January LSAT Accountability Thread

redshift

Hey guys. So if you're like me, you took the November LSAT, are unhappy with your results, and are studying to re-take in January. I've seen accountability threads on this site before, and think that one might be helpful to keep us motivated and on track.

Here's the basic format:

1. Recap of your last week of studying (where you did well, where you can improve)

2. Goals for next week

redshift

I'll start.

Last week, I began studying for the January LSAT. I did half a PT, LR & LG, and blind reviewed + foolproof'ed. In addition, I started drilling LR types I'm weak at, namely, argument part and method of reasoning (didn't give it enough attention last time). I'm happy that I got back to studying so soon after the November results came out, but my work ethic could use some work. While I was studying 7 hours a day for January, seeing that effort translate into only a low 160s score has diminished my motivation. I've only been putting in 2-3 hours per day this week, and need to do better.

Goals for next week: Pump those numbers up, and finish two PTs with blind review and foolproofing. In addition, utilize 7Sage's analytics to drill LR types I'm weak at. Place more of an emphasis on RC, which I haven't studied at all.

Small_victories

This is great! Thanks for this thread!

Last week: I took a PT. Got -8 on LG. Three days later re-took that LG section again without BRing and got -4. Still significant made errors. Misbubbling, forgetting a rule, misreading master gameboards x2 each cost me a point.

Goals for this week:
1. Continue drilling LG. Two LG sections/day from PT1~35 and foolproof games not under target time or not -0. Focus on not forgetting rules this week
2. Invest 5 quality hours into LG every day.
3. Invest at least 1 hour into RC every two days. Invest at least 1 hr into LR every two days
4. Take a fresh PT and BR.

katrinagk

This is awesome! Especially over this crazy season!

Last week: Tried increasing to two PT's per week & discovered its not a good idea for me. Good to know! haha. My score went down for mostly silly mistakes so I think I was just going too fast and not getting the most out of the previous test before moving on. Lesson learned. So I wrote two PT's last week and BR'ed both (Monday-Thursday). Spent Friday looking at weaknesses, drilling, going back to CC, etc. On Saturday I did a games intensive where I went back and ran every game I had ever done that I felt I hadn't really "owned" yet. I noticed myself getting rusty on reading chains in in out games so I drilled them hard. Then I sat down and carried out the tedious task of going through my journal notes from the last couple of months (I keep a journal while I'm BR'ing and watching the explanations of my PT's to see what I missed, any ah-ha moments, connecting dots I hadn't before, etc.) and organizing the notes into question types. I typed out a document in categories that I can refer to prior to taking a test to jog my memory. Yesterday I took a fresh PT and it went pretty well! Especially games (I had two sections since I write 5 section PTs), in one of the sections I had 8 minutes left to go back and check all of my answers! It was awesome. That drilling definitely paid off! I also took time to clean my apartment thoroughly and read a book for pleasure. Hadn't given myself that kind of downtime in awhile and I could feel myself burning out a bit.

This week:
Monday: Finish BR'ing yesterday's test (two sections left)
Tuesday: Foolproof Games & watch explanation videos
Wednesday: Day off
Thursday: I might write another PT because I will be driving 24 hours to get home for the holidays... my partner can drive most of it and I can use that time to BR. If I don't write a test I'll write one on Sunday!

turnercm

This week: Created a schedule which basically consists of studying for each section type (LG, LR, and RC) each day, either a full section or drills, based on need. PT with a recent PT (a few from 60-70 and a few from 70-85) each week. Finish BR-ing PT86, watching the LG explanation videos and foolproofing, then get back to foolproofing PT #16-35. I may need to go back and review #1-15 since I likely haven't taken them enough times.

Next Week: AM practice sections daily and PT Sunday or Wednesday. I guess I will take a break for the day of Christmas :P

Bougie_Bre

This is such a great idea. I just finished the curriculum and I'm a little confused on how I should move forward. I don't know if I should solely focus on taking timed practice test/ sections combined with blind reviewing, drill question types that I'm weak in, or fool proof LG games 1-35. Suggestions are greatly appreciated. I literally just try to touch on each section throughout the week for 3-4 hours daily.

redshift

@Bougie_Bre

I know the general consensus on here is to FP games 1-35. I'm in the middle of that and I'll just say that the games are much more different than they are now, to the point where I question their usefulness.

