The Official December 2014 Study Group Forum

sfoglia · Post by **sfoglia** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 12:51 pm

mist4bison wrote:
sfoglia wrote:Guys, I need help.

How do I NOT make stupid mistakes on LG? Has anyone stupidly missed a question or two per section and somehow re-trained themselves not to be idiot?

For example, I answered a question yesterday in which the answer was "four." I actually diagrammed out the number of possibilities and confirmed there were, indeed, four. I circled "two."

Obvs don't have enough time to go back and double-check every single answer at the end of the section, so...
I go through other ACs, even if I'm 100% on an AC. However, my issue is that I go way too fast, so this is more to force myself to slow down. And then at the end of the section I also go back and check over the setups and ACs I selected.

Are you trying to hurry through everything? That could be the issue

ETA: When I go through at the end I'll usually read the CBT/CBF questions first, since those are the ones I usually mess up on just because I forget what type of question it is.

Hmmm. I do that, too.

I'd say that I'm just being lackadaisical except that I was doing this prior to September, too, always missing one or two over a careless mistake. I hadn't thought to look for a pattern in questions missed, though. That's a great idea. I will definitely start keeping track.

mist4bison · Post by **mist4bison** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 12:55 pm

ugg · Post by **ugg** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 1:23 pm

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Rigo · Post by **Rigo** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 1:29 pm

ugg · Post by **ugg** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 1:31 pm

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Rigo · Post by **Rigo** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 1:42 pm

GreenTee · Post by **GreenTee** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 1:52 pm

Lunch time!
Just drilled 8 passages (discreetly and discretely). I think I'll try to do another 8 before the workday is over.
Then I'll switch over to drilling games for the rest of the night.

dasani13 · Post by **dasani13** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:09 pm

Took PT 62* with a fever and it was not fun. Also, the correct answer to #15 in RC makes absolutely no sense to me. I chose C during the PT and BR with so much confidence. Like I know I suck at RC but wtf.

Smallville · Post by **Smallville** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:18 pm

dasani13 wrote:Took PT 65 with a fever and it was not fun. Also, the correct answer to #15 in RC makes absolutely no sense to me. I chose C during the PT and BR with so much confidence. Like I know I suck at RC but wtf.

chances are with blackmail the crime already was committed so the government isnt trying to prevent the crime but find out about it so they can do something about it

dasani13 · Post by **dasani13** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:20 pm

Jgoods wrote:
dasani13 wrote:Took PT 65 with a fever and it was not fun. Also, the correct answer to #15 in RC makes absolutely no sense to me. I chose C during the PT and BR with so much confidence. Like I know I suck at RC but wtf.
chances are with blackmail the crime already was committed so the government isnt trying to prevent the crime but find out about it so they can do something about it

Ops, it was PT 62 not 65 lol. sorry!!

nlee10 · Post by **nlee10** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:23 pm

dasani13 wrote:
Jgoods wrote:
dasani13 wrote:Took PT 65 with a fever and it was not fun. Also, the correct answer to #15 in RC makes absolutely no sense to me. I chose C during the PT and BR with so much confidence. Like I know I suck at RC but wtf.
chances are with blackmail the crime already was committed so the government isnt trying to prevent the crime but find out about it so they can do something about it
Ops, it was PT 62 not 65 lol. sorry!!

I chose C as well on that question. lol

Smallville · Post by **Smallville** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:25 pm

dasani13 wrote:
Jgoods wrote:
dasani13 wrote:Took PT 65 with a fever and it was not fun. Also, the correct answer to #15 in RC makes absolutely no sense to me. I chose C during the PT and BR with so much confidence. Like I know I suck at RC but wtf.
chances are with blackmail the crime already was committed so the government isnt trying to prevent the crime but find out about it so they can do something about it
Ops, it was PT 62 not 65 lol. sorry!!

lol gotcha... I picked the same answer, I think the thing is it doesnt focus strictly on agricultural societies or w.e bc they talk about societies of hunter/gatherers.... If I remember the reasoning correctly lol

Rigo · Post by **Rigo** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:30 pm

dasani13 · Post by **dasani13** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:35 pm

Jgoods wrote:
dasani13 wrote:
Jgoods wrote:
dasani13 wrote:Took PT 65 with a fever and it was not fun. Also, the correct answer to #15 in RC makes absolutely no sense to me. I chose C during the PT and BR with so much confidence. Like I know I suck at RC but wtf.
chances are with blackmail the crime already was committed so the government isnt trying to prevent the crime but find out about it so they can do something about it
Ops, it was PT 62 not 65 lol. sorry!!
lol gotcha... I picked the same answer, I think the thing is it doesnt focus strictly on agricultural societies or w.e bc they talk about societies of hunter/gatherers.... If I remember the reasoning correctly lol

Yeah I thought about that too during the PT. But then I re-read A and was 100% sure that the passage was NOT "primarily concerned with evidence of the development of agriculture," so I settled for C. This was the only question that I missed in this passage so I guess it's just really strange to get the main point completely wrong but still do well on all the others.

