My December LSAT Study Plan

jennybbbbb

Hey guys,

So I wanted some feedback on my study plan leading up to the December test. I have finished the CC and am working to fool proof the LG games in the CC. I have also started drilling down different question types. My strongest section is between LR and LG, while my worst section is RC.

I plan on studying for 30-40 hours a week, hence this is what I aim to do (keeping in mind that I am currently not working or going to school, however I do volunteer 15-20 hours a week):

For the month of October:
Daily: 4 LG games using fool proof method
Drill 2 different question types of LR
2 RC Passages? (not sure how to tackle this section, worst section by far, HELP!)
I plan to really focus on getting the strategy down for each section and most importantly getting questions CORRECT in October.

Weekly:
1 PT every weekend.

For the month of November:
Daily: Timed LR Section, Timed LG Section, Timed LR Section
2(min)-3(max) PTs a week while also doing timed sections in between with BR.
I plan to really focus on timing and stamina for the month of November.

What do you guys think?
Is this study plan reasonable? My target score is 165+, currently scoring 157. Any suggestions are welcome!

Thank you in advance!

Alex

@jennybbbbb said:
Hey guys,

So I wanted some feedback on my study plan leading up to the December test. I have finished the CC and am working to fool proof the LG games in the CC. I have also started drilling down different question types. My strongest section is between LR and LG, while my worst section is RC.

I plan on studying for 30-40 hours a week, hence this is what I aim to do (keeping in mind that I am currently not working or going to school, however I do volunteer 15-20 hours a week):

For the month of October:
Daily: 4 LG games using fool proof method
Drill 2 different question types of LR
2 RC Passages? (not sure how to tackle this section, worst section by far, HELP!)
I plan to really focus on getting the strategy down for each section and most importantly getting questions CORRECT in October.

Weekly:
1 PT every weekend.

For the month of November:
Daily: Timed LR Section, Timed LG Section, Timed LR Section
2(min)-3(max) PTs a week while also doing timed sections in between with BR.
I plan to really focus on timing and stamina for the month of November.

What do you guys think?
Is this study plan reasonable? My target score is 165+, currently scoring 157. Any suggestions are welcome!

Thank you in advance!

I think it looks like you're trying to do too much. And I don't really see any time penciled in to return to the CC/review.

I don't really like strict study schedules because you can't ever really plan on when you'll be ready for another PT. The more I study, the more I realize how overrated PTs are. Review is much more important than just grinding out PTs, which, without a bunch of accompanying review, is a pretty big waste of time and effort. The purpose of a PT is to get a snapshot of your weaknesses, so that you can spend time working on those weaknesses and hammering out your technique. Most of your improvement will not happen while you're PTing, it will happen when you review and drill things that, in your review, you find out needs work. If you spend all your time PTing you won't see nearly as big an improvement as if you spent AT LEAST HALF of your time reviewing. All that to say, I'm not sure planning on doing a PT every weekend is going to helpful. And doing 2-3x PTs in November as you have scheduled could very likely be hurtful. There's no way you'll have sufficient time time to properly review and address any deficiencies your PTs reveal. You'll basically just be spinning your wheels.

What is your blind review score at this time?

Most importantly, if you're done with the CC, then if you haven't already check out Sage @"Cant Get Right" 's webinar Post-CC Study Strategies. This will let you know what you should be doing and how to do it.

https://7sage.com/webinar/post-core-curriculum-study-strategies/

jennybbbbb

@"Alex Divine" said:

@jennybbbbb said:
Hey guys,

So I wanted some feedback on my study plan leading up to the December test. I have finished the CC and am working to fool proof the LG games in the CC. I have also started drilling down different question types. My strongest section is between LR and LG, while my worst section is RC.

I plan on studying for 30-40 hours a week, hence this is what I aim to do (keeping in mind that I am currently not working or going to school, however I do volunteer 15-20 hours a week):

For the month of October:
Daily: 4 LG games using fool proof method
Drill 2 different question types of LR
2 RC Passages? (not sure how to tackle this section, worst section by far, HELP!)
I plan to really focus on getting the strategy down for each section and most importantly getting questions CORRECT in October.

Weekly:
1 PT every weekend.

For the month of November:
Daily: Timed LR Section, Timed LG Section, Timed LR Section
2(min)-3(max) PTs a week while also doing timed sections in between with BR.
I plan to really focus on timing and stamina for the month of November.

