Hi 7-sagers,

I am planning to take the august lsat and aiming for 171+

My current stats by section:

LR -3 to -1

LG -1 to 0

RC -11 to -4

My average LSAT score is 168, currently taking one pt every 3days. Is it possible to improve my RC and bring my average up to 171+ In a month?

What are some good advices/materials for RC?

Thank you!!!!

Hi everyone,

Was curious to know if anyone has tried Ellen Cassidy's method of the translation and CLIR and if they've found success with it? Also, how did you implement it in your prep AND practice tests? Appreciate it!

Hi all!

I feel like people often make a distinction between recent PTs that are available and older tests which some would say are less difficult. My question is: what counts as one of these recent tests? Is it anything after PT70? PT80? I would like to make sure to save those for when things get "real".

Hi everyone,

I wanted to write this because I felt it important to demonstrate that with hard work and dedication, this test IS learnable. I still have a long way to go but don't give up, I have seen a few posts in the last couple of days about a member not feeling like they have seen any improvement, or just struggling with the test, I am here to say that is possible with hard work. I am an older student (mid 30s) with a family, work, school full time and it CAN be done. Do not give up, if you are struggling rewatch the CC or hire a tutor if needed. I started to actively study end of May, my score was a whopping 146, my test today after a month and a week, 161. I was so defeated and still am at times but I have seen a huge improvement in the month that I've been studying. I have attached screenshots of the first test and one that I just finished now.

I want to thank this community, although I am not one to post, I am always reading and appreciative of the support and advice shared.

Goodluck to everyone taking their tests soon and a big congratulations to those who already took it.

-Cynthia

https://i.imgur.com/M5Tdpqp.png

https://i.imgur.com/j4YcxbA.png

Reviving this excellent resource so we can add to it and keep it alive. Credit to @alyhobbs and the 3 years ago crew. Hope you all are killing it wherever you are.

Original thread: https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/16979/help-with-flaw-type-examples

Will be adding to this but hey, don't make me do all the work... please post your examples up (especially for unaddressed categories) and I'll add them to the OP. It would be sweet if you copied the general format that follows too so I can just copy and paste. I'll credit you and you can be immortalized in the sage archives for all time.

Future 7sagers: please do continue to do this... copy what follows and make it your own. Please credit the original poster below and carry the flame.

@alyhobbs wrote:

Hey everyone, I am having a hard time with Flaw Questions. I know we are supposed to memorize the common argument flaws but that is where my struggle is. I am very much a visual/example type of learner. When going through the flaw types I realized it would really help me to understand and memorize them if I had examples. So I have been going through PTs and Drills that I have done trying to match them up with the flaw types and could use some help. Some I am able to easily match up to the type of flaw and others I am not. I have listed the different types below, some have specific question examples and then underneath I have a list of questions I need help matching. If anyone knows of any specific PT questions that match up with the other flaws please let me know so I can add them to my list. I hope this can also help others that struggle with flaws.

Flaw Types with Example Questions

1) Attacking the source of the argument

PT19S2Q14 *Thanks keets993

"rejects a claim by attacking the proponents of the claim rather than addressing the claim itself"

PT25S4Q04 *Thanks keets993

"assails legislation on the basis of the questionable character of supporters of the legislation"

PT39S4Q11 *Thanks keets993

"diverts attention from the content of the article by focusing on the writers' actions"

2) Uses terms unclearly/equivocation

PT25S04Q17

"The argument ambiguously uses the word "afford""

PT53S1Q12 *Thanks keets993

"ambiguity of risk"

PT59S2Q15 *canihazJD

"the meaning of a key term shifts illicitly during the course of the argument"

PT22S2Q24 *Thanks keets993

"draws a conclusion based on equivocal language"

3) Analogies that really aren’t analogous enough

"It relies on an analogy between two things that are insufficiently alike in the respects in which they would have to be alike for the conclusion to be supported"

4) Appealing to authority in an area outside their expertise

PTJ07S2Q17 @WickedLost @"Granger Danger"

"The argument relies on the testimony of experts whose expertise is not shown to be sufficiently broad to support their general claim"

PT20S4Q20 @"Granger Danger"

Parallel flaw with classic appeal fallacy.

