Another Change Made….

Before I started writing this post, I was thinking about what would be the best thing to share with you today.  I decided against sharing the boring stuff and decided to just inform you that I have yet changed my studying strategy, again.  The one thing I have learned is if something does not work after doing it several times, find another way to do it.  Now, I have to admit many people have told me to do what I am doing now countless times, but, I am the type of person that with some things I have to try on my own first – for instances with studying for this test.

Before I go any further I must RANT!  I now understand the importance of keeping what your plans are to yourself because people will constantly ask you about your progress.  My life has been on a constant roller coaster and I have not been able to dedicate the time and practice I need to doing questions.  The thing that bothers me the most is the people that are asking me the question, “How is the LSAT studying going?” are the same people who have been watching or listening to my roller coaster (aka LIFE) ride with amazement. I say this to say, I decided to spare you this story because I feel like you have read it all before.  BTW I wish people would stop asking that question now, so I can stop feeling so bad about not studying as much as I should.

NOW, I have had another epiphany.  Remember earlier, I posted that I get really frustrated when I was doing the questions and was not sure of the strategy I was supposed to use to answer the question.  Well, shortly after that, I committed myself to using the Powerscore Virtual Course and do all the practice / studying the way they have it outlined.  Well, that did not work.  Only because I am still getting hung up on what type of questions I am still getting wrong.

Well, now I have a study partner and last week we did questions together.  It was great!  I realized I knew more than I thought I knew.  Afterwards, we looked at a couple of the sections of the Arguments homework I completed and she told me the same thing I have been reading, hearing, and listening to since May.  She said doing the homework is good but it takes too much time to read all of the lessons when I need to use that time to just do the questions (unless it is Games, of course).  She reminded me that I just need to practice doing the questions, read over the explanations to the questions, and then redo the questions I got wrong.  With doing more questions & reading the explanations, I will begin to see the patterns and know how to answer the question.  So now I am waving the WHITE flag.

Everyone is right.  Some of this stuff is common sense.  The books and courses are guides and they should be used as such… GUIDES!  This test is just like any other standardized test – yes there is a way to answer the question, but until you do the questions and understand why you are getting the questions wrong, the strategy does not even matter.

So, I have started over again.  This time I am taking the tests I have explanations for and doing those twice.  I also have signed up to take two practice tests – one on October 29th & one on November 5th.  By November, I hope to be doing a practice test every weekend.  I might do one before October 29th, but I am not sure, but I will let you know.  

 

Totally Off My Study Game….

So I have been missing in action…. my job had me “under its thumb” for the past week so I got very little practice in between July 25th – July 29th.  I was somewhat able to do a timed practice test (PT 62) that weekend, but it took me an entire weekend to do it.  I started on Saturday, July 30th & did not finish until August 1st.  I got sick early Saturday morning, went to the doctor’s, started the test, but could not finish in one sitting.  (I am sure that test won’t be any good.)

So I am still trying to finish the untimed practice test (PT 62) that I have yet to finish, BUT I still took a timed practice on yesterday (June 07).  So now, I have two untimed practice tests to finish.  Well, yesterday, I finally signed up to participate in the Powerscore Weekend Course that will be August 13th & 14th.  What I did not know was that the course “requires” you to take a timed practice test & submit your answers and score before the start of the class.  So I have to take this one and submit my answers before Saturday morning.  So much work in so little time.

So in essence, I have not been able to practice questions like I would like.  Now, I am seriously considering taking the LSAT in December, but there is one main thing that will determine whether or not that can happen.  Just keep your fingers crossed for me….

Right now, I am taking the whole process one step at time, hoping that I can make it all work out to my advantage.  I am only allowing myself one more shot at this & I promised myself, this time I will do it right.

 

 

No Practice, No Glory

So remember, I told you guys a while back that I do not like to practice.  Well, I did not do any practicing on Saturday.  I did revamp my study timeline, but no practicing on questions.  BAD GIRL!  So today, I am going to do 3 timed sections (one for each test section) & go over all of my answers.

