2/3 PT per week

emli1000

Hey! Since I'll be taking the June LSAT I wanted to know if anyone else was on the same track as I in taking 2-3 PTs each week. Maybe we could make a study group and take the same PTs every week, BR, and then go over some of the questions we've found difficulty in? If so, let me know

jdawg113

Are you retaking? I feel like 2/3 PTs per week this far out is a lot

LSATCRACKER

its a normal practice

emli1000

@jdawg113 yes, I'm finishing up the course. and since I have PT 36-74 I figured why not do 2-3 per week. One week I'll do 2 and the next week I'll take 3. JY has mentioned that 3 is the max one should take. I could take 3 PT per week if I start on Sunday, BR on Monday. break. PT on wed morning BR wed evening. PT on Friday & BR on sat. & repeat. lol well the first time I only took like 6 PTs I didn't really BR. So now I know how important it is to BR. Are you taking or retaking the LSAT?

emli1000

@yding03, Correct. I have to prepare my mind for this. It will be a struggle. But I'm ready. I really just want to do at least 20 PT from now until May.

jdawg113

First take, and yeah that is plenty of PT's though Idk i feel like you'll still run out pretty quickly at that pace (didn't take time to do the math :P)

ddakjiking

What are your current PT's scores like? With about 5 months left, I'm not sure whether it's great use of material to start PT'ing 2-3 times weekly now. I'd just focus on finishing up the curriculum and drilling. If you really want you could PT once a week? But if you start PT'ing say beginning of March, that should be enough to go through 20+ PT's. I'd also save a couple PT's in the unfortunate event of a retake.

emli1000

@jdawg113 lol.. it was actually broken down for me on the Study Schedule. Wanna join me on PT 36? Haha

emli1000

@ddakjiking I will finish the curriculum in 2 weeks. I've slowed down for drilling. My avg is in the 150s

jdawg113

lol fair enough then and would be too much to dig up :P plus taking next week so really only got 2 more on my schedule... neither being 36 :P

emli1000

@jdawg113 aww.. well good luck!! only a 170+ is accepted!

mjjohns6

Sounds like a plan lol

emli1000

Now that I think about it I might only take 1 or 2 PTs per week lol

ddakjiking

I guess it's all preference but for what it's worth, I took an entire 5 weeks off from any sort of PT'ing and even full section drilling to work on the 7Sage Curriculum and drilling Cambridge Packets. When I started up section drilling and then PT'ing, my timing actually got better and have seen my scores jump up 5+ points.

emli1000

@ddakjiking which LSAT package do you have? I have the Ultimate package and I was wondering if Cambridge would be necessary. Since I have extra practice sets and PTs.

ddakjiking

@emli1000 I have the middle one (forgot the name). I already had the Cambridge Packets prior to joining 7Sage so unfortunately cannot give an accurate answer to your question. But for me, convenience is a must so I'd rather have ALL the question types organized and ready for me to do.

emli1000

@ddakjiking Thank you.

arigold36

@emli1000, which area seems to be giving you the most trouble on PTs? I mean this in the most supportive way possible - but I'm surprised to hear your still scoring in the 150s if your nearly finished with the entire curriculum. I'm also prepping for the June test. My initial diagnostic was a 153 - but the only section that really killed me was the LGs ~40% credited responses. It's been a long, up-hill, and often rather frustrating battle for me to improve on those, but 7S has been invaluable in helping me get from a point where I didn't have the slightest clue what to do with a game, to being able to complete games accurately in a reasonable, although not yet optimal, amount of time.

I had some big pack of games that I inherited from a friend - they seem to be grouped according to PowerScore's classification scheme and contain games from tests 1-38. I've been working through every single game - one type at a time - as they appear in those packets. I'm about halfway through at this point, but i've been at it for nearly a month (though, things are moving along MUCH faster now than they did for me at the beginning - which was just miserable). After I make it through all of those games (my goal is to complete each game a minimum of 2x within the recommended time limit) - I intend to start drilling entire game sections from that same set of PTs while I work up my other sections. I would also like to see myself get through at least the 20 most recent PTs before test day - but i'm not going to start worrying about that for at least another month or so.

My advice - but hey, i'm learning here just as you are, so take it for what it's worth - would be to try to identify the areas where you're struggling most, and really spend some time just drilling that before you go blowing PTs. I think we still have more than enough time here, and it sounds like you've already got all the tools you would need at your disposal to do so!

