Guys, I'm in for June too!!!!! Really excited to be a part of this process with you all. Looking forward to attending my first BR Skype session, too! @LSATsagha - oh yes, SO MUCH parental pressure; I have to keep reminding myself that I'm my own boss!
Wrote the LSAT today and am certain I will have to re-write. I was thinking of trying again in June but want to complete a formal course in preparation this time. For those of you who are doing the Ultimate+, do you think it's doable to get it done (and truly benefit from it) in 6 months?
@nye8870 feels fantastic. No rush, and gives me time to digest the material much better, as opposed to how I was with Test Masters. 6 month plan is much less stressful. First two months just crack the material down, and the last 4 months take a couple exams a week, blind review, and work in weaknesses. So much time to improve. I am assuming once I start taking exams I will probably study more intensively pinpointing weaknesses and stuff like that, but not to worried about burning out. I am still adjusting to not studying as much as I used to per day it feels kind of weird haha, but at least I can retain the material better! Thank you for asking!
I am on week 3 of the syllabus, MBT not so bad. Thus far, strengthening and weakening questions I have noticed can get pretty difficult. I have noticed the ones that I have trouble with are the ones where the passage is difficult for me to understand. What do I do in this particular case? Lol very discouraging.
@allan.kogan said: I have noticed the ones that I have trouble with are the ones where the passage is difficult for me to understand.
I was in the same boat when I first started out with the LSAT. From my experience, I found that the more time I spent with the LSAT material and the more familiar I was with it, the better I became at reading through it/understanding the stimulus/readings. It is a little tricky to get/figure out what is going on, and it took me a few months of steady comprehension to just start getting it without any questions asked about what I just read. You'll get there!
@allan.kogan Practice and experience helped me start to overcome that same feeling. In the curriculum, strengthen & weaken questions begin to challenge you to start engaging in the stimulus and understanding arguments and argument structure. I have been studying off/on for a year and the "passage is difficult" is still a common issue for many of us. The stimuli are purposely complex - my advice is to stick to the basics for now especially just starting the curriculum. Make sure to identify the premise(s), conclusion and the assumption/flaw in the argument & make sure you are working towards understanding the argument structure no matter the topic. If identifying the flaw is the bigger issue, get Mike Kim's The LSAT Trainer and read his Flaw section - very helpful.
@allan.kogan said: What do I do in this particular case? Lol very discouraging.
During your blind reviews, you can write out a simpler version of the complicated sentences. Inevitably, a 3 sentence stimulus could conceivably have 9 sentence translation. After a year of pretty consistent studying, I still do this sometimes. If you can’t understand it, the rest is irrelevant.
Also what I have not gotten to flaws yet @lsatings . Thus far, I am just doinf strenghthening and weakening questions by identifying the assumptions and focusing on argument structure. I can imagine once I get to the flaws lecture it will probably help me even more adding that to my problem solving tools.
@allan.kogan For December, I was rushing through the curriculum to do PT's and make the test. This time, I am going through the curriculum very slowly coupled with Cambridge LR and LG drilling.
I just redid my LSAT schedule for the June test, because I got behind in the curriculum. This time I won't start PTing until the first week of February after I have completed the curriculum slowly and ensure that I really understand all aspects of the LSAT. That said for LR and RC I am using the Trainer book to complement the LR lessons in 7Sage. I am skipping 7Sage's RC portion and the lessons where 7Sage has RC, I am reading the Trainer chapters and going through the exercises on RC.
That said, doing all the curriculum based on subject for example I am doing MSS questions today. I am committing up to 5 hours a day of prep. I am leaving the weekends free because they sometimes have workshop sessions then, and also life can get in the way on the weekends. When I start PTing I will start at two a week and then go to three a week leaving the interim day for BR. I am going to try to mesh my PT schedule from 39 onto the most recent one and synchronize it with the BR group because I think it is probably very helpful and effective.
@allan.kogan said: How many hours a day would you guys say you were studying while you were doing the cirriculum, (not taking PTs yet) ?
I didn't start out with 7sage! I actually had taken a Kaplan course and felt that it was a disaster and so I came here. But I would say I was doing a solid 10-15 hours/week for the first few months, and most of it was just *getting* what was in the stimulus/test. Im a big kinesthetic learner, so I couldn't jump into strategies right away before actually trying the problem sets on my own and trying to go about it that way.
Once you start figuring out how to break apart the stimulus between argument/premises, then it gets much easier. I was approaching it and trying to force myself to understand it without any strategy, which wasn't working for me.
This should come easily after you're able to begin identifying the gap in logic or vulnerability is within each stimulus. The more you practice, the easier it comes. It took me about two months to jump from a 155 to a 165, and I focused a lot on comprehension over timing just because I was new to it all and knew if i added the time component I may not be able to grasp all the concepts as well as I should be. Now that I'm at a 165 (timed), I'm training with time/comprehension simultaneously.
