When I first started studying for the LSAT, I had no problem repeating questions. For LG games, I'd repeat until I could refine my set-up/strategy for that game and lower my speed. This helped me a LOT in the beginning. Even for LR questions, when I went back to older problems I did, I would forget the right answer, so it was like doing a new problem. This was at the beginning.
NOW. When I repeat LG games/LR questions/RC passages I've done, I'll remember the set-up/the thought process of reaching the answers/and sadly the answers (which defeats the purpose of repeating it), and I usually just do a MIND FREEZE, where I remember doing this problem, and can't pull myself through doing it yet another time.
I thought it was an endurance issue. But when I did a newer PT, I worked on it fine (I'm saving all the newer PTs closer to the LSAT date so I'm trying to spend the next few weeks redoing old ones). Friends suggested a vacation, so I have spent the last week visiting them (they live in a diff state now), and thought this would've cleared up my mind, but when I try repeating/practicing another question, it's just UGH, MIND FREEZE.
Anyone deal with this before?
ADVICE PLZ
Repeating questions mind freeze Forum
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Clearly
- Posts: 4189
- Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 4:09 pm
Re: Repeating questions mind freeze
A couple of opinions to share on this.
How many tests do you have access to? Have you done the vast majority of games? There are so many that if you didn't start prepping way too early, you should be able to cycle them in a way that it's not this big of an issue...
Do you only have fresh copies of the games, or do you have your original markups for the game as well? Perhaps rather then trying to redo the game several times, it would be beneficial to look at how you originally worked the game back then, imagine how you might work at it now, point out any inefficiencies in your older ways (and new way!) and see if you can extrapolate any experience from that into newer games.
In either case don't beat yourself up, many games, especially the more 'memorable' ones will not be all that useful in repeating strictly as a means of practicing the specific method as if you haven't seen it before. Instead focus on the details, how did you solve it? Any major deductions? Was your diagram easy to read? Did you make the most efficient use of your prior work throughout? How many answer choices did you cross out/prove wrong before settling on the correct answer? Could you have cut down on this? See anything you didn't see then? Why didn't you? Anything unique about this game? Any rule in particular trip you up/seem awkward? How was this game like other games in that category (seq, match, etc.)? How was it different?
If you know the game is too familiar to use as an accurate challenge, there's things to think about when redoing a game other then erasing and starting all over.
Hope this helps!
How many tests do you have access to? Have you done the vast majority of games? There are so many that if you didn't start prepping way too early, you should be able to cycle them in a way that it's not this big of an issue...
Do you only have fresh copies of the games, or do you have your original markups for the game as well? Perhaps rather then trying to redo the game several times, it would be beneficial to look at how you originally worked the game back then, imagine how you might work at it now, point out any inefficiencies in your older ways (and new way!) and see if you can extrapolate any experience from that into newer games.
In either case don't beat yourself up, many games, especially the more 'memorable' ones will not be all that useful in repeating strictly as a means of practicing the specific method as if you haven't seen it before. Instead focus on the details, how did you solve it? Any major deductions? Was your diagram easy to read? Did you make the most efficient use of your prior work throughout? How many answer choices did you cross out/prove wrong before settling on the correct answer? Could you have cut down on this? See anything you didn't see then? Why didn't you? Anything unique about this game? Any rule in particular trip you up/seem awkward? How was this game like other games in that category (seq, match, etc.)? How was it different?
If you know the game is too familiar to use as an accurate challenge, there's things to think about when redoing a game other then erasing and starting all over.
Hope this helps!
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bp shinners
- Posts: 3086
- Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 7:05 pm
Re: Repeating questions mind freeze
Honestly, it seems like you're at the point in your prep where the marginal benefit you get from redoing questions is so small that your brain is trying to tell you to quit it. Listen to your brain, and just focus on doing new questions for the time being. When you realize another prevalent mistake you're making, go back and redo those questions to correct it. Your brain will probably be willing to redo those questions when it knows that you're getting some benefit from it.
