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I've been stuck in the mid-150s for the last 6 months and I just don't know what to do. I've taken a Blueprint Prep Course, gone through the PowerScore LG and LR Bibles, and read through the LSAT Trainer. I don't want to try another LSAT prep course because I feel like they'll just do the same thing BluePrint did and give me some short-cut tricks that don't help at all.

I have significant problems with RC and LR; missing -9 to -12 on RC and -7 on both LR sections. I've gotten better on LG thanks to 7sage's full-proof method, and have gotten it down to -6. Unfortunately, LG is what's bringing up my score. I Blind Review every RC and LR section, but it's beginning to seem like I'm wasting my time because I'm not learning anything. I can eliminate 4 incorrect answer choices under untimed review, but I just can't seem to finish any sections during timed prep. This test is beginning to stress me out.

Thus far, I've taken the LSAT once (scored 155) after pushing back the test like 3 times. I postponed the February test after, again, scoring 155 on PT59. I hear stories and read posts about people going from my score range to high 160s or even mid-170s after a few weeks, but nothing is working for me. Makes me feel like I'm defective or something. What am I doing wrong?

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Hello! I have a very basic question. This is a bit long, but I appreciate anyone who would provide some thoughts on this.

Q: If an argument commits the necessary, but not sufficient flaw, does it also commit the sufficient, but not necessary flaw?

This question came about after I read two examples in the Trainer:

Example 1: "Everyone who boards the plane has to show his or her ticket to the attendant. Since Tom has shown his ticket, he will be allowed to board the plane."

B -> S

S

------

B

The trainer understood this to be a necessary, but not sufficient flaw (S is necessary, but not sufficient for B). But couldn't you also say that B is sufficient, but not necessary for S?

Example 2: "Every time you drink, you end up feeling sick the next day. You say you are sick today. You must have gone drinking yesterday."

D -> S

S

---

D

The training understood this to be a sufficient, but not necessary flaw (D is sufficient, but not necessary for S). But similarly, couldn't you say that S is necessary, but not sufficient for D?

When I first read this, I was very confused by the fact that two identical argument structures have two "different flaws," which is why I wonder if the two flaws are the same.

I then read this for a bit and now think that the two flaws are different. The two arguments seem to have different emphasis. What makes the first example a "necessary, but not sufficient" is the keywords "he will be allowed to board," which is different from "he must board." I think, if you were to make this change, the first example would be more intuitively a sufficient, but not necessary flaw.

"Everyone who boards the plane has to show his or her ticket to the attendant. Since Tom has shown his ticket, he must have boarded the plane."

What do you think? Since this is so foundational, I appreciate any comments about this. Thanks!

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For mastering the logic games, from what I've gathered, it's suggested to do JY's method for each game by watching the videos and repeating the inferences on blank copies until a firm understanding of each game is reached. However, in doing so won't my scores be affected on my PTs leading up to the test because I will have already seen the games and know how to do them? I'm worried that on the one hand this wouldn't give me a good indication of where my score would really be than if I hadn't previously seen the games, but I'm also worried that if I wait to drill on those games until after I've taken the PTs to which they belong I won't have enough time since it will be closer to the test date at that point.

Hypothetically speaking, if I plan to take PTs 41- the most recently available one (giving me 30+ PTs), should I drill those games before taking the PTs or wait until I take them?

What's the suggested practice for approaching this? I'm definitely aiming for a near perfect score on the games section come June and just want to make sure that whatever prep I do is as effective as it can be.

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Anyone else find that doing PTs is a literal pain in the neck? After more than three hours at a desk using my right hand to bubble answers I had the worst neck and shoulder pain. I do a ton of yoga and stretch, and have pretty good posture so I'm wondering, is this avoidable? How are you guys doing these PTs in terms of desk etc..?

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After a 2 month break (and a more recent week-long trip which was extended thanks to a winter storm), I am fully committing myself to study for the LSAT again. I took the December exam and did absolutely horrible, a score that I'm legitimately embarrassed to reveal, a score that I KNOW is not indicative of what I am capable of scoring. I didn't even bother applying anywhere because what the hell was the point... I basically took a 2 month hiatus from LSAT/TLS/7sage. I actually feel refreshed and looking forward to study for this S.O.B again. The positive thing about already taking it is that I know what DIDN'T work: taking 3 PT's a week, followed by a crappy BR session afterwards... not learning from mistakes on PTs... barely drilling... barely exercising and not relieving stress/anxiety... barely working in order to study (I seriously took 1.5 months off prior to my exam)... not mimicking test-day as well as I thought did... I can go on and on, unfortunately.....