What do you guys think?
Is this study plan reasonable? My target score is 165+, currently scoring 157. Any suggestions are welcome!

Thank you in advance!

I think it looks like you're trying to do too much. And I don't really see any time penciled in to return to the CC/review.

I don't really like strict study schedules because you can't ever really plan on when you'll be ready for another PT. The more I study, the more I realize how overrated PTs are. Review is much more important than just grinding out PTs, which, without a bunch of accompanying review, is a pretty big waste of time and effort. The purpose of a PT is to get a snapshot of your weaknesses, so that you can spend time working on those weaknesses and hammering out your technique. Most of your improvement will not happen while you're PTing, it will happen when you review and drill things that, in your review, you find out needs work. If you spend all your time PTing you won't see nearly as big an improvement as if you spent AT LEAST HALF of your time reviewing. All that to say, I'm not sure planning on doing a PT every weekend is going to helpful. And doing 2-3x PTs in November as you have scheduled could very likely be hurtful. There's no way you'll have sufficient time time to properly review and address any deficiencies your PTs reveal. You'll basically just be spinning your wheels.

What is your blind review score at this time?

Most importantly, if you're done with the CC, then if you haven't already check out Sage @"Cant Get Right" 's webinar Post-CC Study Strategies. This will let you know what you should be doing and how to do it.

https://7sage.com/webinar/post-core-curriculum-study-strategies/

What do you suggest doing then? My BR score is slightly higher than 157, a 160. How often do you think I should do PT's that will allow me to be ready for the December test? I have really bad anxiety and freeze during the test, so I want to have seen the test a couple times before going into the test. Obviously, I would like to get the most out of my PTs. Would it be ideal to do one PT a week and focus on my weaknesses during the week leading up to the December test?

Clementine_ES

@jennybbbbb I am in the same boat as you. I also study 30ish hours a week. My PT average is 157 and I would love to score 165 on test day. I am feeling a bit discouraged by all the people on the forum who scored so much lower than their averages on test day, so I guess ideally I want boost my average up to be over 165 going into test day to make up for nerves etc.

I think your schedule sounds pretty good to me! My schedule includes even more PTs than yours. I am taking a PT every 3 days from now until the test. I am BRing every other test and my BR score average is172. I choose not to BR every test so that I will still have time to drill and work on weaknesses, review fundamentals as needed, without sacrificing PT experience. For me it is important to be very comfortable with the testing conditions and so that's why I want to do a lot of practice tests. I don't trust that I will be able to handle the exam if I have not exhaustively practiced what it is like to go through it. That being said, when I PT I do 5 sections and I don't take any breaks besides the 15 minute allotted break. I also start my PTs between 8:30am and 9:30am to simulate real test conditions.

On the tests that I don't BR, I just review what I got wrong and try to understand why. I spend the days in-between drilling timed sections, doing untimed LR sections, doing timed RC passages, and experimenting with different timing and skipping strategies to try out on my next PT.

Another thing that I suggest is working in days OFF, I give myself about 1 day off a week and I think when you are studying almost full time like we are it's really necessary to give yourself that day to not do anything LSAT. I usually do work on my PS and applications on my day off though.

day 1: PT
day 2: BR PT
day 3: OFF
day 4: PT and review errors
day 5: review/drill/practice sections (I always foolproof the games from the PTs on these days)
day 6: review/drill/practice sections (here is where I really get into the weaknesses my PTs exposed and try to improve)
day 7: PT
day 8: BR PT
day 9: OFF
.... and so on.

I know this sort of goes against some of what 7sage advises but I organized this schedule based on my needs and I think your schedule should similarly reflect your needs. If you need a lot of PTs to feel secure, take a lot of PTs. I know I am!

Best of luck to you!

Alex

@jennybbbbb said:

@"Alex Divine" said:

@jennybbbbb said:
Hey guys,

So I wanted some feedback on my study plan leading up to the December test. I have finished the CC and am working to fool proof the LG games in the CC. I have also started drilling down different question types. My strongest section is between LR and LG, while my worst section is RC.

I plan on studying for 30-40 hours a week, hence this is what I aim to do (keeping in mind that I am currently not working or going to school, however I do volunteer 15-20 hours a week):

For the month of October:
Daily: 4 LG games using fool proof method
Drill 2 different question types of LR
2 RC Passages? (not sure how to tackle this section, worst section by far, HELP!)
I plan to really focus on getting the strategy down for each section and most importantly getting questions CORRECT in October.

