Hey guys! So, I find myself going through a list of questions whenever I approach an RC passage that has proven to be helpful and was wondering if you could add to the list. These are the questions I currently ask myself:

1) What is the Main Point?

2) How do the paragraphs relate to the MP?

3) How do the examples relate to the MP?

4) What is the author's attitude?

5) Is the passage descriptive or prescriptive?

Hey everyone,

First time poster but I have been a lurker for a few weeks. I'm sorry if this has already been asked, but does anyone have a list of some of the tougher preptests? I'm taking the June LSAT and I want to see where I stand on the especially difficult ones. Does anyone know which preptests people tend to do poorly on?

I just got my best score yesterday after taking the June 2007 preptest, does anyone know where that one stands in terms of difficulty?

Thanks!

Has anyone here ever used BarBRI law school prep? I'm using 7sage's, but would like to know if anyone thought it would be best to supplement it with BarBRI or any other form of law school prep?

[note from mods: please don't post titles/comments in all caps!]

Has anyone successfully used highlighters during an actual test. I have begun using highlighters and they certainly increase my understanding of the passage but also takes more time to get through the passage. I am using 3 colors right now , maybe I should switch to 2.

I recently began writing a diversity statement on what I believe to be a unique and transformative job. I've noticed, however, that most if not all are focused on one's upbringing and the diversity within that. The job I want to use is my current one, and I've had it for a year (it will be about 2.5 years by the time I actually start law school). Bad idea or good idea? Or is the unquestionably inapplicable to the diversity statement?

Can somebody please explain the correct answer choice? I thought all of these answer choice were terrible/unsupported.

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-53-section-4-passage-4-passage/

http://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-53-section-4-passage-4-questions/

I have created notes from 7sage's curriculum and if you would like them please PM me with your email :)

I've started studying since January with a score of 158. After a few practice tests, I had some scores in the low 160s - I had a 162, 165, and 163...and then suddenly one day it went down to a 157...157...153....158....157 (i've taken 12 PTs so far). I just took one today and it's a 157 again, which is lower than my initial diagnostic. I'm so frustrated and June is just around the corner. Is it even possible to go up to a 165 at least in the next 4 weeks? (out of my 12 PTs....3 were in the 160's and the other 9 was in the 150's....)

My worst section is unfortunately RC (I can miss anywhere from 9-14). Games is my best section - if I have a very good LG section I will miss 1 or 2. When I do poorly I'll miss like 4-5. LR (I miss like 5-6 on one section, and then the other LR sections always sucks...miss 8-9). When I do timed sections 35 sections during my study - I tend to get more correct.

Also - when you do BR....which is essentially answering the questions untimed after taking the PT. Do you have to do a BR for the whole test in one sitting? or even the section in one sitting? or is it just untimed anytime I want?

Some encouragement or advice is much needed...please...

I know this has been addressed in other topics but how bad is it to have 2 or 3 LSAT scores if your highest is in the mid to upper 160s and you're looking to get into a lower law school and then transfer?

I have been studying for months on end and I am not sure how to get my actual score to match my blind review score. When I take the test first pass even if I don't time myself I get between -8/-12 per section on Logical Reasoning, -0/-1 on logic games, and -9/-14 on reading comprehension. However when I blind review I get almost every single question correct. However I am stuck as to how to get the correct answer the first time. On the LR section it is typically the middle and end that I get incorrect and I am usually down to two answers but always seem to pick the incorrect one the first time. I am scheduled to take the LSAT June 2015 but desperately want a high score. Can anyone help with tips or ideas to close the gap between actual vs. blind review. Has anyone else seen similar results while preparing?

Thank you

Heading hopefully for the October LSAT.

I spent from January until April working through the core curriculum and the Trainer. I now have four-and-a-half months to get through the LG Bundle and hopefully the core curriculum again before PTing from July-October.

Does this sound realistic? As of this month I can dedicate 5-6 hours a day to LSAT prep.

Just making sure I'm on track...confidence is down a bit!

Thanks,

J.

Hi 7Sagers!

I have noticed a number of times on PT's that every now and then, I run into a time sink on a game. When I check the 7Sage explanation, I discover that it was actually a rather simple game, that I've conquered much more challenging ones with way less feeling of oh-god-what-the-hell-is-this. So that's good news, but after reviewing the Logic Games Boards Cheat Sheet while watching explanation vids (a helpful tool to connect general theory to particular cases in games, as patterns start to emerge), I realized what was tripping me up every now and then on what should have been easy points for me: there was a RED HERRING in the game that was deliberately put there, ostensibly, to make me think there's an additional layer in my game board that I was missing. The test writers seem to like spending a fair amount of unnecessary words on a simple, not-that-restrictive distinction between players or something, but then they don't give you enough information to actually incorporate that distinction into your gameboard (at least for me to do so, and if I could, it would take more time than I have to comfortably finish the test).

