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How to avoid careless mistakes?
Dear 7sagers,
After months of prep, I still have a recurring problem: making careless errors - mostly in the form of misreading LR stimulus and answer choices.
I noticed that I miss a lot of questions from Q20-25. In most instances, I have 8 to 10 minutes left when I get to Q20, so I don't think timing is the major issue. When I blind review them, I don't find them particularly harder than the Q1-15 group (I find Q15-20 the greatest difficulty).
One thing that I noticed time and time again in doing LR sections on actual prep tests is that whenever I check my watch after I hit Q20, I tend to speed up on the last 5 questions. Subconsciously what I'm doing is that I'm trying to finish the section on time, and that causes me rush.
The rushing leads me to read the stimulus too fast without figuring what exactly is going on (i.e. the argument core) before heading to the answer choices. And we all know that this is a recipe for disaster.
So my question is: How do I avoid making these errors? How do I keep my mind absolutely tranquil under the time pressure? Are there specific exercises that I can do to master the art of meticulousless?
Making dumb mistakes is not only a problem for me on the LSAT, it has also been my Achilles Heel ever since grade school. I don't think I'm naturally attuned to details, as I'm more inclined to look at the bigger picture, which I must work on if I want to be a qualified lawyer.
After months of prep, I still have a recurring problem: making careless errors - mostly in the form of misreading LR stimulus and answer choices.
I noticed that I miss a lot of questions from Q20-25. In most instances, I have 8 to 10 minutes left when I get to Q20, so I don't think timing is the major issue. When I blind review them, I don't find them particularly harder than the Q1-15 group (I find Q15-20 the greatest difficulty).
One thing that I noticed time and time again in doing LR sections on actual prep tests is that whenever I check my watch after I hit Q20, I tend to speed up on the last 5 questions. Subconsciously what I'm doing is that I'm trying to finish the section on time, and that causes me rush.
The rushing leads me to read the stimulus too fast without figuring what exactly is going on (i.e. the argument core) before heading to the answer choices. And we all know that this is a recipe for disaster.
So my question is: How do I avoid making these errors? How do I keep my mind absolutely tranquil under the time pressure? Are there specific exercises that I can do to master the art of meticulousless?
Making dumb mistakes is not only a problem for me on the LSAT, it has also been my Achilles Heel ever since grade school. I don't think I'm naturally attuned to details, as I'm more inclined to look at the bigger picture, which I must work on if I want to be a qualified lawyer.
Comments
I did have the thought recently that I should skip a Q or two of the types I find hardest and then come back to answer them... or, register my guess if there is no time left.
I know JY advises to skip Q's, and I have not been doing it so that may be the missing tactic needed to improve. I think skipping 1 or 2 Q's with the worst case result of getting them wrong is worth the sacrifice if all the rest can be answered correctly.
Would love to hear from others as well.
Great question. Thanks again for sharing!
Also, you should try shorter sections, like 32 minutes. That will push you to go faster, and finishing on time really means you are finishing 3 minutes early. Mixing some of these in should give you the confidence to know that are going to finish a 35 minute section on time, so maybe you won't worry about the timing element that seems to be throwing you off.
Lastly, redoing an LR section you struggled with will help you set a faster rhythm. So I'd recommend doing that as well. Good luck!
1) Make a list of your most common careless mistakes. Add to the list as you come across new ones/remember others
2) Read the list several times before you begin your studying for the day and intermittently throughout the day
It seems obvious and trivial but it has actually been pretty effective for me. Good luck!