Because I did not study this weekend, I decided it would be best to do the SOS methods on the weekends.  This will give me the added pressure & push to practice during the week, even if it is only for one hour a day!  I gotta get better if I want to take this test in October.  I gotta start realizing this test ultimately determines my legal future….

 

Maybe there is a Silver Lining?

So last weekend, I walked away feeling great about my study plan.  And I will admit, it was a good one.  After taking an argument timed section on Sunday and going through the answers, I realized my prep had to change. Steve from LSAT Blog did not highly recommend Powerscore’s Logical Reasoning Bible (LRB) as he had the Games Bible.  Even though I applying the methods from the LRB, I was still not getting many correct answers. My friend, who is an attorney, is helping me study for the test and so, after seeing how badly I performed on that section, we decided to go through each of the answers with the explanations from LSAT Blog to figure out why I chose the answer choices I chose.

That process was grueling, but it helped me to understand what I was doing wrong.  So, I decided to use the study method we used to go over the answer to answering the argument questions.  So, I stop reading the LRB and just start doing argument questions.  After using my own techniques, I got more questions correct, (untimed, of course), but it is all about the little things.  I got 13 out of 26 questions correct untimed.  YAY!  Needless to say, it took me almost 4 days to do all of the questions (due to work) & I still need to review the explanations to the ones I got wrong, but it is a start.

Now, that I know how to accomplish the argument section, I believe I have a sure method to follow.  I will probably revise my prep timeline this weekend, so make sure you check the link to see how it has changed.

I also plan on trying the SOS method suggested by LR earlier this week.  I do not have the kind of time LR does, but I think it is a great method to try.  I am only taking 4 PT between now and the real thing (this might change), but at least it will get me there.  I am also trying to create a spreadsheet to help me keep up with which question types I am having difficulty with so I can practice more of those type of questions as I go along.  I will do another post to let you know when I am done and what I have come up with.

 

July 17th, 2011

Good Afternoon journal,

I was introduced to this great blog called, “Down the Legal Rabbit Hole,” by its author and it helped me figure out what I needed to do to stay on task for preparing for the LSAT.  I got completely off task last week because I worked overtime every day, but Thursday, so I was exhausted by the time I got home I could barely read a word or concentrate on practicing questions.

Well, remember I told you that the Reading Comprehension is my best section & Games are my worst section. I have to revise that statement.  Realizing, that Argument count for 50% of the test, actually Arguments are my worst section, but RC is still my best.  So my game plan has to change.  So what I have done is consult the Powerscore website to see what I should focus on in the games section.  According to their website, since there are 3 types of games that have appeared more & consistently since 2005:

1. Pure Sequencing
2. Basic & Advanced Linear
3. Numerical Distribution

Starting with these three games, I will focus here with more practice than the others.  Next, I will tackle the games that appear consistently, but less often since 2005:

1. Grouping
2. Identify the Templates
3. Grouping Linear & Identify the Possibilities

I have to go back and read the corresponding LGB chapters for the Numerical Distribution & Identify, but afterwards, I will be practicing only on these type of Games to be able to focus more on the Arguments.

Unfortunately, Powerscore did not have any kind of guidance to which type of questions appear more frequently from the argument section on their website.  I guess since this section counts for 50%, you should concentrate on all the question types!

Since I have to concentrate more on the Argument section, I have decided to not focus as much on RC.  I will study and do practice questions because I am going to need to do just as well here as in Games to capture at most 35-40 correct answers between the two sections.  I am also reading from the Nation magazine to help build up my comprehension of complex reading throughout the week.

I have also decide to create a LSAT daily log to keep up with all of my studying I am doing every day & I have created a LSAT Prep Timeline to help me see what I need to cover each week.  This will help me stay on task. I will try to update you at least once a week so you can see my progress or I will tweet what I have accomplished.  Let’s get this party started!  Now, I am so excited!

