The Official June 2014 Study Group Forum

[fnma2jd]

Checking in! I left the December LSAT feeling like I did great, got my score yesterday and am not happy.

[C4271066]

Has anyone used LSATBlog's study schedules before? I'm considering purchasing the "intense" June plan and following it aggressively, but I want to hear what other think about it?

http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/6- ... -plan.html

I'm concerned about some aspects of it...like how the whole first month is devoted to LG and in the very early tests. I know that the selected sections and tests can be changed, obviously, but any thoughts?

[fnma2jd]

Has anyone used LSATBlog's study schedules before? I'm considering purchasing the "intense" June plan and following it aggressively, but I want to hear what other think about it?

http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/6- ... -plan.html

I'm concerned about some aspects of it...like how the whole first month is devoted to LG and in the very early tests. I know that the selected sections and tests can be changed, obviously, but any thoughts?

hahahahah I love the avatar

[C4271066]

Has anyone used LSATBlog's study schedules before? I'm considering purchasing the "intense" June plan and following it aggressively, but I want to hear what other think about it?

http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/6- ... -plan.html

I'm concerned about some aspects of it...like how the whole first month is devoted to LG and in the very early tests. I know that the selected sections and tests can be changed, obviously, but any thoughts?

hahahahah I love the avatar

Side-Eyeing Chloe is the best. I will probably alternate avatars based on this Buzzfeed article: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattbellassai/s ... -of-tumblr

[alexrodriguez]

This thread has completely been taken over by retakers!

I'm glad to have you though.

Anyways just finished Lesson 20 or 21 (I forget) in the LSAT trainer. It was 14 questions timed. I didn't too hot. I had -6. -6 out of 14. That's 8 correct. That's a little over 50%. That's shit.

I know I have so much studying to do... but I don't know how much more efficient I can become. I realize all the errors I made and how stupid they were, but still. When I'm pressed for time I don't know how thorough I'm going to be. It's a really frightening idea to be taking this test in June and to be getting -6 out of 14.

It would kill me to score low knowing how much time and effort I've put into this.

[Tyr]

My friend was telling me about his LSAT experience this past week. He's currently a 3L, but he is adamant about Examkrackers. I never even heard of that book until he was telling me how it helped him get a 176 after a 14x diagnostic. I'm not so sure. Has anyone else heard absolutely anything about Examkrackers?

[Straw_Mandible]

Welcome all ye retakers! (And yet you come not well.) We welcome your text, and while we regret your pretext, we commit to helping one another learn from the past and work toward the future.

Of course it's a shame to have not performed at your best in December, but we are so glad to have you in this thread with us first-timers, so that you may share your infinite LSAT wisdom! Experience is the greatest teacher, and we sincerely hope this also applies to second-hand experience.

In anonymous internet solidarity,

SM

[inlovewithpiper]

My friend was telling me about his LSAT experience this past week. He's currently a 3L, but he is adamant about Examkrackers. I never even heard of that book until he was telling me how it helped him get a 176 after a 14x diagnostic. I'm not so sure. Has anyone else heard absolutely anything about Examkrackers?

Never heard of this! But my cold diag. was a 143 at the beginning of 2013... And I scored a 165 in December. So what I've used so far has worked; I just need to push that score up 5 more points... I wonder if Examkrackers would be worth it for that purpose?

[Tyr]

My friend was telling me about his LSAT experience this past week. He's currently a 3L, but he is adamant about Examkrackers. I never even heard of that book until he was telling me how it helped him get a 176 after a 14x diagnostic. I'm not so sure. Has anyone else heard absolutely anything about Examkrackers?

Never heard of this! But my cold diag. was a 143 at the beginning of 2013... And I scored a 165 in December. So what I've used so far has worked; I just need to push that score up 5 more points... I wonder if Examkrackers would be worth it for that purpose?

I don't know. He's telling the truth about what he scored, and he's attending a T-10 school. I'm currently using The Trainer and am enjoying it. After the Trainer (or in supplement), I'm going to use Manhattan LSAT. I also have BP LG book if I need additional help on that topic. I'm just doubtful that I need yet another book on top of those. These three companies should give me everything I need...maybe.

