Best way to use to Core Curriculum?

StellaBlue

Hi all,

I'm really new to this, just started the Ult+ class on Monday. I'm a little bit confused about the best way to use the curriculum. Should I be completing all of the problem sets during each lesson, or saving some material for later? I am also especially asking about the Intro to Logic section; did people do all the quizzes right away, or save some to circle back to for practicing and studying down the line?

Sorry, I know some variations of this have been asked elsewhere, but I couldn't seem to find an active thread to ask in. I just don't want to miss out on any good techniques!

Thanks!

theLSATdreamer

i did the whole course once before, then life got in the way and i stopped studying, now im redoing the core and the way i do it i do every single problem one by one, and usually on the videos he explains i try and do it before i watch it and see if i got the same answer and if i didnt, why i didnt, and once you start the preps you can always go back to the ones you feel youre not quite getting.

OHH and make flashcards for each section i messed up the first time around and then to go back and redo cards was a time killer. quizlet has this awesome little game where asteroids fall each with a flash card work and you type in the answer.. ie. Unless answer: G3 (group 3) or NS ( negate sufficient ). I feel like my LR skills have improved a lot once i started studying my flash cards.

well welcome and good luck !

Alex

@StellaBlue said:
Hi all,

I'm really new to this, just started the Ult+ class on Monday. I'm a little bit confused about the best way to use the curriculum. Should I be completing all of the problem sets during each lesson, or saving some material for later? I am also especially asking about the Intro to Logic section; did people do all the quizzes right away, or save some to circle back to for practicing and studying down the line?

Sorry, I know some variations of this have been asked elsewhere, but I couldn't seem to find an active thread to ask in. I just don't want to miss out on any good techniques!

Thanks!

Welcome!

I would recommend going through the core curriculum in order and do the problem sets until you are feeling comfortable and getting them right, understanding the logic, phrasing, etc. You have the Ult + so there are sometimes 15 problem sets and I don't personally believe doing that many, at least in one day, is going to be as helpful as spreading them out. I would save some for drilling when you enter your PT phase. If you feel you need to do them all for certain lessons, then do so. However, take your time to watch the video explanations and really try to understand why you are getting them wrong. Also, don't be afraid of re-doing the same problems. You might remember some of the answers, but it's a great way to tell if you are progressing. One way I knew I was having problems with certain problems was I would re-do them and get them wrong again, often choosing the same wrong answer choice.

In short, use the course to teach you to become your own teacher (if that makes sense) A lot of getting good at this test behind and beyond the fundamentals is having to self-diagnose and figure out yourself why you're not getting every question right in a timely manner.

One IMPORTANT caveat are the logic games problem sets. I would recommend doing ALL of those directly after the lessons. Repetition with respect to learning games is an integral part of really nailing them. After your LG lessons, you will want to follow the fool proof method which has been proven to be the best way of mastering games. But, still, do the problem sets after even if you will see them again. Because many games share similar inferences/rules (e.g., 6 people sharing lockers or 6 dogs sharing cages) you will only help yourself by doing the games many times..

Alex

@"theLSATdreamer " said:
i did the whole course once before, then life got in the way and i stopped studying, now im redoing the core and the way i do it i do every single problem one by one, and usually on the videos he explains i try and do it before i watch it and see if i got the same answer and if i didnt, why i didnt, and once you start the preps you can always go back to the ones you feel youre not quite getting.

OHH and make flashcards for each section i messed up the first time around and then to go back and redo cards was a time killer. quizlet has this awesome little game where asteroids fall each with a flash card work and you type in the answer.. ie. Unless answer: G3 (group 3) or NS ( negate sufficient ). I feel like my LR skills have improved a lot once i started studying my flash cards.

well welcome and good luck !

I feel you man! I started full force going through the CC, got through it too quick, and stopped studying consistently slowly but surly over this winter. I'm returning and taking a similar approach. I'm actual finding my 2nd time through the CC is like watching a confusing movie; you see things you missed the first time and understand things way more on a way deeper level. I think it's actually been a blessing in disguise that I "fell off" for a few months.

I like the flashcard idea too!

