Looking for some advice on how to prepare with lots of time for December 2 2017?

doyouevenLSAT

HELLLLLOOOOO 7SAGE COMMUNITY

Okay, you know i saw this as one of my options after exams ended in the middle of April, but i had the POWERSCORE BIBLES already so from the end of April till today i have been reading and doing some drills from there. Not a knock on the curriculum i certainly learned a lot, but i thought to extend my hours of interest into the LSAT i thought a better interactive experience a la 7Sage was needed.

Chiefly, I finished most of the Logical Reasoning book and got my first exposure to the Conditional Reasoning / and a bit of Formal Logic in that book, which was new to me. Interestingly, at this time I was also under the impression that i would drill the question types 1 by 1 (MBT, A, CBT, MP) (which i know now is not recommended, but i think i will do in the beginning for as much as i think is needed not to burn as much PTS)

In May, I then switched from that and tried to get my exposure to Logic Games and read through as much as i can--mind you i was trying to be ready for September 2017 {thank God for 7Sage's tip to not to take it within 3 months} Anyway, i signed up 2 days ago listened to webinars, heard the methods and philosophies and AM happy I decided to find out what this place was all about!!

Here is my situation I am still in the process of finishing my degree but my schedule allows me to only have to take one course in September, meaning i will have an excess of time to PT, and BR, but before then i want to drill and hone my skills using material from PTs 1-35

Currently, until middle of August I am also taking one other class, so essentially I HAVE a BOAT LOAD of time to dedicate and prepare for December, with a so-so knowledge of Logic Games and Logical Reasoning, just minimal drilling at this point, because i have been jumping between school and this.

Here is what i have:
-Time 7 days a week: maybe 2-4 hours max for school/ 2 or 3* a week
-I have all the 3 books of POWERSCORE LR: 70% done LG: 50% done {basic/adv ordering and Grouping} RC: 0%
-I have Mike Kim's LSAT trainer 2nd edition {i might save this for august or after i strenthen my base knowledge and mechanics}
*my goal is to power through and complete Powerscore and 7sage for the 2nd week of July}
I have all PTS 1-80, and also i have them grouped in booklets from POWERSCORE per section {LR,LG, RC}, / per type

From what i have gathered this is the best thing to to do in my beginning stages is to drill the foundations of every question type for LR through practice and BR using PT LR Questions 1-20, then 20-35 i would save until i have comfortably drilled RC and LG to do as an actual PT, rather individually.

For LG drill the foolproof method using PT 1-20 or up to 35

For RC i have no idea what to do here yet i haven't looked it up.

In any case, if i can get a veteran advice or even someone who was here a couple of months ago to suggest improvements to this plan. I am simply looking to see what people could say to someone who had 5 months to prep that already has a bit of the knowledge, and has lots of time. What to do, what not to do etc. {i have found looking at answers = bad, defeats BR} and grouping question types {but i'm new and need to build a base from there}. I would still say that i am early in my prep and just want to know where i should focus and prioritize i.e., LG over LR or vice versa. My goal is to be ready to PT by August, because in August i have 4 weeks to do only this before i start my one course and i want a perfect balance of purely PTing before December.

For example, If by august i am in PT mode should i PT + BR PTs 35-50AUGSEP; 50-65OCT; 65-80NOV / or 30-50AUGSEP; 50-80OCTNOV

Additionally, I was going to type out as much LR questions and give explanations for the rights and wrongs to get as much exposure to the structure of LR questions similarly as to what David did to earn his 170, coupled with PTing. Any specifics would be greatly appreciated, such as maybe only saving 10 or so for the last month Nov before the December 2nd 2017 test.

Regards,

AngusMcGillis

Following. I'm writing in December as well

doyouevenLSAT

good luck. i think this should be sufficient. I am just glad 7sage had essay as to why not to do it within 3 months.

Alex

@AngusMcGillis said:
Following. I'm writing in December as well

I think you plan looks pretty good for the most part. A couple of tweaks I would suggest is just making sure you set a goal score and stick with it. Don't become beholden to dates and take the test before you're ready. Honestly, depending on your diagnostic score, and what your ultimate goal score is, 5 months may not be enough. You have to be ok with that.

Second, you're PT phase seems way too aggressive. 25 PTs a month is quite literally insane. That will give you no actual time to properly blind review and improve before just mindlessly taking another PT. PTs are the means to the end, not the ends themselves. Doing 50 PTs won't mean anything if you don't take the time in between them to work on what those test revealed to you.

Also, I would set some time to fool proof all of the games. This is something that I think makes learning games so much easier. Games are truly the one section that I think almost anyone can get down to -0 with hard work.

Watching the webinars was a great idea! I really think if you follow what David @"Accounts Playable" did then you will do very well! Be diligent, hardworking, and patient!

doyouevenLSAT

@"Alex Divine" said:

@AngusMcGillis said:
Following. I'm writing in December as well

I think you plan looks pretty good for the most part. A couple of tweaks I would suggest is just making sure you set a goal score and stick with it. Don't become beholden to dates and take the test before you're ready. Honestly, depending on your diagnostic score, and what your ultimate goal score is, 5 months may not be enough. You have to be ok with that.

