The Official February 2015 Study Group Forum

[MEAhrnsbrak]

Anyone else drilling LG today? I'm content with my LR but have neglected LG the past couple weeks so must drill.

Yup! I took my book with PT 29 to 38 and did only the LG sections in it yesterday and today. Trying to speed my games up again. I started a PT earlier this week and freaked out because I didn't even come close to finishing the last game. LG should be a given -0, so yesterday and today I was trying to regain my speed.

[Rigo]

[NL2424]

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[Rigo]

[NL2424]

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[Smallville]

Rigo you're such a striver. That's why we admire you so.

[sfoglia]

It is done. Not like I had plans this weekend, anyway.

Are you at least having a nice dinner/hanging with friends/relaxing tonight?

Pfft, no. Not a single offer. So, I'll just come home from work and eat, study, and then read like I always do. Branded with a capital L.

[Rigo]

[Dr. Nefario]

Sfogs, I'll make dinner and send you pics of it so you can imagine going out to eat, in exchange for more of your golden book advice.

[sfoglia]

Ugh. I'm sorry. I wish I was there to get you a cupcake or something.
It's all for the best though. You have to sacrifice now so your strapping fellow Hamilton future boyfriend can take you out for fun nights on the town.

Eh, I'm fine with it. I can't remember the last time I did something on my birthday, honestly.

Sfogs, I'll make dinner and send you pics of it so you can imagine going out to eat, in exchange for more of your golden book advice.

Aww hahaha.

[ilikebaseball]

bout to drill SA's.. before I do, what is everyone elses strategy for coming to an answer? I know the obvious "guarantee the conclusion to be true." What hints do you look for? And how do you eventually come to the answer? My strategy for it has been inadequate (usually look for key words/phrases and see where one is only stated once, hinting me towards the bridge)

Anyone else?

[leslieknope]

SAs are probably the ones where I get the most value from pre-phrasing an answer. I make sure I have a good understanding of the gap in the argument, very loosely pre-phrase an assumption, then jump into the ACs. If I'm down to two, I insert them into the argument and see which one works. If that doesn't work, I try the negate test (usually it's only for NAs, but sometimes it can help with SAs too).

[ilikebaseball]

SAs are probably the ones where I get the most value from pre-phrasing an answer. I make sure I have a good understanding of the gap in the argument, very loosely pre-phrase an assumption, then jump into the ACs. If I'm down to two, I insert them into the argument and see which one works. If that doesn't work, I try the negate test (usually it's only for NAs, but sometimes it can help with SAs too).

Do you even try to move on if you don't fully understand the gap immediately?

[leslieknope]

If I don't find the gap, I just make sure I have a clear grasp on the argument structure so I know where the gap could come in. Usually the ones where I can't find it have something weird going on in the structure or an IC or something, so I want to know that the gap could come between the premises and the IC or the IC and the conclusion. This is what I always do for NAs, btw- prephrasing NAs for me is a waste of time pretty much always because NAs can be really specific.

[ilikebaseball]

If I don't find the gap, I just make sure I have a clear grasp on the argument structure so I know where the gap could come in. Usually the ones where I can't find it have something weird going on in the structure or an IC or something, so I want to know that the gap could come between the premises and the IC or the IC and the conclusion. This is what I always do for NAs, btw- prephrasing NAs for me is a waste of time pretty much always because NAs can be really specific.

I might be stupid but what is IC? Intermediary?

[leslieknope]

I might be stupid but what is IC? Intermediary?

Yeah, intermediate conclusion. I think some of the prep books call them subsidiary conclusions too. It's when an argument uses a premise to support an intermediate conclusion, which is in turn used to support the main conclusion.

[ilikebaseball]

I might be stupid but what is IC? Intermediary?

Yeah, intermediate conclusion. I think some of the prep books call them subsidiary conclusions too. It's when an argument uses a premise to support an intermediate conclusion, which is in turn used to support the main conclusion.

right. So for SA's you like to prephrase your answer and then basically match it up. I'll try it on!

[TheProdigal]

To whomever it was talking about Cambridge's Difficult Games, thank you. Off to work through them.

[m27]

Games 3 and 4 of PT 68 did me dirty. Flew through the first two games, skipped to the 4th game (articles being edited) which ate up a lot of time, and misunderstood/barely got through the 3rd. -5 Managed another 167 overall with only -5 on LR total
Fuuuuuuuu

[TheProdigal]

Seriously, that fourth one was a pure vision of LSAT hell.

[JackelJ]

Games 3 and 4 of PT 68 did me dirty. Flew through the first two games, skipped to the 4th game (articles being edited) which ate up a lot of time, and misunderstood/barely got through the 3rd. -5 Managed another 167 overall with only -5 on LR total
Fuuuuuuuu

I took this PT a couple months ago and the same thing happened to me with the LG. I skipped to the 4th one after flying through the first 2 games and I'm not even sure I finished the 3rd game. I will forever hate PT68.

[Rigo]

[nlee10]

Games 3 and 4 of PT 68 did me dirty. Flew through the first two games, skipped to the 4th game (articles being edited) which ate up a lot of time, and misunderstood/barely got through the 3rd. -5 Managed another 167 overall with only -5 on LR total
Fuuuuuuuu

I took this PT a couple months ago and the same thing happened to me with the LG. I skipped to the 4th one after flying through the first 2 games and I'm not even sure I finished the 3rd game. I will forever hate PT68.

That LG section was hell. Knew something was off when I flew by the first two games.

[msp8]

So I've been drilling old RC passages that I did months ago, and I've been finding it incredibly useful. I vaguely remember the passages, but not the Qs. I don't doubt that memory has helped me slightly, but I'm seeing structure a whole lot better, extracting twists better, spotting traps better. Hope it'll translate to a generally improved RC skillset. Also doing one passage at a time, rather than whole sections, has been very helpful; allows me, upon correction, spot errors that I've made and build strategies then immediately employ them as I take the next RC passage within a couple of hours thereafter.

[m27]

Seriously, that fourth one was a pure vision of LSAT hell.

There is nothing worse than a deceptively hard game that turns out to be a time suck. Hoping February is kind

At least you're consistently Rigo'ing, m27. It's better than having your scores be all over the place.

Something I'm very happy with and not use to. My last 5 PTs have been 166 (-8 curve lolwut), 167, 170, 170, 167.

My schedule for the last week (of LSAT prep ever) for whoever is interested:

Saturday- 5 section PT + BR; 4 section PT + BR.
Sunday- 5 section PT + BR; homework.
Monday- 5 section PT, class, BR. Review saved LR questions + games
Tuesday- class, 5 section PT + BR. Review saved LR questions + RC
Wednesday- 5 section PT + BR. "rare" games review
Thursday- break (aka, only homework)
Friday- 2 LR sections, 1 LG, 1 RC spaced out with review + chill
Saturday the 7th- Take another "practice test"

In the past, I've never felt burnt out from intense PTing. Actually, it keeps my head in LSAT-mode and more acclimated to dealing with it.