Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
- 33.5K All Categories
- 28.1K LSAT
- 17.1K General
- 5.2K Logical Reasoning
- 1.4K Reading Comprehension
- 1.7K Logic Games
- 70 Podcasts
- 191 Webinars
- 11 Scholarships
- 194 Test Center Reviews
- 2.2K Study Groups
- 112 Study Guides/Cheat Sheets
- 2.5K Specific LSAT Dates
- 31 November 2024 LSAT
- 18 October 2024 LSAT
- 9 September 2024 LSAT
- 38 August 2024 LSAT
- 28 June 2024 LSAT
- 4 April 2024 LSAT
- 11 February 2024 LSAT
- 22 January 2024 LSAT
- 38 November 2023 LSAT
- 43 October 2023 LSAT
- 14 September 2023 LSAT
- 38 August 2023 LSAT
- 27 June 2023 LSAT
- 30 Sage Advice
- 5K Not LSAT
- 4K Law School Admissions
- 13 Law School Explained
- 10 Forum Rules
- 641 Technical Problems
- 287 Off-topic
Related Discussions
146 —> 180 (Thank you 7sage!) Very tired Mom edition
If I can master this exam (while 7 months pregnant, working full-time, & parenting a toddler), you can too.
Scored a 146 on a diagnostic back in 2018. Took the November 2019 LSAT and scored a 153. Took it again and scored even lower. Worked my ass off (used Khan Academy —> BluePrint —> LSAT Hacks —> 7sage) and scored 180 in August. I almost canceled my score.
I’m very tired. Need a nap and maybe some chocolate.
Update: ** see below for the topics I covered in the comments.
** In the comments, I added tips around each of the following topics:**
- My study schedule
- Some thoughts around balancing work, parenthood, and LSAT studying
- My 15 favorite books that I read while I was studying: https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/30299/15-books-to-read-while-studying-from-a-180-scorer
- A few RC strategy tips that helped me go from -6 to perfect on RC sections (it's possible!)
- My logic games strategies
- My approach to the Core Curriculum + Mastering LR
Note: found my diagnostic score and it was actually 2 points lower! (updated accordingly).
Comments
You have a very inspiring story. You get your well-deserved sleep and chocolate... Congratulations. Hard work and persistence. I need to remind myself as I am getting fed up with my slow progress.
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story! Would love your recommendation for good tutoring!
I'm so proud of you
that's amazing
Hey congratulation! Are you doing any tutoring right now?
Thank you for the inspiring story. Would you mind sharing your study schedule?
This inspires me.
Congratulations! I've just sent you a PM!
what is your study schedule?! this is amazing!!!
Congratulations!!! Can you share your study schedule and how long you studied for??
Nice, who was the private tutor?
Congratulations! This made my day, so incredibly happy for you and wish you all the best!
Bravo Mom!
Wow, that's all I needed to hear. I am also pregnant with a toddler and working PT. You inspired me! Well done!
Get it girl! So proud of you. Congratulations, and thanks for the inspo!!!
Congrats!!! Amazing
Very inspiring, you can do anything if you set your mind to it, and you're a real life example of that. Congratulations!
What are your top three study recommendations, if you don't mind sharing?
congrats
how much time, on average, you take approximately to read the passage and to do its questions respectively on RC?
how much time on average for first 15 q and total section on LR?
how do you do handle the difficulty of computer-LG versus paper, as you have to diagram on paper for each AC and then look up to computer?
Here's my study schedule! @ParisJackson @LSATstudyperson @mollyjoy1 @tranle627
Mindset: There were many highs and lows and at times I thought it was wrong to keep studying. I began to have a healthier approach to the exam when I put the LSAT in the wider context of my life. I reframed this arduous LSAT prep process as something that would prepare me to excel in law school while being present for my children, which is my ultimate goal. With this renewed perspective, I started to fall in love with the process of improving myself as a student and I let go of the outcome (the score). I knew that this test was challenging me to grow in ways I needed to grow as a future law student. Once I mentally detached from the score, the process of growth became more enjoyable.
My schedule: The best hours for me to study are between 4:30 AM and 8 AM. A top lsat score was my #1 goal so I scheduled my studies for a time of day when I was least likely to be interrupted, which is those early morning hours (before work and before my son wakes up). I’ve done this routine since December 2020 and it has served me very well.
