Page 1 of 2

How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:28 am
by Oscar85
So far I have only been using a digital timer, but I am going to start moving onto analog watches. I've never owned one, and I have no idea where to start. Is there an analog watch that is especailly made for the LSAT? Would this be allowed by LSAC? Just any recommendation on time keeping on the LSAT (other than sarcastic responses like "make sure to know how to countdown from 35 minutes" or something like that) would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:41 am
by RIPmitchhedberg
A lot of places sell LSAT watches online (http://lawschoolprepblog.com/2011/02/lsat-watch/, http://www.lsattimer.com/, http://www.amazon.com/LSATTimer-Analog- ... B006A9SCU0).

When I took the test, they cost a little more than they do now. I went to Target and got a basic analog watch (it was plastic and tacky bright blue, $10), but I chose one where the outside could rotate around the watch. There was one major notch in the rotating part, so at the beginning of every section I rotated it back to 12. I practiced knowing that I had 5 minutes left when it was at the 6, and time was up when it was at the 7.

I don't know if this actually makes sense (it was kind of hard to describe), but the watch was cheap and I thought my little system worked well.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:44 am
by Psib337
I've seen links/pictures on here of a watch that counts down to 35 minutes with green, yellow, and red zones and I think people have said LSAC allows it. My instructor for the LSAT class I took for June said he just used an analog watch and inbetween sections reset it to noon and kept time that way. My room had a clock on the wall but I didn't really look up to check it during the test but still it was there but I'm sure that varies from depending on your testing site.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:44 am
by Oscar85
RIPmitchhedberg wrote:A lot of places sell LSAT watches online (http://lawschoolprepblog.com/2011/02/lsat-watch/, http://www.lsattimer.com/, http://www.amazon.com/LSATTimer-Analog- ... B006A9SCU0).

When I took the test, they cost a little more than they do now. I went to Target and got a basic analog watch (it was plastic and tacky bright blue, $10), but I chose one where the outside could rotate around the watch. There was one major notch in the rotating part, so at the beginning of every section I rotated it back to 12. I practiced knowing that I had 5 minutes left when it was at the 6, and time was up when it was at the 7.

I don't know if this actually makes sense (it was kind of hard to describe), but the watch was cheap and I thought my little system worked well.
Are those allowed, though? They just seem wrong. I would hate going during test day and being told that I cannot use the watch. :(

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:24 am
by North
Psib337 wrote:I've seen links/pictures on here of a watch that counts down to 35 minutes with green, yellow, and red zones and I think people have said LSAC allows it. My instructor for the LSAT class I took for June said he just used an analog watch and inbetween sections reset it to noon and kept time that way. My room had a clock on the wall but I didn't really look up to check it during the test but still it was there but I'm sure that varies from depending on your testing site.
It's called a 180Watch, and I'm trying to buy one of them used (I'm too cheap to buy it new...) -- I think it looks dead useful. I'm trying to make everything that I'll have control over on test day as streamlined as possible, and the ridiculous looking watch will eliminate a couple things I'd otherwise have to worry about. June peeps don't seem to want to part with them, though.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:43 pm
by 2014
I bought a watch from Walmart and put sharpie marks on the face at :00, :10, :20, :30, :35. Between every section I reset the watch to 12:00 so I wouldn't have to do mental math. There is a sufficient amount of time between sections to do so and it saves you some money over a LSAT watch that has literally no other function.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:48 pm
by rinkrat19
Waste money on the LSAT watch if you absolutely must, but recgonize that you are a grown-up now and should probably know how to use an analog watch.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:51 pm
by Colonel Angus
I did a rotating bezel watch, but forgot two reset it on two sections. It actually kinda threw me off, but it works good if you remember.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:54 pm
by shntn
I just glanced up at the clock in the room occasionally. I found that checking the time was more of a hindrance than a help.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 5:11 pm
by jbates14
I used the 180 watch and it was worth every penny

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:53 pm
by JohnV
rinkrat19 wrote:Waste money on the LSAT watch if you absolutely must, but recgonize that you are a grown-up now and should probably know how to use an analog watch.
What a silly and asinine statement. 'Knowing how to use' an analog watch is not the question. It's saving time and mental work that would be wastful and distracting on test day. And in today's age, analog clocks/watches are progressively rare, assuming you need to be familiar with them and be able to recognize time on one instantly is just a stupid suggestion.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:03 pm
by rinkrat19
JohnV wrote:
rinkrat19 wrote:Waste money on the LSAT watch if you absolutely must, but recgonize that you are a grown-up now and should probably know how to use an analog watch.
What a silly and asinine statement. 'Knowing how to use' an analog watch is not the question. It's saving time and mental work that would be wastful and distracting on test day. And in today's age, analog clocks/watches are progressively rare, assuming you need to be familiar with them and be able to recognize time on one instantly is just a stupid suggestion.
What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Public clocks are analog. Watches, unless you are exercising, are analog (if you don't want to look like a twelve-year-old). Wall clocks are analog.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:16 pm
by MauveT-Rex
If you're going to purchase an LSAT watch I would highly recommend you get one here. I purchased option "P".

http://lsatwatch.webs.com/

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:42 pm
by Scotusnerd
Get a watch from wal-mart.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:52 pm
by Pocahontas
Resetting ones watch back on the 12 seems like a great idea. I had a watch with the rotating outer band, but never thought to actually adjust the time. Instead, I was doing math in my head in between sections for where to place the notch on the outer band for the next section. I lost a few seconds each section because I had to wait until the administrator began the time to be accurate.