[inlovewithpiper]

My friend was telling me about his LSAT experience this past week. He's currently a 3L, but he is adamant about Examkrackers. I never even heard of that book until he was telling me how it helped him get a 176 after a 14x diagnostic. I'm not so sure. Has anyone else heard absolutely anything about Examkrackers?

Never heard of this! But my cold diag. was a 143 at the beginning of 2013... And I scored a 165 in December. So what I've used so far has worked; I just need to push that score up 5 more points... I wonder if Examkrackers would be worth it for that purpose?

I don't know. He's telling the truth about what he scored, and he's attending a T-10 school. I'm currently using The Trainer and am enjoying it. After the Trainer (or in supplement), I'm going to use Manhattan LSAT. I also have BP LG book if I need additional help on that topic. I'm just doubtful that I need yet another book on top of those. These three companies should give me everything I need...maybe.

So, here is my question: materials like The Trainer, Manhattan LSAT, etc. seem to me to be great when you're leaning the test, but are they worth it after you have the basics down and are just trying to fine-tune the sections? In my case, for example, where I just need to work on getting my -5 per section down to a -2 or -3 per section? Or is PT/drilling better? I'm just not sure where to start again in my studying, but I definitely wanna stay on track with you June-takers so we can all "be in this together."

[I<3soulcrushingdebt]

My friend was telling me about his LSAT experience this past week. He's currently a 3L, but he is adamant about Examkrackers. I never even heard of that book until he was telling me how it helped him get a 176 after a 14x diagnostic. I'm not so sure. Has anyone else heard absolutely anything about Examkrackers?

Never heard of this! But my cold diag. was a 143 at the beginning of 2013... And I scored a 165 in December. So what I've used so far has worked; I just need to push that score up 5 more points... I wonder if Examkrackers would be worth it for that purpose?

I don't know. He's telling the truth about what he scored, and he's attending a T-10 school. I'm currently using The Trainer and am enjoying it. After the Trainer (or in supplement), I'm going to use Manhattan LSAT. I also have BP LG book if I need additional help on that topic. I'm just doubtful that I need yet another book on top of those. These three companies should give me everything I need...maybe.

From what I gather, different companies have different strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I used the Powerscore Bible leading up to the December exam. While it was certainly beneficial for the LG section, I believe that their methods in RC and LR complicated things more than clarified. I will be reviewing the Manhattan Guide for LR (which from what I gather is rated as the best for this section), so I am hoping this will help my score in this area. As for RC, if anyone knows of any method that is effective and tackling these sections I would be more than interested to hear about it. My problem really isn't the comprehension part, it's avoiding the traps of these questions

[MauveT-Rex]

Figured I'd check in here since I just signed up for the June 14 LSAT! Woot. Ordered the PS trilogy and hopefully it will be at my house by the time I get back to DC.

Is anyone else working full time (40+) and going to school while prepping for the LSAT?

Working 45 hours/week but no school. My current schedule is:

M-F: 2 hours (6:30pm-8:30 pm)
Sa-Su: 5 hours (10am-3pm)

The 18 hour total isn't ideal but for me I don't know how much more is feasible without burning out. I'm curious as to other people's schedules, especially those working full-time. Anyone else care to share?

[Lsataddict175]

This thread has completely been taken over by retakers!

I'm glad to have you though.

Anyways just finished Lesson 20 or 21 (I forget) in the LSAT trainer. It was 14 questions timed. I didn't too hot. I had -6. -6 out of 14. That's 8 correct. That's a little over 50%. That's shit.

I know I have so much studying to do... but I don't know how much more efficient I can become. I realize all the errors I made and how stupid they were, but still. When I'm pressed for time I don't know how thorough I'm going to be. It's a really frightening idea to be taking this test in June and to be getting -6 out of 14.

It would kill me to score low knowing how much time and effort I've put into this.