Weekly:
1 PT every weekend.

For the month of November:
Daily: Timed LR Section, Timed LG Section, Timed LR Section
2(min)-3(max) PTs a week while also doing timed sections in between with BR.
I plan to really focus on timing and stamina for the month of November.

What do you guys think?
Is this study plan reasonable? My target score is 165+, currently scoring 157. Any suggestions are welcome!

Thank you in advance!

I think it looks like you're trying to do too much. And I don't really see any time penciled in to return to the CC/review.

I don't really like strict study schedules because you can't ever really plan on when you'll be ready for another PT. The more I study, the more I realize how overrated PTs are. Review is much more important than just grinding out PTs, which, without a bunch of accompanying review, is a pretty big waste of time and effort. The purpose of a PT is to get a snapshot of your weaknesses, so that you can spend time working on those weaknesses and hammering out your technique. Most of your improvement will not happen while you're PTing, it will happen when you review and drill things that, in your review, you find out needs work. If you spend all your time PTing you won't see nearly as big an improvement as if you spent AT LEAST HALF of your time reviewing. All that to say, I'm not sure planning on doing a PT every weekend is going to helpful. And doing 2-3x PTs in November as you have scheduled could very likely be hurtful. There's no way you'll have sufficient time time to properly review and address any deficiencies your PTs reveal. You'll basically just be spinning your wheels.

What is your blind review score at this time?

Most importantly, if you're done with the CC, then if you haven't already check out Sage @"Cant Get Right" 's webinar Post-CC Study Strategies. This will let you know what you should be doing and how to do it.

https://7sage.com/webinar/post-core-curriculum-study-strategies/

What do you suggest doing then? My BR score is slightly higher than 157, a 160. How often do you think I should do PT's that will allow me to be ready for the December test? I have really bad anxiety and freeze during the test, so I want to have seen the test a couple times before going into the test. Obviously, I would like to get the most out of my PTs. Would it be ideal to do one PT a week and focus on my weaknesses during the week leading up to the December test?

I think the easy answer is reconsidering your time line. I'm not sure it's possible to fit all that work in AND do the necessary PTs/drilling you'll need to do to improve by December.

To be honest, if you're not consistently in the 160s, I don't see much use in doing full PTs. There's simply too much that you can still learn and I believe that bad habits get instilled trying to PT before the fundamentals are mastered.

I would recommend going through the CC, doing the corresponding problem sets, then drilling by type untimed. After that, depending on your LG progress, you may also want to set aside time to fool proof the games bundle. This alone I think would take ~3 months alone.

After that, you'll likely want to set aside another few months for strictly taking PTs w/ blind review, while also continuing to fool proof and drill more as needed.

jennybbbbb

@Clementine_ES said:
@jennybbbbb I am in the same boat as you. I also study 30ish hours a week. My PT average is 157 and I would love to score 165 on test day. I am feeling a bit discouraged by all the people on the forum who scored so much lower than their averages on test day, so I guess ideally I want boost my average up to be over 165 going into test day to make up for nerves etc.

I think your schedule sounds pretty good to me! My schedule includes even more PTs than yours. I am taking a PT every 3 days from now until the test. I am BRing every other test and my BR score average is172. I choose not to BR every test so that I will still have time to drill and work on weaknesses, review fundamentals as needed, without sacrificing PT experience. For me it is important to be very comfortable with the testing conditions and so that's why I want to do a lot of practice tests. I don't trust that I will be able to handle the exam if I have not exhaustively practiced what it is like to go through it. That being said, when I PT I do 5 sections and I don't take any breaks besides the 15 minute allotted break. I also start my PTs between 8:30am and 9:30am to simulate real test conditions.

On the tests that I don't BR, I just review what I got wrong and try to understand why. I spend the days in-between drilling timed sections, doing untimed LR sections, doing timed RC passages, and experimenting with different timing and skipping strategies to try out on my next PT.

Another thing that I suggest is working in days OFF, I give myself about 1 day off a week and I think when you are studying almost full time like we are it's really necessary to give yourself that day to not do anything LSAT. I usually do work on my PS and applications on my day off though.

day 1: PT
day 2: BR PT
day 3: OFF
day 4: PT and review errors
day 5: review/drill/practice sections (I always foolproof the games from the PTs on these days)
day 6: review/drill/practice sections (here is where I really get into the weaknesses my PTs exposed and try to improve)
day 7: PT
day 8: BR PT
day 9: OFF
.... and so on.

