October 2012 Retakers Forum

[NoodleyOne]

Yeah I think parallel questions count on being intimidating. I was like that and used to be 50: 50 on parallel qs, but the last three pts I went -0 after going through the Manhattan chapter and some drilling.

[chem!]

I just paid the fee and changed my test date to December. You guys have all my emotional support, so knock this test out of the park!

[NoodleyOne]

http://tinychat.com/octoberdestroyers

PT 44 review room is up, if anyone is interested.

[espressocream]

I just paid the fee and changed my test date to December. You guys have all my emotional support, so knock this test out of the park!

Probs for the best. Enjoy a tiny break off from studying!

[Gisney]

Yesterday was a month until the exam!

Last time at this point I was just praying for one more month or another week to study. This time I am sorta ready for it to get here already.

By the end of this I will have studied off and on for 10 months. I just want it to be over! No more LSAT!

I want free time again!


In other news, I finished PT 46 and 53

PT 46
LR1: -0
LR2: -1
LG: -0
RC: -1
Raw: 97
Scale: 179

PT 53
LR1: -2
LR2: -1
LG: -0
RC: -1
Raw: 96
Scale: 178

Tomorrow on to 54!

[RCinDNA]

Yesterday was a month until the exam!

Last time at this point I was just praying for one more month or another week to study. This time I am sorta ready for it to get here already.

By the end of this I will have studied off and on for 10 months. I just want it to be over! No more LSAT!

I want free time again!


In other news, I finished PT 46 and 53

PT 46
LR1: -0
LR2: -1
LG: -0
RC: -1
Raw: 97
Scale: 179

PT 53
LR1: -2
LR2: -1
LG: -0
RC: -1
Raw: 96
Scale: 178

Tomorrow on to 54!

Wow! Awesome numbers! Just keep doing what your doing and hold the momentum for test day.

[Gisney]

Yesterday was a month until the exam!

Last time at this point I was just praying for one more month or another week to study. This time I am sorta ready for it to get here already.

By the end of this I will have studied off and on for 10 months. I just want it to be over! No more LSAT!

I want free time again!


In other news, I finished PT 46 and 53

PT 46
LR1: -0
LR2: -1
LG: -0
RC: -1
Raw: 97
Scale: 179

PT 53
LR1: -2
LR2: -1
LG: -0
RC: -1
Raw: 96
Scale: 178

Tomorrow on to 54!

Wow! Awesome numbers! Just keep doing what your doing and hold the momentum for test day.

Thanks!

I'm trying. Just ready to get going.

[espressocream]

Just did PT59

The bad news: That games section kicked my ass, it's been a long time since I went -5 on a LG section.

The Good News: FIRST 170 EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111!!!1

AHHH CONGRATS!!!!!

[cloudhidden]

Just did PT59

The bad news: That games section kicked my ass, it's been a long time since I went -5 on a LG section.

The Good News: FIRST 170 EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111!!!1

Omg, you know how bad I want this to be me!? Two 169's within a week. I've been knocking on that door for soooooo long!!

[seacow]

Did two 4-section PTs yesterday, 48 & 50.

48: -9, 169 (whack curve, eh?)
50: -9, 171

Botched that appliance game (vacuum, razor, hairdryer...) on 48, -2, for some reason. Other than that, good.

On 50 I encountered my first modern era RC section, -6. I am actually pretty happy with this. It was after five sections, there was a lot of noise, and I made a few uncharacteristic mistakes, such as spending too much time on the first passage and moving onto the questions before understanding the passage completely on the last passage, and also a few silly ones.

If the curve is not shite and I don't completely lose the plot, I should improve upon my 164.

Let's do work, all. Less than a month.

[chem!]

I just paid the fee and changed my test date to December. You guys have all my emotional support, so knock this test out of the park!

Probs for the best. Enjoy a tiny break off from studying!

I rescheduled because there has been NO studying for 3 weeks (when I went back to work.) I'm drowning with work, so I need more time. I'm planning my study schedule now, and will start once school settles down.

[jess1921]

I'm trying to get better at RC by just reading more when im not prepping. has anyone found this to be useful /effective. If so what's the best stuff to read? I've just been reading books and journal articles.

[cahwc12]

for me I do a warmup RC in the mornings as soon as I'm mentally awake. In the past week or so, I've finally crossed that plane where instead of dreading RC, I am at least ambivalent toward it, and beginning to favor the "bring it on" attitude. I've noticed my RC scores steadily improving, which is great since 70% of my mistakes in June were RC and I just didn't prep it enough.

If you're still uneasy about RC, I highly recommend printing up some old sections and doing them as warmups, or even newer ones if you're just repeating materials anyway. Drilling sections (old and new, I have two piles 1-38 and 39-65) has really helped me a lot.

