My first semester Freshman year GPA was around a 2.4, but after that semester my GPA has been a 3.8 which still leaves me with just barely over a 3.5 going into my Senior year... (My LSAT score is 164). Will schools take into account that I had a first semester screw up and have been doing great besides that semester, or will they just focus on the low 3.5 GPA.

I've taken about 7 or so full PTs thus far, in addition to going through the CC (for the most part--I'm taking in September so I needed to get started on PTs) and using 2 other books. Until now, taking random PTs from the 30s, 50s, and 60s, I've averaged around 165-166. I took PT52 just now and got a 176

WTF

Is PT52 just crazy easy or is this a breakthrough?

This morning I took my first timed PT---not even a full one (so minus the fifth and the writing section), but during the last section I felt extremely and absolutely exhausted. Both the first and the last sections were LR, but I knew I was processing information at a lower speed and efficiency in that last section. It's pretty atypical for me to feel so burned out in just 2 hours' of concentration so I think it might just be the result of eating less than usual for breakfast. So I decided I'd wait to do BR after an afternoon workout.

But, here I am, almost 8 hours later, still not able to start BR---even just the thought of it makes me cringe.

What is a recommended time between BR after PT? Are there downsides to pushing it back a day? How do I get over my BR anxiety?

Thanks!!!!

In the military we used this saying all the time, "Complacency kills". I just learned today that this saying is just as apt to the LSAT as it was in the military.

Today I decided I needed a new approach to LR. -5/-7 per section was just killing my score. I went back to the CC and scrolled through each type of question and compared it to my analytics. One question type popped off the page to me. "Method of Reasoning - 30% accuracy." These questions seemed fairly straight forward to me when I did the CC and during practice I did not miss much. How was I missing this many during PT's?

After looking at the ones I got wrong I realized what I was doing. Somewhere during my training for the LSAT my mind merged Flaw questions and Method of Reasoning questions into each other. I would approach a Method of Reasoning question trying to identify the flaw. While this doesn't sound super harmful, it actually was. I would get down to two answer choices and not be able to tell exactly why one was the flaw. I would feel time slipping by, guess and move on.

That's ridiculous! This type of question should be fairly straight forward why was it causing me to trip up!

Complacency.

I just assumed I knew the question types from each other because I've been doing this for about a year. I didn't even bother checking to make sure I was attacking each type of question correctly. Because of this Method of Reasoning just vanished from my mindset.

That is an absolute killer on the LSAT.

I saw @"Cant Get Right" post a couple days ago about how little mistakes inevitably are indications of bigger ones. If you feel stuck on a section, go back and review the most basic foundations. Something as little as this can cost you points.

As for me ------ Lesson learned.

How should I best handle questions I didn't get to (due to running out of time) while inputting answers into 7sage analytics?

If I input correct answers, the system will treat these as me understanding them. If I input wrong answers, the system will treat these as not understanding them.

Thanks in advance for the answers!

When putting in your BR answers in the analytics, do you only put in the answers for the questions that you circled or do you also put in for the ones that you got wrong but thought you got right?

I re-do the questions that I thought I got right (but got wrong) and I end up getting them right. I am not sure whether that should be recorded in the BR analytics.

Anyone?

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Available for pre orders. I'm guessing available for actually delivery within the next 6-8 weeks or so.

I'm sitting here doing some BR and got a little curious so I used google to answer my question. I came upon this article and found it interesting. I assume my fellow 7sage LSAT warriors would also enjoy it.

http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/lsat-question-writer-interview.html

Hey everyone,

I have finished the CC and decided to do a PT from the 40s to see if I have made progress. I got one point above my diagnostic, a 152, and got 176 on BR.

During the timed portion I received -8 on LG, -13 on LR (-5/-8) and -13 on RC. I have foolproofed every game from 1-20, and have done every RC section from 1-20 as well.

Do you guys think there is still room for a significant improvement before September, considering my BR score? I just feel very upset and discouraged as I was confident going into and during the test.

Thank you in advance!

