I just started and about to give up! Forum

[AmySam]

Hey guys please tell me I'm not the only one!

I'm planning to take the Sept. LSAT and began studying a few weeks ago. Say 3 actual weeks of legit studying. I'm using the PS bibles and completed the LR section and felt as though I understood it completely. I did the drills some practice questions after each section and did well. So then I began taking untimed LR exams also did well but not the best but after realizing my mistakes round two was much better. I then felt okay to start 2 35 min each LR section exams. That's when everything went wrong. My heart was racing I could not focus and couldn't finish the problems on time!
It is stressing me out and I'm not sure what to do! I'm still working on LG and RC as I first wanted to make sure I was 100 on LR. Now that everything turned around I'm feeling hopeless on the upcoming sections. ANY ADVICE?!

I am a pretty good student and have a 3.92 GPA so I know I have some knowledge hidden somewhere but as of now I feel like an idiot.

Please help
I am also new to this website so not so sure how this works! Thanks guys

[mwells56]

Hey guys please tell me I'm not the only one!

I'm planning to take the Sept. LSAT and began studying a few weeks ago. Say 3 actual weeks of legit studying. I'm using the PS bibles and completed the LR section and felt as though I understood it completely. I did the drills some practice questions after each section and did well. So then I began taking untimed LR exams also did well but not the best but after realizing my mistakes round two was much better. I then felt okay to start 2 35 min each LR section exams. That's when everything went wrong. My heart was racing I could not focus and couldn't finish the problems on time!
It is stressing me out and I'm not sure what to do! I'm still working on LG and RC as I first wanted to make sure I was 100 on LR. Now that everything turned around I'm feeling hopeless on the upcoming sections. ANY ADVICE?!

I am a pretty good student and have a 3.92 GPA so I know I have some knowledge hidden somewhere but as of now I feel like an idiot.

Please help
I am also new to this website so not so sure how this works! Thanks guys

Just relax a little bit first of all. Have you taken a diagnostic test yet? If you did, what did you get? If not, you really should. Just going off of a few sections isn't a great gauge of how you're doing- the untimed ones could have been really easy and the timed ones could have been really hard. Also, make sure you Blind Review (you say you're new to this site, if you don't know how to BR go look up 7sage's method and it explains it very well).

The registration deadline for September isn't until August 14th, you still have time to decide.

[AmySam]

Hey guys please tell me I'm not the only one!

I'm planning to take the Sept. LSAT and began studying a few weeks ago. Say 3 actual weeks of legit studying. I'm using the PS bibles and completed the LR section and felt as though I understood it completely. I did the drills some practice questions after each section and did well. So then I began taking untimed LR exams also did well but not the best but after realizing my mistakes round two was much better. I then felt okay to start 2 35 min each LR section exams. That's when everything went wrong. My heart was racing I could not focus and couldn't finish the problems on time!
It is stressing me out and I'm not sure what to do! I'm still working on LG and RC as I first wanted to make sure I was 100 on LR. Now that everything turned around I'm feeling hopeless on the upcoming sections. ANY ADVICE?!

I am a pretty good student and have a 3.92 GPA so I know I have some knowledge hidden somewhere but as of now I feel like an idiot.

Please help
I am also new to this website so not so sure how this works! Thanks guys

Just relax a little bit first of all. Have you taken a diagnostic test yet? If you did, what did you get? If not, you really should. Just going off of a few sections isn't a great gauge of how you're doing- the untimed ones could have been really easy and the timed ones could have been really hard. Also, make sure you Blind Review (you say you're new to this site, if you don't know how to BR go look up 7sage's method and it explains it very well).

The registration deadline for September isn't until August 14th, you still have time to decide.

No I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet... Not sure if I even should at this point. And I'm not familiar with Blind Review about to look it up.

Not taking the Sept. LSAT would kill me... It is a must and I must and will figure this out I'm just hoping it gets better from here. Did you take it ? If so any advice?

[mwells56]

Hey guys please tell me I'm not the only one!

I'm planning to take the Sept. LSAT and began studying a few weeks ago. Say 3 actual weeks of legit studying. I'm using the PS bibles and completed the LR section and felt as though I understood it completely. I did the drills some practice questions after each section and did well. So then I began taking untimed LR exams also did well but not the best but after realizing my mistakes round two was much better. I then felt okay to start 2 35 min each LR section exams. That's when everything went wrong. My heart was racing I could not focus and couldn't finish the problems on time!
It is stressing me out and I'm not sure what to do! I'm still working on LG and RC as I first wanted to make sure I was 100 on LR. Now that everything turned around I'm feeling hopeless on the upcoming sections. ANY ADVICE?!

I am a pretty good student and have a 3.92 GPA so I know I have some knowledge hidden somewhere but as of now I feel like an idiot.

Please help
I am also new to this website so not so sure how this works! Thanks guys

Just relax a little bit first of all. Have you taken a diagnostic test yet? If you did, what did you get? If not, you really should. Just going off of a few sections isn't a great gauge of how you're doing- the untimed ones could have been really easy and the timed ones could have been really hard. Also, make sure you Blind Review (you say you're new to this site, if you don't know how to BR go look up 7sage's method and it explains it very well).

The registration deadline for September isn't until August 14th, you still have time to decide.

No I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet... Not sure if I even should at this point. And I'm not familiar with Blind Review about to look it up.

Not taking the Sept. LSAT would kill me... It is a must and I must and will figure this out I'm just hoping it gets better from here. Did you take it ? If so any advice?

No worries, I'm only in week 2 of my studying and also planning on taking in September.

You really should take a diagnostic so you can see what your starting point is. You'll know where your strengths/weaknesses are between the three sections.