5) Causation confusions

PT47S3Q23

“It takes for granted that if a correlation has been observed between two phenomena, they must be causally connected”

PT30S2Q25 *Thanks keets993

"because hormone levels are correlated with heart disease they influence heart disease"

PT47S1Q23 *Thanks keets993

"ignores the possibility that an increase in theta waves may not always be accompanied by a state of profound creativity"

PT18S4Q9 *Thanks keets993

"It mistakes a correlation between the type of brain damage described and Parkinson's disease for a causal relation between the two"

PT39S4Q20 *Thanks keets993

"overlooks the possibility that the same thing may causally contribute both to education and to good health"

PT20S1Q10 *Thanks akistotle

"ignores the possibility that drivers who drive recklessly have a preference for red cars"

PT20S4Q14 *Thanks akistotle

"It concludes that one thing was caused by another although the evidecnce given is consistent with the first thing's having caused the second"

PT30S2Q25 *Thanks akistotle

"Because hormone levels are correlated with heart disease they influence heart disease"

PT31S2Q9 *Thanks akistotle

"offers no evidence that the individuals queried would have responded differently had they been asked the same questions in years prior to the survey"

PT64S1Q5 *Thanks akistotle

"dogs' misbehavior is the cause of, rather than the result of, frequent discipline"

PT65S1Q8 *Thanks akistotle

"illicitly infers a cause from a correlation"

PT66S4Q25 *Thanks akistotle

"foods containing fiber also contain other substances that, when consumed, tend to prevent colon cancer"

PT89S4Q15 *canihazJD

“surmises from the fact that two phenomena are correlated that one causes the other”

6) Circular Reasoning

PT17S2Q2 *Thanks keets993 and akistotle

"draws a conclusion that simply restates a claim given in support of that conclusion"

PT17S3Q20 *Thanks keets993 and akistotle

"assumes what it sets out to conclude"

PT6S3Q8 *Thanks akistotle

"It assumes what it seeks to establish"

PT24S2Q8 *Thanks akistotle

"presupposes the truth of the conclusion it is attempting to establish"

PT49S2Q23 *Thanks akistotle

"The purported evidence that it cites in support of its conclusion presumes that the conclusion is true"

7) Confusing necessary and sufficient conditions

PT63 S1 Q25

“infers that something that is sufficient to provide a motive is necessary to provide a motive”

PT22S2Q25 *Thanks keets993

"confuses a sufficient condition with a required condition"

PT17S2Q11 *Thanks keets993 and akistotle

"It mistakenly interprets P to be claiming that a factor assures, rather than is necessary for, a legislator's effectiveness"

PT17S3Q9 *Thanks keets993

"does not establish that only a bird could have made the track"

PT18S4Q3 *Thanks keets993

"Grass seeds will not germinate well unless they are pressed firmly into the ground. The grass seeds sown in this yard were pressed firmly into the ground, so they will germinate well"

PT22S4Q21 *Thanks akistotle

"presupposing that if an action's having a certain property is necessary for its being a certain type of action, then having that property is sufficient for being that type of action"

PT23S2Q19 *Thanks akistotle

"taking the nonexistence of something as evidence that a necessary precondition for that thing also did not exist"

PT23S3Q17 *Thanks akistotle

"mistakes being sufficient to justify punishment for being required to justify it"

PT24S2Q23 *Thanks akistotle

"From the assertion that something is necessary to a moral order, the argument concludes that that thing is sufficient for an element of the moral order to be realized"

PT30S4Q14 *Thanks akistotle

"It mistakes something that is necessary for its conclusion to follow for something that ensures that the conclusion follows"

PTJ07S3Q25 *Thanks akistotle

"confuses a condition's being required for a given result to occur in one case with the condition's being sufficient for such a result to occur in a similar case"

PT64S1Q24 *Thanks akistotle

"confuses a claim that under certain conditions a certain action should be taken with a claim that the action need not be taken in the absence of those conditions"

PT67S2Q09 *Thanks akistotle

"treats a statement whose truth is required for the conclusion to be true as though it were a statement whose truth ensures that the conclusion is true"

PT68S3Q21 *Thanks akistotle

"takes for granted that the speech could not be inappropriate if it was not inflammatory"

PT89S4Q20 *canihazJD

"mistakes necessary conditions for sufficient condition"

8) False dichotomy

PT22S4Q09 *Thanks keets993

"treats two things, neither one of which can plausibly be seen as excluding the other, as though they were mutually exclusive"

PT38S1Q11 (Thanks to @"Slow is Fast" for finding it!) @"Burden.of.Floof"

"fails to consider that some students may be neither fascinated by nor completely indifferent"

PT39S4Q26 *Thanks keets993

"Since there is a storm moving in, the outside temperature cannot rise this afternoon. Therefore, it must fall."

PT59S3Q20 @cldennis94

9) Confusing probability for certainty

"It takes for granted that the economic incentive to construct colonies on the Moon will grow sufficiently to cause such a costly project to be undertaken."

