Please Share Your Cross Training Suggestions

NotMyName

Any non-LSAT resources you've found to be useful. I'm planning to write for the Sept '17 test so I'd like to start these habits/practices now. Here are some that I've seen recommended:

Reading the Economist (while practicing Memory Method), Wireless Philosophy YouTube channel, Soduko, meditation.

CinnamonTea

I've heard from a few sages that reading Scientific American has been exrtremely helpful. I myself have looked at a few articles online (the free ones because I don't want to pay a fortune to subscribe) and at times have felt like I was reading LSAT passages. I also know that some science passages on the LSAT were taken directly from Scientific American in the past.

Besides that and as far as cross training, to be honest, I think it wouldn't hurt, but if you are time crunched and have to choose between playing Sudoku and doing a logic game, or reading a magazine vs. reading an LSAT passage, I personally would choose the latter in both instances, as it is more "direct" versus "indirect" practice. Just my two cents.

JustDoIt

I agree with @CinnamonTea. The best training that you can do if you are looking to improve your RC skills is to just read more passages. Nothing will prepare you better for RC than doing more RC! If you really want to ramp it up, try to do every single passage and answer all of the questions. Make sure you are breaking the structure down too so you are understanding it. Getting in the habit of doing this via @"Accounts Playable"'s method has worked wonders for me.

If you are going to read more stuff, take a genuine interest in what you are reading. Don't just read just because it may improve your RC. That is how you pick up bad habits or RC will feel like a chore to you. What I do is I just sub to a lot of Apple News outlets that I am genuinely interested in, and read the ones that I want to when they come through my feed. I mean, it doesn't need to be Apple, any RSS feed will do. Oh and this beside doing as many RC passages as I can.

Hope this helps!

NotMyName

@CinnamonTea @JustDoIt Thanks for the input. I probably should have made it clear that this is NOT in place of LSAT prep. I'm a big reader in general and in fact personal reading helps me to decompress from the stress of studying. I understand that direct LSAT prep is the best way to increase a score.

I'm really just talking about side activities that one picks up along the way. @"Accounts Playable" mentioned in his webinar that he began meditating and even picked up a few logic text books. Neither of those took the place of his prep time, but they were complimentary.

So I'm just curious what kinds of activities others have found helpful.

TimLSAT180

Question for @jkatz1488 : What is good about Wireless Philosophy that helps you with the LSAT? I also read the Economist and NY and do sudoku, but I don't know about Wireless Philosophy so if you could elaborate more on that, I would appreciate it! As a side note, I do firmly believe that reading RC passages over and over again and doing a thorough BR process using Accounts Playable's method is really helpful for increasing scores for the LSAT, but I also think it's important to just get in the habit of reading dense material in general because we're all going to have to read a ton of material in law school so it only makes sense that we expose ourselves to a lot of reading now then later. But yes, for the purpose of improving RC scores, definitely RC passages hands down.

NotMyName

@TimLSAT180 I actually don't do any of those things yet (besides personal reading). AccountsPlayable mentioned Wireless Philosopher in his webinar and I believe he listened to it because they regularly use a high level of argumentation -- it provides exposure to more argumentation and logic. Again, he emphasized that its use should be complimentary (during a commute to work for example).

CinnamonTea

Agree with many of the suggestions above, and thanks for elaborating on the Wireless Philosopher @jkatz1488! Also, quick question @JustDoIt and @TimLSAT180 (and/or, of course, @"Accounts Playable" ; you mentioned the "Accounts Playable method". What method is this? Is it in a webinar somewhere on 7sage, or a cheat sheet? Or is it just the comments I see below many of the RC passage explanations on 7sage where he breaks down the tone, structure etc? Let me know!

JustDoIt

@CinnamonTea yes it is just the breakdown that you see underneath the passage part of the videos. At least that is what I have been doing/using/calling it!

TimLSAT180

@CinnamonTea Yeah it's basically provided in the comments section and David does that for almost every passage that you encounter on 7sage. What I like to do is use his breakdown as a template and basically modify it by adding other things to it that I think are worth doing during the BR process. So, you can do the same!

Calgary77321

Any thoughts on reading recommendations for people with a strong science/business background, but weak in the arts?

Alex

Just trying to get in shape, and finding time for friends and other things that aren't LSAT related to be honest. I've always been a proponent of reading actual LSAT RC passages over The Economist (Which I read, but not for LSAT reasons). There are hundreds and hundreds at this point and I find there's no better substitute than practicing on the real thing! It certainly won't hurt though!

Sami

@jkatz1488 said:
Any non-LSAT resources you've found to be useful.

I really like the book that @"Accounts Playable" recommended, its called Informal Logic by Douglass Whalton.

I also really like Intelligence2 debate which is available on podcast. They do an oxford type debate on current issues. They point out the other side's flaws and assumptions and the people debating are really knowledgable about the subject matter too. So its a really fun way to learn and brush up on logic.

NotMyName

@Sami said:

@jkatz1488 said:
Any non-LSAT resources you've found to be useful.

I really like the book that @"Accounts Playable" recommended, its called Informal Logic by Douglass Whalton.

I also really like Intelligence2 debate which is available on podcast.

Thanks! I'll check it out.

Alex

I got some mind puzzles similar to sodoku from Barnes and Nobles and those have been pretty helpful for getting the ol' noggin warmed up and in the LSAT-zone.