Everyone,

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." By Mario Andretti.

I would like to say ‘Hi’ to our 7Sage family. I have been here on and off for almost a year. I fortunately met J.Y. Ping in person when I was working in Korea. He is very smart and inspired me. I always find my excuse to avoid the study by doing something unnecessary.

I think this is the time to change and give a commitment to myself that I will make it happen like most of you. I am happy to come here and see many of you improving a lot by studying from 7Sage. I would like to do the same.

Let’s make it happen, TOGETHER!

I have been PTing around 163 (last 5 tests).

Two days ago I took PT 73 and my score dropped to 156 (wtf)- I have no idea what happened, I zoned out during LG got -11 and did horrible on the second LR (-11).

I am aiming for 160+ and will probably retake in Dec to aim for 165+.

Anyhow, I realized that I should probably stop taking fresh PTs. PT 73 killed my confidence.

Would it benefit me to be do timed PTs of tests that I've taken instead?

If not, what should I be doing?

Thanks!

At this point, all the improvement you have made is pretty much what it will be on test day. That is, there is not significant time to learn core concepts and strategies that you've not already gone over. So just a few gameday tips:

-Focus on timing and endurance right now. If you're not already doing 5 section PTs, you're doing yourself a disservice on test day. Do those this week. Hell, do 6 sections. It will prepare you to endure the rigor on test day. Believe me, on that last section you're ready to go home, so you will need to call on the perseverance you've practiced.

-Be prepared to do 3 LR sections, or 2 RC sections, or 2 Games sections. Whichever your worst section is, get ready to do it as the experimental. And they could be back to back, mixed up, anything. Prepare for the worst possible scenario. For me, it was the worst possible scenario on test day.

-Eat CARBS. Some of you may be on diets that minimize carb intake, but for the purposes of the LSAT this is a mistake. The brain needs a supply of glucose to function well, and if it is immediately available from a carbohydrate source, you'll be just a bit more ready to handle the deluge of questions. I recommend a complex carb source like whole wheat bread or brown rice. Do not (I repeat) do not eat sweets before/during the test.

-SLEEP well before the test. This may be easier said than done. I have prescription sleep meds, so I was able to get 8.5 hrs on test day, but if you don't have that luxury, you might look into other relaxation tactics to ensure adequate sleep.

-Caffeine - go a little bit above your normal levels. You want to be primed for the test, but not overly caffeinated to the point that you lose concentration and get a headache.

-Don't drink too much, but drink enough that you won't be parched. You get one bathroom break, and it's usually pretty quick. Do everything you can in the bathroom before the test starts.

-Visit the testing center, walk around, get comfortable. Make sure you can get there on test day, and show up a little early if possible.

-Don't try to do anything you didn't practice, like new strategies, or use highlighters, use erasers not tacked to the ends of pencils, etc. You want all those routines on autopilot on test day.

And that's all I can think of off the top of my head. Good luck on the test, and maybe I'll see you at UT/UH in the Fall! I also cannot wait until they release the PT for this test. Sounds silly, but I look forward to taking it.

Hello friends and LSAT warriors :)

First of all, A BIG FAT GOOD LUCK TO THE OCT TESTERS. You guys are gonna KILL it, no doubt :)

Question for all you LSAT gods:

I am currently in the process of re reading the Trainer and retaking 51-62 (retook 50 yday got a 162 actual, 169 BR)

I have taken 62-64, and 69 (just to jump around) same score range (159-161)

Fresh ones left: 65, 66, 67 68 70-75 (9)

My plan is to retake 51-62, 2 per week, with intense af BRs (shoutout to @Pacifico for the clean copy recommendation, I have finally started to atleast BR in my target range)

HERE IS THE QUESTION:

a) is my above schedule sounding good to you lsat gods?

b) perhaps like 2 weeks before the d-day, should I take the fresh ones or (actually read on TLS that you should have taken all exams upto test date and save no fresh ones until test day which i am dubious about) as of now I have scheduled 70-75 in the last two weeks and week of, one exam on mon, BR tuesday, and rest up wed-fri maybe to timed LGs but nothing crazy.