In other words... It the simple shit like this that makes me curse every time I see my first score.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:08 am
by rwhyAn
rinkrat19 wrote:
JohnV wrote:
rinkrat19 wrote:Waste money on the LSAT watch if you absolutely must, but recgonize that you are a grown-up now and should probably know how to use an analog watch.
What a silly and asinine statement. 'Knowing how to use' an analog watch is not the question. It's saving time and mental work that would be wastful and distracting on test day. And in today's age, analog clocks/watches are progressively rare, assuming you need to be familiar with them and be able to recognize time on one instantly is just a stupid suggestion.
What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Public clocks are analog. Watches, unless you are exercising, are analog (if you don't want to look like a twelve-year-old). Wall clocks are analog.
Knibb High football rules!

But seriously...

--ImageRemoved--

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 1:18 am
by cc.celina
rinkrat19 wrote:Waste money on the LSAT watch if you absolutely must, but recgonize that you are a grown-up now and should probably know how to use an analog watch.
I can't tell time on an analog watch, I can't subtract double digit numbers in my head, and I can't tell my left from my right (every single friend who has been in a car with me can vouch for this). I also have to look up how to address an envelope every time I wanna do it, and my boss this summer had to explain to me how to use the landline. I do OK in life.

edit: And I spent $15 on an lsat watch. Ten people complimented me on it on test day. I'm keeping it because I think it's cute.
edit: every time a logic game makes me order things from left to right, I draw a big "L" and "R" on either side of the page to help me keep things straight

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:24 pm
by WhiskeynCoke
I used a regular analog watch. Before each section began i would turn the minute hand back to the 12 position. Worked just like a timer.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:29 pm
by Colonel Angus
cc.celina wrote: I can't tell time on an analog watch, I can't subtract double digit numbers in my head, and I can't tell my left from my right (every single friend who has been in a car with me can vouch for this). I also have to look up how to address an envelope every time I wanna do it, and my boss this summer had to explain to me how to use the landline. I do OK in life.

edit: And I spent $15 on an lsat watch. Ten people complimented me on it on test day. I'm keeping it because I think it's cute.
edit: every time a logic game makes me order things from left to right, I draw a big "L" and "R" on either side of the page to help me keep things straight
This is a joke, right?

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:31 pm
by thederangedwang
Colonel Angus wrote:
cc.celina wrote: I can't tell time on an analog watch, I can't subtract double digit numbers in my head, and I can't tell my left from my right (every single friend who has been in a car with me can vouch for this). I also have to look up how to address an envelope every time I wanna do it, and my boss this summer had to explain to me how to use the landline. I do OK in life.

edit: And I spent $15 on an lsat watch. Ten people complimented me on it on test day. I'm keeping it because I think it's cute.
edit: every time a logic game makes me order things from left to right, I draw a big "L" and "R" on either side of the page to help me keep things straight
This is a joke, right?
oh dear god, it doesnt seem like a joke...

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:52 am
by cc.celina
Not a joke.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:54 am
by Colonel Angus
cc.celina wrote:Not a joke.
I saw your score on another thread, the fact that you can't keep time on an analog watch and can't tell your right from your left blows my fucking mind. Also, yes I am a creepy ass lurker.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:00 am
by cc.celina
Colonel Angus wrote:
cc.celina wrote:Not a joke.
I saw your score on another thread, the fact that you can't keep time on an analog watch and can't tell your right from your left blows my fucking mind. Also, yes I am a creepy ass lurker.
Haha, I have really specific types of intelligence but my IQ in certain daily life tasks hovers around 60 on a good day. If YS gave a flying fuck about my ability to follow directions from Google Maps, I'd be completely screwed.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:03 am
by jetissent
Colonel Angus wrote:
cc.celina wrote: I can't tell time on an analog watch, I can't subtract double digit numbers in my head, and I can't tell my left from my right (every single friend who has been in a car with me can vouch for this). I also have to look up how to address an envelope every time I wanna do it, and my boss this summer had to explain to me how to use the landline. I do OK in life.

edit: And I spent $15 on an lsat watch. Ten people complimented me on it on test day. I'm keeping it because I think it's cute.
edit: every time a logic game makes me order things from left to right, I draw a big "L" and "R" on either side of the page to help me keep things straight
This is a joke, right?
I am 100% with you on the left/right issues. My mind just doesn't work that way. BUT I would say, I didn't bring a watch to my LSAT because IMO TCR is taking enough practice tests that you don't need one. Personally, knowing the exact time would have only distracted me.

If you do +20 practice tests, you'll know how long a section should take.

Re: How should I keep time on the official LSAT?

Posted: Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:04 am
by Colonel Angus
cc.celina wrote:
Colonel Angus wrote:
cc.celina wrote:Not a joke.
I saw your score on another thread, the fact that you can't keep time on an analog watch and can't tell your right from your left blows my fucking mind. Also, yes I am a creepy ass lurker.
Haha, I have really specific types of intelligence but my IQ in certain daily life tasks hovers around 60 on a good day. If YS gave a flying fuck about my ability to follow directions from Google Maps, I'd be completely screwed.
That's fair, but fuck you, but completely fair. Really no hard feelings.