Shakawkaw · Post by **Shakawkaw** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:06 pm

Sfogs - I literally just did what you posted about. Finished a set in 30 minutes and the only one I got wrong I was sure I got correct. Sure enough, I derp'd out and put the wrong one by accident. Hopefully 18 days will be enough to stop the derp.

I think in the future, I'm going to say it to myself, i.e., mouth out the answer, so I can mentally connect the correct answer to the corresponding letter. I find that mouthing things out as I read in other sections also helps me connect ideas, especially under the time crunch. Maybe that will help? I don't care if I look like a crazy lunatic.

GreenTee · Post by **GreenTee** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:18 pm

Shakawkaw wrote:Sfogs - I literally just did what you posted about. Finished a set in 30 minutes and the only one I got wrong I was sure I got correct. Sure enough, I derp'd out and put the wrong one by accident. Hopefully 18 days will be enough to stop the derp.

I think in the future, I'm going to say it to myself, i.e., mouth out the answer, so I can mentally connect the correct answer to the corresponding letter. I find that mouthing things out as I read in other sections also helps me connect ideas, especially under the time crunch. Maybe that will help? I don't care if I look like a crazy lunatic.

Yeah, I think the best way to avoid careless mistakes is to become so comfortable with your timing in the section overall that you never feel compelled to rush. This is true for every section, not just LG. Five minutes is an eternity. I bet if you had slowed down and allocated that time to verifying your answer choices, the careless mistakes would be eliminated.

The slow and steady mentality is the best way to maximize your potential. Aim to finish all sections in as close to the full 35 minutes as possible.

mist4bison · Post by **mist4bison** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:26 pm

secadc11 · Post by **secadc11** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:27 pm

mist4bison wrote:
GreenTee wrote:
Shakawkaw wrote:Sfogs - I literally just did what you posted about. Finished a set in 30 minutes and the only one I got wrong I was sure I got correct. Sure enough, I derp'd out and put the wrong one by accident. Hopefully 18 days will be enough to stop the derp.

I think in the future, I'm going to say it to myself, i.e., mouth out the answer, so I can mentally connect the correct answer to the corresponding letter. I find that mouthing things out as I read in other sections also helps me connect ideas, especially under the time crunch. Maybe that will help? I don't care if I look like a crazy lunatic.
Yeah, I think the best way to avoid careless mistakes is to become so comfortable with your timing in the section overall that you never feel compelled to rush. This is true for every section, not just LG. Five minutes is an eternity. I bet if you had slowed down and allocated that time to verifying your answer choices, the careless mistakes would be eliminated.

The slow and steady mentality is the best way to maximize your potential. Aim to finish all sections in as close to the full 35 minutes as possible.
So my issue with this is I rush through LG like it's a race. Last test I had to actually put my pencil down after game 2 and say to myself "slow the fvck down." I still finished the section in less than 30 minutes. (Game 1+2 in 8 mins, game 3 in 15, game 4 in 26). I can't get out of that race mindset. Anyone have suggestions aside from just stopping after each game and telling myself to cool it? I've been getting -0, but I'm worried this will eventually trip me up. Or should I just stick with racing, since it works for me?

Damn so jealous of this LG speed.

mist4bison · Post by **mist4bison** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:33 pm

GreenTee · Post by **GreenTee** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:49 pm

mist4bison wrote:
secadc11 wrote:
Damn so jealous of this LG speed.
Yeah, but I feel like it's going to hurt me in the long run. Yesterday I ran through diagramming rules and misdiagrammed and couldn't answer a single question correctly in 11 minutes.

I think I'm going to maybe go through rules twice from now on. Do you guys think that be a worthwhile use of extra time?

Speed is a function of process. If you're consistently under time, your processes are efficient. So no, I do not think you should continue to treat it like a race. And I also think that you'll be much better at catching errors the first time than you would be during your quick scan at the end of the section. Check and double check your work every step of the way. Aim to bubble the last question sometime during minute 34. It's great practice for test day, when you will likely feel the urge to rush. Concentrate on working slowly and cautiously.

Eta - meant to quote your previous post, but the point still holds.

Smallville · Post by **Smallville** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 3:57 pm

mist4bison wrote:
secadc11 wrote:
Damn so jealous of this LG speed.
Yeah, but I feel like it's going to hurt me in the long run. Yesterday I ran through diagramming rules and misdiagrammed and couldn't answer a single question correctly in 11 minutes.

