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Complacency kills
LSATcantwin
Alum Member Sage ⭐
In the military we used this saying all the time, "Complacency kills". I just learned today that this saying is just as apt to the LSAT as it was in the military.
Today I decided I needed a new approach to LR. -5/-7 per section was just killing my score. I went back to the CC and scrolled through each type of question and compared it to my analytics. One question type popped off the page to me. "Method of Reasoning - 30% accuracy." These questions seemed fairly straight forward to me when I did the CC and during practice I did not miss much. How was I missing this many during PT's?
After looking at the ones I got wrong I realized what I was doing. Somewhere during my training for the LSAT my mind merged Flaw questions and Method of Reasoning questions into each other. I would approach a Method of Reasoning question trying to identify the flaw. While this doesn't sound super harmful, it actually was. I would get down to two answer choices and not be able to tell exactly why one was the flaw. I would feel time slipping by, guess and move on.
That's ridiculous! This type of question should be fairly straight forward why was it causing me to trip up!
Complacency.
I just assumed I knew the question types from each other because I've been doing this for about a year. I didn't even bother checking to make sure I was attacking each type of question correctly. Because of this Method of Reasoning just vanished from my mindset.
That is an absolute killer on the LSAT.
I saw @"Cant Get Right" post a couple days ago about how little mistakes inevitably are indications of bigger ones. If you feel stuck on a section, go back and review the most basic foundations. Something as little as this can cost you points.
As for me ------ Lesson learned.
Comments
https://goyfwars.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/constant-vigilance.jpg
Your self awareness and constant self reflection is a great quality when tackling this test.
@"Cant Get Right"
https://media.tenor.com/images/0b1063f7c6074187ff8823217547f09a/tenor.gif
That's true of everyone!! That's why I am sharing, sometimes people will bang their head against a wall trying to break through and there is a clear path past it right next to them. They just have to stop and look for a bit!
good reminder!
We spent our entire deployment looking for that guy complacency. heh.
On a serious note, what did you do in the military?
Disregard, just looked at your post history and saw you were in the Marine Corps. I got to spend 4 years with 3rd LAR out of 29 Palms. Its nice to have a fellow devil here.
Went to MOS school at 29 palms. Was a wiredog. Got stationed in Okinawa for two years and then with 2/9 in NC before they disbanded the unit lol
Nice! I did two UDPs to Oki at Camp Schwab, attached to the 31MEU. I enjoyed Schwab.
Haha we did our ranges on Schwab and Jungle Warfare Training.
I was on Camp Courtney - 3rd MarDiv Com Co.
Was awesome got to go to S. Korea and Philippines
Yea, I never got to go to S. Korea, however got to see Subic Bay, and the old Clark air base twice. Got to go up Mt Fuji twice. Unfortunately I was never able to get to Iwo Jima.
True my friend! Another way recording your sections may be able to help you see things more objectively. Just thought I'd mention that since that's been a popular thread. Anyway, little by little, if you keep eliminating weaknesses -- both large and small -- the LSAT can't win! (like your name suggests) One thing 7Sage has taught me and arguably the Trainer/ MLSAT is that the LSAT just repeats the same tricks over and over. Once you stop getting tricked by them, the test becomes much simpler and you can work on mechanics and hit those 170s consistently.
good luck
p.s thank you for your service fellas!
what's up leathernecks... Army here. Cool to see other military dudes on 7sage.
Yep, been out for about 4 years. Surprisingly a lot of military people peruse law. Must be that post 9/11 keeping us out of debt.
@LSATcantwin Nice to see some devil dogs here!! @BrianW_101 a Army rep. I will be the AF rep, 8 years AD. And yes, our couches are fabulous!!
Lol I bet you guys had great couches! That is true, a lot of military go the law route. My former plt commander and plt sgt both own their own firms now.
One of the Marines under me studied for the LSAT for 3 weeks, got a 180, and went to Yale law for a year, decided he didn't like it, then went and got a PHD in math at MIT.
I have to go to a public law school in Texas so that I can utilize my hazzlewood.
@"Paul Pederson" I am trying to go to TAMU fall of 18. I have enough post 9/11 to pay for the first two years, and my husband is going to transfer 30 hours to me so I can pay for my last year of school. Unless I get high enough on the LSAT I can negotiate them paying for my last year. Where you thinking of trying to go?
Im shooting for TAMU fall of 18 also. I still have 145 credits left on Hazzlewood. We currently live in lewisville and plan on moving down to Ft Worth next summer. TAMU is a pretty hard school to get into. They only accept 20% of applicants.
Yeah, I am worried for sure. I hope I see you there. We are planning to build in northern Fort Worth. Near Haslet, a bit of a commute but I have a kid and the school district is great. Inner city school districts are horrid even for Texas. There is a big veteran community there too. Which is nice.
Well, how about I pm you my number and we can get together when we have time and BR?
You should be a motivational speaker -- you always have something encouraging and relevant to say.
I live in Lewisville too! :-D
I used to live and work in Haslet! Small world!
tringo, let me know if you want someone to BR with. I'm on 3040, a block from lewisville high school.
I'm not confident enough in my ability to help people with test specific stuff. I like to offer motivation instead! Haha
Yeah going with the GI BIll type mentality must be a very different mental process. Sometimes I wonder if I even want to go to law school for the debt alone. Cop me a MBA and get into a higher level of iBanking or Consulting. Much less debt. Too bad those aren't skills in my wheelhouse.
Thanks for your service!