10) Confusing "is" for "ought"

PT60S3Q16 *thanks @"cole.davis10"

"Takes for granted that preserving a currently endangered species in a habitat does not have higher priority than preserving species in that habitat that are not endangered"

11) Percentages v. quantity

"Far more pedestrians cross at corners than jaywalk"

12) Surveys and samplings to reach a general conclusion

PT 63S1Q3

“It relies on the opinions of a group unlikely to be representative of the group at issue in the conclusion”

PT51S1Q4

“fails to state the number of dermatologists surveyed, which leaves open the possibility that the sample of doctors is too small to be reliable”

PT31S2Q03 *Thanks keets993

"Those who are best able to provide answers to the question are patients, rather than physicians"

PT39S4Q21 *Thanks keets993

"that there may be few if any other plumbers working in Moore's town"

13) Hasty generalization

PT51S3Q6

“draws a generalization that is broader than is warranted by the findings cited”

PT30S2Q13 *Thanks samantha.ashley92

"Treats a claim about what is currently the case as if it were a claim about what has been the case for an extended period"

PT39S2Q2 *Thanks samantha.ashley92

“draws a conclusion about all cases of a certain kind on the basis of evidence that justifies such a conclusion only about some cases of that kind”

PT18S4Q25 *Thanks keets993

"He attempts to refute a general claim by reference to nonconforming cases, although the claim is consistent with the occurrence of such cases"

14) Experiments to reach a general conclusion

"playing the study's card game perfectly requires fairly low levels of perception and memory"

15) Your argument fails therefore the opposite of your conclusion must be true

PT47S1Q8

“takes for granted that the fact that a claim has not been demonstrated to be false establishes that it is true”

PT51S1Q15 *Thanks samantha.ashley92

“the argument, in its attempt to refute one theory of species classification, presupposes the truth of an opposing theory

16) Relative v. absolute

PT 53S1Q22 *Thanks keets993

"mistakes a merely relative property for one that is absolute"

PT 85S3Q24

"takes for granted that there are not significantly more households with a dog than ones with a cat"

17) Confusing one possible solution for the only solution

PT30S4Q6 *Thanks samantha.ashley92

"Confuses being an adequate solution with being a required solution"

PT59S2Q8 *canihazJD

"fails to consider alternative explanations of the decline in sales of ice cream"

18) Red herring

PT26S2Q11

"it appeals to the emotion of pity rather than addressing the issue raised"

PT18S4Q11 *Thanks keets993

"relies on an irrelevant reason for rejecting the civil libertarian's argument"

PT18S2Q04 *Thanks keets993

"He argues against a point that is not one that Marianna was making"

19) Tradition fallacy and novelty fallacy

“fails to show that a certain conclusion of the recent report is better justified than an opposing conclusion reached in older studies”

20) Confusing part v. whole

PT 47S3Q25 *Thanks keets993

"To put together this year's two All-Star Teams, the best players in the league were selected. Half of them were put on Team One, and half were put on Team Two. Since each player on the two teams was one of the best players in the league this year, it follows that the two All-Star Teams are the two best teams this year."

I also describe this is as 'falsey transfers attributes that can't be transferred' *Thanks keets993

PT17S3Q19 *Thanks keets993

"Of all the flowers grown in the university's botanical garden, the Oakland roses are the most beautiful. Since the university's botanical garden is the most beautiful . Since the university's botanical garden is the most beautiful garden in the region, the Oakland roses grown in the garden must be the most beautiful flowers grown in the entire region."

PT17S3Q16 *Thanks keets993

"assuming that because something is true each of the parts of a whole it is true of the whole itself"

PT62S2Q7 *Thanks LCMama2017

"This paragraph is long. So the sentences that comprise it are long."

PT87S3Q7 *canihazJD

"infers that a food will have a certain property simply because one of the foods ingredients has that property"

21) Beliefs v. facts

PT 80.S1.Q19 @cldennis94

"opposing higher taxes is not a factor contributing to good leadership."

Note: a Weaken question, but belief vs. facts is the flaw here in the argument.

PT 28.S1.Q19 @cldennis94

"infers that something is the case because it is believed to be the case."

22) Relies on people's opinions as fact

PT28S1Q09 *Thanks keets993

"a claim is inferred to be false merely because a majority of people believe it to be false"

Match the flaw

PT47S1Q23

“ignores the possibility that an increase in theta waves may not always be accompanied by a state of profound creativity”

PT51S1Q6

“It fails to take into account that what brings someone happiness at one moment may not bring that person happiness at another time”

PT51S1Q18

“overlooks the possibility that most people may have voted for small cities even though a large city received more votes than any other single city”

PT51S3Q4

“fails to consider that the total amount of money spent on education may be much greater than the total spent on sports”

PT51S3Q9

“fails to consider the possibility that the vehicle related fatality rates in other areas are also rising”

PT67S2Q9

"treats a statement whose truth is required for the conclusion to be true as though it were a statement whose truth ensures that the conclusion is true"

PT67S2Q21

"the argument fails to consider that bees might be present even in the absence of a particular condition that would ensure their presence"

More added by @samantha.ashley92

PT30S4Q8: "The argument presumes that no other evidence is relevant to the issue at hand"

Relative v. absolute? I have no idea.

PT30S4Q14: "It mistakes something that is necessary for its conclusion to follow for something that ensures that the conclusion follows"

23) Unrepresentative sample

PTM20S3Q18 *canihazJD

"making a generalization on the basis of a sample that is likely to be unrepresentative"

PT88S4Q19 *canihazJD

"draws a conclusion on the basis of a biased sample"

24) Sneaking something in (dont have a good name/category for this yet).