Second, you're PT phase seems way too aggressive. 25 PTs a month is quite literally insane. That will give you no actual time to properly blind review and improve before just mindlessly taking another PT. PTs are the means to the end, not the ends themselves. Doing 50 PTs won't mean anything if you don't take the time in between them to work on what those test revealed to you.

Also, I would set some time to fool proof all of the games. This is something that I think makes learning games so much easier. Games are truly the one section that I think almost anyone can get down to -0 with hard work.

Watching the webinars was a great idea! I really think if you follow what David @"Accounts Playable" did then you will do very well! Be diligent, hardworking, and patient!

thank you
yea i was calculating the timeframe as well i might just take an extra year to secure the best score and skip a cycle, but i will gauge how well i am doing before the application due date for November 1st.

Also, do you think if i am PTing by November around 155-160s i should do the test anyway, just to see if i can get into the 2018-2019 cycle?

Alex

@MichaelTheArchAngel said:

@"Alex Divine" said:

@AngusMcGillis said:
Following. I'm writing in December as well

I think you plan looks pretty good for the most part. A couple of tweaks I would suggest is just making sure you set a goal score and stick with it. Don't become beholden to dates and take the test before you're ready. Honestly, depending on your diagnostic score, and what your ultimate goal score is, 5 months may not be enough. You have to be ok with that.

Second, you're PT phase seems way too aggressive. 25 PTs a month is quite literally insane. That will give you no actual time to properly blind review and improve before just mindlessly taking another PT. PTs are the means to the end, not the ends themselves. Doing 50 PTs won't mean anything if you don't take the time in between them to work on what those test revealed to you.

Also, I would set some time to fool proof all of the games. This is something that I think makes learning games so much easier. Games are truly the one section that I think almost anyone can get down to -0 with hard work.

Watching the webinars was a great idea! I really think if you follow what David @"Accounts Playable" did then you will do very well! Be diligent, hardworking, and patient!

thank you
yea i was calculating the timeframe as well i might just take an extra year to secure the best score and skip a cycle, but i will gauge how well i am doing before the application due date for November 1st.

Also, do you think if i am PTing by November around 155-160s i should do the test anyway, just to see if i can get into the 2018-2019 cycle?

Sounds like an objectively good idea. Always do everything in your power to get the best score you can. We are talking the difference between attending a so-so regional school for 190k or a T6 with 95% employment numbers for a fraction of the cost.

Is your goal score between a 155-160? What are the median numbers of the school you want to attend? If not between 155-160, don't just take the test anyway to see if you can get in. Sure you can get in to a* law school no matter what your GPA and LSAT score is, haha. The important thing is to set non-negotiable goals for yourself that are based off of hard data. For instance, I know I'm capable of a 170s score, so I'm not taking the test or applying until I'm comfortably PT'ing at 170+ I know that LSAT score with my GPA will give me a shot to get large scholarships at some schools I'd like to attend. Just remember that there is absolutely no rush to go to law school. The good ones will always be open and hiring is still getting back to where it was before the recession.

doyouevenLSAT

@"Alex Divine" said

I am in Canada, and there are 6 schools in my Province of Ontario: U of T(165), York(167), Queens (163), Ottawa (163), Western (155), Windsor.(155) if i recall are the medians.

We have a loan service that where due to my circumstance receive a considerable grant coverage. And i am applying under mature category (out of school for 5 years) from what i read is just as competitive as the general but the difference is that while yes GPA and LSAT are assessed they take into consideration a mature aplicants life experiences so to speak, more so than the general category. Moreover, that the personal statement can do wonders because most mature students normally have life years and stories to tell that in some cases make a candidate look more deserving than say someone with better numbers.

There are two schools that offer dual JD Canada and America 4 year programs (the other years are at Michigan State and Columbus, and i think Washington)

What is your opinion on the dual JD? I have a cousin in LA who is taking the september test. If she becomes a lawyer as well it could be worth it to do the dual JD and get a job in Los Angeles.

Alex

@MichaelTheArchAngel said:

@"Alex Divine" said

I am in Canada, and there are 6 schools in my Province of Ontario: U of T(165), York(167), Queens (163), Ottawa (163), Western (155), Windsor.(155) if i recall are the medians.

We have a loan service that where due to my circumstance receive a considerable grant coverage. And i am applying under mature category (out of school for 5 years) from what i read is just as competitive as the general but the difference is that while yes GPA and LSAT are assessed they take into consideration a mature aplicants life experiences so to speak, more so than the general category. Moreover, that the personal statement can do wonders because most mature students normally have life years and stories to tell that in some cases make a candidate look more deserving than say someone with better numbers.