I know this sort of goes against some of what 7sage advises but I organized this schedule based on my needs and I think your schedule should similarly reflect your needs. If you need a lot of PTs to feel secure, take a lot of PTs. I know I am!

Best of luck to you!

Thank you! Honestly makes me feel a lot better knowing that I am not alone on this boat. When did you start doing timed drills? I have been doing untimed drills right now on different LR question types, but I am not sure when to start doing timed ones.

Also, for logic games specifically how have you approached studying for that section? Are you fool proofing games PT 1-35? I feel like this section I can improve on drastically though right now I am fool proofing all the problem sets in the LG section of the CC.

RC is my worst section right now by far, but I feel like I can get the most out of LR and LG right now.

jennybbbbb

@"Alex Divine" said:

@jennybbbbb said:

@"Alex Divine" said:

@jennybbbbb said:
Hey guys,

So I wanted some feedback on my study plan leading up to the December test. I have finished the CC and am working to fool proof the LG games in the CC. I have also started drilling down different question types. My strongest section is between LR and LG, while my worst section is RC.

I plan on studying for 30-40 hours a week, hence this is what I aim to do (keeping in mind that I am currently not working or going to school, however I do volunteer 15-20 hours a week):

For the month of October:
Daily: 4 LG games using fool proof method
Drill 2 different question types of LR
2 RC Passages? (not sure how to tackle this section, worst section by far, HELP!)
I plan to really focus on getting the strategy down for each section and most importantly getting questions CORRECT in October.

Weekly:
1 PT every weekend.

For the month of November:
Daily: Timed LR Section, Timed LG Section, Timed LR Section
2(min)-3(max) PTs a week while also doing timed sections in between with BR.
I plan to really focus on timing and stamina for the month of November.

What do you guys think?
Is this study plan reasonable? My target score is 165+, currently scoring 157. Any suggestions are welcome!

Thank you in advance!

I think it looks like you're trying to do too much. And I don't really see any time penciled in to return to the CC/review.

I don't really like strict study schedules because you can't ever really plan on when you'll be ready for another PT. The more I study, the more I realize how overrated PTs are. Review is much more important than just grinding out PTs, which, without a bunch of accompanying review, is a pretty big waste of time and effort. The purpose of a PT is to get a snapshot of your weaknesses, so that you can spend time working on those weaknesses and hammering out your technique. Most of your improvement will not happen while you're PTing, it will happen when you review and drill things that, in your review, you find out needs work. If you spend all your time PTing you won't see nearly as big an improvement as if you spent AT LEAST HALF of your time reviewing. All that to say, I'm not sure planning on doing a PT every weekend is going to helpful. And doing 2-3x PTs in November as you have scheduled could very likely be hurtful. There's no way you'll have sufficient time time to properly review and address any deficiencies your PTs reveal. You'll basically just be spinning your wheels.

What is your blind review score at this time?

Most importantly, if you're done with the CC, then if you haven't already check out Sage @"Cant Get Right" 's webinar Post-CC Study Strategies. This will let you know what you should be doing and how to do it.

https://7sage.com/webinar/post-core-curriculum-study-strategies/

What do you suggest doing then? My BR score is slightly higher than 157, a 160. How often do you think I should do PT's that will allow me to be ready for the December test? I have really bad anxiety and freeze during the test, so I want to have seen the test a couple times before going into the test. Obviously, I would like to get the most out of my PTs. Would it be ideal to do one PT a week and focus on my weaknesses during the week leading up to the December test?

I think the easy answer is reconsidering your time line. I'm not sure it's possible to fit all that work in AND do the necessary PTs/drilling you'll need to do to improve by December.

To be honest, if you're not consistently in the 160s, I don't see much use in doing full PTs. There's simply too much that you can still learn and I believe that bad habits get instilled trying to PT before the fundamentals are mastered.

I would recommend going through the CC, doing the corresponding problem sets, then drilling by type untimed. After that, depending on your LG progress, you may also want to set aside time to fool proof the games bundle. This alone I think would take ~3 months alone.

After that, you'll likely want to set aside another few months for strictly taking PTs w/ blind review, while also continuing to fool proof and drill more as needed.