Essentially Blind Review (BR) is a method of checking your thought process. When you go through the timed test/section, you circle any question that you aren't 100% positive on (either 100% positive that the answer you chose is correct, and/or 100% positive that the other four are wrong). When your time's up, DON'T check your answers immediately. Go back to the questions you circled, take as much time as you need with it until you are 100% positive one answer choice is correct and 100% sure the other four are wrong. Change your answer if need be. After that, you check your answers, and see how you did. Now the questions you got right/wrong should be indicative of your understanding as opposed to your understand+speed. Speed comes with practice.

There's slightly more depth to it than that but that's the basic principle.

[AmySam]

Hey guys please tell me I'm not the only one!

I'm planning to take the Sept. LSAT and began studying a few weeks ago. Say 3 actual weeks of legit studying. I'm using the PS bibles and completed the LR section and felt as though I understood it completely. I did the drills some practice questions after each section and did well. So then I began taking untimed LR exams also did well but not the best but after realizing my mistakes round two was much better. I then felt okay to start 2 35 min each LR section exams. That's when everything went wrong. My heart was racing I could not focus and couldn't finish the problems on time!
It is stressing me out and I'm not sure what to do! I'm still working on LG and RC as I first wanted to make sure I was 100 on LR. Now that everything turned around I'm feeling hopeless on the upcoming sections. ANY ADVICE?!

I am a pretty good student and have a 3.92 GPA so I know I have some knowledge hidden somewhere but as of now I feel like an idiot.

Please help
I am also new to this website so not so sure how this works! Thanks guys

Just relax a little bit first of all. Have you taken a diagnostic test yet? If you did, what did you get? If not, you really should. Just going off of a few sections isn't a great gauge of how you're doing- the untimed ones could have been really easy and the timed ones could have been really hard. Also, make sure you Blind Review (you say you're new to this site, if you don't know how to BR go look up 7sage's method and it explains it very well).

The registration deadline for September isn't until August 14th, you still have time to decide.

No I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet... Not sure if I even should at this point. And I'm not familiar with Blind Review about to look it up.

Not taking the Sept. LSAT would kill me... It is a must and I must and will figure this out I'm just hoping it gets better from here. Did you take it ? If so any advice?

No worries, I'm only in week 2 of my studying and also planning on taking in September.

You really should take a diagnostic so you can see what your starting point is. You'll know where your strengths/weaknesses are between the three sections.

Essentially Blind Review (BR) is a method of checking your thought process. When you go through the timed test/section, you circle any question that you aren't 100% positive on (either 100% positive that the answer you chose is correct, and/or 100% positive that the other four are wrong). When your time's up, DON'T check your answers immediately. Go back to the questions you circled, take as much time as you need with it until you are 100% positive one answer choice is correct and 100% sure the other four are wrong. Change your answer if need be. After that, you check your answers, and see how you did. Now the questions you got right/wrong should be indicative of your understanding as opposed to your understand+speed. Speed comes with practice.

There's slightly more depth to it than that but that's the basic principle.

Just started reading it and love the method so far . I am quite guilty lol I literally ran to the answers as soon as I was done... Bad idea. I will for sure next time go back after time is up and see if any changes were really because of speed and I truly believe that is the case. When untimed I would get the most 4 wrong once the clock started though I was .... Well let's just not go there it's quite embarrassing.
What sources do you plan on using?

[mwells56]

Hey guys please tell me I'm not the only one!

I'm planning to take the Sept. LSAT and began studying a few weeks ago. Say 3 actual weeks of legit studying. I'm using the PS bibles and completed the LR section and felt as though I understood it completely. I did the drills some practice questions after each section and did well. So then I began taking untimed LR exams also did well but not the best but after realizing my mistakes round two was much better. I then felt okay to start 2 35 min each LR section exams. That's when everything went wrong. My heart was racing I could not focus and couldn't finish the problems on time!
It is stressing me out and I'm not sure what to do! I'm still working on LG and RC as I first wanted to make sure I was 100 on LR. Now that everything turned around I'm feeling hopeless on the upcoming sections. ANY ADVICE?!

I am a pretty good student and have a 3.92 GPA so I know I have some knowledge hidden somewhere but as of now I feel like an idiot.

Please help
I am also new to this website so not so sure how this works! Thanks guys

Just relax a little bit first of all. Have you taken a diagnostic test yet? If you did, what did you get? If not, you really should. Just going off of a few sections isn't a great gauge of how you're doing- the untimed ones could have been really easy and the timed ones could have been really hard. Also, make sure you Blind Review (you say you're new to this site, if you don't know how to BR go look up 7sage's method and it explains it very well).

The registration deadline for September isn't until August 14th, you still have time to decide.

No I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet... Not sure if I even should at this point. And I'm not familiar with Blind Review about to look it up.

Not taking the Sept. LSAT would kill me... It is a must and I must and will figure this out I'm just hoping it gets better from here. Did you take it ? If so any advice?

No worries, I'm only in week 2 of my studying and also planning on taking in September.

You really should take a diagnostic so you can see what your starting point is. You'll know where your strengths/weaknesses are between the three sections.

Essentially Blind Review (BR) is a method of checking your thought process. When you go through the timed test/section, you circle any question that you aren't 100% positive on (either 100% positive that the answer you chose is correct, and/or 100% positive that the other four are wrong). When your time's up, DON'T check your answers immediately. Go back to the questions you circled, take as much time as you need with it until you are 100% positive one answer choice is correct and 100% sure the other four are wrong. Change your answer if need be. After that, you check your answers, and see how you did. Now the questions you got right/wrong should be indicative of your understanding as opposed to your understand+speed. Speed comes with practice.

There's slightly more depth to it than that but that's the basic principle.