I think I'm going to maybe go through rules twice from now on. Do you guys think that be a worthwhile use of extra time?

if you're going through that quick I dont think it would hurt to make sure you have every rule figured out, even if it only takes an extra 30 sec youll have made sure you have the rules down while only adding another 2 min or so which still seems to leave you with plenty of time to go over some questions at the end

mist4bison · Post by **mist4bison** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:04 pm

pta · Post by **pta** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:06 pm

Post removed...

Shakawkaw · Post by **Shakawkaw** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:30 pm

GreenTee wrote:
Shakawkaw wrote:Sfogs - I literally just did what you posted about. Finished a set in 30 minutes and the only one I got wrong I was sure I got correct. Sure enough, I derp'd out and put the wrong one by accident. Hopefully 18 days will be enough to stop the derp.

I think in the future, I'm going to say it to myself, i.e., mouth out the answer, so I can mentally connect the correct answer to the corresponding letter. I find that mouthing things out as I read in other sections also helps me connect ideas, especially under the time crunch. Maybe that will help? I don't care if I look like a crazy lunatic.
Yeah, I think the best way to avoid careless mistakes is to become so comfortable with your timing in the section overall that you never feel compelled to rush. This is true for every section, not just LG. Five minutes is an eternity. I bet if you had slowed down and allocated that time to verifying your answer choices, the careless mistakes would be eliminated.

The slow and steady mentality is the best way to maximize your potential. Aim to finish all sections in as close to the full 35 minutes as possible.

So here's my problem - and maybe you can speak to this: depending on the section, some problems take longer than others (obviously). If I'm hit with an easy problem, I don't rush it so much as I'm comfortable with the set up and it'll take me less time to complete. This is also a mental indicator to me that there will be a harder game later, so I shouldn't dilly daddle. That said, earlier in my prep, I would take my time on the first games, or the easier games, because I did not want to miss any questions (because easy points). Now I usually finish on time, but have noticed that for the past couple of sets (this one being an exception) I've been rushed for time and have 5 minutes for the last game. Luckily, this isn't been an issue because I've gotten the questions right and finished right on time. This is also another reason why I think I'm rushing a little bit - I perform really well under pressure. It's another reason why I hate BR because if you give me a lot of time to look over a problem, I'll overthink a question and switch from the right answer.

I know this probably speaks to deeper issues, such as potentially, misunderstanding the fundamentals, but I think it's more than that.

Any advice would be much appreciated. For reference - I try to follow JY's time markers - so, 5 minutes for easier games, 7-8 for medium level and 9-10 for harder ones.

The set that I did was PT 58. I finished at 5:30, 11:13, 19:00 and 30:00, respectively, for each game.

GreenTee · Post by **GreenTee** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:54 pm

Shakawkaw wrote:So here's my problem - and maybe you can speak to this: depending on the section, some problems take longer than others (obviously). If I'm hit with an easy problem, I don't rush it so much as I'm comfortable with the set up and it'll take me less time to complete. This is also a mental indicator to me that there will be a harder game later, so I shouldn't dilly daddle. That said, earlier in my prep, I would take my time on the first games, or the easier games, because I did not want to miss any questions (because easy points). Now I usually finish on time, but have noticed that for the past couple of sets (this one being an exception) I've been rushed for time and have 5 minutes for the last game. Luckily, this isn't been an issue because I've gotten the questions right and finished right on time. This is also another reason why I think I'm rushing a little bit - I perform really well under pressure. It's another reason why I hate BR because if you give me a lot of time to look over a problem, I'll overthink a question and switch from the right answer.

I know this probably speaks to deeper issues, such as potentially, misunderstanding the fundamentals, but I think it's more than that.

Any advice would be much appreciated. For reference - I try to follow JY's time markers - so, 5 minutes for easier games, 7-8 for medium level and 9-10 for harder ones.

The set that I did was PT 58. I finished at 5:30, 11:13, 19:00 and 30:00, respectively, for each game.

It's definitely true that individual games are meant to take different amounts of time to solve, but that's not true of sections on the whole. Every section is meant to take 35 minutes. If you find yourself rushing to finish a section, it means you were not as strong in your fundamentals for one or more of the individual game types featured in that section as you need to be. So the best thing to do is to go through sections you struggled to finish and identify which game(s) you could have solved more efficiently. Then drill those game types ad nauseam.

Ideally, you should be completely confident that you can finish any section in 35 minutes, no matter what kind of games compose that section. If your process is consistently strong, the games will take exactly the amount of time they were designed to take, and no more.

Side note: I'm concerned that you would ever change a LG question from right to wrong in blind review. Every LG question is 100% provable. When time constraints are removed, everyone should get -0.