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

Hey guys so I posted a comment a couple weeks ago on how I was testing at 154 and blind reviewing at 167, well now I am currently testing between 159-163, I obviously am aiming higher but it is satisfying watching yourself improve, so for those who may be frustrated right now keep pushing yourself and you will see results and this is coming from someone who had a diagnostic of a 145.

Hi all!

Getting ready to start PT after finishing up most of the CC (75% done)

Has anyone ripped out section 1 from PT 36 and used it as the section 5 in say.. PT 42? Section 2 from 36 in PT 43, so on...

Printing seems quite expensive around here (seriously staples, $4 per exam?) so I printed 2x 36, 37, 38 and ordered 2 copies of the 10 tests booklet 42-51... Has anyone done anything similar?

Now -- I am concerned with a - I'll "know" and b - skipping PT 36-41 a bad idea and c - how bad are the booklets? Are they similar to the real exam or is it really uncomfortable to take the PT in the booklet?

TIA!

Please link any below

7Sagers,

On Wednesday, August 23, at 9 p.m. ET, we’ll host a special personal statement workshop featuring 7Sage editors Amy Bonnaffons and Chris Schlegel.

Amy and Chris will be workshopping real first drafts submitted by 7Sage students a few weeks ago. This is your chance to see how a professional editor thinks about the revision process. And if that’s not enough to entice you…

At the end of the webinar, we’ll randomly select two attendees for a free round of editing with Chris or Amy!

You’ll find details about joining the webinar below. Farther down still, you’ll find the drafts that Amy and Chris chose. Read them yourself and think about how you would revise.

Webinar: Personal Statement Workshop

Wed, Aug 23, 2017 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM EDT Join by going to this link: https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/579343661

You can also dial in using your phone: United States: +1 (312) 757-3121

Access Code: 579-343-661 First GoToMeeting? Try a test session: https://care.citrixonline.com/g2m/getready

#---

Essay 1

Many people view Costco as a wonderland of gallon-sized jars of mayonnaise, industrial cans of vegetables, packages of toilet paper large enough to last the average family a year, and $1.50 ready-to-eat hot dog combos that haven’t increased in price for decades. But for me, Costco has been the backbone of my work experience, teaching me valuable skills and work ethic that could only be learned through hands-on experience. My stint at Costco began as a part-time college job to pay living expenses just in time for my first semester at Creighton University. My job at the big box retailer is one aspect of my life that has remained constant throughout my educational pursuits: from graduating college, to studying as a paralegal, to my journey to law school.

My acceptance to Creighton University brought me 1500 miles away from my hometown of Reno, Nevada to the mid-western town of Omaha, Nebraska where I was hired at Costco the week my first semester began. My weekdays were spent waking up before dawn for the 5am shift and leaving by 10am to spend the rest of the afternoon in lectures. I used the weekends to complete homework assignments and worked the late-night shift at Costco. My wages covered rent, food, and other living expenses allowing me to graduate with a de minimis amount of student loans.

Costco not only provided a means of financial support, but lead me to a great deal of self-discovery that ultimately brought me where I am today as I apply to Wake Forest University School of Law to start the next chapter in my educational career; I have learned I am highly organized, work best under pressure, have outstanding time management skills, and enjoy utilizing my strong language skills. Participation in leadership roles on and off the clock including safety committee representative, coordinator for the volunteer reading program, and Live Healthy program advocate for the warehouse promoted my personal growth. Like Creighton, Costco demanded that I give my best to the task at hand no matter how simple.

