The Official June 2015 Study Group Forum

biggestlawman · Post by **biggestlawman** » Sat Apr 25, 2015 11:28 pm

gamerish wrote:Re-reading the weaken chapters in all my prep books. Again.

Dude,

1. Find the flaw! Without a fail! Every single time!
2. 'Weakens' talks about the flaw.
3. 'Strengthens' plugs the flaw a little bit.

That's all there is to it!

sox49 · Post by **sox49** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 6:56 pm

biggestlawman wrote:
gamerish wrote:Re-reading the weaken chapters in all my prep books. Again.
Dude,

1. Find the flaw! Without a fail! Every single time!
2. 'Weakens' talks about the flaw.
3. 'Strengthens' plugs the flaw a little bit.

That's all there is to it!

i agree thats it in a simplified way, but what i think are tricky about weaken and strengthen questions are the answer choices. i find that the hardest st/wk questions will have a CR that exploits a reasoning structure in a subtle way.

imDEREK · Post by **imDEREK** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 7:21 pm

On the fence about whether to register for the test...

What does TLS think?

Initially I intended to take the October 2015 test. I have been casually studying since February. Since December 2014 I have been looking for work on land that would allow me to sufficient studying time and look appropriate on my resume. I have had no luck whatsoever.

My current line of work --- captain on a tuna boat --- does not allow any opportunity for internet, studying, or much rest. I have secured an easy temporary job until mid June and this inspired me to take the June test. My concern is that by mid June if I don't find work, I'll need to go fishing and it will really hamper any opportunity to prepare for October.

1. I still plan on taking the LSAT in October regardless of my June score
2. I'd take proctored practice tests on May 23 and if I wasn't in striking distance I'd postpone the test May 24 and lose 80 dollars.
3. Realistically I'd be ecstatic with a 165. Again, I'd certainly retake, but it would be a huge piece of mind for the summer.
4. I'm mostly finished with the LRB and the Trainer. 155 PT yesterday.

What does TLS think?

sox49 · Post by **sox49** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 7:34 pm

imDEREK wrote:On the fence about whether to register for the test...

What does TLS think?

Initially I intended to take the October 2015 test. I have been casually studying since February. Since December 2014 I have been looking for work on land that would allow me to sufficient studying time and look appropriate on my resume. I have had no luck whatsoever.

My current line of work --- captain on a tuna boat --- does not allow any opportunity for internet, studying, or much rest. I have secured an easy temporary job until mid June and this inspired me to take the June test. My concern is that by mid June if I don't find work, I'll need to go fishing and it will really hamper any opportunity to prepare for October.

1. I still plan on taking the LSAT in October regardless of my June score
2. I'd take proctored practice tests on May 23 and if I wasn't in striking distance I'd postpone the test May 24 and lose 80 dollars.
3. Realistically I'd be ecstatic with a 165. Again, I'd certainly retake, but it would be a huge piece of mind for the summer.
4. I'm mostly finished with the LRB and the Trainer. 155 PT yesterday.

What does TLS think?

I've actually been wishing i took the february lsat just to sit for it and have that experience behind me as i prepare. i would have canceled my score because i wasn't ready for the test but it would have exposed me to the actual test environment and hopefully would have left me better prepared to deal with the stress of test day. the february lsat is a undisclosed test so it wouldnt have been burning a prep test. if you take in june and you are not really ready to take it, and you plan to take in october, then you will waste a prep test.

what do other people think? would that have been stupid?

sorry kinda hijacked your post. my thought is if you aren't ready don't take it unless you are ok burning a prep test. if you aren't ready and do take it, then cancel your score.
take the time to get your score as high as you can. even if you score a 165 on one prep test, i wouldn't necessarily consider that predictive of your ability to get that score on test day.
my 2 cents.

imDEREK · Post by **imDEREK** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 7:39 pm

Thanks, that's what I meant by honestly assessing myself on May 23rd in order to postpone with no consequences on May 24.

RZ5646 · Post by **RZ5646** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 8:25 pm

biggestlawman wrote:
gamerish wrote:Re-reading the weaken chapters in all my prep books. Again.
Dude,

1. Find the flaw! Without a fail! Every single time!
2. 'Weakens' talks about the flaw.
3. 'Strengthens' plugs the flaw a little bit.

That's all there is to it!

Disagree. Don't try to prephrase answers for weaken questions, since oftentimes TCR is something random you'd never think of. Understand the argument and read every AC.

(Note: BLM's method might work for easy weaken questions. I haven't done a PT in a while so I don't remember if there are easy ones with obvious flaws, but I do distinctly recall weaken TCRs coming out of left field which I couldn't have gotten right without reading every AC, eliminating all neutral or strengthen options, and then comparing what was left.)

biggestlawman · Post by **biggestlawman** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 8:48 pm

RZ5646 wrote:
biggestlawman wrote:
gamerish wrote:Re-reading the weaken chapters in all my prep books. Again.
Dude,

1. Find the flaw! Without a fail! Every single time!
2. 'Weakens' talks about the flaw.
3. 'Strengthens' plugs the flaw a little bit.

That's all there is to it!
Disagree. Don't try to prephrase answers for weaken questions, since oftentimes TCR is something random you'd never think of. Understand the argument and read every AC.

(Note: BLM's method might work for easy weaken questions. I haven't done a PT in a while so I don't remember if there are easy ones with obvious flaws, but I do distinctly recall weaken TCRs coming out of left field which I couldn't have gotten right without reading every AC, eliminating all neutral or strengthen options, and then comparing what was left.)