Pre-Study Morning routine:
1. 4 AM - wake up; I program the coffee the night before to brew at 3:59 AM, so the fresh smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen helps me get going. I also put my alarm across the room so no matter how tired I am, I have to get out of bed to turn it off.
2. Read: I spend a few minutes reading a good book and drinking a large cup coffee (let me know if you want any good book recommendations that will aid your studies - I can provide a list). Reading good books about how our brains work and how to build good habits helped me keep my sanity and stay focused on the process of becoming a better student throughout this journey.
3. Workout - short but sweet. A fast run or high intensity lift. I recommend the book “Spark” which explains the science behind why exercise primes our brain for learning and focus. https://www.amazon.com/Spark-Revolutionary-Science-Exercise-Brain/dp/0316113514/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=spark+book&qid=1631437821&sr=8-3
4. 15-minute mindfulness exercise (breath based) which focuses my attention. Here's a helpful guided mindfulness exercise that helps you focus your brain: https://www.mindful.org/a-15-minute-meditation-to-focus-the-mind/
How I Study:
- Study sprints: I study 6 days per week for 4-6 focused periods of 45-minute “study sprints” each day.
- Quantity goals: I do 4 sprints before work and 2 during breaks in the work day (the latter doesn't always happen).
- Breaks: I take 10-15 minute breaks between sessions. I find the breaks essential to keeping up my energy throughout the day, especially during those days when the pregnancy fatigue was hitting me hard.
Plus breaks help refresh my brain periodically so I can reattack those really tough LSAT topics and questions.
- Once the work day starts: What I don't finish before my son wakes up, I try to squeeze in during lunch time, his naptime, or quiet moments at work. (I got a promotion at work the day after I took the August LSAT, so this must've worked!)
- deadline: I aim to have my studies done before the end of the work day at the latest, so that I can be present for my family in the evenings.
A productivity tool that helped me:
- I use the productivity tool https://www.optimalwork.com to help me plan each study session. It challenges you to set up the steps of your studies prior to beginning and harness anxiety to help you perform at your best.
- I do 2 minutes of mindfulness before I started each study session. It helps my brain fully engage with the material.
- I also would never have my phone on me when I study.
Small reward:
- I had a calendar for each month above my desk and added a sticker to it every time I finished a study session. It was a fun, small reward! Whenever I started doubting I was putting the effort in, I would look above my desk and see the evidence of all my work right there in front of me. It helped me avoid getting into an "all or nothing" mindset and celebrate the small wins along the way. There were countless days where everything went wrong (a trip to the ER, unexpected house guests, crazy work deadline, sick baby, no childcare due to COVID) and I only got in 1 or 2 quality study sessions. But I made it my mission to get 1% better each day and never miss a study session 2 days in a row (I got these ideas from James Clear's book (https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-James-Clear-audiobook/dp/B07RFSSYBH/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9ANGAQQXFTCQ&dchild=1&keywords=atomic+habits&qid=1631437183&sprefix=atomic+habits,aps,169&sr=8-1).
Practice tests - quality over quantity:
Once I had a solid understanding of the question types/strategies for each section, I started taking a full simulated PTs once per week and I completed full timed sections 2 or 3 other days during the week.
A mistake a made early on in my studies was to keep churning out new PTs even though I hadn't really taken the time to understand my weak areas and had done practice addressing those areas of improvement. Part of the problem was that I didn't have an approach to test review that worked for me. The 1 PT/week NO MATTER WHAT rule was poor advice I received early on in my studies. It was demoralizing to not see any improvement in my score for 8 months. In fact, my scores went down when I was employing this strategy. I realized that if I was truly learning from each PT, then I will see improvement from one test to the next. If there are major gaps in understanding on an area, then I won't see improvement and I will keep making the same mistakes.
It takes time and practice to improve your process, and our process and approach to the test are the only aspects we can control.
I wanted to do more PTs, but at the end of my prep, I had to be realistic with myself and recognize that with the demands on my schedule, I could do a max of 1 full exam per week in one sitting if I was going to make measurable progress between each one and have time to fully review an exam (which would take up to two days) and practice the weak areas I identified. This practice alone is what got me from scoring from a 168 to 175+.
