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Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 2:36 pm
by gthopeful
Need strategies and tips to get revamped for December retake
For the October LSAT I messed and didn't put in the effort needed so I feel if I really buckle down and study and learn and master this month I can jump 10+ points
My plan is to put in about 3 hrs every weekday and about 5-6 hours every Saturday and Sunday
I've started reading the logic game and or bibles and have almost 40 preptest at my disposal right now
Any constructive advice of how to go about dividing up my time, sections, etc, is more than welcome
I have also hired a tutor and plan to spend about 4hrs per week working with him
Thanks
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 2:57 pm
by noleknight16
If you HAVE to go to law school next fall, just finish the bibles and take as many PT under time conditions as possible. It's a tight window but you can get a lot done.
If law school can wait, take it in June after months of studying.
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 3:18 pm
by hobojarpen
noleknight16 wrote:If you HAVE to go to law school next fall, just finish the bibles and take as many PT under time conditions as possible. It's a tight window but you can get a lot done.
If law school can wait, take it in June after months of studying.
Agreed. I might further suggest that you refer to the bibles ONLY when you need specific help on a consistent issue.
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 3:37 pm
by gthopeful
thank you for the advice
yeah law school has to happen for me this cycle so im just going all out until december 3rd
i graduate in december but my classes are real easy this semester so ill definately just be focusing on my lsat all the way
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:41 pm
by gthopeful
Bump
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:44 pm
by hobojarpen
Yeah, I kind of touched on it in my previous post, but with you kind of going all in for this one month, be smart with time.. because spending half a month to master the material isn't going to matter if you don't put in appropriate time in taking as many diags under testlike conditions as possible.
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:04 pm
by gthopeful
yeah that is a really good point
my plan is to spend about two weeks powering through the bibles and getting some pointers from my tutor and then take a preptest at least 3 times a week if not more while also referring back to the bibles some for the last three weeks
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 8:26 pm
by ThreeRivers
I started my prep on Aug. 22
I took an intial COLD diagnostic on that day without knowing anything at all about LSAT and then became so frustrated I just quit in middle of it.
I worked through all 3 bibles by Sept. 5 and tookd another semi- diagnostic and got a 159
I then worked through and reviewed I believe 18ish prep tests with the remaining time
On October 1st I got a 167
I was pretty happy with my results, but I made LSAT my LIFE during this time period
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:16 pm
by gthopeful
Threerivers...about how much time per day did you spend on the LSAT during your prep
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:56 am
by gthopeful
Bump
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:42 am
by ThreeRivers
Honestly its hard for me to put a number on it because it varies so much, and some days I put more
productive study in during less time (its easy to start day dreaming off in middle of study. I did, however, put a ton of time into it. I'd say I put the most study of it in the middle of this prep (started to realize holy fuck I need to do a ton), then towards the end I started to worry about burn out... I honestly put a lot of time into it throughout though
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 6&t=165010
For some insight on how it went when I was actually doing this
edit: Basically I went through the Bibles / 18-19i-20ish (not sure) PT's from August 22 to Oct. 1 and I reviewed all of them... so yea a lot of time
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:46 am
by Mal Reynolds
Im sure people can do this type of strategy but don't be surprised if you aren't where you want to be come december. I finished with a 170 but it took a lot of practice to get there and I was nowhere near ready after a month. Not to say you can't do it, but don't shortchange yourself if you aren't where you want to be by simply retaking. Trust your PT score the closer you get to December.
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:49 am
by ThreeRivers
Mal Reynolds wrote:Im sure people can do this type of strategy but don't be surprised if you aren't where you want to be come december. I finished with a 170 but it took a lot of practice to get there and I was nowhere near ready after a month. Not to say you can't do it, but don't shortchange yourself if you aren't where you want to be by simply retaking. Trust your PT score the closer you get to December.
Agree
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:00 pm
by gthopeful
Bump for anyone else
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:13 pm
by ThreeRivers
I don't think you're going to get much more advice
Plan on as if you're definitely taking it December 5.
Study your ass off of the Bibles, go through them thoroughly / don't skim but spend enough time so it isn't taking forever
After that start practice testing like crazy, reviewing, using Bibles for reference if needed
If you aren't making any progress reschedule LSAT later (don't use this as an excuse, "o I don't feel like PT fuck it I'll take it another day). That is lame, make an honest attempt
Start this now, I understand you'll have many questions as going along but right now you just need to start putting the time in.
If have any problems / questions as going along I'm sure TLS can provide quality input
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:26 pm
by redbullvodka
I prepped for about a month and a half, and focused on drilling lots of sections, as opposed to full length exams. I think with a month to use, it makes sense to drill a ton of individual sections to figure out where your strengths lay, especially games. This will let you get exposure to a ton of different game types. That should leave you time to take 8-10 PTs full lengths (use the most recent ones for these) during the last week or so of the test. I don't believe in burnout -- I really think during that last 10 days, you should be taking a practice test every day, and thoroughly reviewing each one for mistakes. I actually did 2 a day during the last week, and I did not feel any burnout. I had a 164 diagnostic and was PTing 174-175 during the last week before the October. Got a 173 on the real thing, started prepping middle of August.
Re: Best strategies for studying in a month
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:12 pm
by EMZE
FWIW
I took June 11, studied 1 month, got a 157. I only took one time PT, got a 165, and thought I was set. HAH.
Oct 11, I studies for 1 month exactly, starting on 1 Sept 11, got a diagnostic of 161, 2 weeks later diagnostic of 159, week later diagnostic of 164, 3 days later diagnostic of 161. On the real deal, 1 Oct 11, got a 167. My best score since my first cold diagnostic.
My scores for PTs are kind of skewed though, because I took them all exhausted. I also worked through many more than just those 5 PT's, but those were 5 section timed.
What worked best for me was repitition. I studied about 9 hours a day (and yes, I work full time). Doing so many, so close together, especially for the games, helped me pick up on patterns. This doesn't work so well for RC, but it did help quicken my speed on them.
Best of luck to you!