Just started reading it and love the method so far . I am quite guilty lol I literally ran to the answers as soon as I was done... Bad idea. I will for sure next time go back after time is up and see if any changes were really because of speed and I truly believe that is the case. When untimed I would get the most 4 wrong once the clock started though I was .... Well let's just not go there it's quite embarrassing.
What sources do you plan on using?

I actually just solidified my study plan yesterday after doing a bunch of research on study guides and things of that nature.

I'm already in the midst of 7sage's starter curriculum. Once I'm done with the "learning" part of the curriculum I'm going to move on to PTs and drilling (the course includes very light, very easy drilling to reinforce concepts as you go, but I want more serious stuff as well).

I plan on taking about 2-4 tests every week from that point on. I purchased tests 29-38 (The Next Ten Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests), tests 62-71 (10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests Volume V), and then PrepTests 72-77 (you have to purchase these individually). I plan on taking tests 36-38 (7sage's starter pack comes with explanations for tests 36-44 and finding tests 39-51 for a reasonable price is impossible, but I figured I might as well take some of the tests I already have explanations for) and then 61-77 and using tests 29-35 to take the place of the experimental section, and then every four tests add them to see how I "did" on that test. My general approach will be to try and take tests on Saturday mornings as often as possible, plus two (sometimes only once, sometimes three) more times during the week. Days that I'm not testing I will be drilling.

For drilling I bought the PowerScore Question Type Training Trilogy (I, not II). These entails questions from PTs 1-20, divided by question type. I thought this would be really good for drills just because they're from PTs I didn't purchase so they wouldn't overlap with my test taking. Also from my research I couldn't find anything that had more physical questions that were divided up like that. Unfortunately, however, they don't come with explanations for every question. I also don't think it tells you which question comes from which PT, so it could be a little cumbersome for questions you don't understand, but I haven't received the books yet and can't confirm this to be true.

Then just to get another perspective on how to approach the test I bought The LSAT Trainer. 7sage actually recommends that if you're going to supplement their program with another resource, that LSAT Trainer is the way to go. I'm also hoping that between this book and 7sage, that if I go back to their conceptual stuff I won't need the full-on explanations of every question from the Trilogy.

Other sources that I looked into that seem really good but didn't match up with how I wanted to approach: Manhattan Prep, PowerScore Bibles and Workbooks, Blueprint, I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting. Also the only reason I bought 29-38 was because of 7sage, so I would recommend getting 52-61 (10 New Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests) instead just because they're more recent. Or, since you're already doing PowerScore, you can get both and use tests 29-38 as 5th sections and section drilling, and then get the PowerScore Workbooks for type drilling. These books come with full-on explanations as opposed to the Question Type Training trilogy.

As far as costs go, all the books/PrepTests cost me about $260 and then 7sage cost me $180. For the amount of material included in all of this, I'd say that's very reasonable.

Hope this helps, and if anybody else is viewing this thread and thinks my advice is stupid....PLEASE LET ME KNOW I WANT TO DO WELL ON THIS TEST AND A LOT OF YOU ARE SMARTER AND HAVE BETTER STUDY HABITS THAN ME

[brinicolec]

Hey guys please tell me I'm not the only one!

I'm planning to take the Sept. LSAT and began studying a few weeks ago. Say 3 actual weeks of legit studying. I'm using the PS bibles and completed the LR section and felt as though I understood it completely. I did the drills some practice questions after each section and did well. So then I began taking untimed LR exams also did well but not the best but after realizing my mistakes round two was much better. I then felt okay to start 2 35 min each LR section exams. That's when everything went wrong. My heart was racing I could not focus and couldn't finish the problems on time!
It is stressing me out and I'm not sure what to do! I'm still working on LG and RC as I first wanted to make sure I was 100 on LR. Now that everything turned around I'm feeling hopeless on the upcoming sections. ANY ADVICE?!

I am a pretty good student and have a 3.92 GPA so I know I have some knowledge hidden somewhere but as of now I feel like an idiot.

Please help
I am also new to this website so not so sure how this works! Thanks guys

Just relax a little bit first of all. Have you taken a diagnostic test yet? If you did, what did you get? If not, you really should. Just going off of a few sections isn't a great gauge of how you're doing- the untimed ones could have been really easy and the timed ones could have been really hard. Also, make sure you Blind Review (you say you're new to this site, if you don't know how to BR go look up 7sage's method and it explains it very well).

The registration deadline for September isn't until August 14th, you still have time to decide.

No I haven't taken a diagnostic test yet... Not sure if I even should at this point. And I'm not familiar with Blind Review about to look it up.

Not taking the Sept. LSAT would kill me... It is a must and I must and will figure this out I'm just hoping it gets better from here. Did you take it ? If so any advice?

No worries, I'm only in week 2 of my studying and also planning on taking in September.

You really should take a diagnostic so you can see what your starting point is. You'll know where your strengths/weaknesses are between the three sections.

Essentially Blind Review (BR) is a method of checking your thought process. When you go through the timed test/section, you circle any question that you aren't 100% positive on (either 100% positive that the answer you chose is correct, and/or 100% positive that the other four are wrong). When your time's up, DON'T check your answers immediately. Go back to the questions you circled, take as much time as you need with it until you are 100% positive one answer choice is correct and 100% sure the other four are wrong. Change your answer if need be. After that, you check your answers, and see how you did. Now the questions you got right/wrong should be indicative of your understanding as opposed to your understand+speed. Speed comes with practice.

There's slightly more depth to it than that but that's the basic principle.

Just started reading it and love the method so far . I am quite guilty lol I literally ran to the answers as soon as I was done... Bad idea. I will for sure next time go back after time is up and see if any changes were really because of speed and I truly believe that is the case. When untimed I would get the most 4 wrong once the clock started though I was .... Well let's just not go there it's quite embarrassing.
What sources do you plan on using?