Hey Louie,
Also just finished Chapter 20 in the Trainer. Got 12/13 correct untimed. Mistakenly saw the answer to the last question so I couldn't really count it. Anyway, my advice to you is that at this point you should be doing these questions untimed. Accuracy first and work on your timing later. Getting every LR question right should be your main goal at this stage and you'll see that as you become more comfortable with the questions your timing will significantly improve.

And how much more time do you think it will take you to complete the book? I feel like I've been reading this book forever. Was just wondering how long it took other TLS'ers to complete this monster.

[Straw_Mandible]

My friend was telling me about his LSAT experience this past week. He's currently a 3L, but he is adamant about Examkrackers. I never even heard of that book until he was telling me how it helped him get a 176 after a 14x diagnostic. I'm not so sure. Has anyone else heard absolutely anything about Examkrackers?

Never heard of this! But my cold diag. was a 143 at the beginning of 2013... And I scored a 165 in December. So what I've used so far has worked; I just need to push that score up 5 more points... I wonder if Examkrackers would be worth it for that purpose?

I don't know. He's telling the truth about what he scored, and he's attending a T-10 school. I'm currently using The Trainer and am enjoying it. After the Trainer (or in supplement), I'm going to use Manhattan LSAT. I also have BP LG book if I need additional help on that topic. I'm just doubtful that I need yet another book on top of those. These three companies should give me everything I need...maybe.

"As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

[Tyr]

So, here is my question: materials like The Trainer, Manhattan LSAT, etc. seem to me to be great when you're leaning the test, but are they worth it after you have the basics down and are just trying to fine-tune the sections? In my case, for example, where I just need to work on getting my -5 per section down to a -2 or -3 per section? Or is PT/drilling better? I'm just not sure where to start again in my studying, but I definitely wanna stay on track with you June-takers so we can all "be in this together."

I think you have the basics down. It probably comes down to more drilling for you to improve. It probably couldn't hurt to breeze through The Trainer. I've heard of people gleaning some insights that helped them even though they had the basics down, solid.

"As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good quotation (and I think I read that somewhere, The Trainer?). And it makes me realize I can't be so paranoid about finding "that one magical book" that will give me a 180. Instead, I need to get a rock-solid foundation and build upon that rather than throwing everything, including the kitchen sink, at my preparation in the hopes of some magic bullet. Thank you SM. I had to see that quotation again for the reminder.

[Louis1127]

My friend was telling me about his LSAT experience this past week. He's currently a 3L, but he is adamant about Examkrackers. I never even heard of that book until he was telling me how it helped him get a 176 after a 14x diagnostic. I'm not so sure. Has anyone else heard absolutely anything about Examkrackers?

Never heard of this! But my cold diag. was a 143 at the beginning of 2013... And I scored a 165 in December. So what I've used so far has worked; I just need to push that score up 5 more points... I wonder if Examkrackers would be worth it for that purpose?

Piper,

That is an awesome improvement, even if it was not what you were looking for on test day. If I may ask, to get to the 165 point that you are at now, what did you do to achieve that great improvement? The standard books-then drill-then review-then PT-then review that most people do?

[C4271066]

Figured I'd check in here since I just signed up for the June 14 LSAT! Woot. Ordered the PS trilogy and hopefully it will be at my house by the time I get back to DC.

Is anyone else working full time (40+) and going to school while prepping for the LSAT?

Working 45 hours/week but no school. My current schedule is:

M-F: 2 hours (6:30pm-8:30 pm)
Sa-Su: 5 hours (10am-3pm)

The 18 hour total isn't ideal but for me I don't know how much more is feasible without burning out. I'm curious as to other people's schedules, especially those working full-time. Anyone else care to share?

I'm work about 50-60 hours a week and just purchased the day-by-day LSATBlog six-month study schedule and will follow it religiously until June.

My original prep was drilling every night from 6pm until sometime between 9 and 11 and then I would do about five hours each on Saturday and Sunday. The six-month schedule is kind of sparse at certain points, so I'm going to include some more full PTs and full timed sections throughout.

I don't really look at it as x hours per week, because tacking that onto the number of hours you work can diminish positive thinking about bigger goals--at least for me. I would say I averaged thirty hours per work with working full-time for December. My problem was with stamina. My first two sections were great, then the last two went downhill fast. I'm going to focus on drilling to ensure every answer choice has an explanation in my head and that those explanations come to mind quickly.