Keep adding layers to your study as you go along. It's okay if it takes time. Just be intellectually honest with yourself about what you know/don't know and that humility will carry you a long way in mastering this test.
Anyone even on a 6 month plan to June feel like the material is starting to pile up after week 3 of the study schedule and not being able to get enough practice in of every question type learned so far . I think I am doing okay, maybe just overreacting. I just hope come in one month when I start taking PTs from Feb-June (4 months of PTs) that I wont start with a 146 which was my original highest score lol. I just get nervous because I feel like I never get enough practice of each questiont type but maybe I should not worry so much. Everytime I learn a new question type I actually feel like I get better and conceptually understand argument structure more and more.
@allan.kogan to give you some perspective. I started studying LSAT this time last year. I won't be taking the test until this June. And I'll probably need to take it in October too at least. Though, I started at a 141 baseline.
But this takes some time. There's a reason why JY recommends spending a year to prep.
@DumbHollywoodActor I started like 4-5 months ago as well, now adding an addition 6 months (starting since december). I am right there with you hitting a year in June! Will definitely take June though at a certain point I gotta take this thing and with 4 months of PT taking and Blind Review I am sure I will be able to do this! But if need be, I will take October also, without a doubt.
Decided today that I am definitely testing in June. As upset as I am that I will not be going to law school this coming fall, I have made peace with it. It is better to get an additional 5 more months of studying so that I can get a good score than to take the test in February and perform average. It will be worth it when I score 170+ and get lots of scholly money! Here's to hoping for the best..
@"legally_chels" said: Decided today that I am definitely testing in June. As upset as I am that I will not be going to law school this coming fall, I have made peace with it. It is better to get an additional 5 more months of studying so that I can get a good score than to take the test in February and perform average.
I'm also planning to take the June exam. Enjoying the curriculum so far. I did well on my second PT (171 on #12) but feel like my true performance is closer to mid 160s (older PTs seem a lot easier). I need to improve my grammar parsing on difficult questions.
I also decided to postpone to June. I have gone through the curriculum twice (better handle on it second time around.) But I also think the material was condensed. Should I upgrade so that I have access to more material? Also, what is the process with blind review? I thought you take a PT timed and then take it untimed, repeat with other PT's, is this correct? Thanks
Typically, you want to take a PT under strict, timed conditions. You want to make these conditions as similar to test day as you can. While you are going through the test timed, circle any questions that you cannot eliminate 4 wrong answer choices with 100% confidence and confirm the correct answer choice with 100% confidence. At the conclusion of the timed test, print a clean copy (or copy before hand if working from the books) and do all circled questions untimed. During this run, dig as deep as you need to into the argument/fact set and work to eliminate and confirm with 100% confidence. Take as long as you need to. This is where the bulk of learning takes place and where you start to notice the subtle patterns that emerge within the tests. Beware of confidence errors. These are questions that you miss that you don't circle. These are particularly dangerous because they represent the fact that you were 100% sure of the right and wrong answer choices but ended up being incorrect. These will inevitably happen, but work to keep them to a minimum. When they do happen, you have to understand why you missed it and eliminate the faulty reasoning that led to said miss.
Another tip that has helped me tremendously is to type out the reasoning for each question including the premise, conclusion, what I need to be looking for and why each answer choice is either right or wrong. This will help a great deal when you watch the video to see how closely your reasoning matches JYs or Jonathans. Best of luck to you. Be sure to ask any questions you might have.
I too started the course last week. I love the course so far and I can say with 100% confidence that I've already learned so much more with 7Sage than what I learned in the first week with Blue Print.
Hey guys! I'm also taking the June test It'll be my first time.
I've only taken two PTs so far from The Official LSAT Superprep (A and B - haven't done C yet) and by far my worst section is Logic Games. Improved from a 151 on the first test to a 153 the second one with about a month of studying in between. As far as the games go I'm digging JY's approach and looking forward to getting those suckers down to a t.
Before starting with 7sage I was using Mike Kim's LSAT Trainer which is awesome and I highly recommend. If your eyes need a break from the computer the Trainer has some super useful drills for flaws and other reasoning questions. I continue to go back to the book and find it to be a nice complement to this curriculum. Completely worth the $43.
Looking forward to sharing stories throughout this rigorous study period!
hey i was looking for a prep class and was considering sage's starter package. obviously because its affordable compared to the others. wanted to get some feedback if anyone has taken the class. please leave your score and what class you took if you can
Has anyone run into a study schedule conflict? I was supposed to end my curriculum at the end of February and start PT but it looks like I'll be waiting until early March. I am in no way going to rush!
@nantesorkestar I'm probably 2 weeks behind my study schedule, was originally going to start PTing in February then end of February, now its probably going to be beginning of March.. The most important thing I think is that your ready curriculumwise before you start PTing..
