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From a 152 to a 172

ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
in June 2021 LSAT 107 karma

I'm keeping this short and sweet because I just want to give a testament to 7sage and get that sweet sweet dopamine release from voicing my accomplishment!!

I started out with a diagnostic of 152. 1 month ago I started taking blind tests and after taking 3 - 4 I was averaging around 158. For the last 3 weeks I have been taking roughly 3 practice tests a day, 4 days a week. Last week I was averaging 168 but hadn't broken the 170 barrier. I just finally hit 172 actual, and then 175BR (I don't ever blind review tbh, I just went to finish the last 2 questions on LG that I didn't finish)

I'm not sure if this means i'm in a position to give anyone advice honestly, but if anyone has any questions for me, feel free to ask - I can give you my anecdotal advice!

Comments

  • tahurrrrrtahurrrrr Member
    1106 karma

    Wow good on you! I wish I could be a machine like that. If your're taking the June test, hope you can keep this momentum :)

  • onyourmarkonyourmark Member
    45 karma

    Hi! Congrats on your improvements and I'm kind of looking for advice on if there is any mechanism/thing that you feel that helped you to make progresses in all sections (especially LR and RC)? I'm also looking for advice on how to improve the RC session, like how did you approach a passage and the questions each time if possible :)) Thanks and good luck on your upcoming tests!

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @onyourmark said:
    Hi! Congrats on your improvements and I'm kind of looking for advice on if there is any mechanism/thing that you feel that helped you to make progresses in all sections (especially LR and RC)? I'm also looking for advice on how to improve the RC session, like how did you approach a passage and the questions each time if possible :)) Thanks and good luck on your upcoming tests!

    Hey, Mark! Thanks a lot!!
    For RC I was getting up to -12 in the beginning and now average -4. So DON'T WORRY you can make progress despite what some say. I did a couple of days of just doing timed RC sections to get more comfortable with them. Then I made a noticeable effort to try to be super present while i'm reading, but read fast. What I mean by that is I don't try to work out any logical relationships of the sentence and I just try to read it quick and remember where things are at. Then what the questions reference, I'll go back and touch-up on it if need be. I think eventually after reading fast for a while your brain starts to naturally digest the information quicker and easier, giving you more time.

    LR just started intuitively making sense after some time and the answer choices seem so cookie-cutter after you do a lot of PT's to where you almost just half-heartedly read answer choices because you know exactly what you're looking for. I can't help much here, but if you feel like you need to use pencil and paper aside from MAYBE 1 question per LR i'd say you don't have a good enough grasp on the fundamentals of it yet!

  • sarahblairsarahblair Core Member
    604 karma

    3 practice tests a day is no joke. Congrats on the progress! Proof that hard work pays off. You'll be a great lawyer, no doubt!

  • bunnyfriend7bunnyfriend7 Member
    191 karma

    I had to re-read that. Three practice tests PER DAY ?! Looks like it has been working for you but wow, I could never lol

  • underdawgggunderdawggg Core Member
    64 karma

    AHH CONGRATULATIONS!! Do you review your tests after you write them? Also did you finish the 7Sage Curriculum before you started the practice tests? Currently in the 140s and want to get to low 160s by August!

  • sandydanadurstsandydanadurst Core Member
    48 karma

    I reset to my original score after reviewing so much and not taking any practice tests in awhile. now im shooting back up. PRACTICE TESTS ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN REVIEWING IN THE END!!!

  • gittinazemgittinazem Member
    72 karma

    Wait a minute, 3 A DAY??? When you review, how long do you give yourself per test?

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @gittinazem said:
    Wait a minute, 3 A DAY??? When you review, how long do you give yourself per test?

    I normally don't have too much to review. If I do BR all i'll do is finish the LG if I had a bad test and wasn't able to, and then i'll quickly go through the few LR questions that I wasn't sure on and try to figure those out (Normally takes about 10 minutes for those LR questions) Then i'll grade it. After that I'll look at the questions I got wrong and look at the right question and 99% of the time I just misread something or glanced over a part of the stimulus and I don't need to watch the explanation video because I immediately see why my answer was wrong and why the correct AC is correct. But in the off chance that i'm still not buying it that my AC is wrong i'll watch the important sections of JY's explanation for the question.

    I don't BR RC or really review it at all. I consistently get -4 now, (I started out not being able to finish the section and missing like 12) and my goal is to get -0 on LG and -0/-1/-2 on LR and -4 on RC and that should get my goal score.

