Why no erasing?

jim-1

YJ keeps saying not to erate, but rather to copy the entire game board over. That just seems super slow to me, especially when space is limited. Take a simple sequence game. If the rules put S in 5, I'll put S in slot 5 and draw a square around it to remember that it's there by definition. I'll work the question and when done, erase the question specific markings. Its quick.

But I assume there is a reason the experts say to avoid that approach.

Pacifico

It's time consuming for one, and you risk erasing the wrong things and waste too much mental energy on keeping everything straight. This energy is better spent making inferences as you rewrite your game boards than by erasing. If you have a game with a decent amount filled in your master game board then how can you be sure you erased all but those values every single time. Sure it sounds doable but when under the gun you're playing with fire there which is why it is not recommended.

ddakjiking

You risk tearing the thin paper. Plus you should have plenty of space.

kclubs323

@"jim-1" said:
YJ keeps saying not to erate, but rather to copy the entire game board over. That just seems super slow to me, especially when space is limited. Take a simple sequence game. If the rules put S in 5, I'll put S in slot 5 and draw a square around it to remember that it's there by definition. I'll work the question and when done, erase the question specific markings. Its quick.

But I assume there is a reason the experts say to avoid that approach.

Hi, @"jim-1"
I can empathize with you completely because I used to think that erasing would save time and space. But here are some reasons why you should re-write the game board:
1. Lack of space should no longer be an issue on upcoming LSAT exams because each individual game now appears across two pages which provides ample room to draw out each sub-game board.
2. Each game type varies, but for the game that require multiple sub-game boards it is actually in your best interest to write them all out because the questions may hinge on them; in other words, they act as "cheat sheets" that you've already worked out that provide with a clear reference to answer the remaining questions. When you erase the possible game board you've written out, you're putting yourself at risk of getting a question incorrect that could easily have been answered had you not erased that particular game board.
3. For really easy games like simple sequencing, it may seem incredibly tedious to write out a new game board each time, but when you practice like that it helps improve your intuition and "mental" game board so that you can see the sequencing relationships in your mind without having to write them out. This way, when you're taking an officially administered LSAT exam, you can save time because you've trained your mind in such a way that writing out game boards for simple sequencing games is completely unnecessary.

What I've learned from 7Sage is that it's all about putting in the work up front so that it saves you time and energy to devote to the questions. This methodology applies to logical reasoning and reading comprehension as well.

Hope this helps and good luck!

nicole.hopkins

@ddakjiking said:
You risk tearing the thin paper. Plus you should have plenty of space.

The paper is INSANELY thin. That's why erasing is a bad habit to cultivate. I'm very self-indulgent in my PT's and allow the occasional erasure but every time I do I remember that it's a bad idea. Bad erasing! Do not do!

Someone take my erasers away during PT's!!!

VegMeg55

LOL Yes everyone, please don't erase! This was just said by @nicole.hopkins, the 7Sage record holder of telling people to purchase $1.00 eraser sets (still the best remedy to the PDF ban)!

emli1000

Please do not erase! you will lose valuable time doing this and might mess up your game board by erasing something that you should have kept. Mistakes happens, and you wouldn't want to mess up an entire game just because you felt erasing was easier than just writing small and neat. The paper is also very THIN.

jim-1

Okay, that settles it. No more erasing! Thanks all...

nicole.hopkins

Haha @VegMeg55 ---yes it's a very different, partially resilient kind of paper used in the printed tests Not so with the actual test! More tricks from LSAC ...

dave.arpino

another reason why you shouldn't erase is because of the value you get from keeping multiple possibilities of the game board. If you are not using previous game boards to answer future questions, you are likely not performing as optimally as possible since some questions are extremely easy to answer by going back to game boards you have already created.

blah170blah

So, uh, I'm, uh, in the super super minority here but I erase ALL the time -- even on the actual test. For me, if I see too many markings on my page, I get super confused. I also write little notations to help me remember things in the moment so not writing things down isn't really an option. I commented on a different thread that @DumbHollywoodActor brought out but I have a notoriously terrible short term memory and the only way I remember things is when I write them down. That being said, this option works for me because I rarely run out of time on games (typically have 3-5 minutes to spare), can maintain accuracy (average of -0, -1), and still create space to write out multiple game boards on the page and next to a particular question.

The people above have made some excellent points for why you shouldn't erase on the test and if you are pressed for time, I strongly urge you not to erase. However, I did want to tell you my own experience to reiterate the ever pressing point that there is no one size fits all rule to the LSAT.

nicole.hopkins

TL;DR: Try not to erase. If you erase, you'll live.