There are two schools that offer dual JD Canada and America 4 year programs (the other years are at Michigan State and Columbus, and i think Washington)

What is your opinion on the dual JD? I have a cousin in LA who is taking the september test. If she becomes a lawyer as well it could be worth it to do the dual JD and get a job in Los Angeles.

Oh Canadian! Nice! I actually know very little about the system you guys got going on, haha. It certainly sounds more reasonable then the system in the states though, lol.

The dual program sounds pretty good if you are interested in practicing in the US.

thisissparta

@"Alex Divine" said:

@AngusMcGillis said:
Following. I'm writing in December as well

I think you plan looks pretty good for the most part. A couple of tweaks I would suggest is just making sure you set a goal score and stick with it. Don't become beholden to dates and take the test before you're ready. Honestly, depending on your diagnostic score, and what your ultimate goal score is, 5 months may not be enough. You have to be ok with that.

Second, you're PT phase seems way too aggressive. 25 PTs a month is quite literally insane. That will give you no actual time to properly blind review and improve before just mindlessly taking another PT. PTs are the means to the end, not the ends themselves. Doing 50 PTs won't mean anything if you don't take the time in between them to work on what those test revealed to you.

Also, I would set some time to fool proof all of the games. This is something that I think makes learning games so much easier. Games are truly the one section that I think almost anyone can get down to -0 with hard work.

Watching the webinars was a great idea! I really think if you follow what David @"Accounts Playable" did then you will do very well! Be diligent, hardworking, and patient!

Do you think 5 months of FT study might still not be enough? Of course this varies from person-to-person, but assuming that the said individual ranks average on the standardized test-taking spectrum, would you still say that 5 months of FT study would not be enough for them to reach (or get close to) their potential?

doyouevenLSAT

@thisissparta said:

@"Alex Divine" said:

@AngusMcGillis said:

From my experience i spent almost 3 months just reading through Powerscore to get the foundations, but i was not doing it full-time maybe 20 hours a week. In my view there are a couple stages to this: 1) you have to know how this test works; 2) you have to practice/drill drill drill drill 3) then it is PT mode where you do full practice tests.

I am the drilling part. If i could do it all over again, i would spend more time doing than learning. Currently i am analyzing question types up to 21 times a day from Tests 1-20 for LR where i am typing them out and analyzing the the reason for why the incorrects are wrong and why the correct is right. I believe that that type of exposure (reading for structure, subject, predicate, detailing traps, why i picked wrong) will ultimately cultivate my recognition and understanding.

For LG i am going to start fool proofing from 1-20. through the month of July.

Also, i might even do February 2018, and if i don't get a good score then either then i will do it again in September 2018 for the next cycle. It all depends where i am at when it comes to the application Nov 1st. My hope is that if i am in the middle of 160s then it would still give me 3 months for the Feb Test.

I would also suggest listening to some of the Webinars they have here (there's a 5 hour one "89 point increase" and 1 with just David) they really hammer down how difficult the test can be without serious prep. David probably spent A year and half total before he got 174.

Alex

@arbitrary said:

@"Alex Divine" said:

@AngusMcGillis said:
Following. I'm writing in December as well

I think you plan looks pretty good for the most part. A couple of tweaks I would suggest is just making sure you set a goal score and stick with it. Don't become beholden to dates and take the test before you're ready. Honestly, depending on your diagnostic score, and what your ultimate goal score is, 5 months may not be enough. You have to be ok with that.

Second, you're PT phase seems way too aggressive. 25 PTs a month is quite literally insane. That will give you no actual time to properly blind review and improve before just mindlessly taking another PT. PTs are the means to the end, not the ends themselves. Doing 50 PTs won't mean anything if you don't take the time in between them to work on what those test revealed to you.

Also, I would set some time to fool proof all of the games. This is something that I think makes learning games so much easier. Games are truly the one section that I think almost anyone can get down to -0 with hard work.

Watching the webinars was a great idea! I really think if you follow what David @"Accounts Playable" did then you will do very well! Be diligent, hardworking, and patient!

Do you think 5 months of FT study might still not be enough? Of course this varies from person-to-person, but assuming that the said individual ranks average on the standardized test-taking spectrum, would you still say that 5 months of FT study would not be enough for them to reach (or get close to) their potential?

---

Of course there's really now way to know because the LSAT is so much different than most other standardized tests out there. That said, I think 5 months of dedicated full-time study (30+ hr/week) would probably be enough to get you to a ~160.

Again though, just to reiterate: I always think it is best to think of the LSAT in terms of achieving a particular score goal, and not in terms of time. The time it takes for individuals to improve is just too arbitrary. It also matters quite a bit where you're starting from. Obviously someone starting off with a 159 diagnostic is going to hit a 165 with less work than someone who starts off with a 149.

Then there are just some people who ace this test in 3-4 months and others take 2 years. The people who take 3-4 months aren't necessarily better at tests, smarter, or naturally good at logic either, contrary to popular belief. Sometimes it's just a function of where you're at in life and how much time you can dedicate to study.

Have you taken a diagnostic test to see where you are starting off from?