The rigorous course load of the Jesuit university not only shaped me academically, but also religiously, spiritually, and morally. The religion-based courses, including philosophy and morals and ethics, helped create the foundation for my analytic and research skills. Like many young college students, I did not have a definite academic or professional goal in mind upon beginning college studies and I took a plethora of classes in hopes of expanding my career possibilities. I do not regret the variety of courses that comprise my college transcript as I feel my diverse course load taught me perseverance to finish what I start and gave me a broad range of knowledge. It wasn't until my third year of college that I chose to pursue a degree in Spanish and Hispanic Studies to follow my passion for the language and culture. The major also suited my strength in writing that my professors had so often complimented. My time spent in the Hispanic community and in the classroom as I worked toward my major ignited my passion to study law as it left me wondering how I could help disadvantaged immigrants and minorities in a professional, legal capacity. It became clear to me that higher education could translate my passion into a career that would benefit the common good while satisfying my eagerness to gain knowledge.

Years after obtaining my Bachelor of Arts degree, I continued to work at Costco in payroll and human resource administration in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina warehouse. My job at Costco brought my thinking back once again to law. I viewed my position in human resources as a microcosm to the legal system; the company's employee handbook and policies and procedures as the laws and I the attorney advocating the rights of the employees and interpreting policies. I was intrigued to learn about the state and federal laws and regulations that had shaped the company's policies, leave of absence administration, workers' compensation procedures, and other legal matters relating to personnel and employment. My interest in employment law while working at Costco encouraged me to begin a paralegal education that flourished into a career for which I ultimately left my full-time job at Costco.

I can still vividly recall the sweltering, August day that would determine my fate in the application pool of Costco. The day of my scheduled interview, I awoke to find my car totaled by a tornado; I hadn’t even unpacked my moving boxes. Without anyone to call for help, I headed out on the unfamiliar streets of my new town on my bicycle with a folded map in hand. By the time I was able to locate the building, I had arrived over two hours late. Notwithstanding my tardiness, the hiring manager viewed me as a dedicated candidate and hired me on-the-spot. The start of my career at Costco is much like my path to Wake Forest Law; I haven’t always been sure how I would arrive to my destination but I have remained determined and haven’t given up on my dream of law school despite the obstacles that have confronted me.

Essay 2

2016 marked a pivotal year in my life. This was my first direct encounter with the social injustice that plagues our world. Working as a police officer at the Statehouse, every day, several times a day, I would interact with all different walks of life, from the homeless to the governor. While I didn’t realize at the time, there is a stark contrast in the way police officers interact with individuals of majority and minority status.

The catalyst to realizing the true existence of social injustice took place on a cold winter night in December of 2015. Around 11pm the temperature was 10 degrees with the wind chill. Just as any other night I was making my nightly rounds checking high traffic areas along Broad Street, When I received a call of suspicious activity in the parking garage. I arrived several minutes later to a small group of people standing in the garage, simply trying to get out of the cold. I promptly got on the radio and asked what the issue was, to which she replied, “the black man in the blue coat and jeans looks suspicious.” Standing fairly close to him and his daughter, he heard the dispatcher’s reply. The look on his face was of shock; was he being targeted simply because he’s black? The man and his daughter were the only two African Americans in the group. At this point I felt I was there not for a wrong doing but because the color of a man’s skin. While we usually didn’t allow individuals to loiter in the garage, if it was cold we had some discretion. Trying to rectify the situation, I carried on a conversation with the man for several minutes, telling him he was more than welcome to stay as long as he needed to get warm. Before leaving, he introduced himself ad Michael and told me I was the only police officer in his entire life that treated him like a human being. This particularly hit me hard, what made the act of profiling and mistreatment amongst minorities so apparent? Just a few days earlier I worked at a protest of police profiling and brutality amongst minorities, in which the man was present. This man stood up for what he believed in and in particular what was right.

Two months later working day shift, we received a call that an individual that had been shot in the head and needs medical attention. Less than a half mile from Capital Law School, I arrived to the crime scene in shock, this man was no stranger, rather Marshawn was the leader of many of the protests and civil rights movements that had taken place just a few months prior. He was very passionate about equality, especially in regards to police relations among minorities. While some were in shock, the apparent suicide was taken rather lightly by many others, some of which were making jokes and ready to clock out. How could they be so heartless? This was a young man who later we would find out took his own life as a direct retaliation of police profiling. The injustice that he felt could have very well been brought on by one of us, or even myself, which was particularly hard to live with.