Good luck to us all n let me know if you want to discuss PTs at some point down the road!

emli1000

@arigold36 Oh. Yes I saw my score increase in LGs a lot. Mainly because I worked through the LG bundle. Now I need to focus on RC which is my least favorite section. & of course we can always discuss PTs down the road. Good luck!

harrismegan

@emli1000 you saw an increase after the bundles, sweet! I'm starting to work through them today Reading comp is the bane of my existence. Le sighhhh

wbennett6

Hi,
@emli1000, are you in the NYC area. I am interested in taking 2 to 3 prep test a week.

emli1000

@harrismegan YES! We need to practice more on RC somehow. I have seen an increase but nowhere near my LG which is -3 the max. I'm still working on getting -0 lol

emli1000

@wbennett6 Not anymore but we can always skype/email review.

carlweimer

I have no idea how you can do 3 a week if you are really digging into the test each try. Unless you are scoring perfect, in which case 2/3 week seems like overkill. Right now, full test and follow up review is taking 3 days (but I work full time).

blah170blah

@carlweimer It's possible if you're studying full time. PT day 1, finish review and drill day 2, repeat.

nicole.hopkins

@carlweimer @blah170blah I do 3 PT's a week and fully BR everything of which I'm not 100% certain—that correct answers are correct and incorrect/incorrect etc. I work full time and I have social/church engagements on Thursdays and Sundays. I've posted my schedule a few times. I'm also still drilling and doing some lessons as well from various materials (Trainer, Powerscore, 7sage).

It is possible to do and to do well.

nicole.hopkins

Oh, and—I am not "scoring perfect" as you say, @carlweimer .

I feel like I need to listen to Eminem's "Lose Yourself" but change the chorus to "Lose yourself in the LSAT ..."

nicole.hopkins

And the Saturday BR Skype group ( @emli1000 @alexandergreene93 @amanda_kw ) is amazing!

kclubs323

@carlweimer If you're surprised because you may not be at that level of intensity, I think an important thing to keep in mind is that everyone is different, at varying levels of ability, and has different circumstances which all factor heavily into how effectively you're able to use your time. The fact that some can manage 2-3 PTs with sufficient BRs just means that they can manage it.
But if you're puzzled because you want to emulate that schedule, then you just need to invest time into working out your schedule meticulously to ensure that every hour of every day is spent maximizing your LSAT study.
Good luck balancing your full time job and LSAT studying; it's definitely not easy.

shine.on.me

I personally cannot spend 40 hours a week on the LSAT. I get up at 6:30-7 AM every morning.I throw it together and get ready. I'm not exactly a morning person. I drive 45 minutes to an hour to work to get to work about 8:30 AM. 30 minutes for lunch and 2-15 minute breaks (morning and afternoon). I try to study during downtime and during lunch/breaks but its easier said than done. I get off at 5 PM to fight traffic through the suburbs to my rural home. It takes me an hour to an hour and a half to get home. I work in a small call center and I am very introverted. I fell into it after working retail and it is exhausting talking with people all day. But its better than not having a job. I live with my family (mom, dad, brother, niece, dog, cat, fish). So its usually quite hectic when I get home. So when I get home try to recharge with silence, solitude, and some form of entertainment. I have dinner at some point. And I try to study at least an hour each night and try to do 2 hours, depending on other responsibilities and energy level. Last night, I was only about to do about an hour. I wind down for usually about an hour. I try to get to sleep about 11 PM to midnight. On weekends I try to do just start studying and not stop until I can't go anymore especially on Saturdays. I usually study in a coffee shop about 20 minutes from home. Last Saturday it was 6 hours of study. Sunday, I try to get some in but usually its not much more than I get on weekdays due to trying to get everything ready for the week and relax. And Mondays are always my busy days so I have very little study time on Mondays. So all in all that's about 20 hours a week maximum. I think need to do more and I know I can probably make room in my schedule but not sure what I can do with my need for silence. I think one thing I can do for my after work relaxation entertainment, I could start doing at the least Sudoku puzzles instead of TV/video games. I'm only about 20% through the ultimate course. But I am concerned about starting PTs. I feel like unless I take one Saturday and one Sunday and BR/review them through the week it will be unlikely I can take 2 per week. Its a possibility but I am concerned about burnout. I suppose I could take one middle of the week but it would have to be a 4-section PT. Its really difficult to study for the LSAT and work full-time but I actually find in easier than not working and studying for the LSAT. I was unemployed while I was prepping for my first LSAT. I found that I had a false sense of too much time and winded up slacking off and well I'm retaking the LSAT because of my disappointing score. I envy those who are able to spend a lot of time on the LSAT and still work full-time but my schedule is working for me. Best wishes to everyone.

Petrichor

Hey, I am really interested. I am already PTing 2 tests per week. Still have exams 57-74 untouched as well as most of those in the 40s. However I work full time and have grad school as well so I have pretty limited availability, but I think this will be really helpful so let me know what you decide.

nicole.hopkins

@Petrichor we have a weekly BR group Saturdays at 7pm ET. This next time we'll do 44. PM me your Skype name and I'll add you to the group!

emli1000

@nicole.hopkins you're on it! Lol