Presuppose defined as "require as a precondition of possibility or coherence. synonyms: require, necessitate, imply, entail, mean, involve, assume"

Title says it all really. Curious to know how many questions you all have circled after a typical PT. I suppose here I'm more focused on LR and RC since with LG I feel you either 'get' the game and feel confident about all questions or you don't 'get' the game so you're not certain about any...

I'd also be curious to hear what your criteria is for circling for BR. Do you circle anything where you're (100% certain?(/p)

Hey everyone,

So I came across this thing in LG that got me a bit confused. Hoping someone can offer a quick clarification. Perhaps my brain just froze.

There is this one answer choice in LG that says:

If Hamadi is not appointed to the trial court than Perkins must be.

J.Y translated this as: H --> /P

but isn't it the other way around? In this case it is the "If" that is starting the conditional, not the "not". So shouldn't the translation be:

/H --> P

I don't know why I'm stumbling on this one but just can't see why he flipped it in this situation.

The advice on 7Sage is great. Everyone here genuinely cares about you, your progress, and helping you achieve your goals. People will go out of their way to encourage you and to help fill in your weak links with the LSAT.

Unfortunately advice is not one size fits all. While the LSAT is an extremely important test, and one that requires your dedication and endurance in order to succeed, it is also one step in a much larger game that is life. Not everyone can afford to take time off and devote themselves to the LSAT for years, and not everyone should. If you fall into this group of people with a time constraint, and are frustrated with the advice to postpone the test, just remember you know your situation better than anyone else.

The mentors/sages/guides and users here want you to do the best you possibly can on the LSAT. Many times waiting to take the test is the right answer. It's just not the answer everyone needs to hear.

So if you fall into this camp, and feel frustrated by the fact that no one understand why you need to take the test sooner than later, do not let it get you down. We are here as support for each other --- and we do understand that sometime people's paths and pace differ.

Just a shout out to anyone lurking and feeling pressured by this.

I'm about to start my first blind review and i'm a little worried. I feel like i'm going to review answers and agree with myself or change correct answers to wrong ones by over thinking. Any advice or tips? Or something you wish you knew before you started blind reviewing?

Hi everyone,

I have already written the LSAT once, scoring a 151 in December 2016. I realized on my first go, I did not master logical reasoning as for when it came to test date (even after I completed the 7sage curriculum) I got completely tripped up and tanked by LR sections. From May to now I have been testing individual LR sections UNTIMED from 1-30 ( I am on PT number 16 now, I have had to take some breaks from studying due to graduation and other personal affairs), and continue to practice my LG sections (1-30) (timed, which is my strongest section). I refuse to begin timing myself until I have the fundamentals of LR mastered, which means I am consistently going 90-100% on these questions in untimed practice. Where before I was going - 10, to even -8, now I have shorted the gap to -5 to even -3 untimed. But still, this varies. What I have noticed though, that I consistently get curve breaking and tough Necessary assumption and flaw question that have a long and convoluted stimulus wrong. How can I ensure that these types don't trip me up? I have reviewed the grammar and fundamental lessons, I have gone over these sections, and I have even used the LR powerscore bible.

My test is September 16th, and I want to begin timing myself with full length tests from the newer lsats 60-80 as soon as possible in order to adjust to the newer lsat format.

What can I do to greatly increase my LR in that time ( I am blind reviewing)? Should I postpone to December?

Also with reading comprehension that is a hit and miss, sometimes I can score great or bad, depends on the toughness of the passages (ones that tend to science and economic based are absolutely brutal for me). But with working and volunteering (I have to keep my volunteering for it absolutely necessary with my canadian law school applications). I have made the decision that reading comp will be the section I devote the least amount of prep for, due to the fact logical reasoning is 2 sections and makes up for 50% of the test.