I actually just solidified my study plan yesterday after doing a bunch of research on study guides and things of that nature.

I'm already in the midst of 7sage's starter curriculum. Once I'm done with the "learning" part of the curriculum I'm going to move on to PTs and drilling (the course includes very light, very easy drilling to reinforce concepts as you go, but I want more serious stuff as well).

I plan on taking about 2-4 tests every week from that point on. I purchased tests 29-38 (The Next Ten Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests), tests 62-71 (10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests Volume V), and then PrepTests 72-77 (you have to purchase these individually). I plan on taking tests 36-38 (7sage's starter pack comes with explanations for tests 36-44 and finding tests 39-51 for a reasonable price is impossible, but I figured I might as well take some of the tests I already have explanations for) and then 61-77 and using tests 29-35 to take the place of the experimental section, and then every four tests add them to see how I "did" on that test. My general approach will be to try and take tests on Saturday mornings as often as possible, plus two (sometimes only once, sometimes three) more times during the week. Days that I'm not testing I will be drilling.

For drilling I bought the PowerScore Question Type Training Trilogy (I, not II). These entails questions from PTs 1-20, divided by question type. I thought this would be really good for drills just because they're from PTs I didn't purchase so they wouldn't overlap with my test taking. Also from my research I couldn't find anything that had more physical questions that were divided up like that. Unfortunately, however, they don't come with explanations for every question. I also don't think it tells you which question comes from which PT, so it could be a little cumbersome for questions you don't understand, but I haven't received the books yet and can't confirm this to be true.

Then just to get another perspective on how to approach the test I bought The LSAT Trainer. 7sage actually recommends that if you're going to supplement their program with another resource, that LSAT Trainer is the way to go. I'm also hoping that between this book and 7sage, that if I go back to their conceptual stuff I won't need the full-on explanations of every question from the Trilogy.

Other sources that I looked into that seem really good but didn't match up with how I wanted to approach: Manhattan Prep, PowerScore Bibles and Workbooks, Blueprint, I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting. Also the only reason I bought 29-38 was because of 7sage, so I would recommend getting 52-61 (10 New Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests) instead just because they're more recent. Or, since you're already doing PowerScore, you can get both and use tests 29-38 as 5th sections and section drilling, and then get the PowerScore Workbooks for type drilling. These books come with full-on explanations as opposed to the Question Type Training trilogy.

As far as costs go, all the books/PrepTests cost me about $260 and then 7sage cost me $180. For the amount of material included in all of this, I'd say that's very reasonable.

Hope this helps, and if anybody else is viewing this thread and thinks my advice is stupid....PLEASE LET ME KNOW I WANT TO DO WELL ON THIS TEST AND A LOT OF YOU ARE SMARTER AND HAVE BETTER STUDY HABITS THAN ME

I don't see anything wrong with your study method. One thing I would say is regarding explanations you're missing: There are a few sites that offer explanations for different types of questions that you can look at (lsathacks, for example); however, that's only going to help if you know what test the questions come from!

[mwells56]

I actually just solidified my study plan yesterday after doing a bunch of research on study guides and things of that nature.

I'm already in the midst of 7sage's starter curriculum. Once I'm done with the "learning" part of the curriculum I'm going to move on to PTs and drilling (the course includes very light, very easy drilling to reinforce concepts as you go, but I want more serious stuff as well).

I plan on taking about 2-4 tests every week from that point on. I purchased tests 29-38 (The Next Ten Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests), tests 62-71 (10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests Volume V), and then PrepTests 72-77 (you have to purchase these individually). I plan on taking tests 36-38 (7sage's starter pack comes with explanations for tests 36-44 and finding tests 39-51 for a reasonable price is impossible, but I figured I might as well take some of the tests I already have explanations for) and then 61-77 and using tests 29-35 to take the place of the experimental section, and then every four tests add them to see how I "did" on that test. My general approach will be to try and take tests on Saturday mornings as often as possible, plus two (sometimes only once, sometimes three) more times during the week. Days that I'm not testing I will be drilling.

For drilling I bought the PowerScore Question Type Training Trilogy (I, not II). These entails questions from PTs 1-20, divided by question type. I thought this would be really good for drills just because they're from PTs I didn't purchase so they wouldn't overlap with my test taking. Also from my research I couldn't find anything that had more physical questions that were divided up like that. Unfortunately, however, they don't come with explanations for every question. I also don't think it tells you which question comes from which PT, so it could be a little cumbersome for questions you don't understand, but I haven't received the books yet and can't confirm this to be true.

Then just to get another perspective on how to approach the test I bought The LSAT Trainer. 7sage actually recommends that if you're going to supplement their program with another resource, that LSAT Trainer is the way to go. I'm also hoping that between this book and 7sage, that if I go back to their conceptual stuff I won't need the full-on explanations of every question from the Trilogy.

Other sources that I looked into that seem really good but didn't match up with how I wanted to approach: Manhattan Prep, PowerScore Bibles and Workbooks, Blueprint, I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting. Also the only reason I bought 29-38 was because of 7sage, so I would recommend getting 52-61 (10 New Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests) instead just because they're more recent. Or, since you're already doing PowerScore, you can get both and use tests 29-38 as 5th sections and section drilling, and then get the PowerScore Workbooks for type drilling. These books come with full-on explanations as opposed to the Question Type Training trilogy.

As far as costs go, all the books/PrepTests cost me about $260 and then 7sage cost me $180. For the amount of material included in all of this, I'd say that's very reasonable.