I have an LSAT score from June 2016. I thought it would of expired by June 2021...anyone have any insight on this?

I have been studying consistently for about 5 hours a day, 5/6 days a week and I am seeing no improvement. I took a PT and my score was exactly the same (144) as my first diagnostic test. My goal is to score 164. I have a study schedule of 5 months and feel very discouraged that I am seeing no improvement 2 months in. I don't know what I should be doing differently in order to start seeing improvements in my score. Any help/advice welcomed :)

I keep getting these wrong and it's up and very dark red in my Analytics. Any help/anyone who knows where in the syllabus I can go to to cover it again is super appreciated!

Hello to anyone working at 7sage. Is there anything in the pipeline that will add an experimental section to the PTs?

First and foremost, congratulations to everyone who took the test in June and survived it lol. I have a question about the LG on there, do you guys recall what game types were on there? Thanks in advance.

[I am posting on behalf of 7Sage user. Please feel free to leave your comments below. Thank you for your help!]

I've studied the past 2.5 months for an average of a bout 3-4 hours a day. I've finished David M. Killoran's Logic Games Bible, Mike Kim's LSAT trainer, and the Logical reasoning Loophole by Ellen Cassidy. I've gotten to a point where I feel like I can finish LG timed at -1 to -2, but I'd like to get that down to 0 with some practice. Obviously, I'd also like to improve my LR and RC as much as humanly possible. I haven't taken any fully timed LR sections, but I've been -2 to -4 untimed so far. All of this is a long winded way of asking, where do I start? I only have a month and a half until test day, so I can't imagine going over the basics again would be as beneficial as working on timing or the more difficult areas of each section. Advice would be appreciated.

Hi all - I'm taking the LSAT in August and it's my first time doing so. As such, I have a few logistics questions for those who know/have taken the FLEX recently.

Can you take the exam on a desktop? LSAC website says yes, but the Writing Sample Video (and presumably the actual exam) suggest that we're supposed to show our work environment, including floor, etc. Has anyone encountered this issue using a desktop?

Can you use scratch paper on RC/LR? Obviously we use them for LG, but has anyone been called out by a proctor for writing out, say, lawgic for a complicated LR question?

Any other tips for first-timers re: technology, proctoring, logistics? Hoping to keep stressors like these to a minimum on actual test day.

Thank you!!

Hello,

I am just about to begin studying for the LSAT. I have seen recommendations that I should take a practice LSAT before I begin studying as a baseline for what to work on. Should I use one of the practice tests on 7Sage's syllabus for this, or should I take the practice test from elsewhere, and if so where?

Thanks.

Hey guys!

After scoring a 159 on the February LSAT, I scored a 171 in June.

I studied for a year while working full time, and there were many months when I thought I would never reach my goal.

But I remained persistent, practiced, drilled, used multiple resources (including 7Sage!), and was finally able to reach my goal.

To anyone struggling with the LSAT: don't give up. Just keep pushing.

Hey guys I wanted to make this post for anyone who has doubts about their ability to reach a better score on the LSAT. This course has been incredibly helpful for me so if you’re reading this, just know it can be helpful for you too. But as with all things, you get what you put into it.

I last took the LSAT in the summer of 2018, then again in January 2019. Both times scoring a 160. At the time, I was finishing my senior year at the U of I, hopeful that I would be able to score well enough on the LSAT to offset a passable GPA. I figured that’d I’d hit my ceiling and took a break from thinking about law school. After scoring 160 twice, the LSAT became some scary obstacle that I couldn’t quite overcome, keeping me out of my dream school.

Anyways long-story short, I picked it back up again this January while being employed full-time as an environmental engineer. I worked 10 hour days, but still made time to study during my breaks (secretly) and every day after work. My first diagnostic test score was a 158, and I almost dropped the course altogether.

Instead, I stuck with it. I learned each concept in order and didn’t jump around or skip concepts that I assumed I understood. I stayed honest with practice tests, each time taking it all the way through without breaks and not giving myself extra time to fill in questions at the end. I focused on blind review, starting with figuring out the right answer myself before watching JY’s analysis and peering into the comments to learn from interpretations posted by fellow 7sagers. I found different strategies to attack each section and honed them to answer the questions under time constraint.

By the end of the course, and before the June LSAT, I was averaging a 166 cumulatively, with high scores around 173 (I got these scores on tests where I did everything right). When it came test day I scored a 168 and ran out of time on the last section of logic games. (PS - Make sure you draw your rules into your game board before jumping into the questions!!)

Anyways, I hope this helps to put aside any of your doubts about not being able to reach a better score, because you can. Best of luck to you all! If you have any questions or comments feel free to message me!

