Good morning 7Sage,

As a few of you already know this weekend I gave myself a reality check. Obviously a few weeks out from test day is NOT the best time to realize you just aren't where you want to be, but that's where I am at. So I need some advice from you wonderful people. Before I ask, I need to make it clear; Postponement of the exam is not an option. I will sit for the Sept 16th exam.

So this weekend I woke up and really thought about where I am with this test. Not just my score range, but what I have done to improve, what my weaknesses are etc. I was not happy with what I realized. So I'm going to lay out how I feel, and where I am and I'd like some suggestions about what to do between now and September.

1.) I have not touched RC. Like really, haven't looked at the CC and have just glanced through the Power Score book but have put no work into this section. I know the general consensus is to read for structure, make note of what the paragraphs say and so on but I personally have spent next to no time on this section of the test. My sections range from -4 to -8 and obviously these are points that are costing me that higher score. As of now I just wing it, read and answer questions. I know I need to figure RC out, but I'm not sure where to start.

2.) I do not use a skipping strategy in LR. People like @"Alex Divine" @"Cant Get Right" and a few others have been stressing to me how important this is. I am stubborn though, and can't let go of a question until I have an answer. Up until this point, I do not utilize any form of a skipping strategy on LR. I typically go -2 to -5 on a section in LR. On any given test I go around -8 total. Obviously again this needs work. I'm not sure if a skipping strategy will work for me. I've tried before and it causes mass panic. It's something I'm considering however.

3.) RRE, MSS, Weaken and Flaw. On the modern test I just suck at these kinds of questions. The answers no longer seem as obvious to me and I find it really easy to justify the wrong answers. These question types are killing my score on the more modern tests but my brain doesn't want to adjust the way it sees them. I'm not sure how to go about looking at these questions any more. I looked back at the CC and felt confident but that doesn't translate into the PT. Especially if the PT is 60+

Those are my main three issues I am currently grappling with. It may sound like I'm not ready to test, and in reality that might be true. My average PT score right now is a 169, it's not where I want it to be. However, for reason out of my control, I have to test in September. Any advice would be awesome guys, thanks.

Today signifies the 1 year marker since i started on my LSAT journey.

Stay strong, ma peeps!!

Looking forward to sharing in everyone's success come September!!

Hey all - last four prep tests (67-69,76) I've sat on a 168. It's always been different range, LR -3 to -7 total, games -1 to -3, and RC -4 to -8 (definitely my worst section). I am taking the Sept. test, and I'm wondering what those of you in a similar boat as me plan to do to continue getting better. Background: I started studying in June using the LSAT trainer, haven't used anything else except prep tests 40-60 or so.

Thanks all!

Side note, thank you 7sage for this forum! Makes me feel like there are others maniacally trying the kill this test like me!

Hello! Thanks in advance for reading :)

I'm taking the December 2017 LSAT. I've been enrolled in an LSAT course with Blueprint since mid June and it ends mid September. I was planning on enrolling in a 7sage course after the Blueprint course ends and using that to bring my score up until December. I'm stuck at a 152 practice test score right now though, and after doing a bit of reading I'm worried that my goal of reaching at least a 170 by December is too optimistic. Is it possible?

I've completely lost my motivation in the past few weeks though which hasn't helped, and the last three practice tests I took were basically the same score. I started off studying for the LSAT pretty optimistic and I think that's why I had a 9 point increase within my first month of studying. But now that I've lost my motivation I haven't improved at all in almost a month and studying keeps feeling pointless, like I'm not improving or learning anything anymore. I keep making the same mistakes for some reason and it's really disheartening. We've finished the Blueprint curriculum and learned all of the strategies for every question at this point, but knowing everything now has also made me more confused, if thats possible. Every practice test I feel overwhelmed by all the strategies we learned and I end up taking too long to answer questions to sift through the information in my head or I'll mix up the strategies for the question types. I'm also an extremely slow test taker and have only gotten probably 1 or 2 more questions answered per section since my first practice test.

I won't be taking the LSAT in December if I can't get to 170-175 in my practice tests by then. Which means I'd have to delay taking the LSAT till February and apply to the next cycle, which means I wouldn't start law school until Fall 2019....this is the worst case scenario for me. I really would like to be starting law school by Fall 2018. I have really high expectations for myself getting into a good school though, which is why I would delay myself a cycle if it meant I could get into USC or NYU or something...

