Hi everyone,
Does anyone have insight as to the best way to approach the "post-college activities" section on the Yale app? I'm not sure if they want something very brief and matter-of-fact or something more like an additional essay which [however concisely] explains important motivations, lessons learned, etc.
Any advice would be appreciated!
Normal wakeup/drill routine, yoga, get a massage, watch a movie, maybe go for a run to really help my body get to sleep.
I agree that saying something specific that you admire about her work might be more advisable. The firm she works (worked?) for was founded by Geoffrey Robertson, who has written loads of great stuff on humans rights and international criminal law. Maybe read up a bit on the work Doughty Street Chambers does as a whole rather than focusing specifically on Amal Clooney -- that way, you have something more substantial to appeal to rather than "I want to be Amal Clooney." Best of luck with the interview!
I'd be shocked if it wasn't different. LSAC uses a different test for those who are Sabbath observers and for those taking in Europe, Asia, etc. In the past when they've had to push test dates at certain sites (due to extreme weather, etc.) they've always used a different test on the makeup day. They have tests that they keep on hand for these reasons, so I wouldn't count on the exam being the same. All we can do here is speculate though -- good luck!
This is burnout. Relax, give your brain a breather. I had a similar situation happen with a PT a week ago and I've been keeping it low-key since then. Now is the time to concentrate on your mental + physical health -- no matter what, don't try to "work through" the burnout. Just let it be. Exercise, hang out with friends, watch some movies. And enjoy!
Can't help on the refund front but if you are the type who learns better in the classroom, I definitely recommend joining the blind review groups! It's a more interactive way to supplement the 7sage curriculum. But all the best to you in your prep -- good luck!
Hi Danny, I've been on and off for a year and mostly full time for the past few months. It took me at least 6 months to be comfortably in the 170s and I've postponed the test twice.
The LSAT is a very learnable test, but everyone has to go at their own pace. So, don't sweat it!
But, it might be helpful if you fill us in on how you go about your prep. What's an average day in your schedule like? How do you review tests? Also, are there any sections you struggle with more than the others?
One thing I've found really helpful in my own prep is joining the BR calls. It's also helped me stay sane, because studying for the LSAT full time can be quite lonesome. If you haven't joined a call, give it a try to see if hearing from others might add a new dimension to your prep.
From what you've written above, it looks like you're going through the PTs sequentially. That's fine, but if you plan to take the December or February test I would recommend acquainting yourself with some of the 70s series tests since they're the most recent.
In the end, though, don't be disheartened -- it sounds like you've hit some great scores and have made impressive gains in your prep!
For those of you on the call who discussed principle questions ( @twssmith644 @bswise2931 @jknauf572 @annabower28563 etc) -- I put up my notes in the Study Guides/Cheat sheets area.
For those of you on the PT 55 BR call -- sorry it took me so long to get this up, but below are my notes on Principle questions and subtypes. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions! Hope this helps.
Principle/SA Questions and Subtypes
Sufficient Assumption, Pseudo Sufficient Assumption, Conform to the Principle, and Principle Example are all closely interlinked question types. (And are also closely related to Strengthen questions). However, there are specific tasks demanded by each. The below descriptions are a loose guide to how each of these questions function on the LSAT.
1. Sufficient Assumption
-Supply additional premises/assumptions to make the argument valid. Will directly link up with some premise/assumption in the argument to make the argument “airtight.” The correct answer must always enable us to reach the conclusion given in the stimulus.
Question stem: “Which one of the following, if true, enables the economist’s conclusion to be properly drawn?”
Specific ——> Specific
Stimulus (specific situation):
Jamal will not go to the store if Greg buys apples today and the canned soup isn’t expired. The canned soup isn’t expired. Therefore, Jamal will not go to the store today.
Answer choice (specific premise):
At some point today, Greg will buy apples.
2. Pseudo Sufficient Assumption
-Typically given a concrete situation and are asked to supply a “blanket” principle that would allow the conclusion to be properly drawn (although maybe not as airtight as with SA)
-Sometimes, albeit rarely, PSA questions are more like a strengthen/PSA hybrid — we are asked to supply a blanket principle that “most strongly supports”
-As with sufficient assumption questions, the answer choice may be more expansive than it needs to be in order to properly arrive at the conclusion.
Question stem: “Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning above?”
Specific ——-> Abstract
Stimulus (specific situation):
Sally knew that John wanted the last slice of cake, but she ate it anyway. Therefore, Sally’s action was morally wrong.
Answer choice (abstract principle):
A human action is morally wrong if that action denies any person of a desire that could have been fulfilled had the action not been taken.
