General

New post

35 posts in the last 30 days

Hi, I am relatively new here and not as tech savvy as some of you. Can you please help me figure out the curriculum?

After completing the last CC section on RC, do we jump to the February 1997 Test? Effectively skipping over the "deprecated" drill sections for PT1-35 that are listed in the syllabus? The syllabus and class schedule indicate two distinct pathways.

Thanks for any help!

0

When the first quarantine orders were given two weeks ago, LSAC cancelled March quite promptly. I think they cancelled the morning of, at least before my shelter in place orders were given. Now with the quarantine extension in place for a few days, I thought they would have cancelled by now?

No cancellation along with the webinar of them exploring remote testing makes me feel as if remote testing could be a very real possibility .What do you all think?

0

I hope everyone's healthy and staying productive these days. Just wanted to check in and ask how everyone is studying and scheduling their days during quarantine. I'm wondering especially how y'all preserve your sanity and what do you do to calm your mind and just chill.

I have a full time job but the pandemic reduced my workload tremendously, which means I have a lot of time to study now, yay! But the downside is that I am now inclined to work almost all day, and everyday. I tried taking today off (that is after taking a PT :)), but I ended up deciding to study as little as possible, by foolproofing a few games and reading RC sections from the Trainer. Cause the guilt of not studying is making me feel very anxious.

But on the bright side, I now get to practice yoga every morning (highly recommended) and also try to squeeze in some meditation time. Other than that practically the only breaks I get during the day are my 2 coffee breaks and watching an episode of the Office every now and then.

Day-offs are overrated anyway am I right?? But seriously I think I need advice on how not to burn out. Also wouldn't it be great if everyone shared some ideas on how we can all preserve our mental health while going through all this shit?

1

Can anyone give me a good example of "the only" as a sufficient conditional indicator? Possibly differentiating it from the 5 "only" (only, only if, only where, only when, only those).

Reference to these: http://classic.7sage.com/lesson/4-translation-groups-cheatsheet/

I know I can just plug in "the only" to "all" in the phrase "all horses are strong" but "the only horses are strong" doesn't make sense to me immediately. I would really appreciate a great example!

+ I would also appreciate a good example of "always" as a necessary conditional indicator :D

21

Hello,

Is it possible to understand suff n necc. conditions to such an extent that memorizing the indicators taught to us in the groups become unnecessary?

Thinking out loud- i'm afraid of becoming too dependent on the memorization of these indicators and not be able to establish a solid form of logical thinking into my reasoning process, if that makes sense?

Any thoughts?

0

Hi!

I just started my 7Sage lsat journey via the subscription service. I am almost through the LSAT trainer and am feeling confident on everything but logic games. I was planning on taking my lsat in August and maybe retaking in November but I'm looking for tips/advice on how I can maximize my study technique until then. I am currently studying everyday, but am also a full-time student.

0

It is currently April 5, 2020. I am taking the LSAT for the first time August 28th. I am also planning on taking the October 3rd test. For my study schedule, should I put my "end" date as August 27th or October 2nd? I originally put August 27th but then I thought I should spread it out so I am still actively studying up until the October 3rd test. Should I put my "end date" somewhere between the two exams?

0

We just received an email from LSAC.

Summary

The April LSAT may (read: probably will) be canceled.

If you registered for the March or April LSAT, you can restore a canceled score!

If you canceled an LSAT score, ever, LSAC will email you to tell you what you got on that test.

You can choose to restore the score.

Full text

We hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the COVID-19 situation.

As you know, the COVID-19 outbreak forced cancellation of the March LSAT. The April LSAT in North America may also be canceled or postponed. We will continue to follow the guidance of public health authorities and will announce a final decision about the April test no later than April 10, so that April registrants have the opportunity to plan accordingly.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 situation, LSAC is working to provide testing alternatives for candidates, including candidates who need a score for admission this fall. We are looking at a number of options, including adding another test date in the late spring, secure remote-proctored testing, the possibility of in-person testing in smaller groups with appropriate social distancing and other safety measures, and more. We will continue to provide frequent updates on these efforts.

I wanted to make you aware of another step we are taking to help candidates get a reportable score in order to apply to law school during this difficult time. Any candidate who registered for the March 2020 or April 2020 LSAT, and who has a canceled score from a previous LSAT, will now have the opportunity to review their canceled score and restore that canceled score to their record if they choose.