PM me if you want to chat more.

[FlyingNorth]

Figured I'd check in here since I just signed up for the June 14 LSAT! Woot. Ordered the PS trilogy and hopefully it will be at my house by the time I get back to DC.

Is anyone else working full time (40+) and going to school while prepping for the LSAT?

Working 45 hours/week but no school. My current schedule is:

M-F: 2 hours (6:30pm-8:30 pm)
Sa-Su: 5 hours (10am-3pm)

The 18 hour total isn't ideal but for me I don't know how much more is feasible without burning out. I'm curious as to other people's schedules, especially those working full-time. Anyone else care to share?

I think that's a sufficient schedule for the time being. I did the same thing and cranked it up maybe 3 weeks before the test. There's not much more you can do during the week, but I'd suggest adding 1 or 2 timed practice tests when you get closer to the real thing.

[inlovewithpiper]

My friend was telling me about his LSAT experience this past week. He's currently a 3L, but he is adamant about Examkrackers. I never even heard of that book until he was telling me how it helped him get a 176 after a 14x diagnostic. I'm not so sure. Has anyone else heard absolutely anything about Examkrackers?

Never heard of this! But my cold diag. was a 143 at the beginning of 2013... And I scored a 165 in December. So what I've used so far has worked; I just need to push that score up 5 more points... I wonder if Examkrackers would be worth it for that purpose?

Piper,

That is an awesome improvement, even if it was not what you were looking for on test day. If I may ask, to get to the 165 point that you are at now, what did you do to achieve that great improvement? The standard books-then drill-then review-then PT-then review that most people do?

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

I actually had a very interesting history with this test... To be frank, and this is something I thought I would never admit to anyone, I never really studied for this test the way everyone on this site studies. I didn't know jack about logic games, so I rifled through the PowerScore LG Bible, but that's it. All the rest of my "prep" came from PTing. I sort of did the "trial by fire" method. Which, in one sense, worked. I ended up with a 162 in June 2013. But, because my PTs were usually 171-176 ish, I knew I could do better. Weirdly enough, I didn't change anything in my practice routine... I just kept PTing. And I didn't work very hard on that either; maybe 1 or 2 a week (not timed) and then 1 timed per month leading up to December (and not starting until early October...oops). The only thing that I did that I think increased my score to 165 for December was deciding not to take a watch into the test. Timers have always been major distractions for me because I am paranoid and having it front of me makes my attention span even worse (constantly checking after every question, interrupting reading passages to check time, etc.). I don't think I'll ever use a timer again on the test because my focus was unmatched in December.

What I do need to do, however, is figure out what happened with LR. In June, I scored a -4/-0 on LR, which was fine with me, but that same administration got me a -14 on RC. So, I drilled RC in November (as much as I could) and the timer thing helped a lot vis-a-vis concentration. My RC in December was -3 (great!) but my LR shot up to -6/-6. LG for me has always been roughly -5, usually because of careless mistakes (a hypo that breaks a rule and goes unnoticed, etc.). I also mistakenly left TWO questions blank in December. (No idea there.) If I can just get back to my pre-June LR scores, keep my December RC score, and then nail LG down to a -0/-1 (where it should be), I should be in good shape for June.

[alexrodriguez]

This thread has completely been taken over by retakers!

I'm glad to have you though.

Anyways just finished Lesson 20 or 21 (I forget) in the LSAT trainer. It was 14 questions timed. I didn't too hot. I had -6. -6 out of 14. That's 8 correct. That's a little over 50%. That's shit.

I know I have so much studying to do... but I don't know how much more efficient I can become. I realize all the errors I made and how stupid they were, but still. When I'm pressed for time I don't know how thorough I'm going to be. It's a really frightening idea to be taking this test in June and to be getting -6 out of 14.

It would kill me to score low knowing how much time and effort I've put into this.

