Hi all! :) I am writing this with shoulders free from the heavy panic I was feeling 4 days ago as I frantically tried to shove 5 PT's a week into the time before the October test. I have been familiar with LSAT training since May, forked up and used Kaplan, got the LSAT Trainer and found 7Sage and almost died of LSAT burnout/overdose. Now, I'm finding that I have about 10 extra weeks. I've done a lot of PT's, but haven't blind reviewed but 3, as I discovered 7Sage and JY's methods a few weeks ago. With that said, I want to make the most out of the extra time I've granted myself, and I don't want to run through 60-75, as I know those are extremely important PT's. Doing 3 PT's/week makes me done with those 15 in 5 weeks.... and that makes me nervous. Should I stick in other PT's between them, like the 30s or something?
How did anyone else do it/how are you guys prepping for the Dec. test?
31 comments
All this talk of massages makes me want to abandon my pursuit of a JD and open up my own massage parlor exclusively meant for test-takers. I think it'll be a gold mine.
I also rescheduled a few weeks ago from October until December and I'm even contemplating postponing again. I just finished up the 7sage course did really well on quizzes, drilling (timed and not timed) and i've gone through the Trainer. Yah me -- not. I took my first PT yesterday and completely fell apart at the seams. My first pencil broke, one of my fire alarms started beeping (time to change the battery), and didn't finish sections in time, and honestly - completely lost my focus to the point where I felt like the question stems meant absolutely nothing and I became totally clueless. Honestly, what happened during the PT is ironically funny because I "should" have expected things like this to happen but so frustrated that I let it take hold of me. I'll find out soon enough if I really was clueless once I finish BR'ing. In any event as the saying goes, I'll keep on going because there is always the next PT!
Exploiting Kaplan.. Lol!!!!!
Well first I want to say it's great that you are postponing til December. You should only take the LSAT when you feel ready. I personally am just following the 7sage curriculum and then starting prep testing once I finish that. I would suggest that you do 2 prep tests per week and this time BR every single prep test you take. JY specifically tells us to do this so we can learn why an answer is wrong and hopefully not make that mistake again. BR'ing is the reason why I can go -0 or -1 on LR now! :) I've been using PT 10-30 for doing question types. So when I'm reviewing Must Be True questions in the curriculum, for example, I'll look for some in those older prep tests in order to get better acquainted with those question types. I basically give myself more homework but it helps lol
I just changed from October to December as well because I didn't feel like I was confident about my LSAT skills or have maxed out my studying. I felt bad about changing my test date but I am glad to see I am not the only one! I just picked up the LSAT trainer two weeks ago and I found it so helpful in addition to 7 sage- I am now going to go through the entire book since I have time.
@hughntra707 I drill in timed conditions and then when I BR that section I do it untimed!
@schylercox76 Thank you so much! This might be a silly question but do you drill the questions that give you the most trouble in timed, or untimed conditions?! You will kill those two sections as well :) keep going girl!!!
@hughntra707 a lot of going back and reviewing the lessons I didn't understand (sufficient assumption, lol) and also by working on a bunch of problem sets from the early prep tests. So when I was learning about Weaken questions on 7sage, for example, I would work on all weaken questions from prep tests 10-30. That helped me to get better at understanding them and answering them. So basically drilling problem sets. Eventually I got better at them and now after finishing the LR part of the curriculum I am able to go -0 or -1 with LR sections. Hopefully I will have the same results with RC and LG. I'm just learning RC now and it's quite the royal pain! :\
Also, shoutout to @schylercox76 For that LR score. THAT IS THE FACKING DREAMZ. How did you go about doing that? Any strategies???
YAS! I haven't even done many PT's with BR yet so I'm pumped to see the results, as slow as they may come. Keep me updated how the process is going. Your confidence is contagious!
@schylercox76.cox I'm in a very similar boat as you. Took a Testmaster's course, thought it was a waste of money and found 7sage. Been prepping since May. My score has been between 167-172 always fluctuating thus I'm not very confident going into the exam this weekend. Signed up to take the December exam and by that time I would have finished all the remaining 20 PT I haven't gone thru yet. I decided I need to apply this cycle so might as well use up all the opportunity I have.