Hope this helps, and if anybody else is viewing this thread and thinks my advice is stupid....PLEASE LET ME KNOW I WANT TO DO WELL ON THIS TEST AND A LOT OF YOU ARE SMARTER AND HAVE BETTER STUDY HABITS THAN ME

I don't see anything wrong with your study method. One thing I would say is regarding explanations you're missing: There are a few sites that offer explanations for different types of questions that you can look at (lsathacks, for example); however, that's only going to help if you know what test the questions come from!

Ah, thanks. I figured there were explanations somewhere I just hadn't looked into it yet, because I heard that they don't label the PTs the questions come from. I'll find out soon enough, I suppose.

edit: just looked on LSAT Hacks, probably should've asked if they were free, haaaa. 7sage offers explanations for every test as well, it just depends on which package you buy (to get all of them+their curriculum+some other stuff you need to buy their $850 ultimate package)

[zeglo]

.

[Mikey]

If you want to see quicker improvement, focus on LG. LR will take some time to get used to, especially the more difficult questions since you need to get familiar with trap answer choices. But that just comes with doing tons of drilling and blind review. LG is he easiest to get familiar with. Also, you just started studying, so don't take 35 min sections just yet. Do some drilling un times and then once you feel comfortable with a question type, start drilling that question type timed and then blind review them.

[Deardevil]

Hi there.

I agree with Mikey. Drilling should precede timed tests.
After all, Michael Phelps didn't go straight to the Olympics before getting his feet wet first, right?

You're nervous, and that's okay; we all are. Drill. You'll gain confidence and you'll lose some along the way.
But the correct mindset will allow you to keep going. Did Phelps quit after a few measly cramps? Did he feel like he couldn't compete?
Obviously not. He won it all. At some points, you'll fall, but, like a wise person once said in one of my favorite films, it's
"so we can learn to pick ourselves up."

Order doesn't matter, but LG is, by far, the easiest to master. Can't say much about RC; some people are just naturals at that.
LR, in general, will take some time, but it seems you've got it down quite alright, so I wouldn't worry too much there. Just drill, drill, drill.

[Barack O'Drama]

Hi there.

I agree with Mikey. Drilling should precede timed tests.
After all, Michael Phelps didn't go straight to the Olympics before getting his feet wet first, right?

You're nervous, and that's okay; we all are. Drill. You'll gain confidence and you'll lose some along the way.
But the correct mindset will allow you to keep going. Did Phelps quit after a few measly cramps? Did he feel like he couldn't compete?
Obviously not. He won it all. At some points, you'll fall, but, like a wise person once said in one of my favorite films, it's
"so we can learn to pick ourselves up."

Order doesn't matter, but LG is, by far, the easiest to master. Can't say much about RC; some people are just naturals at that.
LR, in general, will take some time, but it seems you've got it down quite alright, so I wouldn't worry too much there. Just drill, drill, drill.

If you want to see quicker improvement, focus on LG. LR will take some time to get used to, especially the more difficult questions since you need to get familiar with trap answer choices. But that just comes with doing tons of drilling and blind review. LG is he easiest to get familiar with. Also, you just started studying, so don't take 35 min sections just yet. Do some drilling un times and then once you feel comfortable with a question type, start drilling that question type timed and then blind review them.

Hi there.

I agree with Mikey. Drilling should precede timed tests.
After all, Michael Phelps didn't go straight to the Olympics before getting his feet wet first, right?

You're nervous, and that's okay; we all are. Drill. You'll gain confidence and you'll lose some along the way.
But the correct mindset will allow you to keep going. Did Phelps quit after a few measly cramps? Did he feel like he couldn't compete?
Obviously not. He won it all. At some points, you'll fall, but, like a wise person once said in one of my favorite films, it's
"so we can learn to pick ourselves up."

Order doesn't matter, but LG is, by far, the easiest to master. Can't say much about RC; some people are just naturals at that.
LR, in general, will take some time, but it seems you've got it down quite alright, so I wouldn't worry too much there. Just drill, drill, drill.

+1

Daredevil replying to someone else, and inspiring ol' O'Drama instead

OP. Definitely drill, drill, drill. And Mikey is right in that you should focus on LGs if you want to see quick improvement. In about 3 weeks I went from -16 to -8 in logic games. I still need a lot of work, but if someone told me that a month ago that I was capable of improving so much, I wouldn't have believed it. And largely didn't believe it. (Mikey actually did tell me this a month ago, lol) I read through Powerscore LG Bible and am still going through Manhattan LG, but between those books, and drilling 10 or so games a day, I have been making steady progress! 7Sage's free LG video explanations probably helped me the most.

Trust the process, because improvements on this test really do seem to come in rounds. So you might not see any improvement for 2 weeks and then out of nowhere week three you're a different person when it comes to a section. Some days you'll have breakthrough, and some days you won't. But consistency is key!

[brinicolec]

Ah, thanks. I figured there were explanations somewhere I just hadn't looked into it yet, because I heard that they don't label the PTs the questions come from. I'll find out soon enough, I suppose.

edit: just looked on LSAT Hacks, probably should've asked if they were free, haaaa. 7sage offers explanations for every test as well, it just depends on which package you buy (to get all of them+their curriculum+some other stuff you need to buy their $850 ultimate package)

Wait, so you know LSAT Hacks has free explanations for RC and LR? 7sage also has free explanations for LG.

[RamTitan]

OP, my diagnostic was a 146 and I ended up scoring a 169 on the actual thing. Almost everyone sucks at this test initially, but if you put in the time, you'll reap the rewards.

[MyNameIsntJames]

Hey guys please tell me I'm not the only one!

