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a342

Joined: Apr 2025
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LSAT · Tips for 2nd Attempt

a342

Tuesday, Oct 09 2018

I will jump in on the drill question and say yes and no. If you have problem sets you saved from the CC then you can use those but you can also make your own. Drilling is basically taking questions based on their question type and doing multiple like a problem set. The best way to do this in my opinion is mixing up the difficulty. When you do problem sets from the CC, it has been my experience the lower the number, the easier the difficulty and vice versa.

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General · Last Minute Decision for November Retake: NEED HELP!

a342

Tuesday, Oct 09 2018

What is your average for LG? I have heard many people say that section is the one where you can improve the fastest. Which is kind of a bummer for me because I am the opposite. LG is my strongest section, I got -0 on the September test. The other sections is where I am trying to improve before November. My strategy is focusing on my weaknesses. Currently going through the Trainer and working on flaws. After that I will work on my other LR weaknesses and do some drilling. From there I am going to focus on RC. If you were already PTing in the low 160s then you have a really good chance at that 161. I would stay focused on that along with your weaknesses and go from there. Sometimes your score on that day is because of other testing factors and those you can't really prepare for, except to maybe take a PT in a Starbucks on a weekend. I have done that before and I only recommend if you want to get used to a ton of noisy distractions.

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LSAT · Help with Flaw Type Examples

a342

Thursday, Oct 04 2018

Sorry I got a little behind on this but I have updated the additions from @estebanb3d194 and @a342 :smile:

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General · Retaking November. Still Apply Now?

a342

Thursday, Oct 04 2018

@ashleighkong22327 said:

I remember reading your posts and learning about how far you've come, congratulations! Super proud of you (3 I'm aiming to perfect LG and scrape up points in RC too :)(/p)

Thanks! I really appreciate that! It has definitely been a journey and if I really stop and look at where I started I am 20 points higher which is actually amazing. Makes me feel better about my score. I hope you reach your goals also! :smile:

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General · Retaking November. Still Apply Now?

a342

Monday, Oct 01 2018

@1655 said:

What did you do to strengthen your logic games section? I’m working on logic games and not missing any is definitely a goal for me.

I wish I had some secret answer but honestly I just really enjoy logic games. I went through the CC, did the problem sets and then did half of the fool proofing. Closer to the test I did some of the harder games to get accustomed to them but that was really it. To me I just do exactly what JY says and find inferences in the beginning. If I can’t get any then I find that some questions kind of bounce off of each other. One answer on one question can lead to an inference on another if that makes sense. I definitely recommend fool proofing if anything.

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Sunday, Sep 30 2018

a342

Retaking November. Still Apply Now?

September scores are in! Feeling indifferent about my score. I was averaging average 157 on PTs and ended up getting a 155. LG is my biggest strength. I got super lucky and had 2 LG sections, ended getting 0 wrong which is great. LR I did much worse than my normal average per section and RC a few points better but still I think I can improve by November. I admit I was getting burnt out and ended up having a bunch happen in my personal life the week before. Now that I have my score I’ve been doing research and while I plan on retaking I’m concerned about when I should apply. I’m pretty confident my scores will get me into the schools I want as I’m right at the medians and I’m also a URM. However, I’m really wanting to get a scholarship. I plan on being in a public service position and really want to reduce my debt. When I look at my chances of getting in to the schools I want, the percentage is about 10% higher now than it is if I wait until December. I don’t know anything about scholarship negotiation but I’m thinking if I already have a good chance to be accepted then I can apply now, still retake in November and hopefully with a higher score be able to negotiate scholarships. Is that the right thinking? Any advice would be great!

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LSAT · What do you guys feel about your September 2018 score? Vent or celebrate down below

a342

Saturday, Sep 29 2018

@devinstelter683 said:

Dropped a few points from my average before the test. I am disappointed, but tend to be too hard on myself when it comes to tests and academics. I am confident I can get into the schools I want to go to, but one likely without scholarship money and I am very debt averse so that is unfortunate. I don't know if I can bring myself to taking it again, super burnt out with the entire process lol.