I'm starting to feel very overwhelmed and burnt out and I think that may also be why my score hasn't increased. My overwhelming stress has almost been like a barrier to my score. How have you dealt with burnout and/or loss of motivation? Any advice on how I can re-energize myself and start to make point gains again? (Thought I'd point out that I have been employing the BR method recently, but maybe I haven't done it enough since I haven't seen much gains from that yet). Also, which 7sage course would you recommend? I'm between the Ultimate and the Premium. If I'm not going to be using it for more than 6 months, is there a point to paying $200 more to get the Ultimate?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!

Sarah

Today has been a pretty active day on the 7Sage forms. Trust me I know, this place is a damn obsession for me. We need to all stop for a minute and breath.

With the September test a couple of weeks away, everyone can feel the pressure starting to crush down on them. We have a few weeks of study left, scores are fluctuating, sections are biting us in the ass and it's filling our heads with "what ifs?" And "should I's?"

Don't panic. We've been at this for weeks, months, and even years. We KNOW what this test is asking of us. We KNOW that we have good days and bad days. We know a lot.

Come September 16th, we will sit down to take a 5 section LSAT. That test will include;

• At least two LR sections. Each section will have NA, SA, Flaw, RRE, MBT, Para Reasoning, MC,Disagee/Agree, argument part and a few others. WE KNOW THIS. You know how to approach the questions, you've done it hundreds of times before. Chin-up, focus, and charge in.

•At least one LG section. There will be 4 games. We've done tons of them before. The game board is key, understanding rules is important and inferences are what the questions ask about. Look at game pieces, see how they interact, spend the time upfront. You've done it a hundred times before. Even an odd game is doable, you just need to know what is being asked. You KNOW how to do Lg.

•At least one RC. You know what, to hell with the notion that "modern tests RC is hell". Do you want to psych yourself out? Instead take it one passage at a time. Engage with the passage, and be an active reader. Familiarize yourself with structure. Be proactive in how you read. Anticipate questions, identify attitudes and be willing to adapt. Eliminate answers that are wrong, and the right will eventually show up. We KNOW that there are 4 passages and we KNOW that one will be on a subject we probably don't care about. So make yourself care, don't get caught up in stress on how hard it is. We KNOW what RC looks like.

•One experimental section from the list above. Like I've said, we KNOW what to expect from each section. We have done it over and over and over again. Focus on the questions, the assumptions, the argument structure, the inferences, the passage layout, the authors attitude. Do NOT focus on how hard the test is.

You've got this people. You've done it before, you'll do it again and then you'll do it in September. Review your fundamentals, address your worry spots, but remember the LSAT is a standardized test, it can not change THAT much. You are capable, you can do it, prove it to yourself.

And remember, this is just a test. It doesn't define you.

** Edit: This test was not blind reviewed before I graded.

Ok guys, so today was the big day.

I took my first timed PT as vowed to do to determine if I would going to test in September or December. To give an idea of my place in the CC I finished LR and LG and had just started RC. I wanted to be done with the CC but essentially life happened. Hospital, car problems, family, you name it - it happened.

So my final score is: 158

Lg - 4

LR - 8

RC - 11

LR - 5

The first LR I knew was going to be worst because I was all flustere. I also knew RC was going to be exactly that lol.

I wanted to crack 160 but that was with the idea that I would've been done with the RC CC. I have NO idea what to do. Should I post pone?

So i just did my first cold diagnostic, and got a 145.... exact numbers are -9 on LG (very rushed but answered all), -17 on 1 LR (Took my time and answered B just to fill in the last 8 questions and missed them all), -13 on another LR (realized i needed to speed up and still answered B on the last 5 just to fill something in), and -12 on RC (Took to much time and didn't finish the last 6 and filled in B and missed them all, plus rushed the 3rd passage trying to get to the 4th). Its my first time ever even looking at the LSAT outside of some pretty generic explanations. I was expecting a lower score but am still pretty discouraged. Timing was AWEFUL, reasoning was clouded because my timing was AWFUL, i had no idea on some questions. lol it was a pretty big crash and burn. LOTS more red on my answer sheet than black. Anyway, i guess i just had to vent and ask if anyone was or is in this same boat. Also wanted to ask advice from any of you in your experiences.