Heart Shaped Box

I can only speak for myslef but I do all the problem sets and thoroughly review each question I missed or gave my trouble. Some ppl would say don't exhaust all the problem set, save some for later drills, which I can totally see the value of that approach. So the reason I do them anyways is bc first I just really really do not feel comfortable moving on when I "know" my understanding towards certain concept is not nearly as solid as it needs to be. Secondly, I do have the Cambridge packet which provide all the Q types there is, (I did a rundown before, significantly more than the problem sets in the CC) so I do have something to fall back on if/when I do need drilling materials later on. So my approach towards problem sets might be different there, but you can certainly tailor it to your own situation. With quizzes on logic, or on any concept in general, I would say definitely do all of them as you go. The point of quizzes is to solidfy your understanding before moving onto the following concepts hence reducing the chance of getting "stuck" later on as they all are interrelated in a way, such as universal/existential quantifiers, translation rules among groups, valid/invalid argument forms, etc. The quizzes is a way paving the path for further success in terms of the foundimentals so I would do them right away and multiple times until you can do it with your eyes closed.
Just wanna emphasize, quizzes is "not" an one time thing deal, they need to be revisited, especially at the beginning.

Of course, this is just my personal approach as this is exactly what I did. Good luck and feel free to post any questions along the way.

Alex

@"Heart Shaped Box" said:
I can only speak for admittedly but I do all the problem sets and thoroughly review each question I missed or gave my trouble. Some ppl would say don't exhaust all the problem set, save some for later drills, which I can totally see the value of that approach. So the reason I do them anyways is bc first I just really really do not feel comfortable moving on when I "know" my understanding towards certain concept is not nearly as solid as it needs to be. Secondly, I do have the Cambridge packet which provide all the Q types there is, (I did a rundown before, significantly more than the problem sets in the CC) so I do have something to fall back on if/when I do need drilling materials later on. So my approach towards problem sets might be different there, but you can certainly tailor it to your own situation. With quizzes on logic, or on any concept in general, I would say definitely do all of them as you go. The point of quizzes is to solidfy your understanding before moving onto the following concepts hence reducing the chance of getting "stuck" later on as they all are interrelated in a way, such as universal/existential quantifiers, translation rules among groups, valid/invalid argument forms, etc. The quizzes is a way paving the path for further success in terms of the foundimentals so I would do them right away and multiple times until you can do it with your eyes closed.
Just wanna emphasize, quizzes is "not" an one time thing deal, they need to be revisited, especially at the beginning.

Of course, this is just my personal approach as this is exactly what I did. Good luck and feel free to post any questions along the way.

Good points! I also have the Cambridge Packets and admittedly may use the CC a bit differently if I did not have them to drill from. I don't think you'd necessarily do any harm in doing all the problem sets before moving on. It can really only help with the caveat that you are thoroughly reviewing mistakes and actually learning. One mistake I made my first go around with the CC/Problem Sets/Cambridge Packets was kind of just doing tons of problem sets and having a "gamblers" mentality. If I got it right, I felt like I won a bet and if I got it wrong, I'd say "Shit! I'm stupid, now I see why it is (B). I wasn't learning the right way. I believe JY actually uses this analogy and speaks about this during the lesson on blind review.

Also, something you mentioned that I forgot is that all lessons aren't created equal. So while there maybe 25 Necessary Assumption problem sets to do, you may decide to do 10 of varying difficulty and see where you're at and make sure you BR along the way. Though, you brought up a very good point I missed: Make sure to definitely do all the quizzes when it comes to the logic and general concepts. For example, do all the Valid/Invalid argument form quizzes and do them often. I still spend 10 minutes warming up going through quizzes like that I "starred" in my syllabus.

Again, great points to add!

theLSATdreamer

@"Alex Divine" yes definitely the second time around is like the second time I watched the God father and realized.. damnnn now i get it.. and yeah i redo whole tests now too, the because we honestly do forget, oh and the games, my game studying day, i literally do a game section, correct themdo another section, correct it.. then i go back and redo the first section, correct it and the second and correct, i repeat 6-10 times, trying to improve time and diagram ability.

Alex

@"theLSATdreamer " said:
@"Alex Divine" yes definitely the second time around is like the second time I watched the God father and realized.. damnnn now i get it.. and yeah i redo whole tests now too, the because we honestly do forget, oh and the games, my game studying day, i literally do a game section, correct themdo another section, correct it.. then i go back and redo the first section, correct it and the second and correct, i repeat 6-10 times, trying to improve time and diagram ability.

