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Hello all,

Many of us are starting to think these threads are cursed- myself included. I have decided to post my own journey, in hopes of not going MIA as the previous posters have.

Background: I graduated last May. I was planning on going the k-JD route, but life got in the way and I wasn't able to devote the proper amount of time to the LSAT during undergrad. I wanted to take the October LSAT, but I wasn't reaching 170 on my PTs. Like many others, I'm frustrated that reaching my goal score will take much longer than 3 months. However, I'm not sitting for the exam until I reach this goal.

Stats: 3.8 LSAC GPA, URM. My dream school is Harvard, but I'd be content going to UT or any T14 on scholarship. I'm hoping to apply as soon as apps open up next fall.

Prep materials: I have an online account with 7Sage and have finished the entire curriculum. I will go back and revisit videos as needed. For those of you who can't afford $2000 classes, I highly recommend 7Sage. JY is extremely funny and will keep you entertained during the dense lessons. The best part, however, is the community. 7Sagers are simply the most friendly and helpful people around. We all want to see each other succeed. I also have a copy of The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim. I skipped over the Logic Games section (already have a solid LG score, thanks to JY's Fool Proof Method), but the flaw section was brilliant. I will return to the LR and RC sections in The Trainer as needed.

Game Plan: I'm taking 2 PTs a week these next few months. In March, I'll ramp it up to 3 PTs a week. I'm going to blind review and drill my weaknesses on non-PT days. I'm PTing at 162-165 as of now. RC is literally murdering my score (-5 to -8). LR is usually -5 to -8 per test. LG is -0 to -4.

I will focus mainly on RC during my non-PT days these next few weeks. I have an excel spreadsheet for LG. I'm hoping to master every LG ever released before the June test. For each LG, I record the date I attempted it and the time it took to complete. If it's not lower than JY's target time, I watch the video to make sure my setup is right and re-do the game as many times it takes to master it. Then, I re-do the game the next week and again in a month or so to make sure I'm still comfortable with the inferences. I don't want any surprises on game day.

I plan on posting updates a few times a week. The past few days have been hectic since I'm visiting family for the holidays. Today, I'm headed to a coffee shop to blind review PT 32.

Get the Powerscore LG and LR bibles, too.

Hi,

Are you going to study full-time? or do you have other things to do?

Damn this dude is hardcore af.

A lesson to all yee who say you "can't retake" because you already "studied so hard"--you probably haven't done anything close to this, and you can always do more.

dan9257 wrote:Hi,

Are you going to study full-time? or do you have other things to do?

I've been working full-time at a law firm since the week after graduation (June 2015). This is why it's taking me so long to reach my goal. My diagnostic wasn't anything special, 151. I started studying in mid-August. 3-5 hours a night during the week, around 7 hours a day on the weekends. It's been rough, but definitely doable. When I feel the burnout coming on, I take a day or two off.

seashell.economy wrote:Get the Powerscore LG and LR bibles, too.

Thanks for the suggestion! I do have the LR bible, but The Trainer and 7Sage just jive better with me.

Hotlinebling1024 wrote:

seashell.economy wrote:Get the Powerscore LG and LR bibles, too.

Thanks for the suggestion! I do have the LR bible, but The Trainer and 7Sage just jive better with me.

I should try 7Sage. Never really looked at it past one video. The Trainer seemed like a great intro book, but as soon as I broke into 160 it seemed too simple. Now I am getting 170s on PTs and need that extra boost to get to a solid 173 (my goal).

Day 1 update:



I got a 166 on PT 32, 82 raw. LR -8, RC -7, LG -3.



I really need to stop getting owned by RC. I spend around 3:30 reading the passage and pausing briefly at the end of every paragraph to freeze the main idea/structure in my mind. I also use Manhattan’s strategy of reading for the scale and making sure I have the main arguments parsed out (unless it’s just an informative passage, of course). When I do individual passages, I always finish on time with pretty good accuracy. Something about 4 passages in a row destroys my timing… Maybe I should have a RC marathon day in the near future.