Literally in the same boat here. I was really hoping I didn’t have to retake but I really want an opportunity for scholarship money. I feel good about getting accepted but im going into a public service job and would really rather not have a ton of debt.

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General · Where are my Labor Day weekend study peeps?

a342

Monday, Sep 03 2018

Haha yes! Came to visit my grandma for her 80th birthday in AZ and found a Starbucks open to study at today. To most it is a holiday to relax, to me it is another day to work on RC before the test coming up.

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LSAT · Flaw Q's from question bank explanation

a342

Thursday, Aug 30 2018

@jmf272459 said:

Gotcha thanks! That's super helpful, thought I was going crazy there for a minute.

Haha studying for this test can definitely make you feel like that sometimes but in this situation you’re good :smiley:

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LSAT · Flaw Q's from question bank explanation

a342

Wednesday, Aug 29 2018

It just depends which PTs the questions are from. Some of the older tests do not have explanations.

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Admissions · Organizing Law School Applications

a342

Tuesday, Aug 21 2018

@koffi04jun147 said:

This is the spreadsheet I mentioned. I didn't create it so I'm unaware of the calculation specifics.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1AHcFNmNuAwSUd6OHh0UUMtTFE/edit

This other projected law school debt/costs is also pretty great.

https://data.lawschooltransparency.com/costs/debt/?scope=projected

@koffi04jun147 @a342

Thank you!!!

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Admissions · Organizing Law School Applications

a342

Tuesday, Aug 21 2018

@koffi04jun147 said:

@koffi04jun147 @kdbird106 do you know where the link to that spreadsheet is?

Yes I am also looking for it as well. The one I did find is here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kE98659Gp_T828edsUZRKrhcxnK6xF1mR5RICN_FDYs/edit#gid=487099307 but the cost of attendance I cannot find.

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Monday, Aug 20 2018

@kingse414 said:

Great post OP! (3(/p)

I feel like we need an LSAT recipe book honestly!

My boyfriend and I started our own recipe book because we realized it was tough to find easy to make healthy recipes that worked with our schedule.

For example, for breakfast we have recipes about scramble eggs and veggies (whatever we have), hearty vegetable quiche (we make 2 of these on Sundays and it lasts us all week and is one of the simplest to make and most filling things to eat), yogurt and fruit bowl, smoothies etc. We don't include any recipes either one of us dislikes like overnight oatmeal. lol I also make it a rule to sprinkle chia seeds, flax seeds, and nuts on anything in breakfast to give myself an omega dose. I used to get break outs from stress but ever since chia seeds have been added to my diet I feel my skin no longer gets into trouble.

For lunch, we have simple things like vegetable and hummus (we make a big bowl of cut vegetables and home-made hummus -it lasts us a long time), sardines (great source of omegas and brain food and you can just buy them and eat them straight out of the can), chicken noodle soup (super easy to make- you can substitute quinoa for noodles and use left over veggie scraps to make your own broth), etc.

Honestly, I also got some ideas from what people wrote above and plan to try them. If they work, I intend to add them to my book.

I am from an Indian family and our eating habits are not that dissimilar. Half the time I feel hungry just because I am missing Indian foods. What I have realized is that if I use Indian food as a once in a week treat it works much better than as part of my diet :(. Also, I don't buy what I don't think is good for me to eat. So if I don't buy ice cream, I am not going to eat it.

Also, I don't stress that much about getting it 100% healthy. I happily put some cheese in my eggs or quiche because I feel that I am allowed to do that since I am eating healthier everywhere else.

Yes I agree a recipe book would be awesome! Or even just a list of foods so we can search the recipes would be great.

Thanks for your response and tips! I am gathering up all the ides and going to make a list for this week to start trying things out.

