New to the Forum - Need some advice. Forum

[Pen961]

Hello all,

I recently began studying for the LSAT and am encountering a few roadblocks and hoped I could find some advice here.

First off, I will be a Junior when the fall term starts. I am a Political Science major and English minor. I currently have a 3.93 undergraduate GPA (a moderate amount of A+s as well). I consider myself a dedicated student, with a great work ethic which has helped me to excel so far.

My concern is the following: I recently began using the Powerscore Logic Games Bible to study. Although I found some of the methods helpful, I'm having issues with the logic games part. Within their practice problems at the end of sections, I usually only get 2-3 correct out of 5 or 6 questions. I know many of you may not find this problematic, but it raised a red flag for me. Throughout my elementary/middle school/high school/ and even collegiate career I have always struggled with math classes. So far, in my undergraduate career my only B+ has been in a Logic and Critical Thinking class. Getting to the point, I've heard the ability to do these critical thinking exercises is sort of one of the those skills "you either have it or you don't have it"

It is early in my study process, and I know I can improve, but at the same time, my of the other skills I possess (writing, researching, academically dedicated etc) won't matter if I can't achieve a good score on the LSAT and get into law school.

I have thought about taking an online class, preferably through Powerscore ( I've read thats a good one) to reinforce/learn skills I may not be capable of learning on my own. I believe having a teacher, and more guided practice may provide useful insight. (Any opinions on this appreciated.)

Finally, my aspirations for Law School aren't as lofty as others on this forum. I hope to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Here is the LSAT GPA information taken from their website The median LSAT of the fall 2009 entering class was 156 (68th percentile), and the median GPA was approximately 3.55. The 75th percentile LSAT was 158 and the 25th percentile LSAT was 154. The 75th percentile GPA was 3.81 and the 25th percentile GPA was 3.29.

Any information/questions/comments etc are appreciated. Sorry for length.

/Mark

[Atlas LSAT Teacher]

No, you can definitely improve on the logic games. Don't believe all that hype about either you got it or you don't. Sounds like a good excuse someone gave for not improving!For most people, it's the easiest section to improve upon.

You can search the forums for the various discussions of whether a class is useful.

[merichard87]

Be encouraged young applicant. You can definitely improve. Its a learn-able test. Just stick with it.

[slax]

Logic games is an easy fix. I took a TestMasters class with a great teacher and went from -16 to now being able to get every question right. If I get questions wrong it's from dumb mistakes rather than from a lack of understanding. If games is your worst section you are golden. Take a full diagnostic to set a starting point for yourself. If you do best with guided instruction, I recommend TM. But if you have the time and are committed, there is no reason to think you can't improve just as much by studying on your own. There are threads on TLS recommending materials to use on your own as well as study guides outlining exactly what to do for the months leading up to the test. You can buy real full length tests on Amazon, and TLS members will help explain any problems that you can't figure out after your own review. The LSAT is a predicatable, learnable test. I've gone up 20 points in just 2 months (started studying mid March, 154 diag, 174 best full-length PT), while holding a full course load and working part time. Your academic record shows that you can apply yourself and learn difficult material. Commit and you can improve by leaps and bounds.

[JasonR]

Don't worry at all. As others have said, games are the most learnable section of the test. Have you taken a full diagnostic test yet? How do you do on LR and RC?

With dedicated study, you can expect to make double-digit gains in your LSAT score. With that GPA, you should be in great shape. If you get a 160 or above, you'll probably go to UNL with a nice scholarship (or maybe even for free).

[Pen961]

I really appreciate the insightful, kind answers. Glad to hear I can learn the game segments.

Unfortunately, there are no TestMasters courses in Nebraska, just Kaplan, private tutoring, and online ones, obviously.

I have not taken a full diagnostic yet. This is because I thought a diagnostic would be more representative if at least knew what I was up against prior to taking it. I plan on taking that in the not too distant future though.

I am about half way though to Logic Games Bible and will be delving into the LR next. But if I could guess the LR and RC will be easier for me to grasp than the games, they play to my strengths more.

I'll keep studying, and hopefully improve!

Thanks again.

[romothesavior]

Don't waste that GPA. You could shoot a lot higher than Nebraska.

Have you taken any full practice tests? If so, what did you get?

[Pen961]

No I haven't. Though a have a couple waiting. I plan on doing that after I've gone through all of the LG Bible and part of the LR Bible.