I have 10 fresh PTs (plus whatever most recent PTs are available that I'll purchase which will bring the total to about 14 or 15, right?). I'm really thinking about re-taking in October because I honestly don't feel that June is enough time for ME. I believe that October will allow me to balance LSAT / Life / Small Vacations / Work... June feels rushed to me.

I plan to take a PT every other week in the exact room I took the actual exam, followed by BR and drilling, something I didn't really do despite having the cambridge bundle! I've been going to the gym since Jan 1st (new year, new me watch out watch out haha), gotten into a routine and whatnot. Also plan to work more than I did before (work at my family's business, so hours are lenient which is how I took 1.5 months off as previously mentioned).

How should I go about getting things back into motion, getting the juices flowing?

Do you feel that waiting til October is worse than taking in June?

I'm starting again on Monday the 8th.

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Friday, Feb 5, 2016

Test Center

Okay, so my test center is on a local university campus. I went today to make sure I could find the building and what not. My ticket doesn't say a room number or anything. I may be over thinking this out of nerves.. But will it just be obvious where to go once I am in the building?

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Right after I transfer all the rules into Lawgic I go straight to the first question. My reasoning:

1. I am less likely to make mistakes because my paper is not written on yet.

2. When I split I like to represent my rules on my boards like JY and at times I would forget what the rule was.

3. Doing question one first is my insurance policy. If I take 3 minutes to split my boards and go to question one only to find I misread a rule I wasted all that time splitting on boards that aren't real.

Thoughts?

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Hi everyone,

For those of you who have already submitted their applications, I have a quick question. I'm strongly considering visiting my top choices in person (two I'm waiting to hear back from and two I've been waitlisted at). If I decide to do this, what's the protocol for a campus visit? I was already planning taking a campus tour and sitting in on some classes. On TLS, Mike Spivey also recommended visiting the admissions office. If I do that, what do I say to an admissions officer? What kind of questions should I ask? What should I say/not say? Any advice from you guys would be enormously appreciated, I'm feeling a bit lost during this portion of the application process. Studying for the LSAT was so much more straightforward lol.

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This is a hard SA question, and I don't see what I am missing. How is answer choice A a sufficient assumption?

My diagram:

(Solution to environmental problem not caused by the government)--->(Major change in consumer habits)--->(Economically Enticing)

Therefore, (Not Economically enticing)--->(Few serious ecological problems solved).

What I am looking for: This is a pretty simply A to B to C argument, and the conclusion as a Not C in it. To link up the chain, say (Not solution to environmental problem not caused by the government)--->(Few serious ecological problems solved).

Answers B-E are way wrong, but I don't see how answer A paraphrases the sufficient assumption at all.

Link: https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-44-section-2-question-13/

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So I have finished the curriculum and I have noticed that Im still very weak on games, and I don't feel comfortable enough to start PTs because I'm horrible at games still. Would it be more beneficial to spend another week or 2 to maybe watch and do all the lectures in the curriculum for games again? That's the only thing that's stopping me from PTing. I initially wanted to have 4 months of PTing... But in the long run if I spend another two weeks relearning how to do games for the second time by watching the lectures over again for each game type and doing the fool proof method again then it will click, and I'll still have 3 and a half months to left to PT until June 7th which is plenty of time right? Otherwise I'll just bomb game sections on PTs and it will go to waste.

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I am applying for the 2016 cycle. Registered for the February, which is my third take. I cancelled my second score due to bubbling error and used my first score to apply, which should get me into some fine law schools. Everyone around me think I should give it a last try. So I prepped for another month and took 77 and ended up with the exact same score which I got for my first take. I would wish anyone to give me some advise on whether to take the test on Saturday! Thanks!