Is there an auto play feature that will start the next video instead of having to use the next button and hit play each time. This definitely would make things easier.

I have been PTing for a while now, and I got my best score of 166 about 2 weeks ago. I was feeling really encouraged, and I thought I had rounded a corner, and would maybe be able to hit 170 by test day in September. After I got the 166, I took 3 more practice tests- and I bombed. I couldn't figure out why, but all of the sudden I didn't have enough time to finish the sections, and I was left scrambling to guess on lots of problems. Long story short, after 3 tests following my 166, where I scored low (158, 157, 154) I noticed my timer on the proctor of the app was off. Instead of being set for 35 mins a section, it was set to 30 mins a section, which means I was getting the 5 minute warning after only 25 mins. I felt deeply relieved to have a partial-reason for my lower score. But even still, now when I'm taking a test with the correct timer, Im not performing as well as I was- my entire perception of time is OFF. I feel rushed even when I don't need to be, and I'm frantic and panicky pretty much the entire test. When I try to slow down, and work through problems, I slow down TOO much. I'm hoping that as I readjust to the correct time, I'll be able to bring my score back to where I'm consistently scoring in the mid to high 160's, but I'm feeling super frustrated. Does anybody have any good timing tips, or has anybody had something similar happen?

I am currently signed up for the September LSAT but I am considering postponing to December or February. I am a full-time student, so I would prefer to take it in Feb rather than Dec (because the February sitting will be right after a long break in January, and the December sitting will be during finals). However, I would rather take it in Sept than Feb because then I won't have to balance school and LSAT at all.

I am aiming for a 175+. My PTs have been steadily increasing from 159, 163, 168, and most recently, a 169.

I regularly go -0 on LG. RC and LR are less consistent. I range anywhere from -1 to -5 on each LR section, and -1 to -5 on RC. Oftentimes my mistakes on LR are very apparent to me once I see that I got the question wrong, and it is usually an answer that I was unable to eliminate, but still didn't like. RC usually depends on the passages and how quickly I can get through them. I usually never finish with extra time on any section except LG.

I am looking for suggestions on ways I can improve (like strategies for drilling, taking PTs, taking timed sections, etc) by Sept 16th so that I can hit my goal, OR I am wondering if people think this jump won't be possible in a few weeks and that I should postpone until Dec/Feb.

So I just realized that the highest score I've ever gotten on a PT was directly after a weekend camping trip in which I did not think about the LSAT once.

Then this week I've prepped a solid 12+ hours and took 2 PT's and scored 3/5 points lower. There might be a correlation between completely forgetting about the LSAT for a few days and coming back with a fresh mind.

I think I'm approaching complete burn out.

Anyone else just ready to take the dang test already?? At the place where lucks just about the only thing that could bump my score up, and I'm ready to take it!!! But I have 4 more weeks to study!

Also, anyone else starting classes Monday? What's your plan in terms of mixing coursework/lsat?

What are some simple/fundamental stuff that someone can work on to improve their chances of getting a good score (or a better one than usual)? I've been thinking of going back and simply identifying the structure of a bunch of LR questions, like premise SC, MC, etc. to help me better analyze questions, especially MOR.

Also, I know this is really stupid, but I recently figured out that the first question after an RC passage asks for the main conclusion of a passage... for some reason I always looked for the AC that seemed to best summarize the whole passage. Is this new understanding of the main point RC question a correct one?

Would love to hear what basic/fundamental stuff you've worked on that helped you see improvement.

I have been diagnosed with PTSD and a neurological disorder. I thought these conditions are overcomable, but I am starting to think otherwise.

My br scores are either in 180 or very high170s. However, my pt scores fluctuate hugely. I can go from -0 on a timed section and take a same section of similar difficulty and land a -10. This happens to me with all 3 section types.

My pt score can fluctuate 15-20 points dependingg on how the ptsd and the neurological condition affect me that day.

My problem is that I run out of time. I've watched a video of myself, have practiced answering questions efficiently, and have done everything within reason to fix any remaining bad habits.

I noticed that the key factor btw -0 and -10 is attention. When im in a bad neurological condition, it also triggers ptsd, and nothing on the page makes sense. I have to reread the same word (not even a difficult word) multiple times to even understand. And then i run out of time because im reading and re-reading words.

Im starting to feel that its beyond my control to overcome my conditions. Does anyone have any advice? Should i start looking into lsac testing accommodations?