Knowing the flaw is essential and not the same as knowing the answer to the weaken/strengthen questions.

biggestlawman · Post by **biggestlawman** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 9:01 pm

imDEREK wrote:Thanks, that's what I meant by honestly assessing myself on May 23rd in order to postpone with no consequences on May 24.

Its very hard to take an LSAT semi prepared, pretending that it was just a PT and continuing to study as before. There is a confidence recovery period post trial LSAT.

(Answering your original post!)

RZ5646 · Post by **RZ5646** » Sun Apr 26, 2015 10:52 pm

@BLM I'm just saying that for the hard strengthen/weaken questions at least, there could be dozens of possible flaws, so I tend to just get the gist of the argument and then find out what the answer choices have to say without overthinking it. My thought process after reading an AC is often like "oh yeah, that sounds like it targets a weakness. Didn't think of that but this one is probably TCR."

But that's just my strategy. To each his own.

gamerish · Post by **gamerish** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:36 am

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TheProdigal · Post by **TheProdigal** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:45 am

gamerish wrote:#ThatSpecialKindOfNauseaYouOnlyGetByThinkingAboutYourFuture

I'm gonna go have some Oreos.

+1

JackelJ · Post by **JackelJ** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:48 am

"Oh yeah, that answer seems to work, even though I don't know what I'm looking for and haven't explicitly identified the flaw" is a great way to tackle the hardest strengthen/weaken questions

McJimJam · Post by **McJimJam** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:54 am

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TheProdigal · Post by **TheProdigal** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 12:55 am

McJimJam wrote:How are all you wonderful people doing? It's been a while. How's everyone feeling about June?

Like I'll be throwing away hundreds of dollars. Only question is how much.

gamerish · Post by **gamerish** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:04 am

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McJimJam · Post by **McJimJam** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:12 am

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RZ5646 · Post by **RZ5646** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:14 am

JackelJ wrote:"Oh yeah, that answer seems to work, even though I don't know what I'm looking for and haven't explicitly identified the flaw" is a great way to tackle the hardest strengthen/weaken questions

Well I consistently get -1 or -2 for both LRs combined, so it seems to work for me. If you have a strategy that you think is better for you, then great. You do you.

McJimJam · Post by **McJimJam** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:17 am

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RZ5646 · Post by **RZ5646** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 1:38 am

McJimJam wrote:RZ, still going for June?
ETA: Never mind just perused through the last page, seems like October's beginning to pile up. Not sure if I'm happy that you guys will be around, or sad that y'all aren't feeling up to it for June.

Yeah going for June now because I was lazy and wasted most of this semester. I'm fairly confident that I could study hard the next month and get a 170+ in June, but I want to aim higher and get a truly great score, which I think is possible if I put the work in. I don't want to look back and say "that 172 was cool, but I probably would have gotten that awesome scholarship if I'd actually studied hard and gotten ~177." So I'm planning to study over the summer, aiming for an October 180.

It also helps that I will have an ideal summer for this. I'm living by myself and getting paid to do a research project that shouldn't take much time so it will be a stress-free summer with plenty of free time and no distractions. Even I should be able to study 10 hours per week in a perfect environment like that lol

TheProdigal · Post by **TheProdigal** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 8:07 am

McJimJam wrote:ETA: I have total faith in you prodigal, just a little over a month and then worrying about the LSAT will never be a part of your life again (...well not counting time for scores to come).

Either I don't improve and have wasted the retake dollars, or I do improve and withdraw after second deposit to reapply in September. Only a little frustrating.

biggestlawman · Post by **biggestlawman** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:58 am

RZ5646 wrote:@BLM I'm just saying that for the hard strengthen/weaken questions at least, there could be dozens of possible flaws, so I tend to just get the gist of the argument and then find out what the answer choices have to say without overthinking it. My thought process after reading an AC is often like "oh yeah, that sounds like it targets a weakness. Didn't think of that but this one is probably TCR."

But that's just my strategy. To each his own.

biggestlawman · Post by **biggestlawman** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:58 am

JackelJ wrote:"Oh yeah, that answer seems to work, even though I don't know what I'm looking for and haven't explicitly identified the flaw" is a great way to tackle the hardest strengthen/weaken questions

biggestlawman · Post by **biggestlawman** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:01 am

RZ5646 wrote:
JackelJ wrote:"Oh yeah, that answer seems to work, even though I don't know what I'm looking for and haven't explicitly identified the flaw" is a great way to tackle the hardest strengthen/weaken questions
Well I consistently get -1 or -2 for both LRs combined, so it seems to work for me. If you have a strategy that you think is better for you, then great. You do you.

Getting the answer(s) right does not mean that you do not have holes in your reasoning. Solid fundamentals are more desirable as they hold you in good stead for the LSAT and later.

biggestlawman · Post by **biggestlawman** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:02 am

RZ5646 wrote:
McJimJam wrote:RZ, still going for June?
ETA: Never mind just perused through the last page, seems like October's beginning to pile up. Not sure if I'm happy that you guys will be around, or sad that y'all aren't feeling up to it for June.
Yeah going for June now because I was lazy and wasted most of this semester. I'm fairly confident that I could study hard the next month and get a 170+ in June, but I want to aim higher and get a truly great score, which I think is possible if I put the work in. I don't want to look back and say "that 172 was cool, but I probably would have gotten that awesome scholarship if I'd actually studied hard and gotten ~177." So I'm planning to study over the summer, aiming for an October 180.

It also helps that I will have an ideal summer for this. I'm living by myself and getting paid to do a research project that shouldn't take much time so it will be a stress-free summer with plenty of free time and no distractions. Even I should be able to study 10 hours per week in a perfect environment like that lol

SMH

whacka · Post by **whacka** » Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:07 am