Preparing for the test day experience:
I struggled a lot with test day anxiety so I would try to simulate the test day environments as much as possible in practice. I thought of it almost as exposure therapy (thank you high school AP psych). To make it as realistic as possible, I did a few things that made the experience more real:
1. I reviewed the agreement LSAC has you read and sign before each section.
2. During the actual test, the proctors watch you but you can’t see them and it’s a bit unsettling. So, I would live stream my tests and send the link to a few close friends. Having the camera light on while you're taking this stressful exam allows you to get comfortable with the experience of someone watching you take the exam but you can't see or hear them.
3. Simulating proctors: When I took practice tests, I would send a zoom link to a few friends of mine and they would join and send me messages. It helped me simulate what test day was like. I also asked my husband to randomly interrupt my test because the proctors will randomly do that on test day.
For test anxiety:
I highly recommend the podcast “the Golden Hour” which has a lot of episodes that discuss anxiety. It’s hosted by a Harvard psychiatrist who specializes in anxiety. Here’s one of my favorites: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-golden-hour/id1514839782?i=1000512126835
It invites you to see anxiety not as a threat, but as adrenaline that’s there to help us perform at our best.
It never felt like enough: on a daily basis, I never felt like I was doing enough. Even when I started scoring perfectly/near perfectly on actual practice tests, I could mentally acknowledge these were "good scores" but I would still fixate on the problem areas. Even though I literally scored a 180 on the August LSAT, I still walked out stressing over whether I had bombed the entire thing. This exam is extremely challenging! I never felt "good" or "confident" walking out of the actual exam or practice test. But how we feel simply isn't an indication of our mastery of the subject matter or of our performance.
This is amazing! I was wondering if you have any tips regarding your journey through each section? Such as how did you get near perfect on an LR section? How would you review LR and RC after a section? Would you blind review? Did you increase your exams per week as you got closer to the exam? What methods worked best for mastering LG? Thanks so much and sorry for the barrage of questions.
A conscientious and intelligent woman who’s top priority is the proper nurturing of her son? Where can I find a pre-child version of you miss? I’d wife her up instantaneously, and I mean in the actual, exact, and precise moment of my encounter with such a celestial creature. I'm the lsat_simp.
Congratulations btw. You’re literally the 99th percentile of those in the 99th percentile. Hats off to ya and best of luck on your cycle!
Thank you SO SO much for sharing your story! I am a stay-at-home mom of 2 small children (3.5 years old and 11 months) and 4 months pregnant with baby #3 and would like to still have children in law school! I KNOW it can be done without losing your family in the process and I cannot tell you how encouraging your story is to me (and others), thank you!
Balancing work, parenthood, and studying:
@yanetrvaldes you got this!!
@patricia.i.deangelis I'm rooting for you! I love your sentiment because you hit on an exact struggle of mine that held me back for far too long and was in the back of my mind even when I took the exam in August. I'm going to write about it here in case it is helpful to you and any other 7sage parents/those with caregiving responsibilities:
Because I work full-time and have a young son, I worried that this process was going to hurt my relationship with them. I felt so guilty for studying. In fact, I had people close to me telling me I was wrong/selfish for taking this path! "what are you doing? why aren't you spending more time with them?" What they couldn't see was that I was doing this for them too. In reality, we were growing closer as a family in ways that became clear over time.
Through 2020-2021, my increased focus on my studies allowed my husband the time and space to grow as a father to our son in ways he wouldn't have otherwise. Because I took the time to pursue my dreams, my husband and son were able to do more fun outings on weekends while I was taking practice tests. It was adorable! Because I wasn't picking up the slack as much with the day-to-day tasks, my husband had to. In fact, he even moved into a more fulfilling, flexible, and rewarding career path that is a better fit for the needs of our family. He is so much happier with this own career path now too. I can confidently say now that this whole journey brought us closer together as a family. I know the same will be true in law school.
Back in March when I found out I was pregnant with my first daughter, it deeply motivated me to keep studying. I want my daughter to grow up knowing that children and motherhood can bring out the best in us. As baby girl was growing, so was I. Then, when I finally took the test in August, she was kicking me the whole time. She and I did it together
I can't wait to tell her about this one day when she's old enough to understand.
"As baby girl was growing, so was I. Then, when I finally took the test in August, she was kicking me the whole time. She and I did it together
I can't wait to tell her about this one day when she's old enough to understand."
The above is beautiful and yours is an amazing LSAT prep story.
You are as perfect as your LSAT score is. Well done!
You go mama!
@Excellence that is so kind!! Thank you!