Couldn't have said it better myself, brother! And that's a very similar approach to my 2nd time around studying. I'm doing everything to perfection and because it's my second time (in some cases maybe 3 seeing these lessons) I really feel like I'm learning the way this test works. Before I felt more like I was memorizing lessons for a final. Now I'm treating it like you and only a week in and I'm seeing major results! Dedication to those freakin' LGs are key. Especially for someone spatially challenged like me. I have trouble seeing how things work without re-doing them and drawing them out, so this second time has been a big help and change in the right direction. Sounds like you're on the same righteous path

theLSATdreamer

well.. all i learned for sure is is that even IF the force is strong with you.. it jedi you may not be !!! lol ( 7sage insider joke)

FS -> J = o jedi's O force users.. you could use the force without being a jedi ... lol learning

Heart Shaped Box

@"Alex Divine" no man you didn't miss anything, everything you said is in complete conformity with mine, as a matter a fact, you pretty much implied everything I said by your post, I was just obnoxiously saying it all out again lol and I totally agree when you say "spread out" the problem sets and don't try to do them all in one day. This is a crucial point, as quality over quantity is always the number one rule of thumb when it comes to the LSAT. It's not a video game where we need to score as much as we can in one section, rather, it's about comprehension. I mean the honest, truthful comprehension and the sustainability of the comprehension, so be honest with ourselves.

And you guys are completely right that repetition is the key. It almost applies in all areas of this test. One time is just not enough man, so repeat, repeat, and then repeat with solid, honest review along the process. I'm one of the slowest least smart ppl in terms of everything and I have benefited tremendously from this approach , so if I could do it, I believe anyone could but much better.

Alex

@"Heart Shaped Box" said:
@"Alex Divine" no man you didn't miss anything, everything you said is in complete conformity with mine, as a matter a fact, you pretty much implied everything I said by your post, I was obnoxiously saying it all out again lol and I totally agree when you say "spread out" the problem sets and don't try to do them all in one day. This is a crucial point, as quality over quantity is always the number one rule of thumb when it comes to the LSAT. It's not a video game where we need to score as much as we can in one section, rather, it's about comprehension. I mean the honest, truthful comprehension and the sustainability of the comprehension, so be honest with ourselves.

And you guys are completely right that repetition is the key. It almost applies in all areas of this test. One time is just not enough man, so repeat, repeat, and then repeat with solid, honest review along the process. I'm one of the slowest least smart ppl in terms of everything and I have benefited tremendously from this approach , so if I could do it, I believe anyone could but much better.

Very well put! 100% agree

Mellow_Z

You'll quickly realize there is a bunch of different paths to get to the same goal at the end. You kind of have to feel out what works for you. A general consensus will be to do enough to make you feel comfortable. Whether that means get all of them 100% correct in time, or get 90%, is up to you. I think if you were to go through all of them you won't necessarily harm yourself down the line. You will likely forget the important details of these questions, and they will still provide useful when returning to them for practice down the line.

Also, welcome to our home!

StellaBlue

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful and insightful comments! I was so hesitant at first to take an online course, but now I'm really beginning to understand the value of this community! Thanks again, and best of luck to you all!

Bevs ScooterMinion

I love to see battles of the mentors! We ALL benefit! MWAHAAAHAAAHAAAAAAA

(I have the utmost respect for all mentors).

From a sister LSAT newbie (sort of), I don't do all of the drills within each CC lesson section because, for me, feeling stagnant (concentrating too long on one section) is damaging. I learned that one the hard way.

(I define feeling stagnant different than becoming bored or burning through CC sections without comprehension. I'm combating ADD and OCD so the fun is never ending in this respect.)

So...when I get the feeling I'm taking too long on a CC lesson section within that week, and thus, digressing in comprehension (plus I see I'm losing momentum on my simultaneous fool-proofing of any other section), I jump to the next lesson section, then go back and forth to finish up those lesson sections.

I also know that I can come back to any drill and lesson at any time during this entire process, whichever phase I'm in. That's the beauty of this self-paced 7Sage system. I do what I need to do when I honestly acknowledge that I need to do something a certain way.

Invigorating my motivation often is key for me to study for the LSAT for a year+. And right now, getting through the monumental task of CC means I need to do it a certain way to stay on top of it all.

But I'm also not rushing getting through CC either. So ya gotta find the balance that works for you.

Best of studies!!

imharris

@StellaBlue I agree with @ScooterMinion in that it might not always be the best idea to complete every problem set at once... everyone has a different learning style. the 7Sage orthodoxy is to complete the core curriculum before prep-testing. I completed about 80 percent of the cc before starting in on prep-tests. Once I felt like I had mastered a section I moved on. I also made sure to leave problem sets undone in each section. This was done with the intention of giving myself material to review and practice with after a prep-test.

Currently I'll complete a blind review of a prep-test and then check for the types of questions that are the highest priority (7Sage's analytics makes this very easy) and go back into the core curriculum to review what I've missed. I've found that just watching the video explanation of a question missed is not as educative as seeing that I missed 3 must be true questions, returning to the must be true curriculum to review the basics of must be true questions, and then completing a new problem set.

oh! and it took me a couple of months to discover the webinar videos! they are super helpful! check them out before you finish the core curriculum. they are a perfect supplement.

good luck!