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139-170s
saulgoodman-2
Alum Member
Started with a diagnostic of 139, feeling really hopeless that I wouldn't be able to get into any law school. Just took a few PTs throughout the week and I'm ranging from 168-170s. Just writing this discussion post to give hope to anyone studying. You guys can do this. Let's all not give up and crush our actual tests!
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Incredible progress. Drop the tips fam
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In the same boat as you @icandoit-3-1! 141 to a high of 171! Averaging 168 on the last 10 prep tests. Feels so good! You all can do it! Keep working!
what was your process?
This is amazing!! Thank you for sharing.
Is it taking anyone else much longer to get through the lessons than its supposed to?
I just finished a lesson that was supposed to take 6 mins and it took me 30 mins lol. I study for 2-4 hours most days (would be longer if I didn't work full time), but I haven't even made it half way through the logical reasoning lessons yet and I started with 7sage at the end of October.
I do take a lot of notes and spend too much time replying to comments left by other 7sagers (definitely need to stop doing the latter).
Is it just me? Or is it normal to take this long before getting to the point of taking practice tests?
My biggest tip is really just to practice a whole ton. I do about a minimum of one section each day. Just do a little something every day, even if it's just only for an hour. It really starts to make LSAT part of your everyday routine rather than some scary, intimidating test that you have to fear. I do study for a few hours each day, but I also remind myself to stop and take a break because all this reading can really take a toll on your brain and perform worse than you normally would.
I would suggest focusing a bunch on logic games for a really long time because that's the easiest and quickest way to improve your score. I know it's pretty much a cliche advice but what worked for me is completing every logic game out there and doing them more than just once. After a few months, I went from getting every single question wrong to -0~2.
I also spent a lot of time just doing things untimed and it is only this past week that I started doing the PTs timed. Trust me, timing will come naturally if you really grasp the concepts first. I would try to do the questions untimed, and if I get them wrong, I always watch the explanation videos and read the comments underneath the videos because you get to hear explanations from not only JY but also other students. If JY's explanation doesn't work for you, you can always look to how other students and see if they explained in a way that suits your thought process better. Unfortunately, I can't give much advice for reading since I'm always getting -4~6 wrong in that section, so I'm not in the best place to give tips. However, I did hear that just doing a bunch of practice is what helps with reading so that's the method I've been trying out lately. I also remind myself that the answers to the questions is always SOMEWHERE in the passage, even if I can't find it in time. But also I know that I'm not the best at reading so please take my advice with a grain of salt heh.
Also, I really do think the best way to study for this exam is to not give up and keep trying. I always feel like this test is set up to play mind games with you and try to make you become frantic and lose your pace by testing you mentally. That is why I think it is really important to just take a breath and not lose your momentum during PTs. When I feel myself panicking during sections due to the difficulty of the test, I always remind myself to calm down and relax. Panicking, especially during the reading section, is definitely going to break your momentum even if you know your stuff! I don't know if this advice will help anyone, but the most important thing is not giving up. Even if you feel like you aren't making any progress, you definitely ARE! And it will show up in your score one day, whether it's weeks after studying or even months. I didn't see this much progress until recently, which took me months to get there. I think this test is designed to test your perseverance and consistency, rather than your natural talent of being able to read or solve questions.
What works for someone might not work for you, so I think it's important to research how other people studied and try different methods if one didn't work for you. I still try different methods hoping that I'll find one that will work for me best. This is a rather lengthy answer, but I really do want all of us to succeed and crush this test! I really hope this comment helps!
Much needed encouragement!!
this isn't easy but always good to remember that I'm not alone
@kaiya123, to be honest I didn't really follow the lessons in chronological order like that hehe.. I think maybe you can try solving some LR questions and find out what types of questions you're getting wrong most. Then, try to spend most of your time learning the lessons that targets your weaknesses. Ex: I was really bad at weakening or MBT questions, so I'd go back and watch those lessons to see why I was getting them wrong.
Hi @icandoit-3-1 How many months did you study for? I plan on taking the September or October LSAT!
@BabyYoda15 Hi! I started studying at the end of May, took a break from studying for a month in August, so I’ve been studying for about 5-6 months now! I definitely think you can make significant progress by Sept.
@icandoit-3-1 did you finish the cc before you started taking PTs? I am in the same boat as @kaiya123 , and I feel like I can't get through the cc fast at all or that I am taking way too long...legit same scenario where the lesson says it should be like 12mins and I'm taking like 40mins
Do you recommend taking a PT or just keep going through the core? I'm open to recommendations! I was going in order, and I am still not even through the LR section yet
@hollyrose613 I actually didn't finish all the cc because I read books prior to using 7Sage (The LSat Trainer and the Loophole in Logical Reasoning). I was able to knock those two books out relatively quickly, which gave me a basis of what the LSAT would be like. I just used some of the core curriculums from 7Sage to solidify my knowledge rather than going through every single one of them. I think you might have an quicker time going through the CCs if you start learning about the LSAT through books first.
@hollyrose613 Don't worry too much if you're spending too much time on CCs. I think it's great to have a knowledge of the concepts before jumping into the PTs. As for myself, I just decided not to go through the entire CC in chronological order and it worked out for me! However, I know that everyone's learning style is different so I wouldn't get to worried that you're still doing the core curriculum. I'm sure you're making progress even if it might not feel like you are.
@icandoit-3-1 Thank you so much for this great advice!
My question is how long do you think is needed to see an improvement? With the test changing in the summer I feel like time is limited. Also, how much studying per day do you think is adequate?
Did the loophole really help a lot in LR or do you recommend another method? Thanks!
yesss! my diagnostic score was the same, and I've gotten up to 148, which isn't amazing but it's progress. my goal is the 160s. this gives me hope!
also, I am super happy for you!!
@equallyyoked not the og poster, but i read the loophole and really improved from it. It's approach was far more palatable to me then the more formulaic and methods found in the trainer or the LR bible. While I thought the bible and the trainer were useful in learning conditional reasoning and logic (which I think the loophole brushes over a bit) I found it challenging to transfer what I learned from the trainer and bible onto the actual questions, especially during timed testing. Loophole however was far more digestible, and its tactics were far more replicable and more easy to turn into second nature.
Thank you for the insight. I do have that book but never finished it. She seems to teach based off of formulas too (after the comma look for this, etc.). I do appreciate your insight. I think that I will at least skim over certain chapters again.