I caught most of my mistakes on LR during blind review. I only had one confidence error- S1 Q20. This made me pretty mad because it was only level 3 difficulty on 7Sage. I need to limit my mistakes to the curve breaker, level 5 difficulty questions. I usually skip two or three questions on the LR sections and come back to them at the end with a fresh mind. I almost always see the flaw or whatever I was missing the second time around. Plenty of room for improvement on LR as well.



I need to perfect the LG section. No reason to leave any points on the table there. I’ve gone -0 a couple times during timed PTs, but I need that section to feel more automatic. The rare games usually trip me up, and I freeze like an idiot for a good 10 seconds or so. This is why I’m doing every game ever released. I need to get over that surprise factor and be ready for anything the LSAC throws at me on game day. 


Blind review took a good 4 hours. I can’t wait to break into the 170s so I can chip away at the time it takes me to BR a PT.

I also began my LG journey, starting with PT 1. 



First attempts

G1- 8:10
G2- 8:27 

G3- 3:59
G4- 8:12


These were all under JY’s recommended time, so I didn’t feel the need to do them again. I watched the videos for the setups to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I’m comfortable with all these games. I’ll wait to do them again next week.



Side notes: I’m a woman. I’m training for a half marathon, so I have something to look forward to after work besides the LSAT. I wanted to train for a full marathon, but that’s just not possible with my workload.

seashell.economy wrote:

Hotlinebling1024 wrote:

seashell.economy wrote:Get the Powerscore LG and LR bibles, too.

Thanks for the suggestion! I do have the LR bible, but The Trainer and 7Sage just jive better with me.

I should try 7Sage. Never really looked at it past one video. The Trainer seemed like a great intro book, but as soon as I broke into 160 it seemed too simple. Now I am getting 170s on PTs and need that extra boost to get to a solid 173 (my goal).

Good luck! I can't wait to be in your position. If you're not getting -0 on the LG section, you should take a look at the 7Sage LG videos. His lingo is a bit different for those who didn't take his course, but some people still find his videos very helpful.

Hotlinebling1024 wrote:Hello all,

Many of us are starting to think these threads are cursed- myself included. I have decided to post my own journey, in hopes of not going MIA as the previous posters have.

Background: I graduated last May. I was planning on going the k-JD route, but life got in the way and I wasn't able to devote the proper amount of time to the LSAT during undergrad. I wanted to take the October LSAT, but I wasn't reaching 170 on my PTs. Like many others, I'm frustrated that reaching my goal score will take much longer than 3 months. However, I'm not sitting for the exam until I reach this goal.

Stats: 3.8 LSAC GPA, URM. My dream school is Harvard, but I'd be content going to UT or any T14 on scholarship. I'm hoping to apply as soon as apps open up next fall.

Prep materials: I have an online account with 7Sage and have finished the entire curriculum. I will go back and revisit videos as needed. For those of you who can't afford $2000 classes, I highly recommend 7Sage. JY is extremely funny and will keep you entertained during the dense lessons. The best part, however, is the community. 7Sagers are simply the most friendly and helpful people around. We all want to see each other succeed. I also have a copy of The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim. I skipped over the Logic Games section (already have a solid LG score, thanks to JY's Fool Proof Method), but the flaw section was brilliant. I will return to the LR and RC sections in The Trainer as needed.

Game Plan: I'm taking 2 PTs a week these next few months. In March, I'll ramp it up to 3 PTs a week. I'm going to blind review and drill my weaknesses on non-PT days. I'm PTing at 162-165 as of now. RC is literally murdering my score (-5 to -8). LR is usually -5 to -8 per test. LG is -0 to -4.

