How to progress on this low 140s??

Comments

• 1 Like

  stepharizona Alum Member

  August 2016 3197 karma

  First, don't take any more of the tests in the 70s until you have worked through the entire 7Sage curriculum. I am not familiar with the the LSAT Blog Schedule, but I would follow the one on here. It says you finished the LG course, but its recommended that you go in order of the lessons. https://7sage.com/study-schedule/
  
  Some people read the trainer as they go through 7Sage, others at the end. Its up to you. I personally like the trainer at the end.
• dennisgerrard Member

  August 2016 1644 karma

  thanks for the reply. I have taken LSAT last December and cancelled it. I used blueprint but did not finished. The reason I used PT76 is know my level. But I won't take more 70s.
  
  However, I would stick on the 7sage syllabus rather than browsing others.
• 1 Like

  Alex Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 23929 karma

  @dennisgerrard
  
  Alright, so it looks like we have the same goal: Scoring in the 170s
  
  And superb choices on LSAT prep material. I love 7Sage (obviously) and The LSAT Trainer is my favorite prep book hands down. Mike Kim's approach to the LSAT really helped me develop the correct mindset for taking this exam.
  
  First, don't take anymore practice tests for now. There are only so many (obviously) and you really have to treat those like gold. Taking one is absolutely fine. After all, it is nice to have a diagnostic score so you can see if you are making progress. However, generally speaking, it is better to use PT 1-35 for drilling and then save 36-77+ for full-length practice tests.
  
  I also work as a summer intern at a bank as an analyst. I work everyday from like 8-6 so I get that studying can be a pain. And then back to school where I'll be in class from 9-2 then have homework/readings/papers.
  
  First, I'd say focus on going through the core curriculum on 7Sage and keep using The LSAT Trainer as you see fit. I personally think it is better to do one and then the other. I think doing them both in tandem is less advantageous. While you're starting out with Flaws in the Trainer, you'll be doing Main Point questions in the core curriculum. I suppose if you can find a way to prevent getting confused, you should be OK.
  
  Second, make sure you are properly doing all the problem sets at the end of the lessons on 7Sage. Make sure you a learning and memorizing the things JY says.Don't be afraid to go back and rewatch lessons you aren't understanding 100% Also, I like to go back and redo the problem sets after a few days to make sure I'm not forgetting how to do them.
  
  Once you are done with the 7Sage core curriculum I would then implement The LSAT Trainer and perhaps then revisit the idea of PT'ing. The LSAT Trainer has free schedules on their website that include drills and timed sections. Once you are acclimated to timed sections and begin mastering the sections PTs will be what you want to start taking.
  
  
  
  
• dennisgerrard Member

  August 2016 1644 karma

  Thanks!!! After reading your generous comment, I think I would do LSAT by type as drill and focus on the core curriculum. My issue is to have many materials and confused.haha
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  August 2016 23929 karma

  @dennisgerrard My pleasure! I think that finishing the curriculum and not mixing in other materials is probably the best. If you feel like your problem is too much material then wait to do the LSAT Trainer. It will only confused you more to do it at this point.
  
  Let me tell you a quick story
  
  I began prepping for the LSAT a few months ago. Before I began, I spent every dime I had on tons of books that were all supposed to be great. I bought the Powerscore Trilogy, Manhattan Prep Series, Blueprint, etc....I would get through 100 pages of the books and feel like they were good, but I wasn't getting better. I searched far and wide for a "silver bullet" or secret to gaming the LSAT. And I had the same issue of having too much material and just ending up confused.
  
  Once I started following 7Sage's custom schedule as I went through the curriculum, I began to do much better. It is nice knowing exactly what you need to do in a week to stay on schedule.
  
  A major thing that helped me was re-watching the videos and re-doing the problem sets. It paid off, because after a while I began to see major improvements in every section.
  
  
• 1 Like

  Nanchito-1-1 Alum Member

  August 2016 1762 karma

  Hi @dennisgerrard, I feel like the order in the way the curriculum is set ties everything in beautifully, and makes sense if you do it that way. Particularly the grammar and logic lessons for me. The trainer is an awesome supplement that really helped me with flaws and rc.
  I know it's exciting and you want to know how you're doing after a few lessons or after the curriculum, but pts are limited and valuable. If anything, drill and br pt's from 35 and down in sections leading to full tests after you've finished the curriculum. Find out your weakness and drill those again. Make sure no question is left without a full understanding of why 1 is right and 4 is wrong. If you still dont get it ask the community. I also benefited from taking the games of pts 1-35 and going to town on them for a few months. I saw a huge improvement!
• 1 Like

  runiggyrun Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  August 2016 2481 karma

  Hi @dennisgerrard - the advice above is all solid, and I fully agree with all of it, especially no more PT's until after the curriculum, no mixing learning sources for the time being, taking your time with the lessons, doing it in order and paying attention to the problem sets. You have the Ultimate+ package, so you can save a few of the problem sets at the end of each lesson to drill after you start PTing and you identify your remaining weaknesses. You don't need to finish ALL the problem sets to cement the material in your mind, but it's important to do at least 2-3 sets.
  