 

Dear LSAT journal,

I am so sorry I have taken so long to write another post.  I have been busy studying and trying to figure out a plan of action since I decided that October might be a better option than December in taking the LSAT, but it is all subject to change.  I took a practice test last week and I scored within the range I was hoping for, but in order to do better, I know it is imperative to nail down these concepts.  Let me tell you what I am thinking now.

First, I keep going back and forth between studying 6 or 7 days a week.  This is because I know I need a break, but I also know that with my job, I really don’t have a lot of time to really sit down and study like I really need to.  I would love to take about two weeks off of work and just get up every morning & going to Barnes & Noble to study from 9am – 11am.  This would allow me read through all of the Powerscore Bibles and then practice the concepts at length.  By the time I am going back to work, I would just be practicing the concepts and taking time tests.  Basically using the study schedule from LSAT Blog.  But since I can not take a two week vacation now, I need to figure out a different way of doing it.

So, I am going to develop a schedule that will allow me to finish reading through the bibles and starting practicing the concepts by August.  I am going to “diagram” out my plan and then tell you what I am thinking in depth.

til next time journal

 

 

 

my lsat journal: level 1

Hey guys!  As I indicated in an earlier post, I would be starting a LSAT JOURNAL.  Now, I believe I am a researcher by nature, so before I start anything, I research until all of the information is read at least twice.  So now that I am comfortable in sharing how I will be preparing for the LSAT, now I can write a post about it.

In trying to decide how to study for this test, I read a lot of articles, blogs, websites, and talked to a lot of attorneys and judges.  But I have to admit some of the most useful advise came from one of my best friends who happens to be an attorney.  I wanted to get a tutor because as I have indicated I have done both the classroom & virtual prep courses through two of the top prep companies, but it did not help.  The main reason is because I did not put in the practice time.  This test is all about technique & practice.  I know that now.  So in telling her my plan, she thought that idea would be throwing away money.  She suggested that I focus on my weakest area by using published materials first and then if I continue to have problems learning and understanding the techniques then consider getting a tutor.  Basically, self-prep.

I believe I am the worst at teaching myself anything.  I have a job that requires that I train people, which I believe I am great at, but not to myself.  But I have to admit my quest of going to law school has forced me to learn to try and sometimes succeed at doing things I would not normally do.  But since my success in law school will be determine by how well I can “teach” myself the law, I guess now is the best time to learn how to “teach” myself.  So this is what I have done thus far…

I have purchased the

• POWERSCORE Bible Trilogy, this is the LSAT logic games, analytical reasoning, & reading comprehension bibles
• POWERSCORE  full length classroom instruction course prep materials
• POWERSCORE LSAT logic games flashcards
• POWERSCORE the ultimate setups guide
• PDF format of PrepTests 48-61
• POWERSCORE Logic Games Workbook
• The Official SuperPrep
• The Next 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests
• 3 iPad Apps – LSAT Connect, Edupath LSAT, & Arcadia LSAT exam prep

So you can see I have a lot of study materials, but now I have to come up with an organized study plan.  Wish me luck!

LESSON LEARNED:

Nothing is worse than a failure than a failure to try.  I have learned that I will fail myself if I do not at least try to teach myself the concepts needed to be successful on the LSAT.

 

LSAT PREP TIME

Hey guys!  I am back again.  Graduation has come and gone.  The thesis has been revised, edited, printed, and dropped off to be published.  Now, it is time to focus on how to study for the LSAT.  I will share with you my progress in preparing for the LSAT.  As I have mentioned here before the main thing I did not do when I was studying for the LSAT was to practice.  This time I make a vow to myself to practice.  Growing up I was never one who liked to practice (nor study), but time has shown me how important those two verbs are into ensuring my success.  My natural intelligence can only get me so far.

I will publish my own LSAT JOURNAL on the blog so you can keep up with my studying & give me any pointers.  I got the idea from the @LSAT blog and thought it would be a great idea for me to do so that I can keep track of my study habits.

So here goes!

LESSON LEARNED:

Practice makes perfect (or in this case as close to 180 as I can possibly get)!