[99.9luft]

Yesterday was a month until the exam!

Last time at this point I was just praying for one more month or another week to study. This time I am sorta ready for it to get here already.

By the end of this I will have studied off and on for 10 months. I just want it to be over! No more LSAT!

I want free time again!


In other news, I finished PT 46 and 53

PT 46
LR1: -0
LR2: -1
LG: -0
RC: -1
Raw: 97
Scale: 179

PT 53
LR1: -2
LR2: -1
LG: -0
RC: -1
Raw: 96
Scale: 178

Tomorrow on to 54!

Wow! Awesome numbers! Just keep doing what your doing and hold the momentum for test day.

Thanks!

I'm trying. Just ready to get going.

good stuff - love your scores. I can relate to the whole on-and-off studying and retaking.

[Gisney]

Did two 4-section PTs yesterday, 48 & 50.

48: -9, 169 (whack curve, eh?)
50: -9, 171

Botched that appliance game (vacuum, razor, hairdryer...) on 48, -2, for some reason. Other than that, good.

On 50 I encountered my first modern era RC section, -6. I am actually pretty happy with this. It was after five sections, there was a lot of noise, and I made a few uncharacteristic mistakes, such as spending too much time on the first passage and moving onto the questions before understanding the passage completely on the last passage, and also a few silly ones.

If the curve is not shite and I don't completely lose the plot, I should improve upon my 164.

Let's do work, all. Less than a month.

Good job on the scores!

Question though how can you be a retaker and never have seen a modern RC?

[Gisney]

good stuff - love your scores. I can relate to the whole on-and-off studying and retaking.

Thanks!

Yea just so ready to not be studying for this test. I study all morning and work nights. I need a life. More importantly I need a glass of wine. Swearing off alcohol for this last stretch of studying was uncalled for I think

[cloudhidden]

I sacrificed my Friday night and woke up bright and early today for fateful PT 58. I gingerly crawled out of my bed and into the shower. Whilst doing so the power went out. I debated for a few minutes about postponing the test for tomorrow until I decided that I would troop it out. So I gathered all the candles I could find and started the test under medieval style conditions. I normally keep a fan going in the background, but of course no power meant no white noise. Therefore, I clearly heard my roommate's alarm go off in the middle of my first section. He must have hit the snooze button ten times before he eventually got up and stomped around the apartment. Then, through the flickers of candle light, I noticed the sun had come out in time for me to blow out the candles. I couldn't extinguish the last candle until I gave it one great gust of breath and the wax proceeded to fly all over my desk and into my face. Not too long after that disturbance my other roommate woke up and started getting busy with his lady friend. Finally, I got through the first three sections and into the break. Like clockwork, as soon as I started section four my downstairs neighbor's fire detector went off for a good 15 minutes. And just when I thought I had made it through the clear, a car alarm in the street blared.

All said, I could only make it through three sections before I had to leave for work. I had to start and stop my watch so many times just to figure out what in the world was going on outside. I missed ten questions: two bubbling mistakes and a question I missed at the buzzer on RC, four stupid errors on LG, and maybe one legitamately difficult LR question but still four total misses on that section.

I'm upset because this could have been my best test yet. I really had no idea if I made enough allowance for time. All I know is that if this were some bizarre rite of passage of sorts, I'm glad it's over!

[Gisney]

I sacrificed my Friday night and woke up bright and early today for fateful PT 58. I gingerly crawled out of my bed and into the shower. Whilst doing so the power went out. I debated for a few minutes about postponing the test for tomorrow until I decided that I would troop it out. So I gathered all the candles I could find and started the test under medieval style conditions. I normally keep a fan going in the background, but of course no power meant no white noise. Therefore, I clearly heard my roommate's alarm go off in the middle of my first section. He must have hit the snooze button ten times before he eventually got up and stomped around the apartment. Then, through the flickers of candle light, I noticed the sun had come out in time for me to blow out the candles. I couldn't extinguish the last candle until I gave it one great gust of breath and the wax proceeded to fly all over my desk and into my face. Not too long after that disturbance my other roommate woke up and started getting busy with his lady friend. Finally, I got through the first three sections and into the break. Like clockwork, as soon as I started section four my downstairs neighbor's fire detector went off for a good 15 minutes. And just when I thought I had made it through the clear, a car alarm in the street blared.

All said, I could only make it through three sections before I had to leave for work. I had to start and stop my watch so many times just to figure out what in the world was going on outside. I missed ten questions: two bubbling mistakes and a question I missed at the buzzer on RC, four stupid errors on LG, and maybe one legitamately difficult LR question but still four total misses on that section.

I'm upset because this could have been my best test yet. I really had no idea if I made enough allowance for time. All I know is that if this were some bizarre rite of passage of sorts, I'm glad it's over!