Hey Louie,
Also just finished Chapter 20 in the Trainer. Got 12/13 correct untimed. Mistakenly saw the answer to the last question so I couldn't really count it. Anyway, my advice to you is that at this point you should be doing these questions untimed. Accuracy first and work on your timing later. Getting every LR question right should be your main goal at this stage and you'll see that as you become more comfortable with the questions your timing will significantly improve.

And how much more time do you think it will take you to complete the book? I feel like I've been reading this book forever. Was just wondering how long it took other TLS'ers to complete this monster.

Well I've had the book for 12 days and I've completed 20 lessons. I don't have the book in front of me so I don't know how much I have left, but hopefully I'll finish it by the end of January.

[attackpizza]

Figured I'd check in here since I just signed up for the June 14 LSAT! Woot. Ordered the PS trilogy and hopefully it will be at my house by the time I get back to DC.

Is anyone else working full time (40+) and going to school while prepping for the LSAT?

Working 45 hours/week but no school. My current schedule is:

M-F: 2 hours (6:30pm-8:30 pm)
Sa-Su: 5 hours (10am-3pm)

The 18 hour total isn't ideal but for me I don't know how much more is feasible without burning out. I'm curious as to other people's schedules, especially those working full-time. Anyone else care to share?

Hi there. I work full-time (40 hours a week) and have a baby and a husband who works 80 hours a week, so time is tight. When I was studying for December, I would get to work an hour early to study in an empty office and then study for another hour at lunch, with another half-hour to an hour after the baby was asleep in the evening, Monday through Thursday. I'd get around six hours in at the library on either Saturday or Sunday, depending on my husband's schedule. I successfully avoided burnout, but just lost my motivation about a month out. When work was slow, I'd drill Cambridge packets or review PTs and type up questions I had trouble with.

I think getting my day started earlier and using that time to study instead of leaving it until the end of my day when I was totally wiped out was a good strategy, as well as having two LSAT-free days per week. I'll be using the same schedule this time around. Hope this helps!

[primordialnoodle]

Is anyone interested in forming an online study group or finding a study partner? I'm currently scoring between 165-170 and aiming for a 175+ in June. It'd be nice to schedule PTs and reviews together via Skype or something, and keep each other on track.

[I<3soulcrushingdebt]

Is anyone interested in forming an online study group or finding a study partner? I'm currently scoring between 165-170 and aiming for a 175+ in June. It'd be nice to schedule PTs and reviews together via Skype or something, and keep each other on track.

I think that would be a great idea save for the fact that it may be a little unfeasible since many of us have sporadic work schedules. I would be more than happy to contribute to such a group (was scoring 168-172 on PTs, but bombed the actual LSAT). I think we would all benefit greatly from these differing perspectives. Let me know if you are able to organize anything.

[FlyingNorth]

Is anyone interested in forming an online study group or finding a study partner? I'm currently scoring between 165-170 and aiming for a 175+ in June. It'd be nice to schedule PTs and reviews together via Skype or something, and keep each other on track.

I think that would be a great idea save for the fact that it may be a little unfeasible since many of us have sporadic work schedules. I would be more than happy to contribute to such a group (was scoring 168-172 on PTs, but bombed the actual LSAT). I think we would all benefit greatly from these differing perspectives. Let me know if you are able to organize anything.

PM /u/PourMeTea, she put together some great reviews for PT's in the December Retakers Group.

[attackpizza]

Is anyone interested in forming an online study group or finding a study partner? I'm currently scoring between 165-170 and aiming for a 175+ in June. It'd be nice to schedule PTs and reviews together via Skype or something, and keep each other on track.

I think that would be a great idea save for the fact that it may be a little unfeasible since many of us have sporadic work schedules. I would be more than happy to contribute to such a group (was scoring 168-172 on PTs, but bombed the actual LSAT). I think we would all benefit greatly from these differing perspectives. Let me know if you are able to organize anything.

PM /u/PourMeTea, she put together some great reviews for PT's in the December Retakers Group.

I'd be interested in a PT review study group. Maybe a Skype session once a week? I'm a retaker -- was PTing between 165-170 and got a 157 in December. Aiming for 170+ in June.

ETA: I'll be working off the Retake Study Schedule from the LSAT Blog.