I think this is one of my favorite posts I've seen in some time. You're a true queen!
Thank you @ME_V_LSAT for writing out your study schedule! It is so helpful!!!
I just wanted to say I don't think I've ever been happier for a stranger in my life! Congratulations and I wish you and your family all the best
Congratulations!! This is very inspiring! Wish you all the best in your future study and career!
Wow! Congratulations!!! This is amazing!! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you soooo much for posting your schedule!! I am currently working full-time as a paralegal, am 5-months pregnant, and have a toddler! I am struggling to find motivation... and to establish a set schedule. Your story is very inspiring and motivational! I am going to try out a modified version of the schedule you posted above and see how it works for me! Thank you again for sharing your story! Congrats on your score and great job mama, you're killin it!!!
@Dehydrated_Ginger good luck to you!! I was especially exhausted the first week of waking up at 4 AM but then doing a quick workout got me energized. If you sleep in one day, no big deal. Just re-strategize and go at it again the next day. I figured out a couple tricks that helped me get myself moving so early: I would put my alarm across the room and program the coffee so it was ready for me. I also would prep my workout clothes and study materials the night before. These little things made the mornings so much smoother. Good luck! Let me know if I can support you in any way on your journey.
First of all, you're a rockstar!! Congrats on your achievement! I was wondering how you made the most of your review in order to improve your score. This seems like the worst part for me. Also, where did you find a good private tutor?
Thanks and congratulations on all your hard work.
Congrats and thank you !
First of all, Congratulations! You worked hard and persevered. I would like to make a statement regarding your future and the law. I see in a previous post that you value being present for your children. Speaking from experience with my family, if you truly want to be a lawyer it is a career that will keep you away from your family, specifically your children. If I were you I’d look into tutoring or teaching other prospective law student how to ace the LSAT. You could possible make a really good career out of the hard work you have done to learn the in and outs of the exam. It’s sad but the law requires everything from the practitioner. I see it in my own family. I hope the best for you and your family and whatever path you choose. Check out this reality check YouTube video. It will make my point clear.
You're an inspiration!! Can you please provide the books you read in the morning for prep/motivation?
Just want to add my congrats and say thank you for sharing your story! I am inspired!
First of all - @ME_V_LSAT I've printed this story out and it's now taped to my desk at work. Strong ladies: may be know them, may we be them, may we raise them! Amen.
Secondly @"initium novum" this woman had at least 4 years (while she was studying) to understand what 'being a lawyer' entails. During that time do you think that she didn't do her homework on that? You question her dedication to being a lawyer by suggesting "if you truly want to be a lawyer" then you suggest she should know some things about being a lawyer and you give her a generic video of some guy explaining the (well known) hardships of practicing law? Then you suggest that she should re-consider being a lawyer? NO.
She wakes up before any actual lawyer I know to be able to work on this exam and also still practice her family values and goes to work (AND SLAYS....SHE JUST SLAYS THE WHOLE DAMN DAY. That promotion. The meditation. The consistent exercise. The family time. SLAYS).
All I see when I see this woman's story is the grit (physical, emotional, all the grit) needed to be a lawyer or anything else she puts her mind to. All the power to her.
Hi I appreciate the reply, just giving a different perspective. Maybe her gift is in teaching...prepping for the LSAT and killing it like she did is no small feat, but it is nothing like practicing law. There are many people who destroy the LSAT (AKA 180) and have successful careers teaching. I am sure she will do phenomenal in law school with her dedication, but being a successful lawyer and being there for family is tough. Maybe the YouTube video was not the best interpretation of my message. I got that. Take care. Remember, its just my opinion.
congratulations!!! you are amazing!
do you have any tips for reading comp?
Inspiring! Thank you for sharing!
@Zamalek95 @Serena13 here's my reading list!
My 15 favorite books that I read while studying for the LSAT
“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds…”- Rene Descartes
Books on Habits, Exercise, Mindset, and Psychology
James Clear - Atomic Habits: start here! This book inspires and has tons of practical resources on how to build routines, schedules, and habits that will allow you to thrive while juggling multiple priorities.
Dr. Ratey - Spark: From Dr. Ratey, I learned that exercise may be the most effective way I can combat depression and improve my brain functioning each day. Exercise has actually been shown to be one of the most effective treatments for depression. Research has shown that 3 days of exercise per week is as effective as regular doses of the antidepressant Zoloft.
