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trevorsikes359
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trevorsikes359
Monday, May 28 2018

@ said:

I dont think you can really answer that question until you're like 2 weeks before the test date and can look back on how you've been scoring on your PTs. If your average of those PTs ends up being around where you want to score, if your PTs are consistent and/or improving, then yes that's enough. I think the general recommendation is to take 20 PTs before the test date. But I think that number is arbitrary. If someone wants a 170+ on the exam and gets a 170+ on 10 PTs in a row then I dont see why they wouldnt be ready to take the exam. I dont think it is unreasonable to sign up for the July lsat now and work hard to get there by then...unless you cant afford to withdraw/retake. If it's a financial issue then I think September would be a safer bet.

I've been studying since April and certainly have been feeling like I have been improving. Thank you for your reply!

So I should be finished with my CC by the end of this week and I will be starting to take PTs and foolproofing LG by June 4th which gives me enough time to do approximately 14-15 PTs. Is that enough? Too much? Too little? My target score is 163-166 and my cold diagnostic was 151.

I'm planning on taking the July and September LSAT (depending on how I do in July). I want to try and apply as early as possible, however, studying for the LSAT is taking up all of my free time currently and I know that I am in no mental-condition right now to be writing well in regards to any personal statements, etc. How did y'all do it? I just want to make sure that I am weighing the opportunity costs of my time management in the most effective and efficient way possible. Thank you!

So I’m about to finish LG CC and have put time in doing FP and what not, about to transition into studying RC. I spent a good amount of time in LR and I feel like a fair amount of LR will translate to RC in some capacity, however, I understand that for many people timing is their biggest issue with RC. What were your hurdles/shortcomings for RC? Anything I should look out for? And super-secret tips/tricks? Thanks!

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trevorsikes359
Friday, May 25 2018

I don't mean in this in any condescending or judgmental way at all, but I would maybe suggest seeing a therapist or at least trying to get to the root of the issue. I have generalized anxiety disorder, and a lot of what you are describing sounds spot on in terms of when my anxiety is triggered. I can crush a section of study or a timed PT section, but when I'm in anxiety mode, my mind cannot even finish complete thoughts. I get frozen, I re-read then re-re-read then re-re-re-read the stimulus, and then what do you know, I'm out of time! Ahh! Then this snowballs and just gets worse from there.

I started therapy a few months ago and, no exaggeration, my performance got WAY better. I went from going -10 on LR to consistently -3 to -5. I recently had anxiety about LG and now I'm doing much better, understanding that I don't NEED to blow through every LG game to get a good majority of questions right. I found stress triggers that I didn't even know about!

Two things though that I would really suggest that helped me:

1.) Don't put so much pressure on yourself! I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but over-stressing yourself does waaay more harm than it does good. Keep in mind, for the most recent LSAT, if you missed 29 questions (roughly 7 per section), you still could have scored a 160 on the LSAT, which is still a pretty decent score.

2.) Do not demean yourself, no matter how you may feel. You are not an idiot. The LSAT is a beast of a test, and it does not have any definitive time-table in terms of understanding and conquering it. Some people study for 2 months and score 165+, others study for 2 years to score the same. This does not mean that the former is smarter than the latter. You have to stay positive and motivated, and self-love can go along way. I believe in you friend, and we're all in this together!

Admin note: edited out "#"

So I'll be finished with CC and taking my first real PT on June 4th. From June 4th to July 23rd I should be able to get in 2 PT's a week (14 PT's total) with drilling in each section (mainly LR and LG) throughout the weeks. I plan on doing one PT on a Monday and the other on like a Friday/Saturday so I can drill in the days between. I'm hoping this is a good strategy, my first cold-PT put me at about 151/152, and my target goal is at least a 160. Any advice?

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trevorsikes359
Saturday, Jun 23 2018

Keep at it. Also, hitting a 170 is a very difficult thing to do. I know it may seem like everyone is hitting at or close to 170, but you have to remember that 170 is top 97.4% percentile of test takers. I have seen people get accepted into Harvard with mid-160's.

All this to say, I think you can hit 170 with a ton of practice and improvement. It may not happen by September, but it can happen. HOWEVER, just try to do the best you can on the test. I would honestly recommend getting that 170 number out of your head. If you are consistently being discouraged by not hitting or being close to 170, it can do way more harm than it can good. For example, I have been PT'ing close to 170's lately (with 2 PTs above 170), however, I recently scored a 164 on a PT. I freaked out over it, and this ruined a good day of studying that I could have taken to review my mistakes and improve.

There is no "magical score" on the LSAT. You are already PTing in the 160's, and you can definitely make improvement. Don't get discouraged. Learn from your mistakes, improve, and keep your chin up -- you'll be close to 170 when you are ready.

So I'm new to LG -- I've already done the first section regarding sequencing games, and I've foolproofed all 10 problem sets from that first section. I feel like I've got that down; then I moved onto to sequencing games w/ a twist (and double sequencing games) and whenever I come across a new game for the first time in the problem set, it takes me longer than it should (usually 3-5 mins) to get the game board set up, and then takes me a while to solve it.

I understand that through practicing and foolproofing that I can finish the game correctly in the target time it should take, however, I'm just getting really discouraged because I feel like I have to keep watching the video explanation for EVERY single game just to get it down.

I feel like at some point I should start to be able to solve these games on my own without needing to watch the video explanations.

When did you guys get to the point that you could come across a new game and solve it efficiently? I know I'm just starting out, but it's just tough when it keeps taking me longer than it should to get the games solved. Any success stories?