So I've been studying since Jan and took the June Lsat, got a 169. Honestly, I'm happy applying with my score (I just want a T20 and have a 4.0 gpa) but am taking the August one just to see if I can walk away with a better score cause the competitiveness of the last cycle is freaking me out lol. I have been pting in the low 170s with some higher outlier scores. My BR scores usually correspond closely, but slightly higher, with my pt scores (so timing isn't the issue, Ig I'm just stupid lol) I'm good with the fundamentals, there isn't an area where I'm specifically weak at, I just always miss a few of the hard ones (usually LG -0 and LR and RC are around -3 give and take) I only have 3 clean prep tests left. Sometimes I feel with the new tests the difference between a correct and incorrect LR question is so nuanced, or an RC passage just comes down to how well it clicks with me.. but then I see people consistently PTing in the mid 170s and ALWAYS BRing at 180.. So, how should I study from here? Anyone else in the same boat?

Hello,

I have reached out to some 7Sage approved tutors but it's been difficult to get a response back. If you are an available tutor please reach out to me.

Thank you!

Hi everyone!

I have been studying almost full-time for a few months now, and I have scored a 161 on the most two recent PT I have taken (PT 56 & 58) with a blind review scores of 172 and 170 respectively. I need at least a score of 166 for my target score (UBC) and I am planning on getting a tutor to help me with RC as I have not been able to improve that section by myself.

But, with the deadline for August coming up tomorrow, I am not sure if I will be able to get a 166 for August and I am considering registering for October test date instead. What are your thoughts? I know JY recommends signing up for the LSAT once your average is above your target score which clearly is not my case. Should I sign up for both? Or just try to get my score as high as possible for October?

Thank you in advance!

I did pretty bad on the June LSAT, any suggestions. I will appreciate it.

The LSAT took me....well, a while. Here's the proof:

March '19: 161

November '20: Cancel (Proctor issues)

January '21: 166

June '21: 170

I wanted to post this to reinforce a point made many times on 7sage: the LSAT is learnable. It's a beast of a test, but you can tackle it. Believe in yourself and your ability to learn - especially after a tough PT or disappointing real score.

So thankful for this community and all of ya'll. I might have to stick around and teach some.

Also - JY you are my idol.

Some of you might be disappointed with your score today. If you haven't yet, take a moment to write down everything you can recall from the test... how you felt, the difficulties you encountered, etc. This will be valuable going forward.

Now check this out: the score you want is absolutely achievable. Yes, for you specifically. Just don't give up.

I felt the same way you do right now... several times. I have 7 scores, 5 are in the 16low and below range, and just one in my target score range. The test is unforgiving, and brutally consistent at exposing your weaknesses. You just haven't figured out what works yet. What you can't see that people who have finished can (especially those of us who teach this test and remain part of this community) is that this is just one more piece of the puzzle for you. This needed to happen for you to get where you're going. Every score release I have clients who are crushed by an underperformance. Those are the same people who if they stick with it, absolutely destroy the test a few months later... I've been talking to them all morning today. People who went from almost giving up on school altogether to having a legit shot at HYS this coming cycle... people who are now withdrawing from their regional acceptances to take a swing at the T14. This happens reliably, every. single. test. The major factor that allows people to ultimately succeed? Not giving up. The rest will follow.

You want to go to law school for a reason... that goal determines the type of school you want, which determines the score range you need. Unless we compromise our goals, you just need to decide that you will do what needs to be done. Maybe it'll take longer than expected, but I'd say your dreams are worth it.

Congrats to everyone getting their scores today. Regardless of the outcome, you are now one step further along in your journey.

This is my first official LSAT and I didn't ever dream I would score this high! I had an average in the low 170's, besides one major outlier of a flex at 179 I never scored anywhere near 177 and it still feels surreal to see my score. Glad to never have to look at this test again

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all well. I know that many of you are either in the midst of LSAT prep or gearing up to go to law school. This is a wonderful community and I'm writing this post, "what I wish I knew before law school" to share some insight about what lies ahead. Wherever you are on your journey, I hope it gives you valuable perspective about what you are going into or working towards. My objective is to offer you the perspective I wish I had so that you can make more informed decisions in the coming months.

A little about me: I'm a rising 2L at Harvard Law School currently spending my Summer in BigLaw. I'm also an LSAT tutor and primarily teach LR and RC. I took the LSAT twice and scored a 164 (July, 2019) and 174 (October Asia, 2019). You can read more about my LSAT journey on this post here: https://classic.7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/21717/140s-to174-thank-you-7sage. The focus of this post will be for rising 1Ls and anyone who is generally interested about what 1L is like.

Who is this post for?