I will focus mainly on RC during my non-PT days these next few weeks. I have an excel spreadsheet for LG. I'm hoping to master every LG ever released before the June test. For each LG, I record the date I attempted it and the time it took to complete. If it's not lower than JY's target time, I watch the video to make sure my setup is right and re-do the game as many times it takes to master it. Then, I re-do the game the next week and again in a month or so to make sure I'm still comfortable with the inferences. I don't want any surprises on game day.

I plan on posting updates a few times a week. The past few days have been hectic since I'm visiting family for the holidays. Today, I'm headed to a coffee shop to blind review PT 32.

Focusing on improving your LR will also cut your missed points x2! So make sure you focus on that as well.

For RC, i've struggled with soending too much time reading, and focusing on every single detail. In my mind, if i know everything that is going on, i'll answer the questions more accurately! This would however only work if you had unlimited time.

You do not need to read in detail the first time around. You only need to be able to grasp the main idea of each paragraph.
Try using v. Brief margin notes, and limit them to 5-6 words/paragraph! This will be your map to go back and locate the answers.

Once i learnt how to read strategically, I was able to take a consistent -7 on RC to -4

Good luck!

Good luck OP. But as a precaution you should probably get your affairs in order and make peace with friends and enemies.

Just in case.

Torontonian wrote:

Hotlinebling1024 wrote:Hello all,

Many of us are starting to think these threads are cursed- myself included. I have decided to post my own journey, in hopes of not going MIA as the previous posters have.

Background: I graduated last May. I was planning on going the k-JD route, but life got in the way and I wasn't able to devote the proper amount of time to the LSAT during undergrad. I wanted to take the October LSAT, but I wasn't reaching 170 on my PTs. Like many others, I'm frustrated that reaching my goal score will take much longer than 3 months. However, I'm not sitting for the exam until I reach this goal.

Stats: 3.8 LSAC GPA, URM. My dream school is Harvard, but I'd be content going to UT or any T14 on scholarship. I'm hoping to apply as soon as apps open up next fall.

Prep materials: I have an online account with 7Sage and have finished the entire curriculum. I will go back and revisit videos as needed. For those of you who can't afford $2000 classes, I highly recommend 7Sage. JY is extremely funny and will keep you entertained during the dense lessons. The best part, however, is the community. 7Sagers are simply the most friendly and helpful people around. We all want to see each other succeed. I also have a copy of The LSAT Trainer by Mike Kim. I skipped over the Logic Games section (already have a solid LG score, thanks to JY's Fool Proof Method), but the flaw section was brilliant. I will return to the LR and RC sections in The Trainer as needed.

Game Plan: I'm taking 2 PTs a week these next few months. In March, I'll ramp it up to 3 PTs a week. I'm going to blind review and drill my weaknesses on non-PT days. I'm PTing at 162-165 as of now. RC is literally murdering my score (-5 to -8). LR is usually -5 to -8 per test. LG is -0 to -4.

I will focus mainly on RC during my non-PT days these next few weeks. I have an excel spreadsheet for LG. I'm hoping to master every LG ever released before the June test. For each LG, I record the date I attempted it and the time it took to complete. If it's not lower than JY's target time, I watch the video to make sure my setup is right and re-do the game as many times it takes to master it. Then, I re-do the game the next week and again in a month or so to make sure I'm still comfortable with the inferences. I don't want any surprises on game day.

I plan on posting updates a few times a week. The past few days have been hectic since I'm visiting family for the holidays. Today, I'm headed to a coffee shop to blind review PT 32.

Focusing on improving your LR will also cut your missed points x2! So make sure you focus on that as well.

For RC, i've struggled with soending too much time reading, and focusing on every single detail. In my mind, if i know everything that is going on, i'll answer the questions more accurately! This would however only work if you had unlimited time.

You do not need to read in detail the first time around. You only need to be able to grasp the main idea of each paragraph.
Try using v. Brief margin notes, and limit them to 5-6 words/paragraph! This will be your map to go back and locate the answers.