 

THE LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS TEST aka LSAT

Based upon my previous post, I am going to give you as much information I can give you about the LSAT.  Before you buy one book or look at one test prep company’s website, you should go to the home of everything LSAT & law school admissions related – Law School Admissions Council  http://www.lsac.org/default.asp.  VIEW IT. READ IT. LEARN IT. LOVE IT. The site has a video from one of its LSAC forms explaining the LSAT.  This is the link:

http://www.lsac.org/JD/choose/law-school-recruitment-forums-AboutLSATvideo.asp.

Great video to watch before you make any type of decision about the LSAT.  The site provides various sources of information on topics related to law school.  The purpose of the site it to make sure you are well aware of the decision you are making about choosing to go to law school & what it takes to get there.  As I said before, this website should be your first stop before you buy anything related to law school or the LSAT.

Towards the end of the video, the presenter tells you there are several ways to prepare for the test.  You can prepare by taking a class online or in the classroom of a test prep company, individual or group tutoring, and teach yourself.  First of all, you should explore what type of learner you are.  Do you learn better in a classroom with others or on the computer in the comfort of your own home?  Do you learn better when you are the focus of the instruction?  Can you sit in one spot for hours and learn from a book? I have tried both classroom & online instruction as well as trying to teach myself.  I realized I did not take the test seriously nor was I focused on the repercussions of not doing well on this test.  I threw away a lot of money & spent countless hours to achieve very little.

Next, you should search the web to see what others are doing to prepare for the LSAT.  One blog I find very helpful is called LSAT BLOG: ACE THE LSAT.  Here is the link:  http://lsatblog.blogspot.com/ .  The author is a LSAT tutor based in NYC.  He makes the LSAT apart of everyday life to make it easier for LSAT test takers to understand the mechanics of the test.  The blog also provides various study plans as well as other methods (besides practicing test questions) to help anyone serious about taking the LSAT.  You should check it out if only just to see what he suggests.

Both of these websites have plenty of information for you to look through.  I will provide you with more information soon.  If there is anything you want me to particularly focus on, tell me in the comments.

LESSON LEARNED

Knowing & understanding are half the battle.  That is why you should spend most of your time trying to understand in order to know.  The information is out there, finding it & determining how to use it is key.

 

TAKING THE LSAT lightly

In the summer of 2004, my summer goal was to study for the LSAT.  In my hometown, I knew there was not anywhere I can go to get classroom instruction or individual tutoring.  My only option was to study for the test through online instruction.  I explained to my dad when I got home I would need to get the internet for the summer to take this class online.  He immediately asked, “How much does it cost?”  I immediately told him it was based on his cable package since we would have to go through the cable company, but I could call and find out before I got home.  He said, “Elaine, how much will the class cost?”  Well, I did not forget that part, but I wanted to ease into that conversation.

I am an only child of my parents & throughout my life, my education was top priority for them.  They would do everything possible to ensure I had what I need (& wanted) to make sure I excel in academics.  I had to convince them whatever I was doing had some academic enhancing value to it.  I know that is why I was able to convince the President of Tennessee State University to give me a full scholarship for undergrad – I not only had years of practice in making my argument, but I had the grades to back it up.  So my father was asking this question to figure out what he needed to do to make this happen.  I explained to him I was saving money & I could pay for a portion of it, but not all of it.  To keep a long story short, he paid for the class.

The key to the test is to first understand the test.  This is where I failed miserably.  I did not understand how big a factor this test played in the decision of whether or not I will get into law school.  I was always a good test taker even without studying.  I was the type of person who could listen & pay attention in class, review my notes sparingly, & ace the test.  The LSAT is definitely not that type of test.

I attended every online class.  I did some of my homework & took some of the practice tests.  I did not really go through my answers to figure out what I got wrong or why.  Now that I am looking back, I deserved the score I got.  I did not take the test seriously.

LESSON LEARNED:

Take the test seriously.  Read, research, & study the different methods to succeeding at this test.  You can do well if you just put time, effort, & practice into the LSAT.  It is just like everything else in life.  In order to achieve it, you have to work hard at it.