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Related Discussions
Using PT's concurrently with Core Curriculum.
ErlingRoald
Alum Member
I've found several similar posts and while valuable, they don't speak to my situation exactly. I'm taking September, I am half way through the Core Curriculum and I'm wondering if I should start using some PT's concurrently with my curriculum work. As of Monday I will be studying full-time.
Should I:
Plow through the curriculum and then start doing PT's? (Schedule says by end of 1st week in Aug, I will finish Core)
Mix in PT's either as timed or piecemeal practice concurrently with my Core work?
I have a set of 10 that includes PT 7 onward. My understanding is that these are significantly different from today's form and that they may just be good practice instead of indicating potential scores. So realistically between now and test time, I don't think I'll finish so many PT's that I would exhaust supply. Does it make sense to utilize these early PT's concurrently with the core work especially in light of being on a full time study schedule soon?
Thanks for your feedback!
- Shall I.....9 votes
- Plow through, brother. A PT saved is a PT earned.88.89%
- Viva la PT's! Mix em in.11.11%
Comments
I would suggest drilling question types at this stage. I think your focus should be to really understand what each question type demands of you. However, your September deadline makes things a bit more complicated. Have you taken a diagnostic yet? How did it go?
@theLSATgrind2017 I took the June 2007 timed, completely cold with no experience whatsoever and scored 150. It feels like I'm absorbing the Core material like a sponge and I expect to see drastic improvement on my next PT. That being said, considering the speed I'm moving through the Core, it may be prudent to incorporate regular practice at the skills I've learned thus far, simply as reinforcement since I am up against an ever-shrinking timetable. I'm concerned that when I finish the Core, I may need to "brush up" on some of the earlier skills that were learned weeks earlier. However, it wouldn't be surprising if all the skills throughout the Core rely heavily on the previous weeks skills, and completing the Core is, in effect, practice in and of itself.
Any insight given this additional information?
Also, could you explain what you mean by "drilling" as it pertains to source material or resources available via 7sage or other resources? I use Brainscape as a flashcard program and have hundreds of cards entered that I go through daily.
Thank you!
What is the goal in terms of your score? It's great that you're understanding the CC but there might be some hiccups in actual application. I was at the same level as you are now back in November. I'm just now hitting mid 160s. I'm saying all this to reiterate that you should focus on a score rather than a date. It might take December, maybe even next June to get where you want to be. In the mean time, finish the CC and drill question types. Then I would drill full sections. After that, build up your endurance by adding more sections till you eventually breeze through 5 section PTs without breaking a sweat.
By drilling, I mean going to the LSAT Question Bank and doing a bunch of Flaw questions. Then reviewing those.
@theLSATgrind2017 Helpful! And Terrifying!
165 is what I'm after. I do have some experience taking pressure tests like the LSAT. I passed the US Customs Broker Exam like a boss. At the time, everyone always chatted about how this (customs) was "harder than the LSAT." Which meant nothing to me at the time. Irony and the long arc life seems to have had a debt to settle with me.
Your experience and advice is invaluable and I appreciate you sharing. What has your study schedule been since November? Or rather, on average, how much time do you spend per day/week? Do you use other resources besides 7sage? How's Premium working out for you?
Are the questions in the Question Bank from actual tests? How would that affect my actual taking of tests containing those questions?
Thanks for responding thus far! If you don't have time to follow up, I understand. I've asked a lot of you already. Take care!
No, I would not "plow" my way through the CC. I would do quite to opposite and take my time and absorb and learn all I can from it. Doing it faster won't make you better faster. This is a test of application of strategies and skills. It's not like a test you can plow through the text book and cram for....
I think doing the problem sets and adding in timed sections would be a good strategy for sure. I think although those tests are old, they are fine for just drilling and learning the basics. At some point you'll want to upgrade to Ultimate + or purchase all the newer tests. It's pretty important to expose yourself to the newer tests if you wish to do well on the exam. Also fool proofing the earlier games from PTs 1-40 are generally a good idea as well.
I would not begin full PTs until you have completed the CC. It just doesn't make sense because you presumably have your diagnostic, so you know where you stand without knowing everything yet. Don't burn a test without having gone through all the lessons. I don't think it will hurt, I just think your time would be better spent drilling and finishing the CC at this point. A PT and BR can take days.
@"Alex Divine" Great stuff! Yeah, I used "plow" as a way to bring levity to something that is weighing heavily on me at the moment. What I intended was: given very soon I will have much more time to study, how best to use that time? I could spend 8 hours a day going through the CC, but I'm skeptical I could integrate all of that at once.
So then, if I understand you correctly, perhaps a daily study schedule looks like:
Prior to completing CC:
2-4 hours CC
2-4 hours utilizing older tests for timed sections and drills
Post CC completion:
Begin full PT's as prescribed in my syllabus/upgrade/buy recent PT's
Does that sounds like an efficient and wise use of the additional time I will have available?
Thank you so much for your help!
To be perfectly honest, 150 to 165 in some 70 days seems incredibly difficult. I mean you can certainly go for it but I do not think it is achievable.
The mistake I made was signing up for Kaplan. While I think I gleaned some basic information from their course, it didn't justify the price tag. I found 7sage and then worked on untimed drills for LR. I did this to make sure I was actually learning the question types and how to solve them. With LG, I started the foolproof method. I slowly worked my way up to doing individual sections timed.
Now, I'm working on endurance but also focusing on the question types that I consistently get wrong.
I probably spend 4 hours a day on a weekday as I work full time. I do 5-6 hours on weekends. I find that the blind review groups are invaluable. At this point, I attend two BR groups and 1 RC group. I like premium because I get JY's explanations which are awesome. Yes, the QB is from actual tests. It gives you exactly what test, section and question number. Those questions should be from tests that you have reserved for drilling, usually 1-40.
I have no problem answering your questions so feel free to message me!
I think 6-8 hours a day is good if you can handle that. Take a day off of course to recharge.
I would spend my time completing the CC. Then fool proofing games while also drilling timed section and BR'ing those section. Use 1-40 to drill and fool proof and 41-81 for full tests and more sections as needed.
I would just work on completing the CC first and foremost. Maybe spend like you said a few hours doing CC work then the next few drilling. Taking a nice break in between of course.
Sounds like a good plan! Let me know if I can help or you have any other questions!
Just wanted to echo this. Keep at the CC and do it right. Drill as you go. If you feel like you need to do some full length timed PTs, just understand that there's going to be a lot of material that you're going to lose value on because you haven't learned the underlying concepts that you need to benefit from the exposure. While you're still in CC, think of it more as a drill and draw from older material. Sounds like you're doing that already, but just want to reinforce.
@"Cant Get Right" Great feedback! Thank you! It sounds like using the 7-18 ten-pack as drill material will hold me over until I finish the CC at the end of July. Thanks again!
@theLSATgrind2017 I should have been more clear that I took the 2007 diagnostic about a month and half ago and will finish the CC at the end of July. I'm going to aim high and if I have to delay things a year to get the score I want, then I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Thanks for the info!
Excellent mindset! Whatever it takes!!