And i also cant take any medications because of my neurological condition.

I've been really hitting RC hard. I'm averaging -4 all other sections, but RC I've been doing worse and worse the more I practice.

I got a 10 out of 27 on PT 72.

and a 14 out of 27 on PT 63.

I'm not sure what Im doing wrong. I'm getting super discouraged.

Any RC tips?

I will be in India in December and taking the LSAT there.

I have heard that the overseas tests are usually the past undisclosed tests. However, is the format the same ie, 2LR, 1LG and 1 RC and a writing sample?

Additionally are there any other unforeseen disadvantages to giving the test overseas apart from not being able to analyse your tests once you get your score?

I'd love to know if any fellow 7sager's have taken the test abroad and what the experience was like.

Thanks in advance :)

Hey guys,

I am still working my way through the core curriculum, but I feel like I forget how to tackle the specific question types as I progress through the rest of the curriculum. Is this normal? I have been doing fairly well on the problem sets for the different question types, but I keep stressing over the fact that I will forget how to do the previous question types. For example, I finished the Powerscore LG workbook last week, but I haven't touched a game for three days now.. starting to worry a little bit now. I have read a lot of discussions on the forum stating that you shouldn't take too long of a break (ie. days), but is that for overall content or specifically just following how the core curriculum is set up? What do you guys suggest?

I am following the curriculum, hence I haven't been switching between LG/LR/RC. Should I be worried?

I am aiming to score in the high 170s by December so I want to get all the practice I can get starting now. Any advice on what study schedule has worked for you guys?

Thank you for your suggestions in advance!

Hey guys,

I think I need some advice. I've seen huge improvements on the LSAT this last month. Namely my LG going from -6 to -1/-2, understood parallel flaw, scored in the 170s for the first, second and third time. But something is amiss.

Last PT I took I got a 165 (my lowest score since I started prepping again in early July). It was my first 5 section test. But I don't know if that's the issue.

I sat down to take another PT today and I just couldn't understand anything I was reading. I thought I had mastered PF yet I was tremendously confused. I couldn't get a simple disagreement question. It's funny because the warmup I did i breezed through easily (about 5 questions). So idk if I'm experiencing burnout, or I'm just psyching myself out.

What do you guys think about taking today, tomorrow and sunday off. Then trying to retake this PT I gave up after the first section. I'll be honest I haven't been getting enough sleep as I should and only 3 questions deep today i started getting that 'post-lsat brain fuzz'. We have exactly 30 days left before Sept 16th and as much as I don't want to take time off...

So should I take time off - and do you think its detrimental that I use this time off to write my PS?

Thanks,

LSAT-hopefullynotburnout-2

So I've been chugging along with my PTs and suddenly hit a wall in terms of LG in tests in the upper 60s. I've never been great at LG, but up until now I've gotten it down to -3/4 per section. In my last 3 PTs I've gotten -7 on 66, -8 on 67, -9 on 68, and -8 on 69. Kind of freaking out - I've worked so hard to improve the LG over the past 4 months and suddenly it seems with the newer tests I'm back to square one

I'm not sure if they're actually harder but it seems like they have many more "weird" unpredictable games that don't fit any convention. In the past there would usually be a standard sequencing game to start, and in/out game, and some grouping game. Now the recent games either have some twist or some thing that throws me off

Not trying to make any excuses! I know that if I really was proficient at LG I would be able to adapt to the weirdness of the rules and games but I had been doing pretty well up until this point! Disappointed

Hey 7Sagers! Im curious how you all as JY puts it "get the most" out of every PT. I understand that it is foolish to burn through PTs without gaining as much LSAT juice as possible from each. I'm wondering what you all do after every PT to review?

This is the system that I have been using recently:

For LR, I blind review and type out a doc that outlines my thinking for all missed questions, confidence errors, or overall difficult questions. Currently seeing most improvement on LR (going -5), although I know I can improve more... looking at you PM/ PF/ SA/ MBT.

For LG, I have been fool proofing all games where I missed a question or if I didn't get through the game as fast as I thought I should. I have only started doing this from PT 59 and up so tbh haven't full proofed games before that (PT 52-58). I had been doing well for my target score (-6) up to the last couple PTs I took where I have not done as well.

