think you get more used identifying the gap(s) and anticipating what the answer. If you're really not sure or caught between two, the negation test that you describe is a good approach, but I find it too time consuming and effortful to be worth applying to every question.

[Alexandros]

Diag tomorrow. Apparently, libraries around here aren't open on Sundays during the summer. The few that are close at 4. Just going to do some of the homework LR and then do the diag tomorrow.

Dang that's frustrating D: Well, you'll be extra prepared for the diagnostic tomorrow!

[34iplaw]

Diag tomorrow. Apparently, libraries around here aren't open on Sundays during the summer. The few that are close at 4. Just going to do some of the homework LR and then do the diag tomorrow.

Dang that's frustrating D: Well, you'll be extra prepared for the diagnostic tomorrow!

It's not the end of the world. I haven't been 100% today if I'm to be honest with myself. Unfortunately, I can't really find a quiet enough place to do anything but games... c'est la vie. I've started to make sure I understand the key underpinning of a game prior to moving on...

i.e. Feb 92 Game 1 - the game is easy, but they're really just seeing if you understand the ideas of ordering.

[tofuspeedstar]

Going back and rewatching the NA lessons in 7sage I feel so dumb. JY explains them in perfect terms I can relate to (basketball) I nearly fell out of my chair laughing because they're so simple to find....tomorrow needs to come sooner so I can wreck PT60.

NA's one of the types that get really easy/predictable once you get the hang of them. Definitely my favorite LR type. Good luck on the PT tomorrow!

Whaaat!? I legit hate NA questions, I sometimes mess up with my diagramming.I actually hate the diagramming the opposite rule. I'm hoping that it will change when I get to the NA lesson. What's your trick to "getting the hang of it"?

The way JY explained it stuck out to me because I've been an athlete all my life (specifically basketball, which he explains it in) so for NA questions I'm looking for a "Luc Longley" type answer. Michael Jordan (the argument) needs Luc for the argument to be valid. Without Luc, Michael is just shit out of luck.

For sufficient assumptions I look for a "Michael Jordan" answer, because Michael can get the job done himself w/o help because he is the GOAT.

[Alexandros]

Aside from one old LR section, done nothing for the LSAT today. I'm gonna look again at the questions I got wrong and might print out some more sets.

Moving forward with LR, I'm thinking - continue with the drilling, making a word doc with just the hardest questions, alternatively/additionally, word doc with just the questions I got wrong, and be able to completely understand why the right answer's right and my answer's wrong.

To change topics completely - Anyone looking at Berkeley?

[proteinshake]

Aside from one old LR section, done nothing for the LSAT today. I'm gonna look again at the questions I got wrong and might print out some more sets.

Moving forward with LR, I'm thinking - continue with the drilling, making a word doc with just the hardest questions, alternatively/additionally, word doc with just the questions I got wrong, and be able to completely understand why the right answer's right and my answer's wrong.

To change topics completely - Anyone looking at Berkeley?

nah, I don't think there's a point in applying if you don't want to go to the west coast.

[34iplaw]

Aside from one old LR section, done nothing for the LSAT today. I'm gonna look again at the questions I got wrong and might print out some more sets.

Moving forward with LR, I'm thinking - continue with the drilling, making a word doc with just the hardest questions, alternatively/additionally, word doc with just the questions I got wrong, and be able to completely understand why the right answer's right and my answer's wrong.

To change topics completely - Anyone looking at Berkeley?

Berkeley Law seems to be more like applying to an MBA than Law School (tons more subjective)... nothing against MBAs (granted, I actually loathe the ideas of MBAs... as someone who is sadistic enough they may do a MBA JD if my LSAT is good enough). Either way, I think I'm going to take the GMAT or GRE if I crack 170, so I'm pretty sure that I'll end up taking it.

[Alexandros]

Aside from one old LR section, done nothing for the LSAT today. I'm gonna look again at the questions I got wrong and might print out some more sets.

Moving forward with LR, I'm thinking - continue with the drilling, making a word doc with just the hardest questions, alternatively/additionally, word doc with just the questions I got wrong, and be able to completely understand why the right answer's right and my answer's wrong.

To change topics completely - Anyone looking at Berkeley?

nah, I don't think there's a point in applying if you don't want to go to the west coast.

No, don't think so. West coast would be the main advantage for me (that and the fact that it's decently rated and I could potentially get in, contra Stanford...).

[Alexandros]

Confused af by 2.10 and 2.17 on 57. Gonna have to look up explanations. ://
These 'proposition' questions always catch me up.

[Mikey]

L