Thank you so much for reading this and helping me out, I appreciate all you LSAT gods :)

I have done 10 PTs (I am very early in the PT process), but I would like to know at what point in your studies did you start consistently hitting your target raw score when you took PTs. I'd just like an average frame of reference for my studies.

Where do you typically put yours -- do you alternate between it being section 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5? Perhaps a silly question.

http://www.amazon.com/LSAT-Trainer-remarkable-self-study-self-driven/dp/0989081508/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443325996&sr=8-1&keywords=Lsat+trainer. That is the LSAT Trainer you guys told me to buy right. It says 2015 and I know there are other ones published. I start studying for the LSAT in 2016 but I was told to review the trainer as much as possible before I start studying,so will there be a 2016 version to the LSAT trainer that I should wait for,or should I just get the 2015 version.

Pretty simple question, can we wear ear plugs during the exam?

I was lucky enough to book my test center on my college's campus (going for home field advantage) and it's near a quad that frequently holds events. I'm worried that people will be starting to gather outside the test center during the later sections of the test

JY’s explanation was very helpful, but there’s one part of the question that’s been bugging me.

We’re told in the premise that people who would be “adversely affected were [the bill] to become law are very influential.”

Answer choices (B) includes “any bill that is opposed by influential people” and (C) has “those who oppose it are not very influential.” I understand and accept JY's explanations for why these are wrong and why (E) is correct, but I think there might be something else wrong with those answer choices.

A lot of the explanations I see for why B & C are wrong still seem to accept that it is the influential people who oppose the bill. However, can we really make the assumption that the influential people who would be adversely affected by the bill would oppose it?

It definitely seems like an unstated assumption in the first part of the argument, but is it really valid to say that they would oppose it (and that’s why the bill won’t be passed)?

It’s possible I’m not really understanding what “adversely affected” means. However, isn’t it possible be adversely affected by a bill, but still support it? (for example, wealthy individuals might support higher taxes for the rich, even though that adversely affects them).

It’s one the assumptions that jumped out at me when I did my BR and partly how I was able to get rid of (B) and (C). But I’ve read explanations from different sources and they all seem to accept the assumption that the influential people being adversely affected are the ones opposing the bill.

Thanks!

I was SUPER ANXIOUS last night and slept a cr@ppy 5 hrs. Should I do my pt today? Or postpone till I have gotten more sleep?

Hey, I'm about to begin taking PTs 36-65. If anyone else is interested in doing a full blind review of any of the aforementioned tests, let's meet up and tackle this thing. I live in north Dallas, but willing to meet anywhere DFW area. Maybe a campus library if parking is not an issue. I can meet mornings or at night, but we should allot 4+ hours if we are going to master the whole test.

Let's do this!

TL;DR : Looking for some insights with issues I apparently have with test day performance - PT'ing much higher than my score.

First, a little background. I self-studied with both Manhattan/Powerscore/7Sage Spring-Fall 2014, with most PT's between 168-175. I probably took about 20 tests under exact conditions. A few weeks before the Dec. 2014 exam, I was PT'ing high 170's, when I started to notice some severe burnout. On my last three PT's before the December test, I was suddenly dropping 15-20 questions, so I took a break for a week and hoped for the best.

I was super nervous -- almost manic -- on test day, and I ended up with a 163, with most of the damage from LG. This was upsetting at the time, but I figured that with practice, my nerves wouldn't be so bad the second time around. So I took a break for three months and started back studying in March for the June 2015 exam.

This time, I drilled game sections during the week and took two tests every weekend. My scores were much more consistent, clustered tightly around 176/177, and I was making strides in LG. I simulated test conditions exactly in terms of timing and sections, and would sometimes take tests in crowded coffee shops or book stores for practice with distractions. I made it a point to do every released PT LG section multiple times, and I stopped practicing a week or two before the test to prevent burnout.

I was incredibly calm and relaxed on test day, and walked out of the center thinking I had it in the bag. I was shocked to find out I had only increased my score by 3 points, to a 166. Admittedly, the June curve (-10) was rough compared to December, but I never expected to do any less than 3-4 points below my average. My LG section was fine, but I ended up dropping 5 or 6 on each LR section, where I've never had trouble before.