I'm planning to take the Sept. LSAT and began studying a few weeks ago. Say 3 actual weeks of legit studying. I'm using the PS bibles and completed the LR section and felt as though I understood it completely. I did the drills some practice questions after each section and did well. So then I began taking untimed LR exams also did well but not the best but after realizing my mistakes round two was much better. I then felt okay to start 2 35 min each LR section exams. That's when everything went wrong. My heart was racing I could not focus and couldn't finish the problems on time!
It is stressing me out and I'm not sure what to do! I'm still working on LG and RC as I first wanted to make sure I was 100 on LR. Now that everything turned around I'm feeling hopeless on the upcoming sections. ANY ADVICE?!

I am a pretty good student and have a 3.92 GPA so I know I have some knowledge hidden somewhere but as of now I feel like an idiot.

Please help
I am also new to this website so not so sure how this works! Thanks guys

Bro this takes time. Like a LOT of time. Way more than 3 weeks for most people to get it down pat the way you want it down pat. This isn't like the SAT or GMAT man, you're gonna have to grind your LSAT score up slowly but surely. The good news is that if you keep reading, understanding the test & its nuances...you'll improve. Bad news is that improvement takes a lot of time. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

[MyNameIsntJames]

Also, LR in particular might be the most nuanced part of the exam and the hardest for you to raise your score quickly. You have to REALLY understand the mechanics of LR to succeed there. It seems like something you can approach like "This is logic, let me answer this logically", but the more you break down the test and answer types the more you'll understand the types of answers that are correct. Its hard to explain but it'll make sense in time. Like assumption questions for instance. Knowing that 90%+ of the time there's new info in the concl. that isn't in the premises that is usually in the right answer choice helps you eliminate like 2-3 answers automatically. You wouldn't know that just taking the exam. There's so many more examples too. You'll learn to even anticipate the stem before you finish reading the actual question and you'll know what order you should be looking at things that use conditional logic and what information they put to trick you or distract. Thoroughly read prep materials before you start drilling and put these things in practice first.

[mukol]

Bruh,

The LSAT is hard for some people.
The LSAT is easy for some people.
The LSAT isn't easy, unless it's fun.
The LSAT isn't fun, unless you stop posting about how hard it is to get gains.
Unless the LSAT is easy for you, you won't do well.

There's my 2 cents of advice, and some LR/LG practice.

[CoGar]

There's alot of good info in this thread about prep material and study process, but i'd like to at least share a tidbit about the psychology and mindset you must have when approaching your studies.

I began studying in early June taking my first diagnostic and scoring a measly 145 (my goal as to get at least 50/100 right and I got 51). It would have been easy for me to feel distraught as my ultimate goal of 165 looked almost impossible after this. Rather i looked at this as a great feat to work towards. The battle would (and is currently) very tough but that will just make the accomplishment that much more rewarding...

I look at the LSAT as something I need to dedicate more time and energy into than anything I have ever done in my short 22 years. School was never easy but undergrad has come and almost gone with little stress beyond what I cause myself in procrastination. I cant even remember the prep i did if any for the SAT, and i was always an average athlete in high school (didn't work hard -relied on natural abilities - obviously my natural LSAT ability of 145 will not work this time around)

Anyway, I dont know about you OP or any other posters in here but I it took me almost all of May to get into a study mindset - of being able to dedicate 2-5 hours daily to LSAT prep. I watched motivational videos, learned the very, very basics of the test construction and had to literally cognitively restructure my brain to make this the most important aspect of my life... even over friends (most of the time) and partying, and other fun activities.

To find success you must make this the most important thing in your life, you must work harder than you ever have for anything, and perhaps most importantly you must make studying fun, and I say fun in a very broad sense. After a month of delving into my studies I actually look forward to LG, find interest in breaking down arguments in LR, and RC... well RC is a mother but enjoying 2/3 of the test makes it that much easier to dedicate the time.

There are certainly day where negative thought haunt me and there are days that the stress is just too much.... don't try and force bad studying, there is nothing wrong with taking a day (or two) off to get back to the mindset.... workout, find a hobby to supplement studying (preferably something physical to counteract sitting at a desk for hours on end) and slowly but surely the gains will come. I have yet to break 150 on a TIMED PT but have come slightly closer and know it may just be days away. then itll be onto the next goal of 155, 160 and so on. As cliche as it sounds, this studying is a marathon, not a sprint, remember this

TLDR: I was (am) where you are -> dedicate time to get into the mindset -> this will make studying more fun -> you will look forward to studying

[mukol]

There's alot of good info in this thread about prep material and study process, but i'd like to at least share a tidbit about the psychology and mindset you must have when approaching your studies.

I began studying in early June taking my first diagnostic and scoring a measly 145 (my goal as to get at least 50/100 right and I got 51). It would have been easy for me to feel distraught as my ultimate goal of 165 looked almost impossible after this. Rather i looked at this as a great feat to work towards. The battle would (and is currently) very tough but that will just make the accomplishment that much more rewarding...

I look at the LSAT as something I need to dedicate more time and energy into than anything I have ever done in my short 22 years. School was never easy but undergrad has come and almost gone with little stress beyond what I cause myself in procrastination. I cant even remember the prep i did if any for the SAT, and i was always an average athlete in high school (didn't work hard -relied on natural abilities - obviously my natural LSAT ability of 145 will not work this time around)

Anyway, I dont know about you OP or any other posters in here but I it took me almost all of May to get into a study mindset - of being able to dedicate 2-5 hours daily to LSAT prep. I watched motivational videos, learned the very, very basics of the test construction and had to literally cognitively restructure my brain to make this the most important aspect of my life... even over friends (most of the time) and partying, and other fun activities.

To find success you must make this the most important thing in your life, you must work harder than you ever have for anything, and perhaps most importantly you must make studying fun, and I say fun in a very broad sense. After a month of delving into my studies I actually look forward to LG, find interest in breaking down arguments in LR, and RC... well RC is a mother but enjoying 2/3 of the test makes it that much easier to dedicate the time.

