Second guessing

tanes256

How do you guys handle second guessing? I'm beyond pissed because I just missed 5pts on a RC section due to second guessing! Obviously, I don't really "get" it, I guess. But I need something deeper than that. RC has always been my worst section so this just makes me hate it even more! The best I've done on RC is -3 during BR but who knows during the timed PT, -30??? Ugh so frustrated! What do you guys do? When under time constraints my performance plummets! Admittedly, I do tend to abandon some of my notations that I do during BR for fear of losing or running out of time.

Alex

@tanes256 said:
How do you guys handle second guessing? I'm beyond pissed because I just missed 5pts on a RC section due to second guessing! Obviously, I don't really "get" it, I guess. But I need something deeper than that.

This might sound obvious, but you have to get good enough that you trust yourself. If you're getting questions wrong, you aren't going to trust yourself, so you need to do something different that works. Ideally, you want to get to a point where you're not guessing on RC and can find textual support to prove most of your answer choice. This takes practice, a lot of practice. Guessing on RC questions tends to be less effective than other sections because on RC the incorrect answer choices often uses keys words and phrases from the passage that make even the most wrong answer choice seem correct.

One part of eliminating your issue is probably just getting more practice. RC has always been my strong section, so I've been a bit lucky in that regard.

Have you adopted and tried using the memory method?

I tend to do pretty well on RC sections by using a variation of the memory method, but I create a strong mental map of the passage in my head. As I read the passage, I imagine the story of the passage in my head. As I go to the questions, I try to do 2-3 from memory (main point, author's tone, and maybe one other) Then I go back and do the rest and quickly glance back at the passage for textual support. If I can't answer it straight from memory, I go back to the passage for textual support.

Another really important thing on RC is to pre phrase your answers just like LR. I actually find going into the RC answer choices without pre-phrasing makes you more prone to fall for trap answer choices, even more so than with LR. I think if you have an idea of what you're looking for you lessen the chances of having to second guess yourself.

I find when I BR a RC section, I don't actually do much different from when I do a timed section. I might go more slowly, read more carefully, and obviously find textual support for every answer, but I think my process during BR is quite similar.

Might I suggest doing a bunch of untimed RC passages... I think through doing that you will get better at creating a useful mental map of the passage and finding textual support. If you have a good mental map of the passage, you'll know where to look and won't waste time re-reading and searching through the paragraphs.

If you can go -3 on BR than I believe 100% that you can go -3 during a timed section! So don't get so down on yourself because -3 is a great score for RC.

I hope this helps somewhat!

Cant Get Right

Consciously developing an exact strategy and relying on it under time is kind of the process for me. For RC, I think what that strategy is is much more highly dependent on individual preference. Some people barely make any markings at all, and others rely on really heavy annotations. But having the strategy is key. On the September test, I had a moment where I didn't know what to do. Taking the real thing is kinda freaky. Because I had very deliberately built strategies for each section, I was able to use those to fall back on when the pressure was on. Instead of asking myself, "What do I do?" I was able to ask myself, "What does my very carefully developed, tried and proven strategy dictate that I do?" The first question will always lead to panic. The second will always have a definitive answer that will guide you through the section.

For developing your strategy, I suggest comparing The Memory Method with Nicole's annotation method, which I'll attach below. Study both and then make a conscious decision about where on the spectrum your best fit is. For me, I feel like I had a really bizarre one. I annotated heavily but then barely refer back. It may not make much sense, lol, but it's what I found worked best for me. Find what works best for you. Then drill the shit out of it until you can comfortably and naturally execute the strategy. Then, when the pressure is on, you'll be able to ask yourself, "What does my very carefully developed, tried and proven strategy dictate that I do?"

The Memory Method you have.
And here's Nicole's method which relies heavily on annotation:

tanes256

@"Alex Divine" @"Cant Get Right" you guys always have awesome advice, thx! Ok, so as far as the memory method goes, I have to be honest and say that I never really gave it a fair shot. I probably only attempted it 2x. I gravitated more toward Nicole's method. During BR I strictly notate but during a timed PT I start out notating but only kinda sorta finish with notating. By the end I'm usually just back to underlining instead of using specific characters. I know that I abandon my strategy during timed PT so I definitely have to work on that. I'm also willing to give the memory method another shot. Today I BR RC on my lunch break. I didn't leave my desk though so I had a lot more distractions than what I normally have in the break room. I started to reread the passages but kept getting sidetracked so I just decided to see what I could remember, hit the AC and then go hunt for the answers. I was shocked that I had actually remembered and didn't really have to go hunt for the answers and the passages that I performed the worst on came to me the easiest! I was totally shocked! This is what has led me to try the memory method again. I did a bunch of untimed RC when I started implementing Nicole's method and that's what helped bring me down to -3. I'm hoping that maybe a mixture of the two and me actually being solid in my strategy will get me going in the right direction! Oh and I'm interested in prephrasing too. It still kills me on LR because I went so long without doing it but I'm gonna give it a try! Thx again, guys!