So I’m new to LG and I got stuck up on a particular game during one of the sequencing games problem sets. How much time should I spend trying to figure it out? Or should I just go to the video explanation of that particular game if I’m really that stumped? I just don’t want to waste any unecessary time and/or instill any bad habits when learning LG.

I know to you who are PTing in the 170's this may seem laughable, but I was started at -11 in LR under timed conditions, and I feel like this is a huge step forward. I didn't think the nerves would get to me though to be honest (I just did this at home) but I felt almost as anxious as I would have if I had been taking the real thing, so I think once I get those nerves under better control I certainly think I can improve even more. What do y'all think? Any experiences like this?

I've heard that I may be better served using PowerScore Bible for RC than I would 7sage, is this true? Anyone have any experience with both? I'm not saying that what I have heard is true, and I'm certainly not looking to instigate any bias-related arguments, just looking for candor and a way to maximize my efficiency in terms of studying with regards to time-management and available resources. Thank you!

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trevorsikes359
Sunday, May 13 2018

@ No! Your reply was insightful, thank you! I think I would be extremely satisfied to score a 166 (which is near my target score), so your response is for sure helpful.

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trevorsikes359
Sunday, May 13 2018

@ How long did you study before your 166 LSAT?

So I started at a 151 on the timed diagnostic LSAT, and I'm hoping to hit in the 163-167 range on the LSAT. I'm planning on taking both the July and September LSAT's (might as well right?) and I've been studying for over a month now. I feel more confident for sure -- I'm just finishing up LR and I'm missing on average about 3-5 questions per LR section now instead of starting off missing 11 questions on the diagnostic. Did anyone start like me, and what's your success story with 7Sage? Everytime I read a success story it gives me a huge confidence boost that I'm doing the right thing, and I'm sure there are a lot of other people who feel the same way. Post away! (If you want).

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Saturday, May 12 2018

trevorsikes359

How should I go about utilizing LG study resources?

So I am just finishing up the LR section right now and looking forward to moving on to LG. I have the LG Study Bible by Powerscore, and some people have suggested that I read/work through that, then come back to 7sage to brush up on weak areas and watch the game review videos. Should I try this method, or should I stick to watching all the 7sage core course videos? How have you guys done it?

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trevorsikes359
Saturday, May 12 2018

I think it depends on how sure you are. If you are 100% confident in the answer you've selected and can articulate your reasoning, and you get it right, then there may not be a huge need to watch the review video. That time could be spent doing other things like brushing up on areas you may need improvement in. However, to each their own, and whatever you feel works best for you is probably the best route to take.

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Friday, Jun 08 2018

trevorsikes359

How to treat PT 72?

On my second PT (PT 71) I got a 161. I was feeling good, though understanding I needed improvement, but overall still feeling good about the progress I'm making. Then I move on to PT 72. Ummmm....holy hell. That RC section was ridiculous. I mean, I understand the difficulty varies from test to test and section to section, but it seemed like 72 was almost anomalous in its difficulty. I looked it up online in different forums and it seemed like that was the general consensus. Did anyone else take this PT?

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Saturday, May 05 2018

trevorsikes359

Struggling with Sufficient Assumption

I don’t know why but I’m struggling with SA. During the quiz exercises I’ve done pretty well, but then I get to the problem sets and it just seems to take forever. Anyone else experience this? What was your remedy for this?

So my cold-diagnostic was a 151. Just finished the CC and took my first timed PT after completing it and I scored a 156. I know I messed up in RC by running out of time on the last passage, and one LG game threw me off which I can work on. I also am a bit rusty on LR since I haven't drilled LR for about 3 weeks while I finished LG and RC core curriculum stuff, so I missed a -9 on each LR section.

I got about 7 weeks to go before the July LSAT, if I just drill LR and LG while sprinkling in some RC, do y'all think I could realistically crack 160 by July/September? I plan on drilling LR 3 times a week and LG twice a week (which I can switch up depending on how well I'm doing in either).

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Thursday, May 03 2018

trevorsikes359

How often should we use Lawgic language in LR?

So it seems like for MSS, Main Point, and Weakening/Strengthening there doesn't seem to be much need for using Lawgic language (ex: A some B -> C, therefore A some C). However, when it comes to validity, MBT/MBF, Sufficient/Necessary Assumption there is a large need for Lawgic language. Should we only use Lawgic language for those types of questions, or is there a strategy for this? Can Lawgic language be used for all questions, or only some (in the name of efficiency)?

So I took two timed sections today. PT 37 and PT 1 (random I know). Nerves got the best of me on 37 and I got -10, but I took another crack at it midday when I was calmer and got -5. Feeling good, I did another timed section (PT 1) after work and got an abysmal -15. Holy @&$*! that’s bad. It’s my first day doing timed sections for LG, and I’ve got 7 weeks to go before July test. LR and RC I’m pretty comfortable with, but LG is pretty painful. Does it get easier? Can I get better in 7 weeks if I do a timed section everyday + foolproof?

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Sunday, Jul 01 2018

trevorsikes359

Still missing 4-6 on RC. Any advice?

I'm missing about 3 on each LR section, 0 on games, but RC is still holding me back from hitting 170+ -- so frustrating! Last two PT's in a row I've hit 169, missing the 170 mark by one point. I understand that about 90% of RC is must be true questions so I'm wondering if I maybe just need to drill MBT questions. Anyone who started doing better on RC, what did you notice that you were doing wrong and how did you fix it to improve?

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