For RC, I have not found a review strategy that has helped me increase my points. RC was honestly natural to me when I first started taking PTs last December, would score -6 while my other sections were trash lol. But my score has gone down which is super frustrating to me (avg -8 rn). I know the reason is that I switched to focusing to 3 passages because time was an issue, but I have not been able to go perfect on three passages for this method to be beneficial. So I'm pretty lost on this end of it. I want to go back to completing four passages but its becoming hard for me to think that speeding through passages more quickly while risking misunderstanding is going to be the solution.

September was my goal, have been studying 30+ hrs since June, but I feel like I have so much to work on that it's feeling like pushing back my test date is the right choice... Going to keep grinding for the next couple weeks to see where I'm at then.

Any insight would be great, I'm all ears!

Hi everyone! I'm registered for the Sept. 2017 exam but have weird background and need advice on whether you recommend I study this month & take it or wait until Dec., and also would like to know how detrimental it would be to apply when Dec. scores come out?

Background:

I'm a paralegal at a big law firm and my hours are really insane. I took the Testmasters course Nov - Jan but missed some classes/didn't take advantage of it so waited & took the exam for the first time June 2017. I got really busy at work right before it and would say I only seriously studied for 2 months (with TM books). I thought it was ok but I didn't feel great so I cancelled my score (had been PT'ing at 158-162). Planned to take it this Sept. but been busy with work all summer and now I'm not sure... is 4 weeks of intense studying enough or should I wait till Dec.? Is the 7SAGE membership for just these weeks worth it? Or should I just do practice tests? I also have the LSAT trainer book.

Thank you so much!

So, I fell off the band wagon.

I had a hell of a day Tuesday and virtually didn't even touch my lsat material. Wednesday was a lot of aftermath and while I got a little done, it was only half of what I truly NEEDED to do. Anyone have some motivational advice for when you fall of the bandwagon? I'm taking a timed PT on Sunday to see if i'm going to take the September exam or the December and I can't afford to not be on track.

Help my LSAT gurus

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to see if anyone had any advice for adjusting to the newer RC. I have been taken relatively older (Pre60's) PT's and scoring in the high 160's. I just took PT 65 yesterday and had my brain melted by the third passage about blackmail law. In all honesty, I didn't think the passage was nearly as hard as the questions were. This kind of threw me off because RC is usually my strength. Does anyone have any tips for adjusting to this newer style of RC? I would imagine that it would come with time and exposure but dang that was hard.

I actually ended up doing pretty well on the test. I scored a 171 with a 175 BR. The last LG game really through me for a loop so I ended up going: LR1: -3 LR2:-1 LG:-4 RC: -4.

Thank you all!

I just took it, havent graded it yet but i found it extraordinarily hard compared to 70 and 71 . I felt foggy for a large portion of the test. Anyone have any experiance with it?

Today I sat down at work after my normal morning routine. I logged into Cookie Clicker, 7Sage and Reddit and got ready to start my day. I get to work really early to study for the test, so after everything was set up, I started trying to decided where to focus my studying for today.

I just can't do it! I feel like I am in such an odd place with the test and I feel directionless. I know which sections are my weakest sections. I know that one hard LG or RC passage can destroy my score. I know harder LR questions will trip me up and yet I feel like I have no real grasp on how to improve.

I'm pretty consistent with my sections;

-1/2 LG unless a hard game makes it -5

-6 LR typically with the first section -4 and the second -2

-4 RC unless there is a passage that I have no interest in....(looking at you art....)

Which gives me a score between 165 and 172ish on any given day.

I am super happy I've made it to where I am. I know plateaus can be broken, I've done it before, and you guys have shown me that it is possible with all your awesome stories. I am not done though. I want to get better, I just don't know how.

I know this is vague, I know there probably is no real answer to this problem I'm having other than sucking it up and figuring it out. I just feel very directionless right now. In the past I've always felt like I knew how to improve, and where to focus. Now I just feel like I am spinning my tires in the mud, and not gaining any significant traction on the test.

Thanks for reading, 7Sage is really the best! It's a group of people who understand me. If I had said any of this to most people in my life they'd say....

"Well it can't be that hard, just memorize the important stuff."

It aggravates me that they don't understand the struggles we have with this test!! Thanks for letting me vent.

http://orteil.dashnet.org/cookieclicker/ for anyone that doesn't know what cookie clicker is