As time went on the impact of this man’s suicide only grew on me. I began to think of every instance in which I might have unintentionally engaged in profiling or been unfair based even marginally upon race. I would never stand for such an injustice. This man believed in his cause so much, that he gave his own life. While tragic, this lit a fire in my soul in terms of the many social injustices taking place. I changed my undergraduate major from criminal justice to sociology and began to thoroughly research current injustices and police profiling. This went against everything I have ever been believed, but growth only happens in a state of discomfort. Stagnation turned to chaos. Everything I had ever known was now being challenged. Things were no longer taken at face value. This combination of events, while seemingly meaningless to others, sparked an extreme passion for improving people’s lives. Becoming an attorney would enable me to bring attention to societal issues that are not being addressed, and to give a voice to people like Michael and Marshawn, who tend to be marginalized.

Hey all,

So, I'm taking on 7sage's trial course before making the full plunge with you guys, but something stuck out to me... J.Y. recommends that we study for at least a year before being fully ready for an LSAT attempt.

Nowadays, that "3 attempts every 2 years" policy is gone, so now we can take and re-take without issue. But, he has a good point.

My question is: Do we need to spend a whole other year relearning everything from scratch if we're coming from a competing service like Powerscore? Or is it more realistic to cut it down a bit since I have some of the core basics and experiences down?

I graduate next year and I want to do the best in the LSATs, so if I prepare(not fully commit to it but still understand) the LSATs does anyone think it would be beneficial?

Hi all,

I'm looking for someone who's interested in blind reviewing LR and RC questions in the Washington, DC area. I've come to realize the importance of reviewing questions with others as it really exposes neglected presumptions and enables you to get out of the echo chamber that is your head and look at questions from a unique and original point of view.

I'm preparing for the September/ December take but don't think it matters where you are in your studies. To get the most out of this though I'd imagine you'd be in PT mode. Where you're currently scoring also makes little difference. Although I'm by Foggy Bottom, I'd be willing to travel a reasonable distance to meet.

I am 32 and have a associates in Automation/Robotics. I am currently going back to school for my Electrical Engineering degree, and i am planning on then going through to Law School. I know this is as far from one and other than one can get but it is something that i have been thinking about for a while but have not had the financial means to do so. I am about 24 months out from my degree and i would like to start LSAT prep. I haven't taken a diagnostic test but have looked at a few questions in LG and LR, i might have been able to answer 30% or so, which worried me, because i see everyone else with 145-155 diagnostics scores and i feel i would be far from that. It's crazy to me to read everyone testing in the high 150's/160's.... its a bit intimidating. I haven't taken a class in 10 years or so and the questions really pointed out how many cobwebs are in my head (At least i hope they are cobwebs, and not that i am just not cut out for the LSAT.) I'm sure this forum gets this a lot, but i am simply wondering what you guys think i should do as far as prep?

Here's a funny story that illustrates a ridiculous usage of correlation (or really, coincidence in this case) proves causation:

http://www.india.com/buzz/this-indian-is-responsible-for-jeff-bezos-slip-in-worlds-richest-person-list-amazon-users-hilarious-post-is-the-best-thing-you-will-see-today-2361411/

Hey guys,

I'm new to the analytics on 7sage.

If I input one section and press "save & continue," wishing to input the other sections at a later stage, will this affect my overall analytics? For example, I just entered section 1 for PT 48. As I BR the next sections, I will go back in and enter the rest. However, my current score says 21.8% correct, and a score of 128 (if I remember correctly).

I am assuming this will change once more information has been entered and my real average will then be reflected, right? Just hoping this won't affect my scores once I have entered more PT's.

Is there a better way to do this?

-deleted-

Foods? Exercise? What?

Edit: I meant maintaining stamina during a full timed PT. Sorry.