So moral of the story is maybe try a library or coffee shop for pting next time?

Ha take heart in the fact it is extremely unlikely test day will be half as chaotic

[Gisney]

Pt 54 today

LR1: -2
LR2: -2
LG: -0
RC: -2

Raw: 95
Scaled: 175

A kick in the butt I need. My recent 180s combined with my exhaustion of the study process has made me completely lax in studying and preparing.

Shows that LSAT success requires maintainence!

No more slacking off for me!!

[seacow]

Did two 4-section PTs yesterday, 48 & 50.

48: -9, 169 (whack curve, eh?)
50: -9, 171

Botched that appliance game (vacuum, razor, hairdryer...) on 48, -2, for some reason. Other than that, good.

On 50 I encountered my first modern era RC section, -6. I am actually pretty happy with this. It was after five sections, there was a lot of noise, and I made a few uncharacteristic mistakes, such as spending too much time on the first passage and moving onto the questions before understanding the passage completely on the last passage, and also a few silly ones.

If the curve is not shite and I don't completely lose the plot, I should improve upon my 164.

Let's do work, all. Less than a month.

Good job on the scores!

Question though how can you be a retaker and never have seen a modern RC?

It was my first modern RC in this round of prep. That was unclear.

[seacow]

I'm trying to get better at RC by just reading more when im not prepping. has anyone found this to be useful /effective. If so what's the best stuff to read? I've just been reading books and journal articles.

I now read every week's Economist and have been making a conscious effort to work on my reading/oral comprehension by reading articles that friend's post on facebook, for example, and listening more acutely to commentary on news channels.

It has helped. But I think there are dramatic diminished returns. It is true that if you suck at reading you should immediately begin reading a lot (!) and consider it part of your prep, but if you are already pretty decent at it, it may not be as crucial.


On a related note, anyone else think that writing your PS/DS/related pieces, like motivation letters, hurts your reading abilities? I spend so much time writing them these days that I feel like I get in bad habits of glossing over the writing instead of dissecting every single word, as one needs to do on the LSAT.

[Honey_Badger]

Just did PT59

The bad news: That games section kicked my ass, it's been a long time since I went -5 on a LG section.

The Good News: FIRST 170 EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111!!!1

Nice work, worm! Congrats!

[bdeebs]

Just retook PT58 at a local law school. I took it about 5 months ago, but I was still pretty stoked at my first ever -0!
LR1: -0
LR2: -0
LG: -0
RC: -0

Experimental (RC): -3 (dodged a bullet lol)

[talkingaboutpractice]

I'm consistently scoring -2/-3 on each section and having trouble identifying general trends with my mistakes (though LG is still a work in progress). On LR questions, it's usually just picking the wrong option out of two remaining choices. Any advice?? Should I be drilling or focusing exclusively on full length PT at this point?

I would like to push my score up a few points and be consistently in the mid 170's on test day. I'd like to think that on test day I'll be even more focused and less prone to a couple errors, but that's probably wishful thinking..

Thanks!

[RCinDNA]

I'm consistently scoring -2/-3 on each section and having trouble identifying general trends with my mistakes (though LG is still a work in progress). On LR questions, it's usually just picking the wrong option out of two remaining choices. Any advice?? Should I be drilling or focusing exclusively on full length PT at this point?

I would like to push my score up a few points and be consistently in the mid 170's on test day. I'd like to think that on test day I'll be even more focused and less prone to a couple errors, but that's probably wishful thinking..

Thanks!

LOL A lot of people would kill for -2/-3 on all sections! Anyway, IMHO, concentrate on getting a perfect on LGs - that is the easiest section by far to get solid improvements in with minimal time.

First, you should input your test answers into this tool: --LinkRemoved--. It helps you see the percentage of question types you are missing, and should assist you identifying specific trends in regards to question types you are having problems with. It's also free.

Second, I think that you should drill those specific question types that you are having issues with - it's often the case that once certain concepts are established, your performance on questions of that type becomes reliably higher (i.e. drilling Main Point questions, reading the LRB on those types and then practicing them enables you to easily see intermediate conclusions and primary conclusions, whereas you might not have even noticed the difference before).

If you have the Cambridge PTs, you can actually look at the Logical Reasoning and Logic Games sections broken down by question types which is really helpful. The Cambridge Books also help drill specific questions since they collect questions into one place with easier ones going first.

ETA: I just realized that using the lsatqa tool would show you which answers you got wrong, but I had the advantage of referring to Cambridge LSAT's lists of LR classifications to compare the precise question number against. You would need to locate the specific question on a site like http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/ls ... sheet.html to see which particular question type you got wrong. If you make an account or sign with Twitter or FaceBook, though, you should be able to access your test taking history, though, so I recommend logging in.