Check out this example:

PT#55 Oct 2008 Game 3 - Sequencing Pure

The game starts off by announcing the first distinction: night vs. day shift. So now I'm already anticipating an IN/OUT set up. Next, it gives us the six players and a ranking task, suggesting sequencing. Okay. Got it. But I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop on the IN/OUT issue. The very next sentence feeds into that, by again highlighting the night/day distinction. I get what feels like valuable information for a game of IN/OUT with a sequencing task. SO, G T or S H are going to be the night, and the other 4 will be the day. So I'm thinking... okay, so it's IN/OUT, slots determined and sequencing task in subcategories. I've already bought into the time sink the test writers set up for me.

In an 8 line blurb before the list of sequencing rules, FIVE of those 8 lines were spent describing things in terms of this night/day distinction. Heck, the very purpose of the whole scenario the game describes is to COMPARE TWO GROUPS. No matter.

On a good morning, when I'm feeling like an LSAT baller, I would have wondered at first if I'm about to get an IN/OUT set up, and then gotten to the rules and seen that what I can draw is a sequencing board, with the typical sequencing rules, jot down a note of the two pairs that I'm told are night shift (in case I'm told what to do with that in a question), and call it a day. I'd have been on a mission, to get where I'm going, which is to the questions, where I can pick up points with the information I do have, and a mental footnote to remember the cliffhanger that may or may not require me to reconsider my set up (I hate when that happens, but accepting the possibility and moving on to find out would have been a lot quicker than getting stuck in a time sick of anxiety because I can't tolerate the uncertainty of that nasty little what-do-I-do-with-this-night/day-issue cliffhanger, staring at the page as I waffle over my setup, looking for something that, lo-and-behold, is not there).

On a bad morning, when I wake up feeling groggy and resenting the fact of this overinflated poriton of my law school app process, I am more like a new driver waiting to make a turn onto a busy road, sitting at a full stop with my blinker on, watching the cars go by, along with 2, maybe 3 solid opportunities to make the turn comfortably.

When I check my answers after a more or less demoralizing testing experience (which only reinfored the antipathy I had for this being something I need to do, because at some point I realize I'm distracted by my own hesitation as I move through the test, losing me points that could be the difference between a high 160's and low 170's - ugh), I am just kicking myself because the thing that stalwarted me the most was a freaking 5 minute standard sequencing game - one of the skills I can do almost reflexively. I'm normally happy to see those!

Moral of the story: another benefit of practice, beyond the level of certainty that comes with familiarity, is getting comfortable with red herrings. Zero in on them, and compare them to the kind of game that ACTUALLY has the issue you took the bait for in another game. Don't just say after watching the video, oh god, I can't believe I missed that, what an easy game, and then move on. Revisit your own thought process, because when something THAT easy sunk you THAT much time, you probably were tripping on the LSAT, who loves to be a tease. Find out what lured you in, and compare it to a similar game where the issue you anticipated actually activates.

I'm on the look out for a game that I can compare to the one I discussed in this post, and I'm sure it won't be hard to find a few given the issue tags marked on the list of games explanation videos. I'll post back when I find some. If anybody sees a game that could compare well (i.e. one where in/out and sequencing issues are both actually activating in the set up stage), I would love to hear from anyone so I can check it out.

Best!

Clarissa H.

"The problem with the more prestigious jobs, said Mr. Krieger, is that they do not provide feelings of competence, autonomy or connection to others — three pillars of self-determination theory, the psychological model of human happiness on which the study was based. Public-service jobs do."

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/05/12/lawyers-with-lowest-pay-report-more-happiness/

So I have heard and read excellent things about the LSAT Trainer and was wondering how you have been combining your studies. I would probably attempt to do them simultaneously. For example, first I would complete a segment of 7sage (since I anticipate it will be quicker than reading) and then read chapter 1 of the trainer to reinforce concepts and drills. I am just curious as to other ways that some of you have meshed the two in your studies and how effective you feel it has been for you.

I've worked through the core curriculum and am currently going through the LG bundle.

I'm currently on set five of thirty-something sets in there - but, except for simple sequencing games, I can't seem to "get going" unless I watch the video to a get a prompt on the most suitable game board, and perhaps a few other bits and pieces.

Is this normal? I'm down as I feel that, by now (twenty or-so games in) I should be able to get going by myself. I'm usually good with the questions, it's just getting set up that is throwing me.

I'm hoping I'll get more confident in this area with the 120+ games left in the bundle. Right now this inability to start alone is just knocking my confidence a bit.

I decided to come here rather than turn to the gin. Any pep talks would be appreciated!!!

Thanks in advance,

J.

Hello all! I'm new to 7Sage and gained access a few weeks before the LSAC disallowed the use of LSAT PDFs. I found the PDFs very helpful while they were still on the site, so I guess my question is: How are we supposed to do practice problems without the LSAT PDFs? I've been trying to watch the video explanations of the answers and pausing them so that I could do the questions myself, but I find that I'm unable to accurately time myself while I do this. Also, this method does not work for the Logic Games section, as the prompt is rarely provided in the videos.

