Can I use LG strategies to Improve in LR?

martinezerika895

I keep bombing at LR. No matter which question types I drill, I keep getting half or more than half wrong. I write in the Blind Review / Wrong Answer Journal. I blind review each question. But even in blind review I still get the question wrong! What is discouraging is seeing the stats on Curve column an seeing that no one or a small percentage of people got the same answer choice as I did. Then looking at the scorers on the same Curve column, I see its a question that was in the 130s to 140s (an "easy" question), which makes it more discouraging. I have been taking my time, not using the stop clock, and STILL get so many wrong!

My strength is in LG, which for every game, I get -0 to -1 wrong, both timed and un-timed. A bit of background: I have some computer coding skills under my belt, so LG reminds me a lot of when I would create code in Python and Javascript. I prefer to see logic as "If X, then Y" terminology as it is easier for me to understand the flow. Is there a way I can use my LG brain to work for me in LR?

noahzarc1

Do not give up, because the LSAT is good at challenging our weaknesses. Some things will come naturally, as with LG for you. In other areas where you are weak, it is more about learning the tactics of approaching and solving the problem. I took the LSAT 27 years ago and I bombed LG. Coming back to the LSAT 27 years later, guess where I am still the weakest? LG! I knew coming into this, it would be my biggest hurdle. However, J.Y. has given me some real tools to learn to perform better on LG, but for someone like me it does not come naturally. I have to work continually on the skills.

When it comes to RC, I do best when it is a passage related to government or law (or similar interests), because I can normally digest the entire flow. Throw scientific passages at me, and because of my lack of interest in those topics, it is very difficult for me to focus long enough. Exactly what the LSAT writers want! As to your question, some LG questions test "if/then" and those are the ones you have to be sure to nail because that appears to be your strength. For me, I tend to do the strongest on strengthening Qs. They just make sense to me. I am the weakest at weaking LR Qs. Lately I found I am really struggling with "some and most" LR Qs. These may be a struggle for you too, so perhaps focus on your weakest points most. It seems you are able to trust your intuition in LG and it may help to do this with LR. J.Y. talks about "trusting your intuition" in the RC section, but that really helped me to be better in general at not running out of time (though I am still struggling with timing in LG.)

Juan23vr

u should read loophole by cassidy. different and in my opinion and much more simple approach to LR after reading it i would score - 5 and my best -3 in LR

carlosjennings12

I would also suggest reading loophole if you can get a copy it helps out a lot with LR.

Hamurabi

I think BR for the start is not that useful because you are basically doing it after having attempted the question. The best thing you could do for now, in my opinion, attempt most (if not all) the questions untimed. When you do each question, spend as much time as you need pre-phasing. That means you will write a low res summary, figure out/write down the logical relationships (if present), parse grammar....etc. Then, you could also write down what you anticipate the correct answer will be. Most of the time, you can't really anticipate it and you'd have to do eliminations. But either way, you also need to write down why you you think each AC is wrong, and why the right AC is correct. And then you pick the correct AC.

You do all that before even looking at the correct AC. Each question might take you 15-30 minutes but that way you make sure you have fully thought about the question and have done your best. I am sure you'll start seeing that you are getting a lot more questions right.

For questions you got wrong, I would then do something similar to LG foolproofing. Look at the explanation, understand it, and see if you can replicate the process, steps, and logical reasoning. Try to internalize the thought process. And keep coming back to it until you realize that you've adopted that mindset of approaching questions if that makes sense.

nmoyer1982

PowerScore LR Bible is super easy to read and super helpful. However, in addition, what I think you should do, is watch JYs explanation for as many questions as you can. He's fast, but excellent. Do the same with every RC passage. Even just absorbing what he has to say is helpful.