  On a separate note - I noticed a few turns of phrase in your posts that suggest that perhaps English is not your first language. I apologize profusely if this is a completely unfounded and offensive assumption - it's completely possible that you are just typing quickly and making changes here and there that make some words appear out of place. But, if you are an ESL student (and even if you aren't, but you find the RC section difficult) set aside some time to read dense materials in English in your spare time (I believe people recommend The Economist and Scientific American). Reading any material, especially if you're reading it as if it were an LSAT passage, is, even for native speakers, a good way to practice reading faster and reading for structure without using up precious PT's.
  
  You now have your diagnostic, and there's nowhere to go but up - Good luck!
• dennisgerrard Member

  August 2016 edited August 2016 1644 karma

  @runiggyrun Thanks for your attention. I am an ESL student. My major is Sociology in a LAC and did some reading but seems not enough.
  
  I did subscribed to the Economists but not Scientific American. I haven't done RC for a long time since my last LSAT. However, I enjoy reading by focus the structure and idea rather than the sentence or words. I took a month to focus on LG and increased accuracy.
  
  Thanks for your notice. I think I need pay 100% effort on the core curriculum and did some problem set.
  
  More to do for LSAT. 4 months is plenty for December.
  
  Again, I am very appreciated for your suggestion!!
• dennisgerrard Member

  August 2016 1644 karma

  @nanchito thanks for your comment. I will focus the curriculum and do some by type from 1-35
• yufei_super900625 Free Trial Member

  September 2016 2 karma

  You gotta do real hard on tutorials. The basic Powerscore series are top on my list given their concise composition style and unequivocate language. (As you dig deeper you can find whole lots of the other publishers either teach you to build up your own signaling system or simply just leave you with nothing. Subjective, right?) Get a really nice notebook and crack the tome, don't try to skip a tiny bit! Actually all you need lies right there in those books. It takes painstaking efforts.
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  September 2016 23929 karma

  @"yufei_super900625" said:
  You gotta do real hard on tutorials. The basic Powerscore series are top on my list given their concise composition style and unequivocate language. (As you dig deeper you can find whole lots of the other publishers either teach you to build up your own signaling system or simply just leave you with nothing. Subjective, right?) Get a really nice notebook and crack the tome, don't try to skip a tiny bit! Actually all you need lies right there in those books. It takes painstaking efforts.
  

  I'm going to have to disagree on this. I don't (and many others) do not recommend the Powerscore series. @dennisgerrard already has the ultimate + package which will give him all he needs and more to do well. I don't think using powerscore will help, but rather hurt him because it is such a vastly different approach from 7Sage's lessons.
• 1 Like

  Alex Alum Member ⭐

  September 2016 23929 karma

  @dennisgerrard said:
  4 months is plenty for December.
  

  It may or it may not be. In any case just keep sight of your score goal. It can be a long process from the 140s to the 170s. You'll get there eventually if you don't give up and keep working through and following the 7Sage course and philosophy.
  
  good luck!
• DEC_LSAT Alum Member

  September 2016 760 karma

  @"Alex Divine" I've never heard of Mike Kim's LSAT trainer! how did it help you? I finished the Core Curriculum so i'm wondering what i could be missing out on
• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  September 2016 23929 karma

  @Nina_Lucas It helped me quite a bit! I think it is the best LSAT prep book. I think it really helps you with your mindset and how you approach the test. I liked it because it helped me see how many of the question types in LR are so similar that a few strategies can help you solve many of them. If you have finished the CC, I highly recommend it.
• DEC_LSAT Alum Member

  September 2016 760 karma

  @"Alex Divine" sweet i'll check it out!Thank you
• tanes256 Alum Member

  September 2016 2573 karma

  @Nina_Lucas I agree with everything @"Alex Divine" stated above but I would like to add why I think the book is just fabulous! The book starts with the Flaws. IMO, this is hands down the best section of the book. I would purchase the book just for the Flaw section. I also love the RC sections. I honestly gave up too quickly with the 7 Sage memory method so I needed something else. I love the approach to read for structure and I also like how they discuss possible RC question types. The section discussing question types could be huge in cutting down on your time. You'll be able to quickly recognize certain question types and you'll know which strategy to apply. I like anything for this test that tends to be "formulaic" it just clicks better with me. I prefer 7 Sage's LG method but I did pick up a few tidbits here and there. And then there's this:

  @"Alex Divine" said:
  I liked it because it helped me see how many of the question types in LR are so similar that a few strategies can help you solve many of them.
  

  Love it! The book is about $40-$50. If you have any bookstores around you go check it out before purchasing and see what you think. It's so worth it though!
  
• 2 Likes

  DEC_LSAT Alum Member

  September 2016 760 karma

  @tanes256 THANK YOU! I appreciate your response so much!
• Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  September 2016 27899 karma

  @"Alex Divine" said:
  I'm going to have to disagree on this. I don't (and many others) do not recommend the Powerscore series.
  

  I agree with your disagreement @"Alex Divine" ! As you already knew, lol.
• texvd1988 Member

  September 2016 605 karma

  This is interesting. So do you guys think it is absolutely necessary to have a backup material once you are done with 7 sage? My plan is to finish this up and begin pt'ing with BR. I will then run that along redoing the 7sage lessons too. Should I move to the LSAT trainer instead (I have basically every book you can think of at this point)?