Thank you @"Alex Divine" I wish I had that much time, but I really can't afford another year off since I honestly don't know what I would do for that long. I will take your advice and maybe put aside the PTs until I start hitting the 160s.

When would you suggest that I start doing timed questions/sections? Right now I am focusing on doing untimed LR drills and fool proofing the CC logic game problem sets like you had recommended.

Again thank you for your advice!

Alex

@jennybbbbb said:

@"Alex Divine" said:

@jennybbbbb said:

@"Alex Divine" said:

@jennybbbbb said:
Hey guys,

So I wanted some feedback on my study plan leading up to the December test. I have finished the CC and am working to fool proof the LG games in the CC. I have also started drilling down different question types. My strongest section is between LR and LG, while my worst section is RC.

I plan on studying for 30-40 hours a week, hence this is what I aim to do (keeping in mind that I am currently not working or going to school, however I do volunteer 15-20 hours a week):

For the month of October:
Daily: 4 LG games using fool proof method
Drill 2 different question types of LR
2 RC Passages? (not sure how to tackle this section, worst section by far, HELP!)
I plan to really focus on getting the strategy down for each section and most importantly getting questions CORRECT in October.

Weekly:
1 PT every weekend.

For the month of November:
Daily: Timed LR Section, Timed LG Section, Timed LR Section
2(min)-3(max) PTs a week while also doing timed sections in between with BR.
I plan to really focus on timing and stamina for the month of November.

What do you guys think?
Is this study plan reasonable? My target score is 165+, currently scoring 157. Any suggestions are welcome!

Thank you in advance!

I think it looks like you're trying to do too much. And I don't really see any time penciled in to return to the CC/review.

I don't really like strict study schedules because you can't ever really plan on when you'll be ready for another PT. The more I study, the more I realize how overrated PTs are. Review is much more important than just grinding out PTs, which, without a bunch of accompanying review, is a pretty big waste of time and effort. The purpose of a PT is to get a snapshot of your weaknesses, so that you can spend time working on those weaknesses and hammering out your technique. Most of your improvement will not happen while you're PTing, it will happen when you review and drill things that, in your review, you find out needs work. If you spend all your time PTing you won't see nearly as big an improvement as if you spent AT LEAST HALF of your time reviewing. All that to say, I'm not sure planning on doing a PT every weekend is going to helpful. And doing 2-3x PTs in November as you have scheduled could very likely be hurtful. There's no way you'll have sufficient time time to properly review and address any deficiencies your PTs reveal. You'll basically just be spinning your wheels.

What is your blind review score at this time?

Most importantly, if you're done with the CC, then if you haven't already check out Sage @"Cant Get Right" 's webinar Post-CC Study Strategies. This will let you know what you should be doing and how to do it.

https://7sage.com/webinar/post-core-curriculum-study-strategies/

What do you suggest doing then? My BR score is slightly higher than 157, a 160. How often do you think I should do PT's that will allow me to be ready for the December test? I have really bad anxiety and freeze during the test, so I want to have seen the test a couple times before going into the test. Obviously, I would like to get the most out of my PTs. Would it be ideal to do one PT a week and focus on my weaknesses during the week leading up to the December test?

I think the easy answer is reconsidering your time line. I'm not sure it's possible to fit all that work in AND do the necessary PTs/drilling you'll need to do to improve by December.

To be honest, if you're not consistently in the 160s, I don't see much use in doing full PTs. There's simply too much that you can still learn and I believe that bad habits get instilled trying to PT before the fundamentals are mastered.

I would recommend going through the CC, doing the corresponding problem sets, then drilling by type untimed. After that, depending on your LG progress, you may also want to set aside time to fool proof the games bundle. This alone I think would take ~3 months alone.

After that, you'll likely want to set aside another few months for strictly taking PTs w/ blind review, while also continuing to fool proof and drill more as needed.

Thank you @"Alex Divine" I wish I had that much time, but I really can't afford another year off since I honestly don't know what I would do for that long. I will take your advice and maybe put aside the PTs until I start hitting the 160s.

When would you suggest that I start doing timed questions/sections? Right now I am focusing on doing untimed LR drills and fool proofing the CC logic game problem sets like you had recommended.

Again thank you for your advice!

There's no right answer here, but I think beginning timed PT/sections make senses when you are missing about -3 or less consistently on each LR section.