I've gotten to the point where I'm just drilling and taking PrepTests now. Ambitiously I've tried to do 1 per day, but I've quickly realized this has diminishing returns. After the 3rd or 4th consecutive day of taking PrepTests, my scores begin to drop significantly (like a difference of minus 4-5 questions on proceeding PrepTests).

I can tell when my mind is burnt out too - I may have to read a stimulus multiple times and it often feels like I'm just intuitively picking answers instead of reasoning through them. I'll often miss questions because of a silly reading error. After a day or two of rest, my score is back up to where it was initially.

My question is, does this phenomena ever end? Have any of you been able to take a PrepTest every day with no diminishing returns? And if so, what strategies did you employ?

With the recent uptick of unconventional LG games on PTs, I was wondering if anyone has a unique approach to minimizing the chances of striking out on a game. Obviously the best we can do is familiarize ourselves with these unique games, but in some cases I'm just genuinely lost.

One thing I was thinking of doing is browsing through the games at the very beginning of the section, spotting the unique game (if there is one) and at least read it and play with setting it up and then come back to it later. Kind of like skipping on LR. Sometimes priming yourself for something and then coming back to it helps you figure out what to do.

I just completed PT60. I finished with a 160 and 165 on the BR. Reading comp is by far my biggest weakness. I usually average 7-11 wrong on RC. I've spent the last month focusing on LG and improved a lot averaging 2-4 wrong but I can't seem to improve at all on RC. Any advise on making any kind of improvement on RC?

I just finished grading PT71,(drumroll), i got a 173!!! And a 178 BR. Got that little email from JY and Dillon.

Stick to the BR, be intense in the review, and drill drill drill.

Studying just got a hell of a lot more fun!!

Sorry i dont mean to sound like a show off, but when i told my family.. they didnt really understand what the big deal was and how much work it took coming from a diagnostic of an inflated 148

Has anyone taken a non-disclosed test? I am realizing that when I take it on Monday, it'll be a different test. Does anyone have any experience with these tests? Are they notoriously harder?

I usually can only study a max of 2 hours at at time. Even then by 1.5 hours my brain is really burnt out and I have to push through the last half hour. I'd really like to see if I can start doing 4 hour sets but that seems unlikely. Even with my 2 hour sets, I still have to take a 2-3 minute break and declutter my brain every 30 minutes or so. Does anyone do really long sets straight through? If so, how do you do it without brain burnout?

Hi everyone,

I just moved on to the CC section for LG and i'm wondering how everyone keeps what they just learned from LR fresh? I feel like i'm going to lose what I just learned if I don't practice. Any advice?

I know, this is the most idiotic thing I've done in my life... While studying for the past 2 months, I forgot to register for the September exam. Remembered last Friday which was 2 days past the deadline and spent the weekend beating myself over it but now it's time to face reality. Now that applying early is out the window, anyone know how large of a setback applying after the December exam will be in chances of getting into a school compared to applying early (because of rolling admissions)? If I write the December exam, when will the scores come out?

.

Hi everyone,

If you've been following my struggle you will know I got pretty faint of heart recently when I took a timed LR at 30% done with the course and received -11. I just finished up the LR section of the CC (Around the mid 60% of CC) just to see if there was a difference. I got -3. A few of the questions I had seen before and I got a -3. I literally cried in the Starbucks. So the moral of the story is do not give up - YOU CAN AND WILL GET BETTER.

Also, super shout out to everyone who was super encouraging and gave great advice.

Hi,

Since I started practicing, I always made sure to use POE for each and every question. The reason behind this is, according to The LSAT Trainer, it is a necessary step for all high scorers. But I feel it's costing me valuable time. My question is, do you do POE for every LR question? or once you are confident with an answer you move on? especially for the first 10-15 questions?

Thanks,

Just as an FYI for people, I have been in touch with the LSAC official and they have permitted me to use the LSATMax watch, which goes from 0 to 35 minutes and can stop and restart the time by pressing or pulling the crown. Even with the picture, the LSAC officials seemed ok with the watch and told me I can bring in a copy of my email conversation to the testing center.