What I wish I knew and a collection of thoughts:

1. The shock of the transition: Law school is very hard. This is what JY says at the start of the core curriculum and it's absolutely the case ('the LSAT is hard and Law school is harder'). I really feel the need to stress this because I wish I had a better idea before 1L. Even though I knew on some abstract level that it was going to be a challenge, I didn't really understand how challenging it was going to be until it began. I'm starting with this because I think many of the posts about this subject tend to be so optimistic that they fail to mention about these moments. The transition from 'yay i'm so excited about law school' to 'omg I'm actually doing it and I have no idea what is happening' felt so sudden and shocking to me that I can only compare it to being thrown into the deep end of the pool and frantically trying to stay above water. I seriously questioned whether or not I had made a mistake on day 2. Everyone around me seemed far cooler and more prepared and I couldn't even remember the names of cases and even high level details. You'll find yourself in this moment I've just described in the first few weeks of law school. It can be very isolating when you think you're the only one experiencing the dread, the shock and the initial fear but let me assure you: everyone is going to be experiencing the shock and varying levels of self-doubt. You are not the only one and know that you'll eventually find your way.

2. The pace of 1L is unrelenting. In fact, it feels like it was designed to be impossible. I wish I could say something like it’s a marathon not a sprint but to me, it really felt like a dead sprint to the end. And then you'll have journal write-on competitions right after your last final. (lol wtf?).

A. You have a shit ton of reading for your classes and it takes much longer than you think. @"Cant Get Right" once told me that law school reading is like "drinking out of a firehose" and I believe that's the best description I've heard. Please be sure to start early with the readings and budget more time than you expect because if you fall behind it can be damn near impossible to catch up. This is the case because in the beginning you just have no idea what you're supposed to prioritize or how to read and digest cases. You end up reading ultra closely because it's so difficult, but you have so much to go over so you end up spending a lot of time on some readings and not so much on others. In class, the professor cold calls a student and asks about details she (and everyone else) didn't realize were important so she flubs the cold call (or some combination of going blank at the very moment she is cold called). Then everyone else freaks out because they realize "shit I'm supposed to know that?" and spend even more time reading so that they will be more prepared for cold calls in the future. My advice is to invest in Quimbee and read the case summaries––facts, holding, reasoning––before you start so you at least have context about where the case is heading. Apart from this, knowing what matters when reading cases will take time but you'll eventually get it. Also, COLD CALLS ARE NOT GRADED. Nobody remembers a bad cold call because they are too busy worrying about being called next.

B. You are learning a new language (the law) and yet expected to also hone, interpret and analyze it at a high level of fluency. Frequently, I found myself reading and re-reading the same paragraph 5 times and not knowing what in the world I just read. It's english. It's right in front of me. But I had no idea what the combination of words meant. You'll also come across latin terms that you've never encountered before like sua sponte, de novo, lex loci delicti, infra, intra, etc.  My advice for this is to immediately google it and get the definition. It will save you time. Don't think you can just read on and infer the meaning based on context. You can't. These are usually procedural terms with very esoteric meanings and you simply have no context to understand before law school. Next, take a deep breath and believe me when I say: the best and most fruitful work comes AFTER class and during review.  My advice is to pick ONE study partner (some people do well in study groups but I personally felt it had diminishing returns) and hold each other accountable. Pick a time slot in the week that you dedicate to reviewing a single course's concepts from the week and stick to it. In between these sessions, stay after class, go to office hours, take the time to clarify points of confusion with professors and then quickly review and consolidate your notes. Over time, these notes will become your course outline. Repeat for the other courses for different time slots. Doing this steadily throughout the semester will help you stay on track and save you a ton of grief and time for finals.  Get over the embarrassment of asking questions because everyone is just as confused and will thank you for it. Personally, this is what I found most helpful. Once I started to see the benefits, I grew to accept the discomfort and confusion about the material before and during class because I realized that I would eventually understand it in review. You'll understand what I mean when you take Civil Procedure. Going from total confusion to eventually getting it felt like magic.

C. You're usually tasked with a legal research and writing project in the midst of everything I mentioned above (we had a 10-page legal memo in the fall and a 20-page legal brief in the Spring). To simplify, these projects require you to make an argument for legal questions usually about a fictional case you are assigned. To answer, you find relevant cases on westlaw or lexisnexis and make analogies to your case's facts to support your argument. I personally hated these projects (but maybe future litigators here will find it more bearable). They take up so much time and you'll find yourself going down rabbit holes that lead to dead ends but don't worry, you'll get there eventually. In between all the reading and review sessions, these assignments made keeping up with everything unmanageable. But that's just how things are going to be. It's difficult to appreciate how much work I've described so far until you're in the midst of it. Looking back, I can't fathom how I got through all of it but I did and so did generations of law students before me. My advice is to quickly accept that legal writing is completely different from what you are used to in college essay writing but it's formulaic and you will learn how to do it. It will take longer than you think so dont beat yourself up when it seems like what should only take 3 hours turns into an all-day affair. Budget your time accordingly and remember that it takes time because you're learning a totally new skill! Take this very seriously because much of the work you are given as a summer associate involves legal research and writing. Let me tell you, when you're dealing with a real case, the stakes are much higher and your work will feel more meaningful.