@nantesorkestar & @sweetsecret Both of you are being smart to not rush! Wish I wasn't studying the curriculum a 2nd time because I rushed focusing on a Dec 2015 target date. I wasted 10 PT's and so much time before I finally listened to the 7Sage advice to thoroughly do the curriculum and have a sound base of the fundamentals before the PT phase. All the best:)
@twssmith thanks for the encouragement but I was in the same boat as you.. was rushing through the curriculum and PT's for the December 2015 test (mainly the 40s and one of the 60s) when a month before the test I realized that I was nowhere near prepared and making a lot of unwarranted assumptions in my reasoning. That came from not mastering the curriculum. Aiming for June (*fingers crossed*), and hoping that I make my new schedule lol
Hey guys! How is your prep for the June test going? I'm a few weeks in an have already made huge improvements. Can I also recommend the Thinking LSAT podcast. The discussion has really helped me.
@TOLedo2016 I also really enjoy the Thinking LSAT podcast. It's perfect for keeping my mind on the subject matter while doing things that prohibit me from actively studying.
I have been buying the books used on Amazon. Which helps curbed the cost a bit. Any suggestions to find them cheaper? Yeah. The podcast is great. It's almost like free instruction and provides discussion on other topics like applications, school rankings, and personal statements.
Comments
Hope to see a bunch of you there!
I just redid my LSAT schedule for the June test, because I got behind in the curriculum. This time I won't start PTing until the first week of February after I have completed the curriculum slowly and ensure that I really understand all aspects of the LSAT. That said for LR and RC I am using the Trainer book to complement the LR lessons in 7Sage. I am skipping 7Sage's RC portion and the lessons where 7Sage has RC, I am reading the Trainer chapters and going through the exercises on RC.
That said, doing all the curriculum based on subject for example I am doing MSS questions today. I am committing up to 5 hours a day of prep. I am leaving the weekends free because they sometimes have workshop sessions then, and also life can get in the way on the weekends. When I start PTing I will start at two a week and then go to three a week leaving the interim day for BR. I am going to try to mesh my PT schedule from 39 onto the most recent one and synchronize it with the BR group because I think it is probably very helpful and effective.
Once you start figuring out how to break apart the stimulus between argument/premises, then it gets much easier. I was approaching it and trying to force myself to understand it without any strategy, which wasn't working for me. This should come easily after you're able to begin identifying the gap in logic or vulnerability is within each stimulus. The more you practice, the easier it comes. It took me about two months to jump from a 155 to a 165, and I focused a lot on comprehension over timing just because I was new to it all and knew if i added the time component I may not be able to grasp all the concepts as well as I should be. Now that I'm at a 165 (timed), I'm training with time/comprehension simultaneously.
Keep adding layers to your study as you go along. It's okay if it takes time. Just be intellectually honest with yourself about what you know/don't know and that humility will carry you a long way in mastering this test.
But this takes some time. There's a reason why JY recommends spending a year to prep.
Best of luck!
Typically, you want to take a PT under strict, timed conditions. You want to make these conditions as similar to test day as you can. While you are going through the test timed, circle any questions that you cannot eliminate 4 wrong answer choices with 100% confidence and confirm the correct answer choice with 100% confidence. At the conclusion of the timed test, print a clean copy (or copy before hand if working from the books) and do all circled questions untimed. During this run, dig as deep as you need to into the argument/fact set and work to eliminate and confirm with 100% confidence. Take as long as you need to. This is where the bulk of learning takes place and where you start to notice the subtle patterns that emerge within the tests. Beware of confidence errors. These are questions that you miss that you don't circle. These are particularly dangerous because they represent the fact that you were 100% sure of the right and wrong answer choices but ended up being incorrect. These will inevitably happen, but work to keep them to a minimum. When they do happen, you have to understand why you missed it and eliminate the faulty reasoning that led to said miss.
Another tip that has helped me tremendously is to type out the reasoning for each question including the premise, conclusion, what I need to be looking for and why each answer choice is either right or wrong. This will help a great deal when you watch the video to see how closely your reasoning matches JYs or Jonathans. Best of luck to you. Be sure to ask any questions you might have.
I've only taken two PTs so far from The Official LSAT Superprep (A and B - haven't done C yet) and by far my worst section is Logic Games. Improved from a 151 on the first test to a 153 the second one with about a month of studying in between. As far as the games go I'm digging JY's approach and looking forward to getting those suckers down to a t.
Before starting with 7sage I was using Mike Kim's LSAT Trainer which is awesome and I highly recommend. If your eyes need a break from the computer the Trainer has some super useful drills for flaws and other reasoning questions. I continue to go back to the book and find it to be a nice complement to this curriculum. Completely worth the $43.
Looking forward to sharing stories throughout this rigorous study period!
please leave your score and what class you took if you can
Cambridge LSAT has them individually as pdf's for $9 and Amazon has the book form 29-36 and 41-50, etc. for I believe $20 each.
To be more specific, I work 70 hours per week!