Randomly bombing LG before Feb LSAT

kshutes13

So I've been following advice to go over questions just to refresh my brain before the LSAT. LG has always been my strongest section, with usually going between -3 and -5 timed. It was the section I originally needed the most work on/struggled with the most. I spent almost 2 months training LG and significantly improved. However, within the last four days, I have been absolutely bombing it.

Bombing as in, I cannot even get 2 games completed in under 35 minutes, and if I do, I get an entire game wrong. I can't answer more than one question with confidence. My brain goes completely blank and I feel like I've lost all the skills I spent months working on. Every other section is fine/the same as before.

I know that some people drop a few points in their PT the week before the exam but I'm doing fine in LR and RC. But it's like, as soon as I see an LG question, especially one with a MBF/MBT/CBT/CBF (i.e. with no additional premise), I completely freeze up and can't answer the question. I've forgotten how to approach it. I've also seemingly lost all ability to make inferences. I have no idea what's going on. I feel like how I did 3 months ago when I first started LG and didn't know what I was doing.

I'm seriously worried I'm just going to bomb the LG section on Saturday and I just don't know what to do anymore -____- has anyone had experience with this, and what did you do?

aurelian

It sounds like you are really burning out. I would step away from all LSAT related things over the next two days, including this forum.

kshutes13

@aurelian said:
It sounds like you are really burning out. I would step away from all LSAT related things over the next two days, including this forum.

Yeah, idk. I took a really good, long much needed break last week to step away from burnout, and I thought I could come back refreshed... but apparently not.

TheoryandPractice

Hi! Not sure if your case is the same, but that happened to me when I started to get anxious and doubt myself. In this case, the best option is literally take one step at a time.
For example, if a question says sth like “If C is in X, what must be true?”
Just take a deep breath, TRUST your instinct, and think about what you know about C. Look at the rules. Is any rules relevant? Is it relevant to any inferences you made? If you can make any inference about C, then take another small step. What else do I know?

Just keep taking baby steps and ask what do I know about this? What do I know about that?

Your skills are not going to go away, but they can sometimes get buried when anxious/ burnt out. Consciously asking “what do I know” after each step might help uncover your buried skills. I really hope this helps.

hawaiihi

Maybe go back and do some easy LG sections! Or do some games that you know really, really, really well, because you've done them a million times and you could do them in your sleep. Just to get your brain remembering how to go down those paths again––remembering how to make inferences, what kind of inferences, what to do. And don't time yourself! Just let your brain relax and remember how to approach these kinds of questions. At least, that's what I would do.

10000019

Which PTs? Certain tests are much more challenging. In some tests the more difficult games are up front. If you want a confidence booster before you take your exam, finish with games from PT 82.

jyarmo

I'm not taking until June, but this has been my most difficult issue - panicking on LG like you are describing. I am getting better by simply realizing that I am panicking (thank you meditation practice) and recognizing that THAT is the skill I need to pull out of my bag of tricks, to overcome the panic and work through the question like the million times before. The answer is in there and yes, I agree exactly with @TheoryandPractice - just keep asking your self 'what do I know?'. And when you feel the "OMFG" happening, it can help to take 30 seconds and take 3 deep breaths to regroup. Sometimes I will then ask myself to find to 3 things I can hear, 3 things I feel (my feet on the floor, the pencil in my hand, etc.), 3 things I can see - and it can re-set my attention and then I'm okay. Also skip questions/games like a MF'er (get the easy ones out of the way). And lastly, remember some games just take 12 or 15 minutes even for JY (ie. PT36s4g3) so that may be the kind of game you are on and you are doing just fine - though this last bit of pep talk is more for a game you haven't seen yet.... good luck! You got this.

kshutes13

@10000019 said:
Which PTs? Certain tests are much more challenging. In some tests the more difficult games are up front. If you want a confidence booster before you take your exam, finish with games from PT 82.

Unfortunately I was having the most difficulty with games from PT 80 and up lol

Seraephina

Sounds like a burn out. Just do light drills and relax before the actual test day? I wish you the best of luck

@kshutes13 said:
So I've been following advice to go over questions just to refresh my brain before the LSAT. LG has always been my strongest section, with usually going between -3 and -5 timed. It was the section I originally needed the most work on/struggled with the most. I spent almost 2 months training LG and significantly improved. However, within the last four days, I have been absolutely bombing it.

Bombing as in, I cannot even get 2 games completed in under 35 minutes, and if I do, I get an entire game wrong. I can't answer more than one question with confidence. My brain goes completely blank and I feel like I've lost all the skills I spent months working on. Every other section is fine/the same as before.

I know that some people drop a few points in their PT the week before the exam but I'm doing fine in LR and RC. But it's like, as soon as I see an LG question, especially one with a MBF/MBT/CBT/CBF (i.e. with no additional premise), I completely freeze up and can't answer the question. I've forgotten how to approach it. I've also seemingly lost all ability to make inferences. I have no idea what's going on. I feel like how I did 3 months ago when I first started LG and didn't know what I was doing.

I'm seriously worried I'm just going to bomb the LG section on Saturday and I just don't know what to do anymore -____- has anyone had experience with this, and what did you do?

