I face palm when I see the dumb mistakes I make Forum

[MiracleNeeded]

So, I just took a PT, I dropped and I'm a little concerned but some factors may have contributed to the drop so I'm not freaking out.

Anyway, I noticed that here, like in other PTs I review questions and have that Homer Simpson DOH! moment, but they're pretty frequent. I see the right answer clear as day on a blind review. Any way to reduce that haze during testing? Anything you guys do? Relax? Close your eyes and breath deeply? I've heard some people say they do this when flustered by a tough game.

[dowu]

So, I just took a PT, I dropped and I'm a little concerned but some factors may have contributed to the drop so I'm not freaking out.

Anyway, I noticed that here, like in other PTs I review questions and have that Homer Simpson DOH! moment, but they're pretty frequent. I see the right answer clear as day on a blind review. Any way to reduce that haze during testing? Anything you guys do? Relax? Close your eyes and breath deeply? I've heard some people say they do this when flustered by a tough game.

Take ur time

Counterintuitive but it works

[bp shinners]

So, I just took a PT, I dropped and I'm a little concerned but some factors may have contributed to the drop so I'm not freaking out.

Anyway, I noticed that here, like in other PTs I review questions and have that Homer Simpson DOH! moment, but they're pretty frequent. I see the right answer clear as day on a blind review. Any way to reduce that haze during testing? Anything you guys do? Relax? Close your eyes and breath deeply? I've heard some people say they do this when flustered by a tough game.

Take ur time

Counterintuitive but it works

Also, always compare your answer choice to the conclusion before settling on it (if there is a conclusion). A lot of mistakes are related to thinking the conclusion says something different than it does.

And for the questions that are similar to others (strengthen/weaken, sufficient/necessary, must be true/must be false are the big ones), make sure you're answering the right question.

[KDLMaj]

+1 on taking your time. Every question that's a big D'OH moment afterwards is a management mistake, not a content mistake. Try skipping 1 or 2 questions per section (make sure they're ones that seem time consuming up front- and skip them entirely without even bothering with them). Use that extra time to slow down on the rest, and your score will skyrocket.

[meegee]

Dumb mistakes are really not just "dumb mistakes." If you misbubbled, that is a genuine dumb mistake. Almost anything else, is not a "dumb mistake." You'll probably notice a trend in that you rarely have dumb mistakes while drilling, yet when taking PTs, they seem to occur more frequently. Hmm, I wonder why?

Testing conditions and time constraint are factors that play a huge role in the LSAT. Realize that "dumb/careless" mistakes aren't really dumb and careless. Don't shrug them off thinking you just had a bad day. Make a list and jot down all the dumb mistakes you've made, and then write down how you're going to resolve them. I used to make "dumb mistakes" and doing what I just said helped me to minimize the impact of these "dumb mistakes."

Misread the question stem in LR thinking it was a strengthen and not a weaken? Next time lightly circle key words in the question stem as you move through the LR question (circle words such as strengthen, weaken, etc). Missed a rule on a logic game? Incorporate this extra step in your LG process: "After I have written down the last rule, and before I move on to the questions, I will go back and review all the rules again, making sure to look back at what I've written down to confirm that I've gotten all the rules notated, and I have not represented any of the rules incorrectly."

If you've got the fundamentals down for the LSAT, perhaps you can start to throw in a some timed drilling sections. That might help you get used to working under pressure.

[iamgeorgebush]

Dumb mistakes are really not just "dumb mistakes." If you misbubbled, that is a genuine dumb mistake. Almost anything else, is not a "dumb mistake." You'll probably notice a trend in that you rarely have dumb mistakes while drilling, yet when taking PTs, they seem to occur more frequently. Hmm, I wonder why?

Testing conditions and time constraint are factors that play a huge role in the LSAT. Realize that "dumb/careless" mistakes aren't really dumb and careless. Don't shrug them off thinking you just had a bad day. Make a list and jot down all the dumb mistakes you've made, and then write down how you're going to resolve them. I used to make "dumb mistakes" and doing what I just said helped me to minimize the impact of these "dumb mistakes."

Misread the question stem in LR thinking it was a strengthen and not a weaken? Next time lightly circle key words in the question stem as you move through the LR question (circle words such as strengthen, weaken, etc). Missed a rule on a logic game? Incorporate this extra step in your LG process: "After I have written down the last rule, and before I move on to the questions, I will go back and review all the rules again, making sure to look back at what I've written down to confirm that I've gotten all the rules notated, and I have not represented any of the rules incorrectly."

If you've got the fundamentals down for the LSAT, perhaps you can start to throw in a some timed drilling sections. That might help you get used to working under pressure.

TITCR

also shinners is pretty much always right