Once i learnt how to read strategically, I was able to take a consistent -7 on RC to -4

Good luck!

I've been putting brief notes in the margins to stay focused. I do need to work on not getting caught up in the details, however. Thanks for the advice!!

Dcc617 wrote:Good luck OP. But as a precaution you should probably get your affairs in order and make peace with friends and enemies.

Just in case.

You're right. I really hope I don't go MIA. I need to make peace with the kid I stole a pokemon card from when I was 8.

Good luck man...Sorta/kinda in the same boat.

Day 2:
I went over the RC chapter in the Trainer about question type strategies. I’m trying to familiarize myself with the types that will be asked over and over again. I need to focus on the forest, not the trees.Getting caught up in every little detail will just suck up time.

Day 3:
Took PT 33 today since I’ll be traveling for New Years. I’m going to experiment with going for a jog and listening to upbeat music before a PT. Maybe it will calm my nerves.


Day 4/5:
Out of town for New Years

Day 6:
Blind reviewed PT 33. 167….my highest one! Maybe going for a jog while listening to Drake’s “Back to Back” should be a pre-PT ritual?

LR (-4) RC (-8) LR (-5) LG (-1)

Game 3 (jewels) tripped me up. It took me nearly 10 minutes to complete. I’m going to drill in/out games with sub-categories. I want to chip away at the time it takes for me to set these types of games up.

Destroyed by yet another science passage. FOREST, NOT TREES. It’s okay if you don’t completely grasp the subject matter.

Two confidence errors over both LR passages. I’m going to drill flaw questions. I loved flaw questions while going through the 7Sage and Trainer curriculum, but they turned out to be the question type I’m weakest in. If I can get a better feel for these questions, I know my LR score can improve drastically.

Day 7:
Did the games from PT 2 and 3.

PT2
G1: 3:53
G2: 6:58
G3: 7:03
G4: 7:21

PT 3
G1: 6:24
G2: 4:55
G3: 6:28
G4: 5:38

All under JY’s time frame, so I’ll wait another week to do these again. PT3 G4 (airplanes) could have been an under 5 minute game, but it was unusual and it took me a minute to figure out the setup.

Day 8: Took PT 34, will blind review tomorrow

RIP OP...

Guys, I am still alive!!

It's been two weeks since I posted, so I'll give a rough overview of what I've done:

PT 34 168

RC -7 LR -7 LG -1




PT 35 167


RC -6 LR -6 LG -3




PT 36 167


RC -8 LR -7 LG -0




PT 37 168 


RC -8 LR -4 LG -1



PT 38 168


RC -6 LR -7 LG -1




PT 39 169


RC -6 LR -8 LG -1

Overall I am happy with my progress. RC is slowly getting there. If only I could read and comprehend the material faster. I'm desperately trying out different strategies to find the right one. I'm very frustrated with the section, but I refuse to give up. If anyone has any tips, I'd love to hear them. I really need to have a RC marathon day soon. I may skip a PT day to focus on RC. I'm definitely at a plateau here.


On non-PT days, I've been trying to keep up with my LG challenge. I'm hoping to have 5 minutes to spare on game day to check my answers...or to account for an unusual game while not sacrificing accuracy on the other 3.

PT 4
G1- 3:15
G2- 6:11
G3- 8:13, 7:48
G4- 7:48

PT 5
G1- 7:35
G2- 4:16
G3- 11:32, 6:45
G4- 5:44

PT 6
G1- 8:27
G2- 3:32
G3- 6:16
G4- 5:50

PT 7
G1-4:21
G2- 6:38
G3- 7:51
G4- 7:30

PT 8
G1- 3:46
G2- 10:42, 7:22
G3- 5:50, 4:54
G4- 4:58

PT 9
G1- 8:25
G2- 5:23
G3- 8:13
G4- 6:58

PT 10
G1- 4:37
G2- 7:25, 6:01
G3- 5:56
G4- 9:45

Side notes: I think my PT scores have been increasing the past few weeks because I'm healthier (not trolling). I've been eating clean, working out, and running. I made the change mainly because my half-marathon is coming up, but it's definitely having an effect on my overall mindset. I feel much more relaxed when I sit down to take a PT. Food for thought.