Dr. Dweck - Mindset: From Dr. Dweck, I learned the importance of a growth mindset, which is the belief that our “inherent” traits ARE shapeable (including intelligence, personality) and how to cultivate one with practice. I learned how destructive LABELING is: both positive and negative labels are destructive. When we label ourselves and others we tend act consistently with those labels instead of growing in our ideals. They become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Books on Process, Mindfulness, and the Brain:
Dr. Daniel Siegel - Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation: From a pioneer in the field of mental health comes a groundbreaking book on the healing power of "mindsight," the potent skill that allows you to make positive changes in your brain–and in your life.
Thomas Sterner -The Practicing Mind: really honed in why focusing on the process is necessary. In order to achieve the goals we are striving for, we need to let go of the result, so we do not become impatient with the process. I learned from the stoics not to label what happens (the outcome), and this book affirmed this. “Failure” in the outcome is learning. Learning something new requires practice and involves mistakes. We will make mistakes when we are doing hard things and challenging ourselves.
Thomas Sterner - Fully Engaged: Better Results and Less Stress through Proven Techniques: To be fully engaged in life means that we have clear goals as well as the focus and skills to accomplish those goals with ease and a sense of calm awareness. This book explores specific techniques, such as thought awareness training and setting goals with accurate data, and demonstrates how using these techniques will not only help you reach your objectives, but will keep you engaged in each moment of your life, throughout the process of accomplishing those goals. Being thus engaged will result in less stress and more satisfaction in every aspect of life.
Dr. Ian McGilchrist - Ways of Attending: Attention is not just receptive, but actively creative of the world we inhabit. How we attend makes all the difference to the world we experience. And nowadays in the West we generally attend in a rather unusual way: governed by the narrowly focussed, target-driven left hemisphere of the brain.
Books on How to Study and Learn More Effectively
Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning: this book has given me a new strategy for studying for the LSAT that incorporates the latest research on the most effective ways to learn new subject matter. The focus of the book is memory and how to best promote long term retention of subject matter. It details the research behind the most effective study strategies we can employ to promote our memory. It offers many strategies all based in robust research. Each chapter is packed with studies and stories that capture real-life applications of the strategies. I highly recommend this book to anyone committed to lifelong learning. Even if you are beyond the years of formal study, you stand to benefit from learning better ways to retain information.
Cal Newport’s How to be a Straight A student:
Connection to other concepts: this aligns with what I’ve read about Growth Mindset - we are truly shapeable and if we want to be good students, we can hone the habits of good students. I love that this book allows for us to shape ourselves, with practice, into being good students. This book offers STRATEGIES that can help us be better students of life.
A big realization I had while reading this book was that the LSAT is a TECHNICAL exam, so my approach should be as such. So I am treating the test as this. There are a set of LOGIC rules that underlie the test. It is not a philosophy test, although there is theory behind the rules, it is really more of a MATH test. So my study approach should reflect this.
Books on Stoicism
Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations: I was deeply inspired by this book! This book is a collection of meditations that Marcus wrote to himself. He was encouraging himself and reminding himself to stay grounded. Each point could have been reflected on for 15 minutes or so. They reflected what Marcus was struggling with at the time or needed to remind himself of. It was a helpful reminder that no matter what we are doing, we need these reminders of what we are called to do in our lives. Thousands of years ago, Marcus Aurelius needed to remind himself that what other people think doesn’t matter.
Ryan Holiday -The Obstacle is the Way: What I learned from this book is about the philosophy of stoicism; this book is a modern day take on stoicism. There is an incredibly long tradition of stoicism dating back to the founding fathers and before that to ancient Greece and Rome. Ryan Holiday gives many examples of stoics in his books, much like James Clear does in his Atomic Habits. I was struck that Abraham Lincoln struggled with depression and was forced to manage it over the years. Ryan Holiday made the point that Lincoln’s depression gave him a unique perspective on his own mortality. He read voraciously which helped him manage his depression. It reminded me that nothing happens to us that we can’t endure. I enjoyed reading this book in conjunction with Marcus Aurelius, one of the original stoics.
Favorite Memoirs
Tara Westover - Educated: an incredible book. Something I learned from this book is that it is important to acknowledge the power that old ideas and ways of thinking have over us. They are passed down from generation to generation. To grow, we need to leave old ways behind and keep pushing before. A part of growing is leaving aside ideas that were passed down from our parents and grandparents. I think one of the most important lessons we can learn from the book is that we are shapeable. Our past does not define us. With effort we can grow and become capable of more in our lives.