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @lsatprincess said:
    AHH CONGRATULATIONS!! Do you review your tests after you write them? Also did you finish the 7Sage Curriculum before you started the practice tests? Currently in the 140s and want to get to low 160s by August!

    Whenever I was burnt out with the curriculum I would take a practice test or 2 to get my motivation back up - but I definitely didn't grind the practice tests like I am now until I finished the curriculum. But TBH I didn't completely finish the curriculum. I didn't do the last couple of sections of LR and for RC I just watched JY's intro to RC and then a couple of the timed sections in the curriculum and then got to work.

    I normally don't have too much to review. If I do BR all i'll do is finish the LG if I had a bad test and wasn't able to, and then i'll quickly go through the few LR questions that I wasn't sure on and try to figure those out (Normally takes about 10 minutes for those LR questions) Then i'll grade it. After that I'll look at the questions I got wrong and look at the right question and 99% of the time I just misread something or glanced over a part of the stimulus and I don't need to watch the explanation video because I immediately see why my answer was wrong and why the correct AC is correct. But in the off chance that i'm still not buying it that my AC is wrong i'll watch the important sections of JY's explanation for the question.

    I don't BR RC or really review it at all. I consistently get -4 now, (I started out not being able to finish the section and missing like 12) and my goal is to get -0 on LG and -0/-1/-2 on LR and -4 on RC and that should get my goal score.

    You can definitely get to low 160's! Probably only requires you to perfect LG which I think everyone is capable of as it is extremely learnable.

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @sandydanadurst said:
    I reset to my original score after reviewing so much and not taking any practice tests in awhile. now im shooting back up. PRACTICE TESTS ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN REVIEWING IN THE END!!!

    AGREED! Practice tests are key. No matter whether I feel burnt out or not I just grind out PT's like my life depends on it and try to get the variance of my scores down. GOODLUCK!!!

  • fullstopfullstop Member
    169 karma

    @ChinaBoy said:

    @onyourmark said:
    Hi! Congrats on your improvements and I'm kind of looking for advice on if there is any mechanism/thing that you feel that helped you to make progresses in all sections (especially LR and RC)? I'm also looking for advice on how to improve the RC session, like how did you approach a passage and the questions each time if possible :)) Thanks and good luck on your upcoming tests!

    Hey, Mark! Thanks a lot!!
    For RC I was getting up to -12 in the beginning and now average -4. So DON'T WORRY you can make progress despite what some say. I did a couple of days of just doing timed RC sections to get more comfortable with them. Then I made a noticeable effort to try to be super present while i'm reading, but read fast. What I mean by that is I don't try to work out any logical relationships of the sentence and I just try to read it quick and remember where things are at. Then what the questions reference, I'll go back and touch-up on it if need be. I think eventually after reading fast for a while your brain starts to naturally digest the information quicker and easier, giving you more time.

    LR just started intuitively making sense after some time and the answer choices seem so cookie-cutter after you do a lot of PT's to where you almost just half-heartedly read answer choices because you know exactly what you're looking for. I can't help much here, but if you feel like you need to use pencil and paper aside from MAYBE 1 question per LR i'd say you don't have a good enough grasp on the fundamentals of it yet!

    I began noticing a dip in RC scores so have been practising timed sections every day; while I go -4/-5 on them, I miss at least two because of fatigue when doing PTs. Any tips on how to avoid that, especially as you practised doing three PTs [which is insane!] per day?

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @fullstop said:

    @ChinaBoy said:

    @onyourmark said:
    Hi! Congrats on your improvements and I'm kind of looking for advice on if there is any mechanism/thing that you feel that helped you to make progresses in all sections (especially LR and RC)? I'm also looking for advice on how to improve the RC session, like how did you approach a passage and the questions each time if possible :)) Thanks and good luck on your upcoming tests!

    Hey, Mark! Thanks a lot!!
    For RC I was getting up to -12 in the beginning and now average -4. So DON'T WORRY you can make progress despite what some say. I did a couple of days of just doing timed RC sections to get more comfortable with them. Then I made a noticeable effort to try to be super present while i'm reading, but read fast. What I mean by that is I don't try to work out any logical relationships of the sentence and I just try to read it quick and remember where things are at. Then what the questions reference, I'll go back and touch-up on it if need be. I think eventually after reading fast for a while your brain starts to naturally digest the information quicker and easier, giving you more time.