There are certainly day where negative thought haunt me and there are days that the stress is just too much.... don't try and force bad studying, there is nothing wrong with taking a day (or two) off to get back to the mindset.... workout, find a hobby to supplement studying (preferably something physical to counteract sitting at a desk for hours on end) and slowly but surely the gains will come. I have yet to break 150 on a TIMED PT but have come slightly closer and know it may just be days away. then itll be onto the next goal of 155, 160 and so on. As cliche as it sounds, this studying is a marathon, not a sprint, remember this

TLDR: I was (am) where you are -> dedicate time to get into the mindset -> this will make studying more fun -> you will look forward to studying

Why does everyone insist on making the LSAT sound like work. Seriously.

How to not suck at the LSAT:
Give yourself 3 to 4 weeks to adjust your habits. Whatever your current free time wasting activity is, start doing less of that and more LSAT. Don't do it out of an obligation, do it because it is fun and exciting. The LSAT is your new hobby. Imagine if all the hours you spent playing Halo 3 (swat ftw) trying to get to lvl 50, you had spent instead trying to get to lvl 180 on the LSAT.

Now, watch how other people are getting no-scope headshots from across the map. Are they playing on 10 sensitivity or 1 (10 is the right answer). Now, try to emulate that. Watch the 7sage videos. Read the powerscore bibles. Try what people that are good at the LSAT game are doing. Not because it's an obligation, but because it's fun. You want to be better than your bros.

But! And this is important, you need to pick a tool, maybe two, and try it. Try it for a week, try it for two. Do not bounce between multiple tools for learning. The one exception to this is if you're using 7sage for video explanations of games. Use that. But pick The LSAT Trainer or the Power Score Bibles. Read it front to back 2 or 3 times. Then consider using the other one.

Again, you're not doing this because it's an obligation or hard or whatever. You didn't do something hard, there is no reason to breathe heavy. It's fun. The end.

Have fun. Stop complaining. Drop the negative attitude.

[CoGar]

Why does everyone insist on making the LSAT sound like work. Seriously.

How to not suck at the LSAT:
Give yourself 3 to 4 weeks to adjust your habits. Whatever your current free time wasting activity is, start doing less of that and more LSAT. Don't do it out of an obligation, do it because it is fun and exciting. The LSAT is your new hobby. Imagine if all the hours you spent playing Halo 3 (swat ftw) trying to get to lvl 50, you had spent instead trying to get to lvl 180 on the LSAT.

Now, watch how other people are getting no-scope headshots from across the map. Are they playing on 10 sensitivity or 1 (10 is the right answer). Now, try to emulate that. Watch the 7sage videos. Read the powerscore bibles. Try what people that are good at the LSAT game are doing. Not because it's an obligation, but because it's fun. You want to be better than your bros.

But! And this is important, you need to pick a tool, maybe two, and try it. Try it for a week, try it for two. Do not bounce between multiple tools for learning. The one exception to this is if you're using 7sage for video explanations of games. Use that. But pick The LSAT Trainer or the Power Score Bibles. Read it front to back 2 or 3 times. Then consider using the other one.

Again, you're not doing this because it's an obligation or hard or whatever. You didn't do something hard, there is no reason to breathe heavy. It's fun. The end.

Have fun. Stop complaining. Drop the negative attitude.

I cant tell if this was directed at me or OP, It seems we are in agreement about making it fun and dedicating time, I just gave more of a personal account as to how I reached both of those success-promoting mindsets...

[mukol]

Not so much at you. Your mindset adjustment is clutch.

But everyone studilying is all "woe is me. So hard. I grind so much. Where my gains?"

1. It's a hard test if you aren't naturally good at it.
2. It isn't that hard to learn. It just takes some time, patience, and a decent attitude.

[Barack O'Drama]

Why does everyone insist on making the LSAT sound like work. Seriously.

How to not suck at the LSAT:
Give yourself 3 to 4 weeks to adjust your habits. Whatever your current free time wasting activity is, start doing less of that and more LSAT. Don't do it out of an obligation, do it because it is fun and exciting. The LSAT is your new hobby. Imagine if all the hours you spent playing Halo 3 (swat ftw) trying to get to lvl 50, you had spent instead trying to get to lvl 180 on the LSAT.

Now, watch how other people are getting no-scope headshots from across the map. Are they playing on 10 sensitivity or 1 (10 is the right answer). Now, try to emulate that. Watch the 7sage videos. Read the powerscore bibles. Try what people that are good at the LSAT game are doing. Not because it's an obligation, but because it's fun. You want to be better than your bros.

But! And this is important, you need to pick a tool, maybe two, and try it. Try it for a week, try it for two. Do not bounce between multiple tools for learning. The one exception to this is if you're using 7sage for video explanations of games. Use that. But pick The LSAT Trainer or the Power Score Bibles. Read it front to back 2 or 3 times. Then consider using the other one.

Again, you're not doing this because it's an obligation or hard or whatever. You didn't do something hard, there is no reason to breathe heavy. It's fun. The end.

Have fun. Stop complaining. Drop the negative attitude.

I cant tell if this was directed at me or OP, It seems we are in agreement about making it fun and dedicating time, I just gave more of a personal account as to how I reached both of those success-promoting mindsets...

Agree with both perspectives. Especially not bouncing between too many tools. I did that and am now struggling to just find one after buying the PS trilogy, the MLSAT trilogy and The LSAT Trainer. Most credible prep books the top scorers use are mostly the same (with the exception of details and logic games...So feel free to mix and match LG strategies) But the most important thing I have found is build up your skills and drill, drill drill, then PT, PT, PT. And Blind review. You learn more when you miss a question in my experience with this test.

