Supplementing

samantha.ashley92

Should I supplement with the LR Powerscore Bible, Manhattan Prep, etc. if I'm not thoroughly understanding something? Would a tutor be a better idea? There are a few sections where I can't even get all of the 4/5 difficulty questions correct. I understand them when I listen to JY's explanations, but I can't seem to get them right on my own. Would another approach from a different angle that I might understand be a good idea?

NotMyName

I've used the LSAT Trainer in the past and recommend it over the Bibles but that's really just personal preference because the Trainer reads less like a textbook.

But I think what would help most is having someone or a group you can BR with. Speaking about these ideas out loud is a great way to gauge your understanding. Do you understand the questions well enough after listening to JY to explain them to someone else? To that end, typing up question analyses are another way to gauge/improve your understanding.

samantha.ashley92

@jkatz1488 Thank you for sharing your experience. Sometimes I understand them well enough, and sometimes I don't. Occasionally, I will get the 4/5 and 5/5 difficulty questions right and the 1/5 and 2/5 difficulty ones wrong... maybe because I understand certain concepts in a question style better than others. I guess I have a lot to think about here!

Alex

@"samantha.ashley92" said:
@jkatz1488 Thank you for sharing your experience. Sometimes I understand them well enough, and sometimes I don't. Occasionally, I will get the 4/5 and 5/5 difficulty questions right and the 1/5 and 2/5 difficulty ones wrong... maybe because I understand certain concepts in a question style better than others. I guess I have a lot to think about here!

I think getting different perspectives will only be helpful. I'm both a fan of The LSAT Trainer and Manhattan's strategy guides. So, if you can afford it I would try The Trainer or MLSAT.

I guess my question for you would be what in particular is giving you trouble?
Is it particular question types? Only the more challenging ones? Any other patterns you've noticed?

samantha.ashley92

@"Alex Divine" thanks! I would say MSS, MP/MC, weakening, SA, and flaw "except" questions are the toughest for me. I can do all of the 3/5 difficulty questions without a problem, so I understand the core concepts. As a pattern, the "except" questions and 4/5 difficulty (harder for me than 5/5 for some reason) in general give me trouble.

Alex

@"samantha.ashley92" said:
@"Alex Divine" thanks! I would say MSS, MP/MC, weakening, SA, and flaw "except" questions are the toughest for me. I can do all of the 3/5 difficulty questions without a problem, so I understand the core concepts. As a pattern, the "except" questions and 4/5 difficulty (harder for me than 5/5 for some reason) in general give me trouble.

Hmm..yeah, you probably just need some more practice with the harder ones then. How long do you have to study? If you have a good amount of time I think sometimes reading a different perspective on things can be helpful. But if you feel like you more or less already understand the underlying concepts, your time may be better spent just drilling. After all, how long have you been prepping for? It can sometimes take a while to get a hang of the harder questions. Perfectly normal!

samantha.ashley92

@"Alex Divine" I have been studying for about a month and a half now-- just starting RRE questions. I am taking the LSAT in June, under the assumption that I will retake in September.

Alex

@"samantha.ashley92" said:
@"Alex Divine" I have been studying for about a month and a half now-- just starting RRE questions. I am taking the LSAT in June, under the assumption that I will retake in September.

Yeah definitely give the 7Sage methods some more time. Although 6 weeks can seem like an eternity while prepping, it isn't that long. I'm sure if you keep returning to the lessons and problem sets you will see improvement.