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Study Groups · November LSAT 2018 BR Study Group

a342

Monday, Aug 20 2018

@mmckeon993 said:

@sorooshianh185 can't make any promises, we usually end around 11:30 PM EST during the first call so pushing it back a bit would make it really late. However, if you are going to be constantly late I can make sure that the question's that are high priority for you are saved (depending on how full the list is) until you are there. Same goes with if you need to leave early. @a342 and @sabrinaishaque800 can attest to this :wink:

Yes do not worry about being late or leaving early. I am always late lol. They go in order by question number and they track the progress of the call so you can keep up with it based off of the questions you need help with. So for example if you wanted to review #15 and there is #5/9/11 in front of that one then they will work on those first and you can join later if you need. Although joining and helping others is recommended. There have been plenty of questions I was confident in both the original test and BR but during the call found out I missed something or misread a premise or something. I struggle with hidden assumptions and subtleties. I would have never known this had it not been for the calls so def join. Also don't be afraid to speak up! I was so nervous the first few calls that I never asked questions for fear of sounding dumb. Well I've learned more from sounding dumb than being quiet and it's worth it. Most of the time your question helps others who had the same question so be you, be active, be patient and most importantly be kind. We're all here for the same thing and that's what makes this awesome! :blush:

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General · Give me your toughest PTs

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@parmeet319499 said:

Is it bad I want to take PT72 now just to see what the hype is about....

Haha that is exactly what I was thinking while reading all of the comments. Now I am curious how I would do.

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@leahbeuk911 said:

Oh FYI, if you haven’t done greens smoothies before, spinach is the best starter green. It blends super easily and has a mild flavor. Kale can be tough with standard blenders. The cruciferous crunch is a little better because it’s only part kale. But spinach is awesome for smoothies! And nice because it’s so versatile. Great for salads, on sandwiches, lots of things!

Yes I have put it in my fruit smoothies before but I haven't tried Kale. I do wonder do you put anything like apples as a sweetener? I have seen some smoothie places do that and I wonder if it helps with the flavor.

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@mariecavery809 said:

Sweets are my weak spot so I’m very careful with how I start my day. During the work week I make a veggie smoothie that is rich and super satisfying and I truly enjoy it (I know it sounds wierd) Unusually consists of:

•one peeled cucumber

•1/2 cup of steamed then frozen chopped cauliflower or zucchini

•1/2 cup of frozen spinach

•1/2 an avocado

•2 tbs chia seeds

•1 tbs ground flax seeds

•1 tbs collagen powder (does not add any flavor)

•crap ton of cinnamon powder (for balancing blood sugar and the flavor is phenom)

•if you must have fruit in it, 1/2 cup of blueberries

Add water and blend (I use the large Nutribullet). This smoothie adds a ton of veggies straight off the bat, and if you don’t add the blueberries has basically no sugar, plenty of healthy fats & fiber, and the collagen even adds some protein. Checks off all the boxes!

Wow thanks for the recipe I will have to try this! I have used collagen, chia seeds and spinach but the rest are all new to me in terms of smoothie ingredients. Thank you!

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@leahbeuk911 said:

Oh, forgot the most important thing I was going to say. Don't get down on yourself for eating what you do. There's nothing to be ashamed of or explained away. We're all different and have different tastes. I know the guilt about it... I wish I was one of those people who thought fast food was gross. I don't. I think it's delicious and honestly I could eat it every day haha. I would still live off mac and cheese and chicken strips if my old body could handle that like I did in college. hahaha. But we need to learn to not live in guilt or shame over these things. Yes, we could all stand to eat a little healthier and discipline is hard. But we all just do the best we can, ya know?

