The Official February 2015 Study Group Forum

[Big Red]

I tattoo all the questions I miss on my body.

167 across your forehead

HEY NOW

[Donashimen]

Desperately need the explanations to PT 74 especially the RC and LR sections. Really need to figure out why the hell I'm getting some of the questions wrong

[ilikebaseball]

Desperately need the explanations to PT 74 especially the RC and LR sections. Really need to figure out why the hell I'm getting some of the questions wrong

rigo made a PT 74 thread, so ask your questions in there

[leslieknope]

It's becoming increasingly clear that my real problem with RC is timing. Just did a section untimed and went -0, whereas I go -3 to -6 in timed tests. I just can't keep the facts from the really dense sciencey passages in my head without having to go back and check, and that eats up so much time.

[NL2424]

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[Dr. Nefario]

I'm still trying to figure out how today is the second day of class and I have a paper due on Joan of Arc already. What have I gotten myself into?

[NL2424]

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[JackelJ]

I'm still trying to figure out how today is the second day of class and I have a paper due on Joan of Arc already. What have I gotten myself into?

So your paper is due today, or it was just assigned today? If its due today then that sucks

[Dr. Nefario]

I'm still trying to figure out how today is the second day of class and I have a paper due on Joan of Arc already. What have I gotten myself into?

So your paper is due today, or it was just assigned today? If its due today then that sucks

Due today. It was assigned on syllabus day.

[NL2424]

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[m27]

One thing I dislike about Dave Hall is how he talks about how "easy" it is to get some RC passages. He'll start off like "oh, this passage is about X, and once you get that the questions are just a caaaakkkeewalk." And I'm like, yeah Dave, I bet they are, however I'm not at your level yet so these passages are in fact not so easy to understand. Therefore the questions are not a cakewalk. Bitter, but I'm still using his videos because they're so helpful. Maybe I'm just jealous.

I know what you mean. I think those videos are just the barebones, leaving the more comprehensive discussion/pattern walk-through for the paying members. Still helpful nonetheless

[Shakawkaw]

Went through a RC section today and went into the last passage (which had 8 questions) with not enough time.

Some top scorers have suggested the strategy of combing through the passages and doing the one with the most questions first to get it out of the way. Perhaps you might find that approach useful. Personally, I like doing them in the order they are presented because I don't like losing time flipping through the booklet, and they are designed to be completed within the allotted time anyway.

[Rigo]

[Shakawkaw]

Went through a RC section today and went into the last passage (which had 8 questions) with not enough time.

Some top scorers have suggested the strategy of combing through the passages and doing the one with the most questions first to get it out of the way. Perhaps you might find that approach useful. Personally, I like doing them in the order they are presented because I don't like losing time flipping through the booklet, and they are designed to be completed within the allotted time anyway.

I do that. #topscorer
And it's moreso about doing the longer passages in the beginning when your brain is less tired. On the fourth passage you may be in a rush and fatigued, so it's definitely better to only have a shorter passage when your brain may not be at 100%.
YMMV.

This is why I do them in the order they are presented: sometimes, the shorter passages are the craziest. But this isn't always true. I've hit long passages that have taken me incredibly long. Whatever. I hate RC.

[NL2424]

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[Rigo]

[NL2424]

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[Shakawkaw]

I'm not a fan of finding the passages with more questions and doing them first. I just try to do them in a timely fashion in accordance with how many questions they have. Sometimes the passage with 5 questions is the most difficult and the passage with 8 questions is the easiest.

Given your OP, in which you expressed not finishing the passage with the most questions in a timely fashion, I suggested an approach you might find useful. Perhaps you can try doing it again. I've found approaches that I hated in the beginning of my prep useful once I've attempted them again at a later point in my prep. RC is about trying different approaches and seeing what sticks.

There is also an inherent contradiction in your post - you say you try to do passages in accordance to how many questions they have, yet you state that passages with 5 questions can be most time consuming for you. Other top scorers ITT and beyond have suggested just sticking to 8 minutes per passage. Perhaps you can try that, too.

Good luck, and happy studying!

[nlee10]

Why do I have this uneasy feeling that I'm going to get RC as my exp?

[Shakawkaw]

Why do I have this uneasy feeling that I'm going to get RC as my exp?

Should not matter, nlee. You'll have mastery of every section come February. No exp. section should faze you.

[Rigo]

[nlee10]

Should not matter, nlee. You'll have mastery of every section come February. No exp. section should faze you.

Yes! Aside from taking a few more PT's, I've been really trying to work on staying calm as I'm sure test day nerves play a big role on scores.

[Shakawkaw]

Why do I have this uneasy feeling that I'm going to get RC as my exp?

I did. Experimental followed by real section. I did amazing (-4, for me) on RC so I feel like it was a blessing in hindsight.

Ditto. I wished the exp. was the real one. I was crushed when I got to the real one.

[Rigo]

[NL2424]

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