Tendency to misread rules on really easy game

Comments

• 4 Likes

  goingfor99th Free Trial Member

  March 2018 3072 karma

  We've all done this many times. To eliminate this tendency, continue to make note of when you do it.

  Also, double-check your rules once you've written them all down.
• huangliang1 Free Trial Member

  March 2018 16 karma

  @goingfor99th said:
  We've all done this many times. To eliminate this tendency, continue to make note of when you do it.

  Also, double-check your rules once you've written them all down.

  Thanks a lot
  I will try to force myself to review the rules one more time before actually get into questions.
  Hope this will work
• AudaciousRed Alum Member

  March 2018 2689 karma

  Are you misreading the rule, or misrepresenting the rule. I will write something like that as AB inside of a box. Meaning A and B are together, in that order. If it's before or after, but A and B must be together, I'll have a switch over top the boxed AB.
  If it's misreading, maybe do a quick second go through of every rule to make sure you didn't miss something. "Measure twice, cut once" so to speak.
• 1 Like

  BinghamtonDave Alum Member ⭐ 🍌🍌

  March 2018 8689 karma

  @goingfor99th said:
  Also, double-check your rules once you've written them all down.

  This. In addition to this, I double check that I have translated the rules correctly from the last rule backward to the first. I have found that checking them from the first to the last can leave open the possibility that I skip over my mistake again. Double checking adds between 10-15 seconds to the game, but saves a large amount of hassle. After I double check I make a symbol that indicates to myself that I have done the work and am 99% sure what I have written is an accurate reflection of what is given. This symbol tells me that I never have to look back at the large block of text LSAC gives us for the set up again.

  I remember in undergrad I had a professor who used to tell us to check our writing for spelling mistakes by reading the last sentence first: essentially read the paper backwards.
• huangliang1 Free Trial Member

  March 2018 16 karma

  @xadrianas6x said:
  Are you misreading the rule, or misrepresenting the rule. I will write something like that as AB inside of a box. Meaning A and B are together, in that order. If it's before or after, but A and B must be together, I'll have a switch over top the boxed AB.
  If it's misreading, maybe do a quick second go through of every rule to make sure you didn't miss something. "Measure twice, cut once" so to speak.

  misreading. I was looking at AB in a box and thinking of AB and BA.
  Basically I tend to come up some of games I drilled with similar pattern and sometimes the rules of those older games was whispering to me while I am reading rules. And to make it worse, I tend to get a bit excited because I know I can solve this game no problem, and that adds more confusion.
• huangliang1 Free Trial Member

  March 2018 16 karma

  @BinghamtonDave said:

  @goingfor99th said:
  Also, double-check your rules once you've written them all down.

  This. In addition to this, I double check that I have translated the rules correctly from the last rule backward to the first. I have found that checking them from the first to the last can leave open the possibility that I skip over my mistake again. Double checking adds between 10-15 seconds to the game, but saves a large amount of hassle. After I double check I make a symbol that indicates to myself that I have done the work and am 99% sure what I have written is an accurate reflection of what is given. This symbol tells me that I never have to look back at the large block of text LSAC gives us for the set up again.

  I remember in undergrad I had a professor who used to tell us to check our writing for spelling mistakes by reading the last sentence first: essentially read the paper backwards.

  Good advice!
  I will try this tomorrow.
  I missed rules for more than once. I believe reading backwards will help me with this
• 1 Like

  olepueblo Alum Member

  March 2018 235 karma

  I like to put a check mark next to each rule when I review it to make sure I wrote it down correctly.
• 2 Likes

  NotMyName Alum Member Sage ⭐

  March 2018 5320 karma

  I underline the most important parts of the rule. I do this in the QS as well.
• BinghamtonDave Alum Member ⭐ 🍌🍌

  March 2018 8689 karma

  @jkatz1488 I do this also as I read the rules.
• BinghamtonDave Alum Member ⭐ 🍌🍌

  March 2018 8689 karma

  One last thing I will add here for anyone reading is that ideally, one should be able to catch a mistranslation of a rule pretty early on. If for instance you are doing a standard acceptable situation question and you are working wrong to right (which is what I would recommend) and the application of a single rule allows you to eliminate 3-4 of the answer choices: you have messed up. I am not aware of a single instance (open for correction here) where a single rule on a standard acceptable situation allows you to breeze through like this. What is far more likely if this happens is you have kept the incorrect violation and gotten rid of the correct “passing the test” answer choices. Go back and check!

  There are a few other little checks like this we can use.

  David
• NotMyName Alum Member Sage ⭐

  March 2018 5320 karma

  Agreed David. It get's tricky on games where there is no ASQ though. Even if it takes a little longer to catch in these cases, things usually feel off and I know I need to return to my rules and/or my understanding of them.
• BinghamtonDave Alum Member ⭐ 🍌🍌

  March 2018 8689 karma

  @jkatz1488 you’re totally right.
• studyingandrestudying Core Member

  March 2018 5254 karma

  So this happened to me during a drill a few days ago. I was working from the screen rather than with pencil and paper, and I read a rule too fast. As I worked, I felt like something wasn't working, then finally reread the rules, after wasting a lot of time, and realized this was a "gift" rule--they were telling us something really easy. I'm grateful this experience was there to teach me to improve focus. I think you're going to get better as you see and BR more games.
• catgonzalez1974 Member

  March 2018 193 karma

  I will have problems if I missed something in the rules. The answer choice won't just jump out at me. What I do now to help is I'll read the whole thing first. Second, I'll write them down in short hand. Third, I'll reread and ensure I got the correct meaning, and compare again with the shorthand down. It also helps me memorize so I don't have to go back and refer for every question. I'll do up quick boards also (If I have the the time). Usually, I'll catch mistaken understanding of a rule or missed portion there also.
• westcoastbestcoast Alum Member

  March 2018 3788 karma

  Read all of the rules once before you diagram. Read the rules as you diagram the rules. And read the rules again as you try to make inferences. Finally read the rules for those elimination questions. This would be reading the rules 4 times and that should help you not make careless mistakes.
• 1 Like

  beezmoof Alum Member

  March 2018 555 karma

  I've made a document combining everyone's tips. I would post here but the format is getting messed up. Feel free to message me if you'd like a copy!!