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One of JY's reading comp explanations really helped me easily mentally compartmentalize 'than' in complex sentences saving me tons of time (eg whatever thing comes before 'than' is the winner). I am not sure if this even makes sense, but wondering if anyone could share a foolproof method for understanding the word 'against' in sentences?

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Back in the late 70s, my dad was trying to figure out what to do as far as careers go and his brother had casually suggested law school as an option. Not knowing much my dad reached out to his Uncle Stan, a successful trial lawyer in New Jersey, for advice. The following is the letter that Stan wrote by hand and which to this day is very insightful and I thought, relevant, to so many of us who are contemplating this intense future. I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

Saturday 9/7/77

Dear Robbie,

How are you? We are all fine. And so without further adieu, as the say, and in response to your recent letter.

An old law school professor of mine stressed that there is no such thing as “the law.” What he was trying to bring out is that the law is dynamic. It mirrors life. It is not static, it changes. True it’s always ten years behind what ought to be, but that’s another story.

The law has been likened to a seamless web, and by that is meant it has many facets, many areas of interest and at the same time is interesting and without end. There is no limit to the time that can be spent studying, applying, analyzing, interpreting. And for that it is also called a jealous mistress. You can keep your options open and gravitate towards that which interests you - contract law, corporate, criminal, trial work (which I find most interesting and rewarding), estates, tax, labor, to name only a few areas - and in each you can spend a lifetime and still continue to learn new things every day.

In the practice of law you live by your wits, and by that I mean it’s a thinking man’s profession. It takes time to learn the tools, which is true in any field of endeavor you choose, and these are blended with life’s experience. The student who graduates with all A’s may not be prepared for this if his time has been limited solely to books and libraries. The graduate with experience in assorted life’s jobs, with a feel for people, will do better as he’s better equipped.

Before considering the law as a profession ask yourself if you are willing to pay the price. Sacrifices have to be made. Three years of constant study are gruelling in the sense that the work is cumulative, continual, absorbing but sometimes tedious, all with a view towards making the student realize that each incident in life has many issues and how to evaluate them. No one day is terribly difficult, yet the total sum of all studies is burdensome. Along the way about one-third will drop out, if not more, and of those who graduate only about one-third will become full time practitioners, and of those who do last it will take each about three years of actual practice before he becomes worth something and can command a decent salary or be able to strike out into private practice.

Is it worth all that time, effort and money? Absolutely! It’s stimulating, fascinating, challenging, rewarding, gratifying, ego inflating and financially renumerative. As you get older and stay in the practice, the value of the attorney increases - as opposed to other non-professions, e.g. salesmen. But one has to be ready to make the sacrifices in the beginning, to desire, to want it.

Should you attempt to do it? I think it’s a great idea, but don’t count on instant rewards. Project ahead a steady growth for each year, improving your prospects, and of knowing that the cream will rise to the top, and if you can demonstrate that patience and motivation you will be guaranteed the eventual exhilarance of the practice of law, and I know you’ll do well.

Love,

Stan

P.S. you can see lawyers tend to talk a lot especially if they are asked a question and have a captive audience that they love.

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Question: I'm about to withdraw from the February LSAT so as to take it in June instead, but I just want to make sure that a withdrawal doesn't count as a take! I've already taken it two times and (even though I'm pretty sure it doesn't count) just want to be one the safe side. Also- you just withdraw on the lsac website right?

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I've noticed that one of my big problems with LG (and there are _many_, are maximum/minimum questions. For example, "the maximum number of Bs that can be in group F is___?" These questions are difficult for me because it's tough to know when I'm getting them wrong. In other words, I don't know when I've done all I can to get to the solution. Now, you might just say, "Run down your rules and make sure you haven't failed anything." Right, OK, but sometimes you do that and you still haven't maximized or minimized because there are other valid solutions that contain more or less of the variable in question. Unfortunately, I don't find JY's videos particularly helpful here because it seems like he just sees the best way to do the problem (and/or he has the benefit of hindsight and an answer key). Are there any actual strategies I can use here, or am I at the mercy of my intuition?

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So, ten years ago i applied to this law school and was rejected. I ended up not going to LS at all back then. Am applying again now, and reapplying to said school again. Should I "touch upon" it in my personal statement? I kind of don't want to but…Thanks all in advance.

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