    LR just started intuitively making sense after some time and the answer choices seem so cookie-cutter after you do a lot of PT's to where you almost just half-heartedly read answer choices because you know exactly what you're looking for. I can't help much here, but if you feel like you need to use pencil and paper aside from MAYBE 1 question per LR i'd say you don't have a good enough grasp on the fundamentals of it yet!

    I began noticing a dip in RC scores so have been practising timed sections every day; while I go -4/-5 on them, I miss at least two because of fatigue when doing PTs. Any tips on how to avoid that, especially as you practised doing three PTs [which is insane!] per day?

    To be honest I'm probably not the guy to ask. I drink a double espresso coffee with MCT oil 30 minutes before my 1st PT of the day. Then I will eat lunch and drink an energy drink and really hot water to help my food digest and avoid getting tired from lunch so I have energy to do my 2nd PT of the day. Then I'll normally take a good solid rest of a couple hours before I do my 3rd PT of the day. The whole time I also vape and have nicotine coursing through me so I'm not the most upstanding example of healthily avoiding brain fatigue while doing my PT's! hahaha.

    Also, i'm not sure if you know, but during the Flex you get 1 minute of rest between each section. So I take 1 minute between sections, calm my brain, drink some water, and prepare for the switch in thinking i'm going to have to make for the next section.

  • lsat_suslsat_sus Core Member
    1417 karma

    These non-chalant success stories motivate the shit out of me idk why. Ima catch your ass soon fam. Congrats!

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @lsat_sus said:
    These non-chalant success stories motivate the shit out of me idk why. Ima catch your ass soon fam. Congrats!

    I believe you! If I can get above a 170 then anybody and their dog can get above a 170!

  • 13002534241300253424 Member
    52 karma

    3 pt a day?? when you are crazy enough, your score might be too lol

  • lsat_suslsat_sus Core Member
    1417 karma

    lmao idk man the Chinese are smart af LOL but let us know where you get in! would love to know.

  • mandy.tranmandy.tran Alum Member
    58 karma

    Congratulations on your improvements!! So happy for you! You said that you don't really BR, could you tell me how you improved so much? I did PT's 3 times a week for 4 weeks and didn't wee any improvements at all.

  • 123anami123anami Member
    388 karma

    3 PTs a day? are you human my friend?

  • LawSchool8LawSchool8 Member
    192 karma

    @ChinaBoy Do you take the practice tests like you would on test day? Or do you do sections?

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @LawSchooli7 said:
    @ChinaBoy Do you take the practice tests like you would on test day? Or do you do sections?

    I take them exactly like I would on test day. The only time i've ever practiced taking time sections was whenever I had glaring weaknesses in a certain section. Now that it's all well rounded out I take only PT's the way in which I would on test day.

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @123anami said:
    3 PTs a day? are you human my friend?

    I think that it's reasonable with the "flex version" box checked. Each test is 1 hour and 45 minutes. Then only like 30 minutes max reviewing the test normally (but normally like 15) so say it averages around 2 hours total per test. That's just 6 hours of studying and I break that up with big rests for meals and caffeine consumption! hahaha
    (Granted I'm lucky to have 4 days a week with enough time to do that!)

  • ChinaBoyChinaBoy Member
    107 karma

    @"mandy.tran" said:
    Congratulations on your improvements!! So happy for you! You said that you don't really BR, could you tell me how you improved so much? I did PT's 3 times a week for 4 weeks and didn't wee any improvements at all.

    Hey, Mandy. Uhmm to be honest the majority of my improvement came from these few things:
    1) I mastered LG to where it's always a -0/-1/-2. This was through just religiously doing games for a week. (Redoing old ones until you master that game format)
    2) My RC was a big issue. I stopped highlighting, I started reading faster, and my "reading muscles" have become more able as they've gotten used to what I require of them. I just read a passage quickly and now after so much practice my brain is able to quickly sort and store information unlike when I first started. So this I went from -12 to consistently -4.
    3) My LR has always been fairly strong intuitively, doing so many PT's has just allowed me to get my variance down to where I rarely get more than -3.

    I hope this helps. This is where all of my improvement came from.
    I think it's worth mentioning that in order for a good score you must guarantee that you will finish LG and RC. If you're not finishing those sections that needs to be where all your efforts are allocated towards IMO. That was my struggle at first.

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