RC: How do you make your memory better for those fine detail question?

Darth Jurist

OK, so my battle with RC and been brutal, long, and very emotionally draining. I originally was going like -16, now I'm going -5ish. In RC I have seen the biggest gains. I have done really well and learning to "see the forest" before I examine the trees. As @"J.Y. Ping" put in a RC webinar, you have to be able to understand the passage at the 10x level, the 5x level, and the 1x level, 10 being the forest, 5 being individual paragraphs, and 1 being the individual trees.

Questions related to the 10x and 5x level are starting to become very easy to me, even for some of those level 5 passages. What still to this day trips me up are those 1x level questions where you have to understand certain parts of the passage at the 1x level. Out of the 5ish questions I usually miss, almost all of them are 1x, fine detail level questions. When I BR and grade my PTs I always see the right answer and I'm like, "Ahh! Damnit. It says it right there in that one tiny sentence! How did I miss/forget that part?"

My question to all of the RC gurus out there is how did you learn to remember things in the passage at the 1x level under timed constraints? For me, I almost always have to return to the passage, and I usually just don't have enough time to make it happen, so I circle the question and skip. The questions I miss are generally due to not remembering a specific detail from the passage, and not having quite enough time to return to the passage. When I come back to these questions, I usually just POE because I am at my last 2-3 minutes of the section. It's so frustrating because I am so close to going -0 on some sections, and the questions I miss are really not that hard, it's just remembering the fine detail.

As always, thank you for the feedback!

Cant Get Right

Hey JP!

My RC strategy is a strange combination between the memory method and a heavy annotation method. Basically, I annotate the shit out of the passage as I read it, but then once I get into the questions, I don't really refer back to my annotations. The key for me is in the process. I developed (using Nicole's strategy as a starting point) very specific annotations, each with a very specific purpose. Then, I practiced them until I could execute quickly and naturally. As I read, my focus is on the 10x and 5x level. Even though the details are not my primary focus, I pick a lot of it up through the process of annotating for them.

From there, I use an LR style confidence strategy. It takes a little more courage in RC for me, but with experience, I learned to trust my answers and bank the extra time rather than confirming.

Darth Jurist

Thanks, Josh!

I never developed a regular notation strategy other than labeling the MC and the authors viewpoint and attitude, along with other people's points of view. I watched this webinar super early in my prep, I'll be glad to return to it so I can develop a more specific notation strategy.

It seems like having a very specific notation strategy will allow me to not necessarily have to remember every nitty gritty detail, but kind of provide me a road map of the passage to quickly reference for these pesky 1x questions. I bet just annotating more would help me remember more of the finer points too, or at least where they are in the passage.

I'll check it out tonight and give it some practice!

Darth Jurist

Update: yes, I see it now! Having a more routine notation method allows you to pinpoint the area of the passage you need to reference from those fine detail questions. I have only been practicing @"Nicole Hopkins" notation method on basic passages, but I can now read the passage in and notate in around four minutes. If this cuts down my time on these types of questions, I should be able to locate the correct answer more confidently and have more time to check circled questions. I can't wait to try this on a full section.

apublicdisplay

For those out of the loop (like myself 5 minutes ago) regarding Nicole's notation method:

Sarah889

@"Darth Jurist" Hey-- where did you find that RC webinar with JY that you referenced above?

I am also currently struggling with RC. Do you have any personal tips on how you went from -16 to -5?

Darth Jurist

@bswise2 The webinar I was referring to wasn't recorded, it was an in person session. No record was kept. Sorry!

As far as getting better at RC, there are a variety of things that I did:

1. Give RC Priority: at minimum I would do around 2 passages a day, but I would try to hit 4 per day if possible. Really focus on getting familiar with the format of RC passages as they do in fact follow a very formulaic structure. That said, RC on the LSAT is not like any other reading comprehension test you will take, you are learning a new way to do something you have done the majority of your life. It's sort of like driving an automatic transmission car for for 10 years and then having to learn stick shift. Similar, but not the same.

Just like we Fool-Proof LG, do as many RC passages as you possibly can to get familiar with these cookie-cutter passages.

1. If you are in the PT phase, work on timing: take RC in two passes, once to get all of the low hanging fruit and the second to get at those super hard questions. Be OK with a degree of uncertainty. There is no way to be 100% sure on every question, so don't be afraid to concede on a few questions and come back to them later.

2. Become just as effective at eliminating wrong answer choices as you are at finding the correct ones: a good POE strategy can sometimes save you four or five points. Become efficient, not fast.

3. Find an RC philosophy that works for you: I think this is the hardest part of RC. While I took a lot away from JY's "Memory Method" strategy, it did not entirely resonate within me and I was still a little confused about certain things. Explore as many different resources as you need to to find that RC philosophy that 'clicks.' What really helped me was The LSAT Trainer, but I also took away a lot of good tactics from Powerscore's RC Bible. Most people on these forums will tell you that the RC Bibles are worthless, but I found them to be very helpful. IDK, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

4. Find a way to not stress yourself so much: I know this is way easier said than done, but when I allow myself to calm my mind and approach RC from a clear perspective, it really ceases to be the hardest section. Instead of looking at RC as the section that kills your score, look at it as the section with the most low hanging fruit (It's true!!!).

I hope my anecdotes help, and if you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.

BinghamtonDave

My advice generally/what has worked for me: I have spent a considerable amount of time on RC. I am approaching my 400th passage from the 1-49 set. I don't want to come off as corny or weird but for me, improvement has come with "living" how I approach RC in my day to day readings. What I mean by this, is when I am reading The Times or a book at home, I am pausing after every 3-4 minute and recalling what it is that I read and making a mental map of things. Even when I am not doing RC passages, I am gearing my readings towards how I would approach an RC passage. This is half the battle in my estimation. For me, RC comprehension is a delicate balance between 1.knowing the general structure of a passage and 2.having a general idea of the finer details contained within that general structure. This is 50% of the battle with RC in my estimation. I have assembled a list of books that have helped me in recalling things. Most of the following are collections of essays. The first part of my advice is to read, read, read. Immerse yourself in reading, implement the Memory Method. Memory and attention to structure can indeed be improved.

-Noam Chomsky, "Interventions"
-Thomas Sowell, "Ever Wonder Why?"
-Theodore Dalrymple, "The Wider Shores of Marx"
Norman Finkelstein, "Method and Madness: The Hidden Story of Israel's Assaults on Gaza"
-Piece by piece I also read "The Genius of Birds" which is a book about bird learning, cognition etc.

The other 50% in my estimation and where I think true mastery of RC is, is knowing something about the questions themselves. For instance inference questions: knowing how an inference can be explicitly sated or strongly implied. Knowing the common tricks of why wrong answers are wrong.

In my estimation success on RC: -2/-1/-0 is a 4 step process: 1.practice and familiarity with previous RC passages well enough to know reoccurring structures in passages. 2.An ability to put together not only the structure of imposing and unfamiliar material, but also having a medium to tight grasp on supporting details within those passages I.E. an vigorous implantation of the Memory Method. 3.Knowing exactly where to locate precise information within the passage and to do so under tight time constraints. 4.Knowing a fair amount about the questions themselves and having a general idea of how the LSAT would rephrase something from the passage. For further illustration of this, please refer to the webinar about RC question types, located on the first page of webinars 2/3rds of the way down the page.

I should add in conclusion that technique is paramount on RC. I have heard tell from very well respected members of this community that even if the passage did not entirely click with this Sage, that person could still go into the questions and get 6/7 correct based off of understanding of structure and where things were. That is a skill and confidence in the material I am striving for.

I hope this helps, it has been my approach.
David