Our records indicate that more than 3,000 of the candidates who registered for the March and April LSAT administrations have a previously canceled score. Many of these individuals do not currently have a non-canceled score, so allowing them to review and restore their canceled score could be an important step in enabling them to complete their application process for admission this fall.

Participation is completely optional, but given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 emergency, we are strongly encouraging all candidates who had registered for the March and April LSATs to take advantage of this opportunity if they have a previously canceled score. We appreciate everything you are doing to support candidates during this time, and hope that you will encourage eligible candidates with whom you are in touch to take advantage of this opportunity as quickly as possible given where we are in the admission cycle.

We will be providing March and April registrants with their canceled scores over the next few days via confidential email. For candidates who choose to restore a previously canceled score, we will update their files within 2-3 business days, and new reports will be provided to any schools to which they have applied during this cycle.

This “Review and Restore” opportunity could help a significant number of candidates, but we know it won’t address the needs of everyone. We will continue our work to provide a variety of testing alternatives for the next several months. We also applaud the efforts of so many of our member law schools who have extended application deadlines and taken other steps to provide greater flexibility for candidates.

9

(This is long. Thanks for bearing with me. Otherwise, TL;DR is at the bottom.)

Through elementary and middle school, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. When I was confirmed, I chose Thomas as my "confirmation name," after St. Thomas More, the patron saint of lawyers. Whenever I was asked, I always said that's what I wanted to do, mostly because I enjoyed logic, and dissecting arguments.

By the time I got to high school, I had steered away from that dream, simply because I was told that "doctors and lawyers" were the types of people that got consistently high grades and, well... I didn't.

In college, I tried my hand at a few different programs, but never really found "my calling." I tried aviation, and computer science (both of which I enjoyed, but weren't "my thing"). I ended up settling on a degree in Secondary Education, with a focus on English, because teaching and English were things I was naturally good at, and I needed to get out of school sooner or later. I sailed through those classes without much trouble and graduated with a 3.0 GPA.

I've since found that teaching isn't "my thing" either, and I've been doing technical support, in one form or another, for going on 10 years now. Again, it's something that I have a natural aptitude for, but not something I'm necessarily passionate about.

I settled down, got married, had some kids, and spent some time wondering whether this is what I was meant to do. And then, I found you all.

I feel like I've found my people.

I'm... excited to study? What?

I am legitimately looking forward to the time when I get off work, put my kids to bed, and get to my computer to listen to JY teach me things at chipmunk speed.

I learn. I take quizzes. I fail — and thoroughly enjoy the process. I've never been this excited to learn about something in my life.

But, here's the thing:

I don't really know what it's like to be a lawyer.

And actually, I don't even know what it's like to be in law school, or how the process of studying for the LSAT compares.

I want to believe that I will enjoy it—that this will be "my thing." But I've been watching these videos about how so many lawyers get through this whole process, where they crush the LSAT and get into a great law school and do awesome in school and then they get out and... they just wind up hating it. And that scares me.

I don't plan to go to into big law, or even "medium" law (is that a thing?). I'm not sure I will ever live in a city with more than 150,000 people. When I become a lawyer, it will probably be in a small firm with a few other people and a wide focus — at least, that's what it seems like to me.

So, here's the TL;DR: How did you know you wanted to be a lawyer? I am pretty sure I was made for this. But, the number of lawyers who hate their jobs is daunting, and I don't want to get into this only to find out that it's just "another thing" that I tried and decided wasn't for me.

2
User Avatar

Last comment friday, apr 03 2020

My first 170 on a PT!!!

Hello everyone!!! I recently just got my first 170! I went from a 151 diagnostic back in June to that score on my most recent prep test! I just wanted to say thank you to everyone on the forums who's helped me, I really appreciate it and it definitely helped me get to this spot!

11
User Avatar

Last comment friday, apr 03 2020

Covid-19 and your Time

First, let me start by saying I believe our priority should be supporting everyone suffering and those on the front lines. The majority of us who must stay home are in a better place. Right now, for better or worse, time is what we have.