Any suggestions would be great! Thanks!

I'll be done with the 7sage course around June/starting to take the PTs and Blueprint is scheduled to start in July. Planning to take the October LSAT, and wondered if this approach would help as a form of review.

While I do love power-studying on my own, there's always something about a classroom setting where you're able to converse with the instructor/classmates that help you glean precious nuggets and tighten skillsets.

Wondering if anyone's taken this approach and/or if this is even a good idea?

Hello, everyone!

I hope your LSAT studying is tedious and unfun! Just Kidding!

I've been keeping away from the forums as of late because they are sort of a huge distraction when I'm trying to study (4 Weeks left:() So I'm coming here for what I expect (but don't quote me on it) to be my last call for help. I've analyzed my first REAL LSAT exam and previous ones, and they all point towards the same direction, RC. I can average less than -5 in LG and around -7/8 in LR, but my RC is horrendous. I unusually get half right and half wrong (which is weird because I use to do well on AP English exams in high school.) Whatever the reason for this drop, I need a remedy. I used Manhattan LR (going to re-read and hopefully get an average of -5 before the exam), and I'm going to continue studying LG through 7Sage, but I need another perspective if I want to get better in RC. I need to at least cut my wrong answers in half to get a 160+ before June. I've been going through the history of the forums for a couple of hours, and there's not a clear cut answer I can find between LSAT Trainer vs Manhattan RC. I get the hint that LSAT Trainer is better for RC of the two, so I was wondering if anyone else had any input. This should be my last purchase and book being read before I take the LSAT. I have amazon prime, but time is still of the essence! Any speedy response/input would be greatly appreciated!

I see LG explanations under the Resources tab but I don't see a way to check individual RC questions from prep tests

Hi you gorgeous souls,

I'm sorry to be posting about an LSAT test date that is so far away and I hope I don't offend anyone studying for June/October.

I started studying for the LSAT last summer (with PowerScorer nonetheless) and didn't buckle down with 7Sage until a few months ago. I'm almost finished with the Ultimate course and will take a diagnostic PT to see where I am but I would feel much better if I could go over the fundamentals again. My goal is to go over the LG bundle several times, go over the 7Sage course again with supplemental sections from the Trainer, drill with Cambridge packets, and then move on to PTing. My target is a 175+ but I have a long way to go before attaining that score. Ideally I want to take the October LSAT since it is much earlier in the admissions cycle, but I may have to postpone to December if my PT average is not on par with what I want. My biggest concern with taking the December LSAT is that my chance of getting acceptances will be drastically lowered since many LSs will have partially/mostly filled classes for the next year. Does anyone have insight into application competitiveness with a December test score?

A bit of personal information: I'm aiming for HYS. My UG GPA is a 3.97, I have solid LORs, and my resume is decent as well (I started a business at 19, wrote a lengthy honors thesis, and learned Arabic and Turkish). I don't want to take the LSAT before I'm 100% sure I will get the score I want/need, but I'm also afraid of getting waitlisted or rejected due to the lateness of my application submission. Any thoughts out there?

Thank you. You all are amazing!

-Meg

Hi All,

I've heard a few perspectives about using PTs in different ways for studying for the Big Day. Considering that my full-time job is unpredictable (I may have to work 10-11 hour days without being notified until 4p each day), I was thinking recently that in order to prep for the October LSAT, it may be just more reasonable for me to "churn" through the PTs untimed (e.g., after work if I'm not fried, during lunch, on the weekend, etc.) and then "re-take" them with the proctor app on the weekends.

I've heard some people argue that it's a bad idea to use the same material twice (or more) because you may "remember" certain questions/answers, which would ultimately skew your score. However, we don't have an infinite number of PTs published, so there's not really somewhere else that I can "go" for additional testing/practice materials. The intent would be that I don't necessarily take the same PT on the weekend that I worked on casually during the workweek, so there would be very little chance of short-term memory transference.

Ideally, I wanted to take a timed LSAT each Saturday up until October, but I'm more worried about actually digging into the PTs to diagnose weaknesses and then circle back on 7Sage material, rather than making my way through the entire course (I bought the mid-range package) and jamming a bunch of PTs into my life right before October and freaking out about how much I suck.

Any thoughts from people in a similar situation [or not]?

Thanks

YJ keeps saying not to erate, but rather to copy the entire game board over. That just seems super slow to me, especially when space is limited. Take a simple sequence game. If the rules put S in 5, I'll put S in slot 5 and draw a square around it to remember that it's there by definition. I'll work the question and when done, erase the question specific markings. Its quick.

But I assume there is a reason the experts say to avoid that approach.

Today marks the official 4 weeks countdown for the U.S/Canada. Who's ready for this?

any advice for getting out of the mid 150's? My last 4 PT's have been 155-156, with a highest of 157. My LR average is 15-19, LG average 17-20, RC average 15-17. Was there anything you guys did differently that pushed you into 160's?

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/08/23/obama-says-law-school-should-be-two-years-not-three/?_r=0