Tori Murden - A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean: Was struck by how much this woman had a heart for the vulnerable and how much that drove her to do what she did. She protected her mentally handicapped brother from bullies. This is a true story of Tori Murden McClure, the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. McClure’s memoir is more than a woman-against-the-elements adventure tale; it is a story of courage, adventure, and personal discovery that will appeal to women and men of all ages. Beautiful, breathtaking, moving, and inspiring. I read this book in 24 hours.
Other Favorites
Digital Minimalism - Cal Newport: Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It's the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world. In this timely and enlightening book, Newport introduces a philosophy for technology use that has already improved countless lives.Digital minimalists are all around us. They're the calm, happy people who can hold long conversations without furtive glances at their phones. They can get lost in a good book, a woodworking project, or a leisurely morning run. They can have fun with friends and family without the obsessive urge to document the experience. They stay informed about the news of the day, but don't feel overwhelmed by it. They don't experience "fear of missing out" because they already know which activities provide them meaning and satisfaction.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace - Nedra Glover Tawwab: Learning to set boundaries is an acquired skill that we can master through practice. Boundaries allow for healthy relationships with our spouses, children, family, friends, work, volunteer efforts, and ourselves. This book offers practical advice on how to identify when boundaries are needed in various aspects of life and how we can go about setting assertive boundaries. What I learned from Nedra Glover Tawwab is that actually “feelings of guilt” are inevitable when you’re setting boundaries in areas you haven’t before, but where boundaries are desperately needed. It won’t feel “good” to set much-needed boundaries but it will allow for a more joy-filled, balanced life.
Hi, I am blown away by the level of detail on this most recent post. You are truly gifted, you have a gift share it with others. Your insight is phenomenal. All the best.
I am very very happy for you!!!!! What the best strategy in your opinion if I exhausted all the PTs?? I think I am on a relatively high functioning level, but since I run out of pts a while ago, I feel I am working in the dark..
Here's my RC strategy: @gabehasastory @Persistence_beats-resistance28 @CantHurtMe @noinamatta @yasmeencrose
My Strategy for Reading Comprehension: how I got from -6 to -0
Note: these strategies helped me after I had a strong foundation in RC and was still getting -6 to -4 wrong per section. I had nailed down a good reading/timing strategy at this point (which was highly individualized) but found myself often stuck between two answer choices on tougher questions.
Mindset: think like the future lawyer you are! At first I hated RC, but then I started to enjoy once I realized it's the area of the test that I think challenges us the most to think like a real attorney because there needs to be concrete evidence in the passage for EVERY correct answer choice and there's simply not sufficient textual support for wrong answer choices.
5 things to get -0 on RC:
1. Eliminate wrong answer choices - Process of Eliminations vs. Process of selection:
do a thorough process of elimination; as soon as I found myself doing a process of "selection" I was in the wrong mindset and I was going to get the question wrong. You know what I'm talking about. You will notice that there are times you’re “trying to make an answer to work" but as soon as you find yourself doing that, and if you don’t switch gears, you will likely get the question wrong.
The secret to RC is eliminating the wrong answers and further evaluating the answer choices left standing. For example, if there's no textual support (key word, sentence, or phrase) for an answer choice, it's wrong and can be eliminated in your process of elimination.
As soon as I demanded more of myself and forced myself to eliminate all the wrong answer choices, I started getting all of the questions correct.
2. Ensure all selected answer choices have support: DEMAND a line of evidence for EVERY answer choice you select as the correct one:
Before you finalize the "correct" answer, ensure that there is an actual line of evidence supporting the answer choice you select. Even on inference/author's opinion/attitude/tone/analogy questions, there will always be a key work, sentence, or phrase that will support the answer choice. For specific questions, the correct answer will most nearly mean what's stated in the passage.
For inference questions, the right answer choice will be something that can be "reasonably inferred" from the text. By definition an inference is an unstated conclusion. As you read each AC, ask yourself, “Where’s the evidence?” Once you start thinking this way, the correct answer choices will start leaping off the page.
