@ What do you use to record yourself with?
@ I'd love to join if there is still room!
Hi everyone,
Can someone please explain why AC E is wrong? I understand why D is the correct AC but I am having trouble eliminating E, more importantly I am having trouble understanding what E is saying in the first place. Thank you!
https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-74-section-4-question-20/
@ Do you have the Trainer? The chapters dedicated to Flaw questions/drills were extremely helpful with gaining an intuitive approach to Flaw questions. If not, no worries. 7sage's core curriculum thoroughly covers what you need to know.
I would recommend drilling flaw questions but before looking at the answer choices, identify/prephrase the substance of the flaw. You may not get it the first couple of rounds but eventually with practice you will be able to identify the flaw and soon identify them quickly. Your job is to critically evaluate the reasoning used to justify the conclusion. That is it.
Isolate the premise and conclusion and focus on the relationship between the two. Be hyper critical of this relationship and more importantly if you get it wrong, identify why you got it wrong. What did you miss? Why is the answer you chose wrong. In doing so, you can identify the holes in your reasoning and consciously work to fill them. Do not be a bystander during your review sessions. Side note, I recommend that you do this with every question you get wrong during your BR/Drill Review.
The author believes that the reasons given (the support) is enough to validate the conclusion. However, you know that is definitely not the case. There is a gap, there is a flaw the author is making. Ask yourself:
What is the author forgetting to think about when making this argument that he/she should?
What is the author taking for granted? In other words, how is the assumption the author is making wrong? What is the connection the author assumes to exist but actually doesn't?
The LSAT is a test composed of patterns. The more problems you do the more trends you will pick up. To master flaw questions, you must take the time to practice prephrasing what the gap/flaw is. Once you master that, you will learn the standard abstract language that is used to describe these basic flaws. At that stage in your prep, it will be much, much easier moving forward. If anything, learning how to tackle these questions quickly and efficiently will help you move faster through other subjective based questions. Do not rely on the answer choices to guide you, if anything the wrong choices are designed to confuse you and play on your weaknesses.
One final thing, what has helped me the most is changing my attitude towards question types I struggle with. I approach them as a challenge that I plan to conquer. In other words, make it fun. I hope this helps!
@.j.lee92 If you are not making -0 per section, then absolutely it is possible to still improve. Make sure you are BR'ing properly, identify your weak points and target those. LG is definitely a section you can improve on. As Mike Kim says, "Natural aptitude can affect the pace of improvement, but drive and work ethic are of far more importance to overall outcome."
You will stop improving the moment you begin to believe you can't.
@.j.lee92 I too took Blueprint, and then self prepped with The Trainer, PowerScore and Manhattan Prep. My advice, postpone until December and SIGN UP FOR 7SAGE, ASAP. Blueprint's course is designed to give you a broader understanding of the LSAT but I firmly believe if your cold diagnostic was not a 165+, you will hit a cap on what you are able to score with BluePrint. I would also argue that the material is not designed to help you become a top scorer. Maybe above average, but that's it. 7Sage properly teaches and reinforces the fundamentals of the LSAT. I am FINALLY able to put two and two together and identify patterns and trap answers.
The LSAT to some degree is just like math. The only way to guarantee that you fully understand a math principle and all its variations, you must master the fundamentals. You can't wing it. Blueprint helped me "wing" problems on the LSAT but if there was a slight alteration to the question, I was a goner. 7Sage fills in the remaining blanks from other prep courses. Bottom line: postpone, enroll, PT till Dec, and destroy the LSAT. Good luck!
TL:DR ENROLL!
@ Were you drilling those questions untimed?
You read my mind, @. Wishing everyone in this boat good luck come September! We got this, team! :smiley:
@ Thanks again for setting up the BR Group and for the additional options outside of the 7pm group! Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it tonight but I will join y'all next week and all of the following Sundays until test day! Good luck tonight, team!
@.janson35 You can take the mindset that the odds are severely stacked against you and absolutely excel at the test. An awareness of your own as well as others' circumstances is not antagonistic towards hard work. It may, in the end, cultivate a person's work ethic.
I don't disagree. As I stated above these disadvantages may be what better prepares you for this exam. It comes down to an individual's perception of their situation. If you use that mindset as a crutch than you are hindering your capabilities.
@
said:
Don't they understand the LSAT is teachable with practice and favors rich students with a lot of money to pay for tutors and LSAT prep classes?
@ I think @.hopkins hit the nail on the head with her response to the statement above. She is not arguing that there is no such thing as being disadvantaged, but that the test itself does not favor the rich over everyone else. She didn't sugar coat the truth. To be honest OP's statement is a dangerous one because it can discourage many who begin their LSAT prep journey. When I first started, I was overwhelmed by the amount of courses, supplemental material and pure fluff around the LSAT available online.
It was even more frustrating once I realized the price tag on what it would cost to gather all of the material necessary. The point I am trying to make here is that if we acknowledge OP's statement regarding the LSAT's favoritism, we're endorsing a claim that is untrue. YES, the LSAT is teachable with practice, but no, you do not need a lot of money or tutors or expensive prep courses to make it. Does that mean you may have to work a little (or a lot harder) it sure does. But here's the thing, we're all working our ass off to get into law school. Which is, in itself, another animal.
Circling back to Nicole's statements above, this IS a place of encouragement. I think her post was one of tough love. It may seem like a "harsh" response but it is warranted. Those of us not in the ideal situation need to understand that in the long run it will get better and prepare you for other S-storms you weren't expecting. The initial struggle to stay afloat, to get up when you're pushed down and to finally be able to hit your stride is a much better investment in your future than any expensive tutor or prep course could ever be. Rather than use that as a crutch, use it as a form of motivation. You owe it to yourself to create the future you want, no matter how long it takes.
The LSAT, despite the mental, emotional & physical anguish it triggers, is one of the greatest teaching lessons we will encounter on our journey to a JD. I say this because the test does not discriminate against any background: smart, stupid, rich, or poor. I graduated college top 1% of my class and on paper it looks likes I am the ideal candidate. I went into this thinking it was just like any other college final. Put in 'x' amount of hours and get a 170+. As you can imagine, I was wrong...so wrong. I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to light my degrees on fire because the LSAT made me question my entire existence. LOL
That's the point though, it pushes you in ways you've never thought of but it is your job to push back.
@ The LSAT absolutely favors those with money and those not working full-time.
I disagree. The LSAT isn't designed to favor one background over the other. It may be that an individual's current situation, either health, family and/or money issues, has put them at a disadvantage but to say that the exam itself favors one type of background over the other is misleading. If that was the case then the LSAT must only favor the rich and smart. Therefore, what's the point of even trying? (Total BS)
Furthermore, if that is the mindset you carry going into this test, you have already set yourself up with a greater disadvantage than the lack of money ever could.
Congratulations, @! That's awesome! :smile:
I'll be there! Thank you, @ for taking the lead on this. Can't wait!