@schylercox76.cox You're not alone! My journey is probs the same as yours. Started may, have done about 25 and only since the last 7 and up have i realized how important a thorough BR is. So i am retaking those where I didnt BR correctly. I have 10 fresh ones left and will be using those like theyre sacred, probably alternate between retakes and fresh ones so I can see what my real scores are without exhausting them. Good luck to you and good luck to everyone on the struggle bus. You are not alone and we will surely get out of this plateau. WE CAN DO THIS AND KILL THIS TEST!!!
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Treat yoself
Join PT 51 BR tomorrow Wed. night at 8 EST thanks to @bethflanders40 for hosting - check Study Groups for details!
I'm in the same boat as you. Do you guys wanna BR or something together? I've never done one of those skype calls but it seems to be helpful so if you guys know when the next one is happening let me know
I am gearing up for December as well. However, I haven't done many PT yet. I am finishing the 7sage curriculum, and making sure that I understand the basics first. I hope that I will be ready by December!! I do have a lot of free time during the day right now, so a big chunk of my day is devoted to LSAT prep. Good luck to all!
@schylercox76.cox I burnt through quite a few tests without BR prior to finding 7sage, myself. I would suggest mixing in older tests or retakes in with some fresh tests. While your score may be little inflated it will be beneficial to see if you fall to the same traps. If you didn't BR those tests it is unlikely that you will remember too much from those tests. I just recently retook one from a couple months ago (that I did BR) and only remembered about 2 questions. These retakes will also be beneficial implement your newly learned techniques from the Trainer and 7sage. When you are ready join some BR calls!
Also remember to take a break here and there if you are feeling burnout. Forcing yourself to study in that state is inefficient.
I probably didn't explain that part correctly. What I meant is that I've been doing LR sections from older prep tests under timed conditions. And then I BR directly after. I am halfway through the curriculum so by the beginning of October I'll finally be doing full PTs !!!!! You should definitely aim for 170s (just as a goal for yourself). Whether you hit that range or not is up to you and how much you've been improving overall. But it is totally possible! Id like to score a 180 but my goal is to score in the 172+ range. Anything that will give me a better chance of getting a lot of scholarship money.
yes, i will forever hold a grudge with that company for molding my innocent, LSAT-free brain incorrectly from the start... it did make 7Sage and The Trainer seem like dreams come true though lol. i got the starter package, because at this point in my training it didn't seem prudent to invest that much more money when I have most of the materials already, but I am looking forward to using 7sage stuff to strengthen my weak spots.
OMG that is so awesome... that is literally my dream come true on LG and LR!! Good for you!!
I'm really trying to do this right, and BR right. What have you been getting on your BR's, should I be aiming really high to start with? (170s?)
I'm sure glad there are others out there we can lean on in this stressful time :)
I've taken around 15 PT's now. There are around 11 weeks until the December LSAT, and I own 25 more tests, so I'll probably finish all of those right on time if I'm taking 2-3 per week.
I'll also probably redo a couple older PT's from the curriculum before my course expires from PT's 37-46. The scores will be inflated a bit, but it'll be beneficial to hear 7Sage's explanations more as the test nears.
That's such a good attitude! It sounds like you have a little test anxiety to me. I personally don't experience it but I know a TON of people do. What helps for me is before I start, even while time is going, I close my eyes and take a few deep breaths, steady myself, then open my eyes and I'm ready to attack it. It's like I turn my test-taking self on. That sounds so weird but it helps me. The more you test, the easier it will get. Especially if you do all of them proctored (get the app, or the link on here!), so that the real test will be exactly the same. You just gotta put yourself in a position to do well, even if it's having to sit in the same spot or use the same pencil or have a certain routine. Everyone is different. You're going to do awesome, just keep at it. I've been going since May and it's so worth it. :)
I changed early in September. I was like f that!! But now I feel so much more confident. I'm taking live practice LSATs that are free. Just to work out some nerves this month. Then continuing on the 7sage schedule. But just a lot of practice tests. I'd be down to do a BR session Sat night (I know I'm lame. But if you are studying for the LSAT then I think you stay in on weekends too!) lol
Are you December takers up for a BR session sometime this weekend?
I recommended it based on what you said your confidence level is, based on my personal experience! Only you know if you are ready or not. :) To me, the LSAT is such a mental game, that going in with less than 100% confidence isn't worth it. I've already taken one test, so I'm being really careful about my next and final one. That's all !
@schylercox76.cox Why would you recommend not taking the October exam? Most law schools take the top score, including Georgetown, Cornell, and Northwestern. If I end up with a 170+ I'll just not retake.