3. Conform to the Principle
-Given specific situation in the stimulus and must choose a correct answer that states an abstract principle the information in the stimulus matches.
-Very similar to Parallel Reasoning question — you are given a situation and must “match” that situation to the abstract thinking that underlies its reasoning
-More so than with PSA questions, it’s very important for every element of the correct answer to be descriptively accurate. Why? With PSA/SA questions, you are trying to get to the conclusion by any means necessary — this means that they could, in theory, give you a correct answer choice that is way more generous than necessary to arrive at the conclusion. But in Conform to the Principle questions, you are trying to sketch out the speaker’s reasoning in exact, even if abstract, terms. Extraneous information that doesn’t match the speaker’s specific reasoning in the stimulus should be approached with caution.
-PT52, Section 3, Question 11 provides an apt example of this. Answer choice D) provides enough information to arrive at the conclusion set forth in the argument. However, it is incorrect because it does not do so by using the premises the speaker uses in her reasoning. Therefore, answer choice B) is a far more appealing answer choice.
Question stem: “The reasoning above most closely conforms to which one of the following principles?”
Specific ——> Abstract
Stimulus (specific situation):
Controlled burning of forests in the area may be beneficial for rejuvenating the soil and lessening the impact of natural fires. However, we still don’t know the consequences controlled burning might have on the wildlife in the area. Since we have an obligation to protect the wildlife in the area at all costs, we should not implement controlled burning at this time.
Answer (abstract principle):
If it is not known how a proposed action might effect something one is obligated to protect, then that course of action is impermissible.
4. Apply the Principle
-Given an abstract principle and must choose a correct answer choice that is a specific example of that principle
-This is basically an application of the principle — you must follow the conditional logic and/or reasoning of the principle exactly (again, similar to parallel reasoning questions in this regard).
Abstract —-> Specific
Question stem: “Of the following, which one most closely conforms to the principle that the passage illustrates?”
Stimulus (abstract principle):
A person is morally right only if their intentions are good and they do no harm.
Answer choice (specific situation):
Clarissa told Murat that his paper on the War of 1812 was factually inaccurate because she intended to help him improve the paper and receive a better grade. Despite these good intentions, Murat was hurt by her critique. Therefore, it cannot be said that Clarissa’s actions were morally right.
5. Violate the Principle
-Given an abstract principle and must choose a correct answer choice that is a specific violation of that principle (most often, violates the conditional logic given in the principle)
-Very important to know how to violate/contradict a conditional statement
Abstract ——-> Specific
Question stem: “Which one of the following actions most clearly violates the principle stated?”
Stimulus (abstract principle):
One should never lie to another person unless one thinks that doing so would be in the interest of that other person.
Answer choice (specific violation):
Carlos lied when he told Alex that he couldn’t come to his birthday party because he had to work that evening. However, Carlos had no opinion on whether this lie would advantageous to Alex; he simply lied because he needed an excuse.
LG did not come naturally to me at all. Like you, I could usually only get through 2-3 games per section. It took a few months, and then it just seemed to "click." I spent 2-3 weeks just doing individual games and full sections. I made copies of all the games I was struggling with and would do them over and over again. My LG average is now -0/-2 and I still play them over and over again because it's definitely a skill that can get rusty. At the top of each game, I write the date, how long it took me to complete, and whether I need to replay. Sometimes, I note the "key inferences" of the game and where I've seen similar games (because pretty much every LG has a clone out there somewhere). I make notecards for any difficult inferences I encounter, and will cycle through those from time to time.
For timing, I also focused on getting really, really fast at the easy line games so I could allot more time on the harder games. Timing also got better once I'd done so much repetition, because I started being able to predict answer choice and go into "hunt mode" for easier questions.
Based on what you said and the fact that you plan to take the December test, I would most certainly focus on LG. If foolproofing isn't working for you right now, maybe it's time to revisit the curriculum or try to diagnose an underlying problem in your fundamental skills (for example, do you have trouble with In/Out games? If so, that might be a conditional logic issue). But, definitely don't be disheartened by the games section -- it IS a learnable section, it might just take some extra time. It did for me. Best of luck and happy foolproofing!
What's your average score breakdown on LG? In my own prep, the most points gains came from a very intense period of drilling LG over and over and over again. If you haven't foolproofed games 1-35 yet, doing so is likely to help your LG average and, by extension, your overall score. While it is possible to see some RC and LR improvement in the 3 weeks between now and the December test, I would argue that the most drastic improvement in that amount of time would come from focusing on LG.
I do a banana in a bowl of oatmeal for the carbs/glucose and then eat a boiled egg so I can get some protein. I carry a bag of almonds with me to munch on in case I get hungry before starting the test. For break, I make a kale/avocado/boiled egg protein pot. Find out what works best for you and stick with it!