I really really love this and you're absolutely right! That's exactly why I decided to write this post because I don't want to be embarrassed. I wish I could do better of course but I am tired of feeling guilty for not having it all together because in reality none of us do. I know I can do better and I will get there over time but at the moment I think advice on better options for food before a PT, during the break and even dinner the night before can lead me in that direction. I wanted to find a balance between realizing there is an issue and how to resolve it. Sure it sounds easy to just stop eating unhealthy and focus on the fact that food is fuel for our body and just like we wouldn't put trash in our cars we shouldn't put trash in our bodies but, that is not reality and it's not easy. This forum to be completely honest has really helped me learn about balance. I am so hard on myself about everything from not studying enough to not trying hard enough. On the outside it can appear that thousands of people take this test and get into to school no problem. Having this community and helping through the hardships really puts things into perspective and allows me to have patience with myself. Sometimes you need a break and sometimes the question that took you hours to figure out was just as hard to others. So thank you everyone! :smile:

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@wwijaya1190566 said:

Interesting post! You could try making green smoothies from kale and other vegetables mixed with fruit. I've substituted my usual breakfast (or lack thereof) with green smoothies and have really noticed a difference. And they are pretty easy to make if you have a blender. If you google "green smoothie recipes" you'll find tons of recipes to try. My go to is usually kale, frozen banana, peanut butter and a couple dates

Thanks for your response. I actually need to get back into smoothies. I have heard a lot about dates but I have never tried them. I need to check them out!

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@leahbeuk911 said:

First of all I want to say, I hope you don't feel like everyone eats healthy all the time while studying for the LSAT. I mean... it's ideal, absolutely. But I'm right there with you. I'm not a healthy eater, and I try but it's difficult. The LSAT is also a lot of added stress so it's hard to throw a lot of energy toward another area of your life too.

Haha actually yes I do. There are so many people on here that talk about healthy eating and their jogging routines while I am sitting there on my couch with my chocolate milk and breakfast taco :joy:

For me personally, I've struggled a lot in the last few years because I have an autoimmune disease. I have way less energy than I used to and varying levels of daily pain. If I come home from work and cook a full meal, I'm pretty much wiped out and start getting pain in my hands and back. You can imagine it's really tough to study after that. So I ended up feeling like I had to pick between cooking for myself and studying. I decided studying was the most important thing, so resigned myself to eating pretty much anything that either doesn't require cooking or can be microwaved.

The others are right that fat isn't bad. And protein helps to fill you up. My favorite work day breakfasts are simple: 2 hard boiled eggs and a couple of small breakfast sausages. That keeps me full until lunch time. Trader Joe's has some awesome frozen stuff that is relatively healthy and microwaveable, if you're like me and aren't into cooking. A really simple dinner I used to make a lot is sauteed kale, mixed in with some rice and seasonings, and topped with a protein of some sort. I like to buy their chicken sausages and slice them up in it, or put a poached egg on top. With a grain in it like either rice or quinoa, and some protein, it's pretty filling and really delicious. Trader Joe's also has seasoning grinders that I love, really good fresh flavor. And they also have a greens mix called Cruciferous Crunch that's pre-shredded and awesome in smoothies or sauteed like the kale. If kale doesn't sound very exciting to you, the cruciferous crunch is a good substitute.

I really do need to eat more boiled eggs. I want to try and alternate my breakfast with smoothies one day and the other eggs and toast or something like that. I will check out the mix. That sounds very interesting. There are soooo many smoothies mixes and types of protein it can be a bit overwhelming. I do like Trader Joe's and will definitely check out their frozen meals that are healthier than pizza but still quick to make lol. Thanks so much for all your advice!

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General · Job ideas after the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

I’m totally in the same boat! Following this to see what advice is offered.

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@kimberlygflores159 said:

I also grew up eating Mexican food lol. When I went away for college it was so hard for me to learn how to eat healthier. I stuck to hot pockets, pop tarts, and ramen soups.

Haha same!

I still hate vegetables but I find them easier to eat with hummus. I cut up strips of jicama, celery, and carrots on Sunday nights and put them in little baggies. I divide a tub of hummus into 5 mini Tupperware containers. Those are my snacks for the week.

I bought mason jars and found an overnight oats recipe I really enjoy. I add half a cup of oatmeal, honey, tiny bit of vanilla, almond butter, and the night before I eat it I add a banana and flax seed milk. That's my breakfast!