Staying home, of course, is not without its frustrations and problems. Many of us feel powerless about the ability to support family or miss out on work/wages and school. As in anything, we need to focus on what we can control.

For those of you studying, I can’t help but think about a time when I was laid off during my LSAT studies a few years ago. It was certainly frustrating. I had mounting bills that unemployment wouldn’t cover and family members I wasn’t in a financial position to support the way I wanted.

As frustrating as it was, I did, however, have time that I didn’t have before. While working a full-time job, I remember how I’d often lament the lack of extra time to study for the LSAT. After losing my job, there was little I could do besides use that extra time. I decided that while I was still looking for work, I would make a part-time job out of studying for the LSAT. In retrospect, that period was instrumental to my understanding of the LSAT and my massive score increase.

Here are some takeaways from my experience on how to use this time effectively.

Make it a part-time job.

Set up an actual schedule and put yourself on the clock. You don’t skip work, show up late, or spend your workday texting. You have a set time and you do your work. Otherwise, your boss won’t be very happy.

Take the same approach to your part-time job of studying for the LSAT. Have a set schedule. Sit at a proper desk. Take reasonable breaks for coffee or what not but limit them to a few minutes like you would at work.

An important benefit is that once you’ve put in those hours, the rest of your day is yours to do as you please, just like with a part-time job.

Limit those part time hours.

When I came up with this idea, I immediately texted my brother. He knew how frustrated I was about losing my job and I was happy to share my new idea about using this time for a positive purpose.

Ever supportive, My brother encouraged the idea of making this a job. “Put in eight hours a day just like you would at work. You’ll never get this time back.”

I had to change one part of that. Eight hours a day is not realistic for LSAT study. The material is just too abstract. I decided to limit my time to four hours per day. Depending on the day that could mean watching lesson videos (actively), doing practice sets or general studying. If I had a practice test or blind review, that would also count towards the four hours.

In my humble opinion, eight hours studying for something as abstract on the LSAT is just not realistic. Instead, my goal was to put in four hours per day, five days a week. Just like a part-time job. I made those four hours count rather than setting myself up for frustrations with eight hours.

This rightly gave me remaining hours in my new “workday” to meet other priorities: look for work, help family, work on other parts of my law school applications.

Self Correct

Like in any endeavor, this is an adjustment. Self correct to find what makes your work better.

At first, I made Starbucks my office. I liked the idea of coffee and getting to a space besides home. But a busy coffee shop had too many distractions.

I decided on a quiet library instead. I also eased up on the caffeine intake. Don’t get me wrong. Coffee is a part of my routine but there is too much of a good thing!

As in anything, experiment, self correct, find what works best for you.

Final thoughts

During a practice test or the real exam we must be aware of time. We either use time or lose it. This is also true of the hours and days we have to study. For those of us out of work and on lockdown, it is frustrating. But time doesn’t stop. We use it or lose it. We are limited in that time, especially now. But within those constraints we can use the time we have to support family, friends and people on the front lines. We can also use some of this time to take care of ourselves and invest in our future. We’ll never get this time back.

21

I was WL by HLS. Really happy!

If anyone has experiences of what it is like to be on wait list for HLS schools, LMK.

Already submitted my LOCI. My favorite professor at Columbia University (got an A+ and worked alot together this year) wants to submit another letter of rec because she did not write one since i was not done with her course during my application period. Even tho HLS generally advises against this, should I do it? Should I call them up to ask or just send in a compelling LOR?

0

After taking prep tests, I have come to the conclusion that one of my biggest problems is focusing on the questions/answers. We all know that it's easy to get lost in the minutia of the LSAT--whether it be choosing the most "popular" answer rather than the correct answer because you didn't pay attention to the difference between one word in the answer choice you chose and one word in the answer choice that is correct. It is important to note here that in my international studies major in undergrad, my tests mostly consisted of writing timed essays, and as such, my brain works much better in that arena--focusing on creating a thesis and going from there, rather than reading multiple answer choices and getting lost in them. When trying to answer multiple choice questions that is the majority of the LSAT, I notice that it's hard for my brain to focus on these things. Does anyone have any tips for training the brain (please don't respond with saying study / use the course more because that is what I have been doing :) ), aside from medication one can receive from a diagnosis? This can also include the changes they've made to their routines, workouts, eating habits/recipes, etc. Thank you so much !