1) Congrats!
2) Yeah, ETA is definitely employment (ridiculously fun employment, but still). I listed Fulbright under work experience on my resume and plan to list it under employment for LSAC apps.
sorry I couldn't make it this week, planning to be back for 77 next week!
This exact same structure is used in the June 2007 test. Section 2, Question 11.
I don't think there's one single way to go about the last month, but here's some general suggestions:
1) Analyze weaknesses. The earlier, the better. Look at your analytics and see where you can improve, and go back to the core curriculum to reinforce the concepts that need improving.
2) Routine, routine, routine. Unless you are taking the exam abroad, you'll likely be getting up at some ungodly hour to take this thing. Train your body and brain to be ready for the early morning by waking up every day at the time you will on test day. Go ahead and do some drills in the morning so your brain will be used to thinking that early.
3) Dress rehearsals. Plan ahead to take some PTs that you treat as a "dress rehearsal" of sorts. That means going through the motions of everything you will do one test morning, up to what you'll eat and how you'll warm up for the test. If you can, drive to your test center and take a PT nearby. Even try simulating the waiting around part as everyone gets checked in to the center. You won't necessarily start right away on test day and should be prepared for that.
4) Endurance. Even if you have no problem with endurance on your PTs, test day nerves and anxiety can have an impact. Plan ahead for any surprises on the experimental section by trying out back to back RC-RC experimentals and LR-LR-LR experimentals. That way you'll be more prepared for the fatigue that can set in if you get an unlucky draw on test day.
5) Keep calm and LSAT on. The most important thing in this final month is keeping yourself mentally and physically healthy. Eat well, exercise, meditate, or do what you can to keep your confidence up for test day. You got this.
I had timing issues for a very, very long time. The thing that helped the most? Repetition. While there is definitely the risk of "memorizing" answers, full PT retakes are incredibly useful for a few reasons:
First, they help you become more familiar with subject matter that the LSAT uses over and over again. I used to freak out when I saw a stimulus about something I wasn't familiar with -- neurotransmitters or brown dwarf stars, etc. By repeating old tests I became more comfortable with typical LSAT subject matter and now I hardly bat an eye when I see a dense stimulus. In a sense, repeating old tests lessened the "shock factor" of certain stimuli and that, in turn, decreased the anxiety my brain sometimes encounters during raw PTs.
Second, retakes help your brain recognize the structural patterns the LSAT uses over and over again. When I started doing PT retakes, I was able to more quickly and efficiently identify the structures at play in an argument. Recognizing patterns is the key to getting to that point in your prep where you have an "intuitive" grasp of many questions, thereby increasing your speed. This is why the "fool proof method" for Logic Games is so successful -- foolproofing forces your brain to recognize patterns through brute repetition and careful review. Similarly, retakes can help reinforce patterns that appear in LR and RC.
Third, retakes give you a chance to practice skipping strategy and efficient timing practice without burning through a raw section. Retaking sections gave me an idea of how a section *should* feel time-wise and helped me develop a plan for how to approach new PTs. Now when I take a raw PT, I always aim to get into a "flow" the way I do on a retake.
Finally, retakes are valuable because they help you identify weaknesses. You will inevitably miss something on a retake that you didn't miss the first time around. And you will likely miss something on a retake that you did miss the first time around. Be sure to thoroughly blind review those questions and return to them again and again if need be. (I have a stack of notecards with some of the LR questions I find the most challenging; I shuffle through them from time to time).
In sum, give retaking a try. But keep in mind what you can learn from retakes and make sure that you are reviewing as carefully as you would for a new PT.
Are we still planning on PT79 for this Saturday? Unless I'm missing something, I haven't seen it available on the interwebs yet.
Sorry I missed this week -- definitely still interested, so please do tag me. Looking forward to PT75 next week!
@476 I remember how welcome you made me feel on my first BR call back in June -- I could've easily remained a longtime lurker if not for your warmth and encouragement over the past few months. As a testament to what @476 says above, your prep experience was a valuable resource to me and I really hope you'll stay involved with this community in some way, law school or no. (Afterall, we do need to finally have a 7Sage Chicken Capital of the World meet-up). Best of luck to you and keep in touch!
@twssmith644 I'm so sorry to hear that your score isn't where you wanted it to be -- you've been a tremendous help to me and countless others on 7sage. You have worked so hard to get this far and while that in itself is something to be proud of, I have faith that you will learn all you can from this test and make an epic comeback in December!
There's another thread about this somewhere, but I believe the consensus was that it will likely be a different test.