So, here I am again prepping for my third test, worrying that no matter how much I practice or how high I PT, I might just end up well below my average for the third time. The only thing I think I did wrong in prepping the second time around was not reviewing the LR questions I missed. Most of the time, I would see my score, think "good enough" and walk away. I'm being careful not to do that this time around.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Can you suffer from test anxiety without knowing it? Am I prepping wrong?

I really hope I can get some answers, and I appreciate any advice you guys can offer.

Thanks,

WEDNESDAY, September 30th at 8PM ET: PT52

Note:

I took the June LSAT. I'm signed up for October but I don't feel prepared. I was thinking I would take December instead.

My question is: would it seem unattractive to law schools if I took the June LSAT, cancelled my score for October, and took December?

Because I paid for October; I might as well take it for practice and just cancel my score.

Thanks

So I was planning to take my LSAT in December, but I was scoring in the 150's with BR's in the 160's, no where near my goal, so I just finally said I don't want to put myself under so much pressure for the December test, and postponed my test until Feb. I am feeling a bit stressed out considering my parents and everyone around me is nagging me to death to take the December administration so I don't take a year off, but I know this score is just way too important, considering this determines school, job prospect, and how much scholarship money I will get, to just allow their nagging to overpower common sense.

From your perspectives, do you guys fee like my decision was reasonable, or was I just paranoid and actually had enough time to study and score in the 170's by December?

Hello friends.

Lots of stress and discouragement floating around.

Let's help one another.

How can we encourage you today?

So, I will be taking my first official test this October. If and when I get my score back and I do not feel comfortable with the score, should I still power through practice tests in between the time of the test and the day I get my score back?

A lot of us will probably come out thinking they didn't get the score they anticipate. In other words, should I continue studying after October 3 as if I'm planning on taking the December LSAT?

OK, this is another one that I just can't wrap my head around the correct answer choice relative to an incorrect answer choice. This is getting beyond frustrating ugh. Here is my breakdown:

This is a weaken question.

There is evidence that cave people polished their flints to a degree beyond what was necessary for hunting. Therefore, these people possessed an aesthetic sense.

What I am looking for: I think this makes the false dichotomy flaw. The argument assumes that the flints were either used for hunting or for aesthetic reasons. We want an answer choice that addresses this. I also looked up aesthetic during BR, in case my personal definition is incorrect. It means concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

Answer A: This does nothing to the argument since it doesn't address whether the flints were used for aesthetic reasons.

Answer B: This does nothing to the argument because we don't know if cave paintings provide evidence or not of an aesthetic sense. We just don't have any information about cave paintings to know if they are relevant to the argument.

Answer C: This is what I chose during the exam and during BR. I don't really see how the use of the word "display" allows you to eliminate this answer choice. Can't things be on display that are not used for aesthetic purposes? Especially for religion? Religious display seems like a worship use, not an aesthetic use. What also makes this attractive to me is that this is providing evidence that the highly polished flints (the ones we care about) were used for something other than hunting as well.

Answer D: This answer is the correct answer, but I run into the same problems as C. It is similar to C because it suggests that the flints were used for things other than hunting. However, I didn't choose it for two independent reasons. First, this answer choice is talking about flints in general, but we really want to know about the highly polished flints. If this answer choice had added "highly polished" as the first two words, then I think this answer choice becomes apparent.

The second reason (and I used this reason during BR) I eliminated it is the conclusion doesn't actually say that the highly polished flints were USED for aesthetic purposes. The conclusion is just that these early humans had an aesthetic sense. Specifically, this answer choice states that the flints were used for chores. Common chores are cleaning, taking out the garbage, etc. Are these not at least partly aesthetic enhancers? Do these not partly concern themselves with the beauty of the home? I think in this instance, D could strengthen the argument. For this possibility, I eliminated it and chose C.

Answer E: So what if we don't understand the benefits of their aesthetic sense.

Hi, I understand why the answer choice (D) is correct, but I have a question on (B).

The stimulus states that since "faculty salaries constitute a small part of the university's expenditure," the administration's explanation is not believable.

So I thought even though faculty salaries constitute a small part of expenditure, if they "significantly" increased after the tuition increase, the faculty's explanation can make sense, so this can be weakening argument.

