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Advice
English is my third language. This makes the LSAT especially difficult for me. I need as much help as I can receive. I started studying in late Oct, 2017. I was registered to take the Feb 2018 LSAT, but I withdrew my registration. I withdrew because, I was not where I wanted to be. I was averaging 140-145. Obviously, taking the LSAT in Feb would be a waste of time and money. I also am working one full-time and one part-time job. I do most of my studying on the weekends. I usually get home around 8 p.m. on week days. I probably will have to quit one of my jobs, in order to increase my study time. I just started using 7Sage as my main study material. I have not purchased a course yet. Any idea on how to approach the LSAT considering my situation?
Comments
Hey - You may want to consider an English grammar course. Someone on the boards mentioned this course awhile back:
https://www.edx.org/course/english-grammar-style-uqx-write101x-6
There are many people on the boards that work and study but I have to admit that having two jobs would make it very hard to have any serious study time. I, personally, would love to not work and just study full-time but sometimes we need to work.
The 7Sage course is very helpful because JY starts from the very beginning of the universe (just kidding, but it feels like it!) and he begins to build upon each layer. I would suggest to start with the 7Sage starter package. Start from the very beginning and don't skip around. Repeat each video as often as needed for you to understand its content and then go on to the next lesson. If you find that you are having trouble in the very beginnigs of the lessons you may want to look into taking the grammar course (link above) to help you out a bit.
Good luck!
I'd recommend getting the starter edition from 7sage. Go through the core curriculum methodically. Logic games shouldn't be as bad as the other sections so fool-proofing those via the 7sage method would be immeasurably beneficial.
That being said, this decision also depends on your goals. How high are you shooting? What branch of law are you interested in? All of these things should be considered before moving forward with the test. You need an outline for your prep, and a reasonable timeline.
I think it's important for you to be honest with yourself. Maybe you need to work on perfecting your English grammar skills first. Is your weakness the language of the test, or the logic behind the language? Look closely at the questions you get wrong and decide what is really tripping you up. Also, what is your Blind Review score? This could be telling about your prep as well.
@LCMama2017, & @Ohnoeshalpme, thank you for the advice. It's more like the logic behind the language that's challenging for me. I graduated from the University of Maryland, so I have a full understanding of the English language. It is more like the LSAT vocabs that make The test difficult for me. I Sometimes I would miss a whole question, just because I didn't understand the meaning of some words in the stimulus. I often find myself googling a lot of words after attempting and missing some questions. 90% of the time I would see why the correct answer choice is the right answer after understanding what the words mean. I was not doing any of the things that 7sage suggests. I was not BRing, fool-proofing, or anything like that. I will purchase the starter course and take it from there. Again, thank you guys so much for the advice.
I think first you shouldn't worry about when you're going to take the test and worrying about how soon, like February. That will just make you more nervous and does a number on confidence. I think you should begin by giving yourself as much time as you need. The test is learnable and takes time. I agree with others that you should begin by purchasing the starter. I would force myself to get into a good sleep schedule as well. This way on weekends you can wake up real bright and early and get a productive day going. You can also make a habit of doing this as well on mornings when you work. I think It will help to do even just some light studying on the mornings before leaving for work since you'll be super spent when you get home at 8. My brain usually stop functioning lol or gets out of "work mode" around 10-11 if I don't keep up the momentum. Even in college, writing papers -- I'm just not as there. It's why I think proper sleep/nutrition/exercise is #1. Everything (including studying for the LSAT) comes after. Don't compromise the important three cuz really everything else depends on those factors or affects them, especially how you handle stress under studying.
Awesome! Good luck on the journey, we're all here to help eachother out.
I worked with/tutored a native Russian speaker on his journey from low 140s to160 on his official February. It took him about 7 months to achieve that score increase. He prepared the exact same way I did, except sometimes it simply took him longer to grasp the concepts. The extra time he required mostly had to do with a lack of experience with the English language/logic. Diligence, repetition, self-confidence, and smart preparation are still the keys to this test no matter how many languages you speak.
You will probably want more free time to study, though. Consider the 'time off' an investment in your future.
@widner8, I'd maybe contact some tutors and see if you're a good match for each other.
It sounds like you are just missing the same level of exposure to the English language as a native speaker has, in which case more exposure might be the most simple and effective solution for you.
So it might be a good idea to start regularly reading the sorts of publications the LSAT sources material from. Things like the Economist or New Scientist etc.
Off the top of my head I can't think of the other publications people recommend but you might be able to find them digging around the forums. The added benefit of this method would be that it should independently help with the RC section of the test. Whether or not someone is a native English speaker, regularly reading the Economist, New Scientist etc. is often one of the first things recommended for improvement on RC.
Thank you everybody for your help. I am taking all of the advice that you guys gave me, and I will implement them in my study schedule/habits. I have already started with reading the Economist and Scientific American. I can already see why those types of magazines are recommended. I will keep you guys posted on my progress.
https://www.mitpressjournals.org/daed
Daedalus is good, too.