D. I never felt like I was introduced to concepts throughout 1L. Rather, I always felt like I was suddenly in the thick of it and professors were using terms as if I was just expected to know them, learn them on my own, or just keep up. I'm not sure if it was just an HLS thing but my sense is it's the same everywhere because there's just too much to go through. I also think professors have taught the same things for so long that they have forgotten how it felt like to be 1Ls. In any case, I'm telling you this because you'll find yourself experiencing everything above and your first instinct will probably be to question and doubt yourself. Then the toxic self-talk will settle in and if you don't check that early, it could devolve into something worse. If this post scares you, I think it's a good thing. It's really important to know what you are getting into, if only so you know what to expect mentally and emotionally. Many of us here are super type A and used to keeping on top of things, but know that it can feel impossible to do so and it's often the case that something always has to give. Just make sure that you are making the trade-offs wisely. Speaking of trade-offs...

3. You're going to have to make some trade-offs. After reading everything above, I hope you get the sense that you will always be busy throughout 1L. There are always several competing priorities, not to mention things happening outside of school and life that are also competing for your time and energy. On this note, I advise you to take care of as many things you know are important before law school starts. This can include seeing your doctor, all your annual health check-ups, budgeting, etc. The goal is to minimize these competing priorities. During the school year, trade-offs can mean many things. You may prioritize preparing for the courses you believe you can excel at but you never want to do it at the cost of totally give up on another course. Don't put too many eggs in one basket. Or maybe you start cutting back on sleep, hobbies, and even exercise to keep up. I know this sounds extreme but it happened all the time during 1L. Sometimes you dont have a choice but in my experience, not getting enough sleep wasn't a sacrifice worth making. You'll find that you read more efficiently when you are well-rested than not. I also think that you have to pay attention to your body. If you simply aren't retaining or processing information after a certain point at night, there's nothing to gain if you keep going. Best to just call it a night. 

4. The only thing that matters is your final exam. Seriously. So, understand that this is what you are working towards, not to be the star of cold calls! Remember what I said about being cold called on details you didn't think were important? They usually aren't important for exams. In exams you typically only need to know the holding for the specific cases. I'll try to give my best explanation for what to expect but exams are typically composed of issue-spotters and sometimes policy questions. Issue-spotters are fact patterns you are expected to diagnose and analyze for possible causes of action that may be brought, defenses and the likelihood of success on each. Sometimes they can involve the application of procedural arguments that can affect which actions can be brought and in which jurisdiction (Civ Pro, Torts, and Crim usually).  Policy questions are usually short-essay questions involving how aspects of the law advantage/disadvantage certain groups of people and how you might change it. You would answer both of these question types essay-style and I recommend taking as many PTs as you can to practice honing your writing style and organizing your answers. I should also say that these exams tend to be comprehensive, or at least cover a large majority of the material over the semester. Doing well therefore requires a comprehensive understanding of the course and how to apply the concepts you are taught. This is also why I didn't think that having a social science or humanities undergraduate background necessarily helped that much. The reason is most students with these majors write long, well-polished essays that made up most of their grades in college. For such essays, you didn't necessarily need to have a complete grasp over everything in the course. Rather, it was possible to answer the essay question with depth and ignore entire areas of a course. You can't do that on a law school final. You really need to know how the pieces all come together BUT this is quite difficult to do until the end of the course. I've mentioned some reasons above but another reason is you are usually learning components of the course week by week and at that time, you're so engrossed in the details of specific topics that you cannot see the forest but only the trees. It's usually only at the end that you get to see how the whole course comes together and realize what it is you're supposed to do. This is why you'll be feeling a lot of discomfort and confusion throughout the whole semester. Looking back, I think Law school felt a lot like watching the Witcher. Nothing seemed to make any sense because we were taught so many seemingly incongruent concepts but they eventually fall into place. I wont spoil the series for anyone that plans to watch it but I think anyone who stuck with the series after several episodes will know what I mean. In any case, let me assure you that this means it's highly unlikely to feel like you are on top of things until the end. For me, things only started to come together during finals week after taking several PTs. So, my advice for preparing for exams is to gather as many past PTs as you can get for your professor's class. Pick out an older exam and look at it 4 weeks into law school (no need to take the whole exam--you wont be ready for it) and read the questions and skim the fact pattern so you get a sense of what your professor wants. This will help you develop a study direction. Then plan to take PTs after you are done outlining at the end of the course. It's probably not that important to simulate full exams because there isn't enough time to do so. I found that simply outlining answers was enough. Then check your exam answers against example answers your professor gives you or if there are past exams on a database and modify your outline accordingly.