REISINGJAMES

@kshutes13 what's your target score? what's happening to you now happened to me right before my second LSAT write in December - and I did end up missing more than my fair share of questions on Logic Games. I had a ~lot~ of trouble with Test 82, the last PT I took before December... not a good sign. To give you some background, my ten-test average was hovering around 169 prior my December take.

Regardless, I very nearly half the questions on my Logic Games section (yes, I mean that literally) and I scored pretty close to the 90th percentile, i.e. mid 160s. Not great compared to some of these geniuses, and I was still a couple of points off my goal score, but the point is this: if you're shooting for somewhere in the mid-to-high 160s, you can afford to miss a few questions on LG.

I'm embarrassed about it, but to be frank, on Test 83 I panicked on the second game (conditional sequencing) and only completed three out of four games on 83 (December). I had to blind guess the last six questions. I missed 'em all.

In hindsight, the day before the December exam, I wish I had gone through ten tests' worth of Logic Games, picked out two or three very standard but moderately challenging games - all different types - and then focused on patching whatever holes I could find. E.g., i'm weak on game type X. are there many variations of this game, and if so, which versions are the hardest? what are some of the common rules and how do they interact? how do I represent them, and are there ways that these kinds of rules commonly affect our board? (think O------>P in a 5-player, 4-slot in/out game.) I find that these basic, reoccurring rules play out in relatively standard ways, even if the way they state the rule is novel or wonky.

I'd also pay close attention to the first and second questions in each game. Is the first question a standard acceptable situation? A could be true? A MBT, even? Ask yourself is there's a reason the LSAT has placed the questions in a particular order, and what solving question 1 might do to help you solve question 2, and so on. I'd also recommend spending some quality time delving into incorrect answers: are there patterns for these? Do the LSAT writers, say, mirror incorrect answers? If you practiced recognizing that off the bat, would that help you shave some time? If you look at Test 83, Game 3, I'd pursued essentially the same strategy when studying for that particular game type, and it REALLY paid off on test day. Saved my score. But if I'd pursued that strategy for, say, conditional sequencing games as well, then I wouldn't need to retake. So there's that.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Logic Games has always been my weakest section. Like, by far. Reading Comp and Logical Reasoning came naturally to me. Self-study, also. No classes, programs, or tutors. Please take all advice with a heaping spoonful of salt lol

TL;DR: was performing poorly on Logic Games before December LSAT, I double-digit bombed the 83 LSAT Logic Games, and still scored in the mid-160s. Zoom out and take a look at the big picture on games, it might just save your butt if you've been a fool and haven't fool-proofed. PUN INTENDED. also, for those of you who are looking to score a 170+... don't be weak on the games.

prei

LG is easy, here's a tip or two before Saturday--
let's agree to ignore the acceptability Q's because they are easy, free points (assumption: easy, free points are worthy of being ignored) and there are only 4 Q types in LG: (1) if's (2) CBT/CBF (3) MBT/MBF (4) rule sub.
23 Q's / section - 4 acceptability Q's = 19 Q's.
rule sub will likely show up once, possibly twice if I'm lucky (important note: Don't waste your time with a rule sub Q if you're getting less than 20/23 on avg).
19 Q's - 1 rule sub = 18 Q's.
if's are a personal favorite Q type because (in a world of rules) IF you get an 'if Q' THEN sketch. Just sketch it out with the new rule ya bum. Make sure you have a good master sketch from the beginning and you should never miss an 'if Q' if you're any good at this test.
cbt/cbf are easy as well IF you have a good sense of the entities and the rules governing them in the game. If you get an if Q and its cbt/cbf it's easy pickings. cbt/cbf are just possibilities folks. They just want to know what's possibly right or possibly wrong! Bang these Q types out via process of elimination a - e.
mbt/mbf are my least favorite but they're fine. Of the 18 Q's generally between if's / could be's / must be's per section, mbt/mbf shows up least but you'll get 4+. These baby's often require more than 1 sketch at least be seen in your "mind's eye" and if it's an if Q then you for sure want to sketch out all possible options. Plug as far as you can go with the given info. then process of elimination from a - e. (A note on these: These are the toughest Q types not including rule sub and must be handled with care. The tentmakers often give you limited information with these Q's and you'll be sitting there with like 3 options for your sketch and you can only place 2 out of 6 entities in any sketch, for example. While you're fumbling away your precious time searching for more information in the rules or the directions or the question, you really just need to work with the limited information you have and just comb through the answers a - e. All the info you need is right there! Make use of your time!)

Truth be told, I'm heading into my 3rd LSAT and I've been hitting LG sections at -0 since September, so I'll try to make my own logic games now rather than take another LG section I've already taken and get a -0 in 20 minutes. So. Yah, I rambled. If this helps, good for you, good for me
good luck.

Pray for me when it's 12:30 tomorrow, 4 sections are done, and I'm staring a 26 Q LR section in the face to finish out my LSAT career.

AshleighK

Kinda late but so weird I'm experiencing this too! I still have a month to go but LG was my strongest and the last two sections I've drilled, it's been my worst!!!