I did the CC and just took practice tests/sections (67-85) with BR and foolproofing (games from those sections). That got me to a 160+ on the Nov Exam. I think adding in drilling is a good idea. I'm aiming for 170+ in January and have incorporated that into my studies

redshift

Weekly Recap:

1. Last Week - Foolproofed games from PT4-PT6. Blind Reviewed PT46. Nearly done with the RC chapters in the LSAT Trainer. Averaged 4.5 hours of studying per day.

2. Next Week - Going to start PT'ing again. Two PTs a week, with days in between for drilling by type (focusing on worst sections with 7Sage Analytics) and BR/FP. Going to start running about two miles a day to keep stress down, as well as meditate 15 mins a night. Hopefully!

Bougie_Bre

@redshift said:
@Bougie_Bre

I know the general consensus on here is to FP games 1-35. I'm in the middle of that and I'll just say that the games are much more different than they are now, to the point where I question their usefulness.

I did the CC and just took practice tests/sections (67-85) with BR and foolproofing (games from those sections). That got me to a 160+ on the Nov Exam. I think adding in drilling is a good idea. I'm aiming for 170+ in January and have incorporated that into my studies

Thank for your response. However I wanted to clarify what blind reviewing and fool.proofing exactly is. If I understand correctly blind reviewing is basically taking a full length timed test and writing out why answers are/ aren't correct after completed? Fool proofing is attempting to complete a game within the suggested amount amount of time? Whether it takes you 4-10 attempts understanding all off the inferences etc?

redshift

@Bougie_Bre

So, Blind Reviewing is like this. While you take a PT, circle any questions you're even slightly unsure about. Then, after taking the PT and before you grade it, go back to the circled questions. Really think through the problem with no time limit, and either change your answer or keep the old one. Write out reasons for why you're changing, or why you're keeping, as well as why the other answer choices are wrong. The goal here is to identify the WAY you think about certain questions, rather than leaving it to a subconscious process. Once you do that, you can grade the test. After grading it, look at the questions you got wrong even after you circled and went back. Look at the reason you wrote down for choosing that incorrect answer. Eliminate that reasoning and don't use it in the future, or modify it if needed.

Foolproofing isn't really about completing the game within the suggested amount of time. Obviously that's one component of it, but IMO it's not the most important one. Foolproofing, for me, is just constantly repeating that game. So even if I can finish a 6 minute suggested game in 5 minutes, I'll do it over and over until I can do it in 2 or 3 minutes. The goal isn't to reduce your time. It's to memorize inferences so that they become part of your muscle memory. I foolproof games that I'm already under the time limit for. You want no hesitation, and you want to make things like counting elements in a sequencing game, or keeping elements in your head for a grouping game, to be subconscious things you don't think about doing. You just do them. This allows you to use the precious amount of mental energy you have on the real test thinking about the complex nature of a difficult problem itself, rather than being bogged down thinking through the fundamentals. After you do this, you'll start to see an increase in your time naturally, just by getting better at making inferences.

redshift

Weekly Recap Time!

Last Week: Took a lot of time off from LSAT prep. In addition to the holidays, I got sick, and had to go through a round of antibiotic treatment. Went back to it today, and managed to get my best score yet on logical reasoning (-1 !!!). I think the thing that has helped me is to see LR questions from a step back, if that makes sense. I'm looking more at argument structure, and am getting better at seeing the ways different arguments are constructed. My LG skills have gotten a bit rusty.

Next Week: Going to do PTs 50, 51, and 62. Going to place an emphasis on cementing my LR skills as well as foolproofing games. In addition, going to start waking up at the same time the actual LSAT is, as well as continue my meditation. Feeling much more confident for January now.