I have heard of those and want to try them! Is there much difference to use unsweetened almond milk instead of flax seed?

For lunches and dinners I usually prep some sort of quinoa bowl or butternut squash casserole with bell peppers, onions, eggplants, etc.

The hardest part is finding food you enjoy and prepping meals ahead of time but this makes the difference for me! The weeks I don't prep my meals ahead of time I end up ordering take out for all of my meals /: It's a time saver throughout the week and I feel much more energetic!

Yes I used to do that but I get too excited and make more food than I need and end up throwing so much out. I really do need to sit down and work on a list and be honest with myself about what I will and won't eat. Thanks so much for all of your advice!!

Good luck with everything!

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@rahelaalam514 said:

Personally I feel better when I eat lower amounts of carbs and moderate amounts of protein (from chicken/seafood etc.). Not necessarily Keto (though the one time I made it through for 3 weeks I felt AMAZING). More like 50-80g of carbs a day made up of healthy complex carbs like fruits (cantaloupe, watermelon, etc.), oats, miracle brand pasta with vodka sauce etc. instead of trash (i.e. white potatoes and cake...God do I love both haha)

I tried keto twice and it wasn't too bad but I found myself not eating or drinking enough and that is what caused me to not do well on it. Plus it is a lot of work to constantly be mindful of what you're eating especially when you eat out. I need to check out the miracle pasta. That is interesting. When it comes to fruit does it matter what kind? I personally prefer pineapples, apples, oranges, strawberries, grapes etc. I know fruit is fruit but I don't know if some have higher sugar content than others. Haha ditto on the potatoes, cake not so much. I'm telling you I'm that weird girl that bypasses the desert table and goes straight for the salty and spicy.

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@samanthaashley92715 said:

You have nothing to be embarrassed about! My advice would be don't try to change everything all at once. For the first week, just commit to having a healthy breakfast every single morning. Then the next week, add in healthy lunches, and so on. It's so much easier to get frustrated and feel like a failure if you feel like you have to switch from not so healthy eating to perfectly healthy overnight. And I know everyone says this, but drinking a lot of water really will make a difference too!

Yes I completely agree. That is not my goal at all. I just want to know what are the ideal foods that will put me in a better mindset than when I have a carb-filled meal. Also you are completely right and I have struggled with water sooo much. Not because I don't like water. That is actually all that I really drink. I am not into sodas or juice or anything. My problem is drinking enough water, I tend to be dehydrated more often than not and that leads to headaches and legs cramps and only increases the foggy brain feeling. I take adderall and it acts like a diuretic which is so not ideal while taking a PT. Still haven't figured out how to increase my hydration without having to get up to use the restroom every 10 minutes grrrr.

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General · Food and the LSAT

a342

Saturday, Aug 18 2018

@a342 said:

@a342 great post. That's been on my mind too. I also grew up eating latino food - lots of rice, stews, fat and well, its just delicious! It wasn't until my husband needed to change his diet because of his diabetes that I now cook less carbs and more protein. Giving up my white bread and white rice for even a few days is hard but I can't help to admit that the less carbs I eat the better I feel and I do think there is some correlation to what we eat and how we perform during our PTs and studying. I once gave in and had some delish Chinese food and wouldn't you know it, a few hours later I had a huge headache, was bloated and basically couldn't study the rest of the day :disappointed:.

I agree with @samanthaashley92715 and @a342 and would follow their advice. For my two cents, I would say to slowly start eliminating carbs or replacing with other items such as brown rice and quinoa. You may also want to try salmon or another type of fish you like. See how you feel and hopefully you'll find something that is not too radiacal of a change and that works for you.

Thanks so much for your reply. Yes I am not looking to change my diet completely as that would actually make things harder at this point. Plus I have been down that road and drastic diet changes lead to failure for me pretty much every time. I do better with balance and patience. But I do want to start incorporating healthier foods. Especially on PT days because I want to make sure I am not feeling foggy or sluggish.

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