3. RC requires an exact process just like LG or LR; there isn't gray area
Early on in my studies, I struggled a lot with RC because it seemed like there wasn’t always a precise answer. But there always is. I had to let go of the idea that RC was less precise as LR/LG. It is just as precise. There are always 4 wrong answers and 1 correct answer. there's textual support for the correct answer; there's partial or no support for the wrong answers.
4. Ignore any prior knowledge you may have of the subject matter discussed in the passages in order to remain objective
Once I started thinking about stuff I knew about the subject matter being discussed, I'd get tripped up. Think about it: it wouldn't be fair for LSAC to bring in outside information and require that for you to get a question right. That would be discriminatory. Try to ignore anything you know on the subject and approach each passage with a clean slate.
When we bring in outside information to evaluate a passage, we may unknowingly become biased to certain answer choices and lose our objectivity.
5. Use the same LR question type strategies on RC
When “tricky” inference questions on RC come up (the dreaded analogy questions for example), try using the same approach you would on LR.
Think of the paragraph the question is referencing like an LR question stimulus and use the LR strategy to identify the correct answer.
Here's my strategy:
1. Locate the paragraph where question is referencing
2. mentally view it as a LR question stimulus
3. employ the LR strategy you would use to prephrase the correct answer
4. Utilize a strong process of elimination
5. Identify support for any remaining AC, the correct AC will be the one with textual support.
Once I started consistently forcing myself to think differently about RC and employ these practices for every question type, I started getting perfect scores on sections.
I also advise doing untimed sections and practicing these strategies before doing timed sections. Perfect your strategy. Then focus on accuracy under timed conditions.
PM if you have other questions.
thank you for your kind words @"SS.Sitka"
@ME_V_LSAT Congratulations!
Thank you and thanks to 7sage!! @"Juliet --Student Service--"
.
@sophie74 @CantHurtMe added my LG tips/strategies!
Re: finishing all the PTs:
I didn't even come close to finishing all the PTs. Throughout the last stages of prep, I focused on perfecting and refining my strategy for every question type and on the timing aspects of each section. Then, in my review, I focused on any behavior change that was required in order for avoid making the "same mistake" twice.
Re: PTs in the 80s
In my experience, the PTs in the 80s are the most like the exam I took in August 2021. Anecdotally, the level of difficulty in RC and LG seemed to be about the same. I actually found the LG to be less challenging than in older exams, however the RC to be much more challenging. I thought the August exam was the same.
Strategies for Logic Games:
Once I had a solid foundation in LG (knew the basic game types, and had ton several games). I was still really slow at these until I started using the 7sage fool proofing method. I saw the most improvement with LG when I Foolproofed the games that I found particularly challenging on a given section or that took me longer than the recommended time.
A couple of pointers:
- Logic Games are like a muscle: if you don't work them, then they will atrophy. do these consistently to perform/maintain your ability.
- Keep the diagrams as simple as possible
- Define your process. Mine was:
1. Read the rules once and write them out in notation form. List the variables and double check to ensure the # matches the # in the scenario.
2. Set up the game in the way that was most visually helpful for me (if not sure how to, sometimes the first question can help with that)
3. Re-read the rules to answer the first question. For example, read rule 1 then eliminate any answers in question 1 that violate the first rule. Do the same for rule 2, 3, etc.
4. Make any deductions (this step will become more intuitive with practice):
-identify the most limiting point in the set up or rule
- split the gameboard if you can
- figure out which variable is a free agent (doesn't have any rules tied to it and moves around a lot/variations of their placement will come up a lot on CBT and CBF scenarios)
Then, attack the questions in order of difficulty - I prioritize the question types I think are easier, then do the harder ones. I find that doing the easier questions first helps me build out scenarios further and those scenarios can be used to eliminate a lot of the answer choices on the harder questions.
5. First answer questions that are MBT and add additional rule to the set up (i.e. if Johnny went to the store on Tuesday, which of the following MUST BE TRUE).
6.Then do more general questions that require you to test more scenarios (i.e. which of the following COULD BE TRUE? or MBF). These are tricker but the scenarios from the MBT questions will help eliminate a lot of the answer choices on these.
7. Do a sanity check on each question before finalizing your answer (did I use the right variable? did I test all necessary answer choices? etc).
I also recommend fool proofing the top 10 toughest logic games in between tests. I got this great list of the top 10 toughest LG. Working through these certainly made the games on the recent PTs easy.
The top 10 toughest Logic Games: https://lsatblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/hardest-lsat-logic-games-list-hard.html