Any suggestions would be wonderful. Thankyou for reading this long message

Sincerely, a struggling LSAT student

Unfortunately, I have only two months to study for the September LSAT. Any suggestions on how to get through this? I am a pretty quick learner and I have had a friend who studied for the LSAT in one month and got into UBC Law school. I am taking one class right now to finish my undergrad and it'll be done by the end of this month. I also work part time, so I could really use all the help that I can get. I know I don't have enough time to finish the entire curriculum, but I have skimmed through most of it. Now, I just have to start applying the strategies learned to actual questions.

I could really use all the advice that I can get. Thank you in advance!!

I've found several similar posts and while valuable, they don't speak to my situation exactly. I'm taking September, I am half way through the Core Curriculum and I'm wondering if I should start using some PT's concurrently with my curriculum work. As of Monday I will be studying full-time.

Should I:

Plow through the curriculum and then start doing PT's? (Schedule says by end of 1st week in Aug, I will finish Core)

Mix in PT's either as timed or piecemeal practice concurrently with my Core work?

I have a set of 10 that includes PT 7 onward. My understanding is that these are significantly different from today's form and that they may just be good practice instead of indicating potential scores. So realistically between now and test time, I don't think I'll finish so many PT's that I would exhaust supply. Does it make sense to utilize these early PT's concurrently with the core work especially in light of being on a full time study schedule soon?

Thanks for your feedback!

Hey y'all! I've seen a lot about "foolproofing"--what exactly is it and how do I do it? Also, can it be done for more than just LG?

Thanks!!

Deleted

I am going through the prep tests chronologically and am wondering if the LSAT has changed at all over time.

Hi all,

New to 7Sage, and was wondering...am i missing something in the best way to review questions in practice? When we are learning a new question type there are videos with sample questions from PTs, are we to find and print these out? In some of the videos I can't see all the answer choices when the video is paused. Are we not supposed to go through these on our own before we play the video? I need time to read and analyze the questions before the strategy is revealed. Is there a technique and/or easy way to print that I'm missing?

let me know thanks!

Hello 7Sage (:

I have been studying on and off since January, with school making studying a bit difficult. Regardless, it is now 72 days until the September test and I am stressing out. I need a 173.

Baseline scores: 141, BR-152

Average for the past 3 PT's (42,43,45)

154 (LR: -20, RC: -10, LG: -7)

159 was my most recent PT score.

BR-167.5 (LR: -9, RC: -4, LG: -1)

169 was my most recent BR score.

Since the test I took last week, I have made a goal to fool proof all LG from1-35. Is this a proper way to go about LG prepping?

School chilled out a bit now so I can devote 8 hours towards LSAT each day. I am also using analytics to work on my problem areas in LR- (Flaw, SA, MSS and REE) as well. I feel so stressed that I won't reach my goal and it is just eating me up inside!! Any advise would help.

For the September exam: What would be a solid PT taking schedule for a full-time LSAT student? I want to take as many PTs as possible (without burnout) while having enough time to do a proper BR.

I'm thinking 3 (maybe 4..) PTs a week?

Any suggestions on a good PT plan until the September exam? I want to make sure I have a good mix of old and newer PTs as the PTs 60+ are more difficult.

(Note: I've already done around 20 PTs as I was prepping for the June exam but extended to September as I wasn't hitting my target score area).

Any advice appreciated on how to make use of the next 2 months in regards to PTs. Thanks!

I just finished reading Smarter Better Faster by Charles Duhigg and found it to be very useful for finding ways to increase focus, motivation, and productivity with my LSAT studying. It is also very readable since the gist of the book is structured around storytelling.

Full disclosure: My bachelors degree is in cognitive psychology and I love behavioral science, so I might have gotten carried away a bit with the length of this post, but I do believe that the using psychology to master the LSAT is necessary for doing well.

Here’s the stuff I found most useful for LSAT prep:

Ch.1 - Motivation:

Positive emotional reward linked to making decisions (gained through experience) AND belief in having control over our lives and surroundings AND linking mundane tasks (such as studying) to greater purpose or personal values, thus transforming them into a choice —> motivation to act

(Yes, those three conditions are sufficient for motivation, according to science.)

Motivation depends on emotionality.

Motivation is a skill that can be learned and honed, not a static personality trait.

