How long did it take you to get through the Core Curriculum?

leslieh327

All,

I'm new to 7SAGE. I haven't started PT'ing yet. I am going through the course curriculum first. How long did it take you to get through the curriculum? Just trying to order some PT's and plan out my schedule. I have a full time job while studying for the LSAT. Planning to sit in September. Thanks!

stgl1230

@leslieh327 I started the curriculum in March 2016 and finished around the end of June. I was working full time.

twssmith

Hi!
Hmmm, how much time did it take me - Which time that I went through the curriculum? haha
Apologize for maybe sounding quippy but honestly please take your time going thru it the first time unless you want to join the Return to CC club when we realized after wasting precious PTs that we didn't have a strong grasp of the fundamentals... Avoid this club at all costs:)

Having the Ultimate+ package is awesome and going to support one piece of advice that I received that I think is a great idea - do enough of the Practice Sets to confirm your knowledge of the concept and move on saving the other drills for when you get to PT phase. When you first start taking PT's, it can be overwhelming to try to tie all of the pieces together - the more intuitive the concepts are within the CC - it will give you confidence and the ability to identify weaknesses to revisit the curriculum/drills as needed. Many people get frustrated just out of the curriculum because they do not realize that the concepts are interwoven through-out the test. Conditional Logic/Valid & Invalid argument structures, etc. and just understanding what the question stems are really asking can help alleviate that frustration.

All the best while working Full-time which is even more reason to make sure you stay in the curriculum as long as necessary. Sept test gives you plenty of time if you are wise in how you spend your time within the curriculum!

For motivation and help keep on track that you are doing the right thing - revisit David's webinar https://7sage.com/webinar/davids-six-tips-on-doing-it-right/
Hope this helps and look forward to hearing about your progress:)

leslieh327

@stgl1230 Thanks!

leslieh327

@twssmith Thanks for the good info! def taking my time just trying to plan!

twssmith

Gotcha! With JY working with Lsac - you can print the E-Doc for PTs 36&37 to take post curriculum to evaluate your progress:)
Depending on your scores and goals, you could purchase either or both...

If your struggled on the actual questions themselves, probably would start here for a cheaper alternative as you go back and forth to the curriculum to solidify your foundations....
https://www.amazon.com/Actual-Official-LSAT-PrepTests-42-51/dp/0986086290/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1485915221&sr=8-2&keywords=lsac+preptests

If your core foundations appear to be strong, then I would purchase this book and would build analytics to determine your weaknesses for drilling...
https://www.amazon.com/Actual-Official-PrepTests-Comparative-Reading/dp/0984636005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485915221&sr=8-1&keywords=lsac+preptests
(This book was recently released and doubtful that it will be on sale any time soon?)

Either way, the more exposure you have to the test will bring benefits:) Plus, as you build your expertise in the core concepts, then you can use these tests as retakes to work on building your timing/skipping strategies - highly not recommended to not work on those skills on new takes:)
Hope this helps:)

apublicdisplay

Just keep in mind people regularly revisit the curriculum throughout the course of their studies and that you don't have to complete all problem sets for each question type. Some take as many as they need to get comfortable and then return to the sets when they need to drill specific question types they're struggling with.

texvd1988

Full time job here- rushed study plan. PT'ing 12-14 points higher than my initial take (149). I started studying via powerscore in July. I got side tracked and picked up 7 sage in Mid- september. I got side-tracked again in November and picked it up in mid- December.

There is a reason why they say that you should allot a year for study time. It is essential. I have been through the curriculum twice and, honestly, if I did this for a year, I probably would have gone through it a couple more times.

The curriculum is essential, and will continue to be during your BR/ PT process.

I have come to realize that, if I had to do it all over again, I would have started a year before, and once I passed the curriculum a second time, I would have BR'ed and gone back to the curriculum anytime I saw a problem section or question.

As is, I maybe got in 3 to 4 months of studying. That is not enough. Take your time. Respect the grind. Hustle, and don't be intimidated by the LSAT. I think it is a fun exam. It gives you room for improvement, and it gives pay off. That's as much as any test taker can ask for.

Have fun, and good luck!

leslieh327

Thank you! @accountformerlyknowasvd1988

BenjaminSF

Leslieh,

I did about 15-20 hours per week, with some fluctuation depending on my schedule, and I completed the course in around 2 months.

As others have said, though, do not rush through the core curriculum. Even though I kept a steady pace, I often return to the CC to re-learn what I did not spend enough time reinforcing. Slow down for the sections that are tougher to apply, and don't be afraid to repeat the lessons or start daily drilling until it is second nature. I cannot emphasize how helpful it is to have some of this information be automated when you are testing.

I loved the course, and I don't think you can take it too slow. To fast is easy. Slow down and make sure to check in after each section to see how well you learned the concepts.

Mo Zubair

A lot of good advice up there. I am almost in similar situation as i also work full time. I went through Powerscore books, took December 2016, flunked and signed up for 7-Sage recently. Initially i planned to take LSAT in June. But when i started going through Core Curriculum (CC), I realized it is better to be slow then to rush through it. So i made my peace with quality over quantity and will decide later if June is feasible based on my PT scores after finishing CC.

So, i would say go through CC and ensure quality of understanding and be flexible about any schedule you may make.

Cant Get Right

Lots of great advice already, but just to reinforce what I think is the most important thing: Slower is faster. That's counterintuitive, but only one of two things can happen if you rush through it: You'll have to return and basically do it all over again, or you'll have to proceed with a poor understanding of vital concepts. You don't want to do either of these. So if you're worried about time at all, move slowly and deliberately.

leslieh327

@"Cant Get Right" @BenjaminSF @accountformerlyknowasvd1988 @publicdisplay @mo zubair @twssmith @stgl1230 Thank you all for the great advice!