2

I would appreciate any feedback on my study plan from the Sages and also really anyone else who has been studying for a while and feels like they have a good grasp on what they are doing here.

Goal Score: 174

Cold Diagnostic: 166 (Aug ‘19) (disclaimer, this is not a totally fair point of comparison as I did not do an adequate job of precisely simulating test day conditions - e.g. gave myself more time in between sections).

LG (-9)

LR (-8)

RC (-3)

Studying so far: I technically started studying for the LSAT last summer but I had no idea what I was doing. Initially, I worked my way through a Princeton Review Prep book from the library and was devoting probably 4hr/week to studies with no set schedule; then based on the advice of a friend, I went through the PowerScore LR Bible but studying was still haphazard.

The same friend told me that what I really needed to focus on was taking timed practice tests. Through no fault of my friend, I somehow got it in my head that if I just took enough practice tests, my score would improve. I then blazed through 9 PTs without any BR (I have since learned my lesson and have turned those old PTs into drilling material so not a total waste). To illustrate how bad it got, at one point I took a PT on 8/28 (163), then 8/30 (164), then 8/31 (163), then 9/2 (160) and then 9/4 (158). (In case you’re curious, during this period my LG and RC scores were very inconsistent but LR was relatively stable at around -8-14). I would take these tests, exhausted, at 4:00am and then (because of a somewhat toxic situation at my full-time job), would job hunt late into the evening. Obviously the lack of improvement was disheartening (although, looking back it is almost laughable that I expected ANY improvement in between these tests).

When I started my new job, I put LSAT training on hold (partially because I was exhausted) and partially because this new job was a lot more intense. Anyways, I quit that job back in late February and have been studying full-time (so approximately ~5 weeks) ever since (6 days a week for 8-10 hours a day). I joined 7Sage shortly after and I finally feel that I am studying the right way. For the remainder of February and first half of March, I worked intensely on drilling LR (2-3 sections/day with intense BR) and full-proofing LG. When I was ready, I took another PT as a check-in and scored a 169 (BR 170) with -1 LG, -9 LR and -3 RC; I was calm for most of the exam but felt as if my nerves still probably got the better of me in both the LR sections. Anyways, one week later, the Coronavirus is in full swing and I took another PT from home in the absolute worst of conditions (jerry-rigged setup in my closet with my dresser set up as a desk) where I was hunched over and could not give 100% to the exam; ultimately, I think my nerves really got the best of me, scoring a 159 (-9 LG, -9 LR and -9 RC).

What I took away from this is that I do not have a reliable and repeatable process; I’m falling back on my intuition, which works fine when a test somehow aligns with my strengths but not so much when this isn’t the case (feel free to disagree with my diagnosis). After my 159, I went through the Core Curriculum in earnest (previously, had just hopped around focusing on Formal Logic and other perceived problem areas).

All this to say, that I am now going to be starting a new PT/BR schedule and would like feedback on my tentative plan. I had originally planned (and am registered for the April exam) but expect this to be canceled and feel that June/July is probably more feasible anyways.

Logic Games:

  • Plan is to continue to full-proof 10-20 Game/night: Grouping games and in-and-out games are my weakest although I’ve recently started to improve quite a bit in regards to the former (every other night, I focus strictly on grouping games and in-and-out games). The ultimate goal is to turn a somewhat consistent -3 into a -0/-1.
  • Sometimes miscellaneous games throw me for a loop (not sure how to practice these since I feel the largest hurdle for me is just figuring out how to “play” the game, once I see the first 30 seconds of the game board setup in the explanation video, I can usually go -0 within the suggested time)
  • My biggest hurdle when doing NEW Logic Games is mistranslating a rule (or occasionally even missing a rule entirely). To obviate this, I have started to tick off each rule after I transcribe it and this has pretty much eliminated the latter problem. I am going to attack the former issue by adopting the strategy of answering the acceptable situation question while transcribing the rules (has anyone had any success with this, I’ve heard of this primarily deployed as a timing strategy).
  • Logical Reasoning:

  • Based on the suggestion of another 7Sager, I have built a physical LR journal (previously used an Excel sheet but I think this approach will be more helpful). The goal here is to be able to ultimately internalize the similarities among the question types and become hyper-attuned to the logical structure of the stimulus through repeatedly coming back to arguments that made me scratch my head
  • When I was intensely drilling in mid-March I was able to consistently go in between -1-4/section but on the my two PTs I have not been able to replicate this success (not sure if this is fatigue or nerves or just statistical variation; possibly all three)
  • Until about a week ago, a huge mystery for me was why I seemed to struggle immensely with one of the first 5 ‘easy’ questions; it was super relieving to hear that other people on the forum struggle with this. Anyways, I am going to adopt the strategy of having a ‘second round’ with around 5 questions left. I imagine that it will take some time to feel 100% comfortable with this new approach and I am probably going to do some drilled sections, focusing on this specifically, in between PTs. I have not yet started to film myself but I know that I am getting stuck for 3+ minutes on some questions, so I think making an intentional effort to save these questions for the next round will help; especially when, for whatever reason, I am glancing over a key phrase in the stimulus (i.e. “most” or another key referential phrase that makes the answer choice immediately apparent when I review in BR a day later)
  • My biggest problem areas in LR are Must be True, Most Strongly Supported and Sufficient Assumption questions (and basically anything that employs formal Logic). To this end, I have started each day with a ~30 minute warmup of drills in Lawgic with the translation flashcards, the sufficient assumption quizzes, etc.
  • Reading Comprehension:

  • Not sure what to do for this honestly. I feel as if the low hanging coconuts are to be had in LR and LG before turning my attention here. Occasionally, I spend 30 minutes on Scientific American and or The New York Review of Books (but if, I'm being honest with myself, I am not consistent about this) since science and art passages are the ones with which I feel the most uncomfortable.
  • Apologies for the somewhat rambling post but appreciate in advance any feedback.

    0

    So I just feel the desire to share something with you all. I have been in tears twice during work today, not because of whats been going wrong but what has gone shockingly, incredibly right. I have been studying since October saw substantial gains after the first month of taking practice tests then my score leveled off at 160 for over a month. I had been taking tests twice a week in preparation for the April test, but I rescheduled to June for obvious reasons and because my score wasnt close to my goal of 170. I took a week off of PT's and spent more time thoroughly studying my LR answers from the last test. I had fallen into a habit of lazy reviewing for sure, with all of your voices in the back of my head telling me I should be putting in more effort, writing out answer choice explanations. I gathered my thoughts before my PT yesterday and wrote out my approach for each section, interacting with the RC passages, skipping questions on LR, and taking a moment to consider how my rules interact for LG. I scored a freaking 167! I'm psyched, I'm shocked, and relieved that my potential is there. For me it was never a matter of if I had it in me, it was a matter of if I was going to follow through with what I needed to do to get there. If I have learned anything its that these victories are meant to be short lived, I need to keep pushing and making that score consistent before I make my goal of 3 more points. Having until June makes me extra confident I can do it. ALSO, long story short I have a bachelors degree in chemistry and have had a tough time since graduating two years ago, I have jumped between a few jobs and havent gotten above the position of a lab tech, which according to my degree I am over qualified for but the world is a cruel place. I am on a contract at my current company set to end in April with hopes of getting hired on, which is horrible timing considering the damn economy rn. BUT my managers decided they "didnt want to lose me" and hired me on the spot for a scientist position (definitely rushed considering the real possibility of a hiring freeze coming on). This week (this month for that matter) is a prime example of how anything can be flipped on its head. Keep working HARD. Always do the next right thing for you and be kind to everyone around you, you never know who is watching. Thanks all, carry on!

    2

    Hi everyone,

    I am studying the second time around for the LSAT. I have taken it once before, a while back and scored a 146. However, I am looking to start re-studying except for the life of me I cannot form a solid game plan or even know where to begin. My goal is between a 160-165.

    Thank you.

    0

    Hey there,

    I've been looking over the LSAC website and noticed their list of schools in Canada that offer a J.D and the list of schools in Australia that offer a J.D as well.

    Is it really possible for me as an American to attend a law school in another country, attain a degree and then practice law and live there?? If so, I'm really going to consider it.

    Any help would be appreciated, and while I wait for a response I'll see what google has to say haha.

    Thanks in advance.

    0

    Confirm action

    Are you sure?