Idk about making the test fun, as everyone will not be able to adopt that notion as easily as some. But certainly don't be so negative and dread or fear the damn thing. At the end of the day, it is multiple choice haha. The answer is there... It's just up to you to find it

I've said this before on here, and I think many agree: Gains seem to come all the sudden, not necessarily little by little. I had to study logic games for a month or so before I saw significant gains. I literally went from -16 to -8 on games all the sudden after studying for a month. It sort of just clicked. You'll get there man, consistency is key!

And, yes, mindset is extremely important. It is probably the most important aspect of the test imho.

[Deardevil]

I cant tell if this was directed at me or OP, It seems we are in agreement about making it fun and dedicating time, I just gave more of a personal account as to how I reached both of those success-promoting mindsets...

Nah, my dude is just being blunt.

I also agree with your view on making these things fun.
LG is definitely fun for me. LR can be, too. So long as there's no frustration,
but I think that fades within time, albeit a lot of time for some.
mukol is right in treating the LSAT as a hobby rather than some forced-upon commitment.

PS. Even though I don't play it, I appreciate those Halo bits.

[mukol]

I cant tell if this was directed at me or OP, It seems we are in agreement about making it fun and dedicating time, I just gave more of a personal account as to how I reached both of those success-promoting mindsets...

Nah, my dude is just being blunt.

I also agree with your view on making these things fun.
LG is definitely fun for me. LR can be, too. So long as there's no frustration,
but I think that fades within time, albeit a lot of time for some.
mukol is right in treating the LSAT as a hobby rather than some forced-upon commitment.

PS. Even though I don't play it, I appreciate those Halo bits.

Yeah, not calling anyone specific out or anything. Just trying to be real about it.

I mean swat on halo 3 was not fun. I was about to stop, but then said naw. I'm just going to have fun, take my time, and try to keep my K/D spread positive. Soon I realized if I switched to bumper jumper and high sensitivity I could wreck people. Then it was even more fun. And the more fun I had the more I wrecked noobs.

And a nice thing about the LSAT is that unlike Halo 3, you won't get noobs on your team. It's just you having fun, showing how awesome you can be. No noobs. No modders. No hacks. Just you. The end.

[RamTitan]

There's alot of good info in this thread about prep material and study process, but i'd like to at least share a tidbit about the psychology and mindset you must have when approaching your studies.

I began studying in early June taking my first diagnostic and scoring a measly 145 (my goal as to get at least 50/100 right and I got 51). It would have been easy for me to feel distraught as my ultimate goal of 165 looked almost impossible after this. Rather i looked at this as a great feat to work towards. The battle would (and is currently) very tough but that will just make the accomplishment that much more rewarding...

I look at the LSAT as something I need to dedicate more time and energy into than anything I have ever done in my short 22 years. School was never easy but undergrad has come and almost gone with little stress beyond what I cause myself in procrastination. I cant even remember the prep i did if any for the SAT, and i was always an average athlete in high school (didn't work hard -relied on natural abilities - obviously my natural LSAT ability of 145 will not work this time around)

Anyway, I dont know about you OP or any other posters in here but I it took me almost all of May to get into a study mindset - of being able to dedicate 2-5 hours daily to LSAT prep. I watched motivational videos, learned the very, very basics of the test construction and had to literally cognitively restructure my brain to make this the most important aspect of my life... even over friends (most of the time) and partying, and other fun activities.

To find success you must make this the most important thing in your life, you must work harder than you ever have for anything, and perhaps most importantly you must make studying fun, and I say fun in a very broad sense. After a month of delving into my studies I actually look forward to LG, find interest in breaking down arguments in LR, and RC... well RC is a mother but enjoying 2/3 of the test makes it that much easier to dedicate the time.

There are certainly day where negative thought haunt me and there are days that the stress is just too much.... don't try and force bad studying, there is nothing wrong with taking a day (or two) off to get back to the mindset.... workout, find a hobby to supplement studying (preferably something physical to counteract sitting at a desk for hours on end) and slowly but surely the gains will come. I have yet to break 150 on a TIMED PT but have come slightly closer and know it may just be days away. then itll be onto the next goal of 155, 160 and so on. As cliche as it sounds, this studying is a marathon, not a sprint, remember this

TLDR: I was (am) where you are -> dedicate time to get into the mindset -> this will make studying more fun -> you will look forward to studying

Why does everyone insist on making the LSAT sound like work. Seriously.

How to not suck at the LSAT:
Give yourself 3 to 4 weeks to adjust your habits. Whatever your current free time wasting activity is, start doing less of that and more LSAT. Don't do it out of an obligation, do it because it is fun and exciting. The LSAT is your new hobby. Imagine if all the hours you spent playing Halo 3 (swat ftw) trying to get to lvl 50, you had spent instead trying to get to lvl 180 on the LSAT.

Now, watch how other people are getting no-scope headshots from across the map. Are they playing on 10 sensitivity or 1 (10 is the right answer). Now, try to emulate that. Watch the 7sage videos. Read the powerscore bibles. Try what people that are good at the LSAT game are doing. Not because it's an obligation, but because it's fun. You want to be better than your bros.

But! And this is important, you need to pick a tool, maybe two, and try it. Try it for a week, try it for two. Do not bounce between multiple tools for learning. The one exception to this is if you're using 7sage for video explanations of games. Use that. But pick The LSAT Trainer or the Power Score Bibles. Read it front to back 2 or 3 times. Then consider using the other one.

Again, you're not doing this because it's an obligation or hard or whatever. You didn't do something hard, there is no reason to breathe heavy. It's fun. The end.

Have fun. Stop complaining. Drop the negative attitude.

This is a great post; more people need to have this mindset. I took a month off after the June LSAT, and to be honest I actually missed studying. If you turn it into a fun challenge, you'll enjoy the process.