I've given this advice before to others, and it's been ignored, but I noticed that my RC improved tremendously when I made sure to read somewhat challenging stuff every night before I went to bed. Right before the test I was making my way through Plato's Laws.

Dcc617 wrote:I've given this advice before to others, and it's been ignored, but I noticed that my RC improved tremendously when I made sure to read somewhat challenging stuff every night before I went to bed. Right before the test I was making my way through Plato's Laws.

I will definitely give this a shot. Aside from Plato's Laws, what else did you read?

Hotlinebling1024 wrote:

Dcc617 wrote:I've given this advice before to others, and it's been ignored, but I noticed that my RC improved tremendously when I made sure to read somewhat challenging stuff every night before I went to bed. Right before the test I was making my way through Plato's Laws.

I will definitely give this a shot. Aside from Plato's Laws, what else did you read?

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes, and the Iliad. Something about reading at night helped my brain work better.

Dcc617 wrote:I've given this advice before to others, and it's been ignored, but I noticed that my RC improved tremendously when I made sure to read somewhat challenging stuff every night before I went to bed. Right before the test I was making my way through Plato's Laws.

I think simply reading is hugely beneficial. It doesn't have to be Kant; just pick up a book (or Kindle) instead of turning on Netflix every night and you'll make enormous gains in your reading ability. The sad fact is that many of us are addicted to our phones, social media, etc., and are constantly multitasking, so it's difficult for us to switch back to focused text-processing mode and concentrate on anything longer than a page. Reading almost anything will help; the important thing is to read and read a lot.

For that reason, I'd recommend that OP read whatever is interesting to him. It's better to read 1000 pages of fluffy material before the test than 50 pages of dense philosophy.

However, if he wants something close to RC passages, I'd suggest the old standbys the Economist and Scientific American, or a contemporary philosopher like Rawls. No RC passage will look like anything in Plato or Homer.

If only I could read and comprehend the material faster. I'm desperately trying out different strategies to find the right one.

What is your current strategy for reading and annotating the passages? FWIW, I did my best when I relaxed and read thoroughly enough that I understood everything on the first pass. For me, it was less about reading quickly than eliminating the need to re-read.

Removed.

RZ5646 wrote:I think simply reading is hugely beneficial. It doesn't have to be Kant; just pick up a book (or Kindle) instead of turning on Netflix every night and you'll make enormous gains in your reading ability. The sad fact is that many of us are addicted to our phones, social media, etc., and are constantly multitasking, so it's difficult for us to switch back to focused text-processing mode and concentrate on anything longer than a page. Reading almost anything will help; the important thing is to read and read a lot.

For that reason, I'd recommend that OP read whatever is interesting to him. It's better to read 1000 pages of fluffy material before the test than 50 pages of dense philosophy.

However, if he wants something close to RC passages, I'd suggest the old standbys the Economist and Scientific American, or a contemporary philosopher like Rawls. No RC passage will look like anything in Plato or Homer.

I'm reading a book by Joshua Chamberlain right now - gotta love military tactics from the eyes of a professor of theology and modern languages.

Dcc617 wrote:

Hotlinebling1024 wrote:

Dcc617 wrote:I've given this advice before to others, and it's been ignored, but I noticed that my RC improved tremendously when I made sure to read somewhat challenging stuff every night before I went to bed. Right before the test I was making my way through Plato's Laws.

I will definitely give this a shot. Aside from Plato's Laws, what else did you read?

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind by Julian Jaynes, and the Iliad. Something about reading at night helped my brain work better.

Thanks for the suggestions!