5. What are outlines? There are two kinds of outlines: Study outlines and Attack outlines. Study outlines are what you use to learn and review the material throughout the semester. There are usually outline banks with great outlines created by previous students that are available on a database in your law school. I highly encourage you to download a few at the start of the semester and then decide which ones to stick with. Some people would take notes in those outlines. I personally preferred to take my notes separately.  Either way, you'll have to consolidate a combination of the outline notes and your own notes. The goal is to eventually make this other student's outline into "yours" as you rearrange it and use language more familiar to you. You will need to know where to look to find relevant sections etc. Attack outlines are outlines you develop for taking the exam. While study outlines can be over 100 pages, these are typically far shorter and contain all the relevant guidelines/templates you create for answering the exam question. These would include things like a prima facie case for assault, what differentiates a murder from voluntary or involuntary manslaughter etc... or flowcharts for determining personal jurisdiction etc. I personally found the outlining process to be very helpful for reviewing course material and getting ready for the exam. Just dont forget that you should budget enough time to take as many exams as you can. Your attack outline typically gets more useful with each past exam you take and review. 

6. Take moments to unplug. Everything I said above seems to suggest that you will be going hard all the time. That's not the case. You will definitely find some moments of reprieve and even if you don't, sometimes you have to make time for it. We all have needs and there is no reason to neglect them. Recognize that if you don't take the time to fill your cup, unwind and rest your mind, you'll suffer burnout. If that means rewarding yourself with netflix within reason, do it! You can definitely budget time to do fun things and see your friends. Always pay attention to your body. Practice good sleep discipline and organize your study and reading sessions around the times you are most productive. Exercise and eat healthy.

7. Please remember that you are in a community that is much smaller than you think. One of the unfortunate things about law school is that everyone is in competition with each other and you are graded on a curve. A professor told us: "many of you have always been in the top 10% of your class. For the first time, 90% of you won't be at the end of the semester." When you put the most type A people together in the same room, you can imagine that things can get pretty toxic. Everyone has heard of stories and anecdotes so there's no need to mention them here. I'm very lucky to share that I had a very positive experience in my section but nevertheless, I say all this because this is only 1 year of your life and how you treat your classmates can have career-long consequences you don't foresee. Even though you are competing with your classmates, you can choose to make it a more positive experience for everyone. People remember how you treat them. If you decide to do some shady shit or repeatedly let your classmates/study partners down, they will remember that. Know that one of the most valuable things you can get out of your law school experience is your professional network. Your current classmates are your future colleagues. So don't be an asshole. It's not worth it.

8. You are at a professional school. Act like it. In law school, you'll have classmates older and younger than you. Personally, I didn't notice much of a gap between the older and younger students but there was an exception: KJDs. They often said things and behaved in ways that showed a complete lack of self-awareness and maturity. This was probably because they lacked professional work experience and believed that law school was simply an extension of the undergraduate culture they were used to. This is not to say that KJDs always behaved in these ways or that only KJDs made these mistakes. But my observation was that it happened to them more often because a lack of experience sometimes made them unaware of certain things. Whether or not this applies to you, my best advice is to remember you are among your future colleagues. Think before you act. Think twice before you make that post in groupme and what it signals to everyone around you. Exercise some situational awareness and be sensitive to your audience, especially when it comes to politics, religion, etc. Ask any HLS student and they can tell you about the classmate who commented a little too much about last Summer's protests in groupme (however well-intentioned) and got sidelined hard by many of the students. I don't mean to say that you should self-censor but know that presentation matters and how you carry yourself sends positive or negative signals. In law school, you'll be talking about all kinds of difficult subjects that people have strong opinions about so consider your presentation before speaking up.

9. On another note: if you are a KJD contemplating whether you should get some work experience before law school, I highly recommend it. Know that law school isn't going away any time soon. There is simply no hurry to rush into this. Working for a few years before law school is beneficial in many ways. It gives you a better perspective the decisions you make for your career, clarifies your legal interests, and generally helps you build professional and emotional maturity. I also think it gives you a boost in admissions and perhaps more time to study for the LSAT.

Finally, if there's only one thing to take away here, I want to assure you that you are capable of getting through law school successfully. So many of you take the LSAT very seriously. That's why you come to the discussion forum and read about posts to get advice and encouragement for your journey. You are all already very conscientious and if you apply the same energy and seriousness to law school, you'll do just fine. Yes it will be challenging and the learning curve will be steep, but the discipline you develop from LSAT prep will serve you well in the year ahead. Again, my goal is to give you the perspectives I wish I had. I hope it helps you navigate the exciting journey ahead!

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Happy to help anyone just as so many have helped me.

I took many of the PTs on LSAC LawHub prior to purchasing 7sage. Is there any way I could transfer the data from those tests so analytics can be created without me having to retake the tests on this platform? Thanks in advance

November 2020 LSAT I got a 145 I quit work and studiying full time with max units at university April LSAT I got a 157 I went harder never lost sight and in June 2021 YA mans got a 166 NEVER GIVE TF UP if I can do it anyone can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!