What is the usual RC advice?

eddieh414

I am now scoring about -3 on LR, -2 on LG, but -7 on RC. I'm lost. So what is the traditional, maybe cliche advice that can help me with reading above a 3rd grade level?

GSU Hopeful

If you go under the discussion tab and look for the RC only threads, there is a ton of great advice there.

DontPay4LawSchool

I remained at -6 for months. It wasn't because I sucked at reading, I just wasn't properly exposing myself to actual passages except through PTs. This was the flawed advice of those online and Khan Academy, which told me that you can't improve your RC score. Lies. Here are some quick tips (although you really need to find some more in-depth explanations):

Active Reading

1. Talk to yourself and be interested about the material. I have somehow convinced myself that microorganisms or species diversity is captivating.
2. Author's tone. Where was their opinion? Is there an opinion (almost always)? This can typically be found at the end of the first paragraph or conclusion.
3. Examples of phenomenon. Look for "for example" or analogies that the author uses to explain their ideas.
4. Who are the sides? Is the author on one side of an argument and the researchers on the other? Does someone backup the author's opinion? Make sure to keep track of all the opinions and where each side belongs (Manhattan Prep calls this "the scale").
5. Structure. This is super important. As you are reading, ask yourself what the paragraph was overall about. Try to get it down to one word. I usually think of paragraphs as "example," phenomenon," "problem," etc.
6. SPEND THE MOST TIME IN THE PASSAGE. I found out that I was an ok reader but a great skimmer. I could quickly get through passages and get a reasonable score. To get to the highest echelon required spending 4 minutes or more on many passages. The better you understand the passage, the quicker you can proceed through the questions. If you go too quickly, you will be forever lost in the different ACs.

These are just a few tips and is certainly not an exhaustive list. As you practice, you will find things that may only be helpful to you. Good luck studying!