Following a success, praise yourself for hard work, not your intelligence. (Focusing on static traits like intelligence shuts down motivation.)

Ch. 3 - Focus:

This chapter was most useful to me. The author talks about the concept of mental models (a story of what should happen in a future scenario) and how they can help combat cognitive tunneling (focusing one irrelevant or insufficient thing due to being overwhelmed by information) and reactive thinking (reacting to external stimuli randomly or as they arise instead of intentionally).

Mental modeling works in several ways. It helps us know what information to pay attention, because we already have a plan, so that we are better able to successfully complete a stressful/high-risk task. The author uses a story of a pilot successfully landing a totally wrecked plane and it was very relatable to trying to answer an LR question with a seemingly incomprehensible stimulus on a timed PT…

Mental modeling also provides us with a picture of what a situation should like, and when it doesn’t look that way, an alarm goes off in our head and we fix it, rather than proceeding with the bad strategy. To increase focus and avoid distraction or mistakes, the author hence recommends visualizing the anticipated task. For example, I have a hard time not getting distracted during LSAT studying by other tasks, and mental modeling allows me to set an intention and better catch myself when I deviate from what I intended to do, such as browsing the Discussion Forum instead of BR or forgetting to identify the premises and conclusions in an argument stimulus in LR.

Cognitive tunneling and mental shutdown (the flight or fight mentality that the CC talks about leading to inability to do higher order thinking) is exactly what happens to me when I get stuck while studying or a timed PTs, so it has been useful to try to transform material and strategies from the CC into mental models of what I should be doing instead of panicking. I think that the mental model idea works for individual small tasks, like answering specific question types on LR, as well as for whole sections, such as creating a mental model for active reading during RC (still a bit of a struggle for me). Another useful mental model might be for remaining calm, focused, and confident for the actual LSAT. You can practice mental modeling anytime - while commuting, cooking, showering… In relation to LSAT prep, it’s just another way of studying, but it can also be applied to any aspect of your life.

“Mental models help us by providing a scaffold for the torrent of information that constantly surrounds us. Models help us choose where to direct our attention, so we can make decisions, rather than just react.”

The concepts mentioned in the book definitely overlap with recommendations for studying and test taking form the CC, not that 7sage needs even more proof of being effective :).

Ch. 4 - Goal Setting:

Pairing two types of goals:

Ch. 6 - Decision Making:

Decision making is integral to the LSAT - choosing the right answer, choosing what to focus attention on, choosing when to skip questions…

ability to envision what will happen next (“forecasting”) probabilistically AND comfort with doubt (knowing what you don’t know) AND realistic assumptions —> good decision making

We have a success-bias, i.e. we tend to notice success more than failures, even though failures offer more insight on how to succeed, in other words, not fail. (focus on areas of struggle in LSAT prep instead of searching for ways to increase score)

Ch. 8 - Absorbing Data:

data must be understood and then applied to be useful (e.g. actually formulate study plans out LSAT Analytics page on 7sage; active reading)

large amounts of data can best be absorbed by asking series of questions (e.g. while digesting a complex LR stimuli ask: what are the Ps and C? what is the strength of support? are there any assumptions?…)

hand-written notes are the most effective because the disfluency of hand-writing forces us to take more time to reformulate the information. I believe that everyone should take comprehensive notes by hand while doing the CC.

If any of this spoke to, do yourself a favor and read the relevant parts of the book, I’ve tried hard to summarize it accurately here but you will get much more from the book :)

What do y’all think? Has anyone else read this?

What mental models would you make for studying for the LSAT?

Mostly because of work getting really busy. I have not touched the LSAT much. I feel like the break made me panic a bit and like I've forgotten everything I learned!!

My score per section has not changed though.

-5 Lr

-5 Lr

-2 or -8 RC (yes. variable that scares me)

-1 Lg.

Breaks are scary, in the future I'm going to just shorten what I do every day on the LSAT instead of taking a full break. Instead of 5 hours in a day I'll do one section with review if I'm feeling burnt!