To counter this weakening argument, I thought (B) can be suggested that increase in faculty salaries is only 5% which is lower than general increase in tuition. This is why I thought (B) can be strengthening argument which can fight back against possible weakening argument.

Probably I thought too complicated in this low number question (supposed to be not this tricky).

But could you explain further why (D) is better answer choice than (B)?

Two questions:(preferably someone who has taken the lsat can answer these)

1. My admission ticket first and last name match exactly but there is no middle name on my admission ticket. On my id my middle name is listed. Lsac policy says "first and last name must match exactly" but doesn't mention middle name. Has anyone had an issue or is there anything I should be worried about?

2. I wear glasses only when my eyes get fatigued (usually for reading comprehension section) and plan on bringing my reading glasses on test day. Lsac doesnt mention eye glasses as one of the "ONLY" items they allow on your desk on test day nor do they mention them being allowed in your ziplock. They also don't mention them as being prohibited or not allowed. I don't wear them when I'm just walking around (like during check in) so could i wear them like on my shirt? Or put them in my ziplock?

This last week till the lsat has me so stressed out over little stuff....ughh.

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to ask advice of any of the 7sagers here--I'd really, really appreciate it. I've been kind of lost amongst the different study methods and feel I need to schedule some pattern before the December. Also, good luck to all of those taking the October!! Sending good vibes to my friends and other members here on the 3rd.

So here's the situation:

Diagnostic was 149. By now after the curriculum I've taken a few PTs, Actual: 155,152,156, 152, respectively. BR: 162, 166, 166, 169, and 164, respectively. LR I avg -9, LG -13, and RC -6. I find timing to be a problem, as many probably do.

Initially I wanted to take 3 tests a week, but I have only been taking 2 since I've felt I needed more time to review--but I also think taking the tests has been helping me in terms of stamina, and the exposure seems good. I know I have a lot lot lot of work to do in LG,...so should I just take a break from the PTs and just do a few sets every day for a week or something before revisiting PTs? And LR I'm also behind--should I spend more time drilling conditionals and revisiting NA in the curriculum, for example, or spend more time reviewing the questions of the PTs I've taken? I've only taken the PTs in the 40s...and I keep freaking out at entire games. I've gone over a few of the LR chapters in the Trainer but for some reason it doesn't seem to be clicking...

Basically I'm not sure where I should be spending more time. If I'm feeling very tired one day, should I put off taking an exam until I'm much more focused and ready to improve my score? My friends have kept telling me "take as many PTs as possible before the exam" and have made it sound as though sheer repetition of PTs will make me better somehow. I want to break into the 60's soon...how many PTs do I expect to take before I get there? My goal was a 170 but I know that's very difficult and at this point I just want to be getting BETTER.

Would really love your help. :)) I wish I could offer more to you guys but I've been mostly learning from the community here. maybe in the future...

My last PT (67) and practice sections have all been below my average for the last month (165) and I'm starting to panic a little bit. I feel like my focus is gone, and because of that I've been making lots of dumb mistakes. I'm scheduled to take the exam in one week. Is there anything that I can do to get out of this funk before test day?

I was stuck between B and C and finally chose C because I thought "suggest that a particular approach be taken by the proponents of the assertion" from B didn't match the passage.

But the answer is B and I can't still find why C is wrong. It seems every words from C are match for the passage.

Why is C wrong and can B is an answer?

And which part of the passage is compatible with "suggest that a particular approach be taken by the proponents of the assertion" from B?

I still don't understand why D is wrong.

Is it ("a band signed with a major label ~~"part from the stimulus) the phenomenon to support the main conclusion?

What's the difference between D and E?

Can anyone explain why D is wrong and E is an answer?

Thanks in advance!

hmmm. isn't D diagrammed backwards. ie. All students can participate in recess after the bell has rung.

Bell doesn't ring, they can't go to recess.

~ring -----> ~recess

Recess ----> Ring

All employees can participate after they have been with the company for 1 year.

Not 1 year service then can't participate

~1 year ----> ~participate

Participate -----> 1 year +

Video instead says 1 year + ----------> participate?

Gavin is 3 years instead of 1. And then they conclude that he must participate from a can premise. That is why it doesn't match. I think there is error in the video.