I recently did a podcast episode about my twist on blind review (BR) to make the process even more effective and efficient. (Listen on Apple, Spotify or any podcast platform you use).
Below is an outline of the steps. Refer to them or read along with the podcast for more details. Bottom line: BR is an amazing tool to squeeze even more gains from each PT and increase your score in the long run. BUT - it doesn't have to feel so much like a chore. The steps listed below will streamline the process and help you maximize gains! 1. For BR, go back and “do over” the question numbers you got wrong (with unlimited time. of course).So basically, score the exam on lawhub/lsat prep plus (or whichever platform you use), then manually write down the Q numbers you got wrong without noting the correct answer (No worries if you remember the original answer). 2. Then you can manually correct them using the answer key to see if you were right on your second attempt. (If still wrong, watch the explanations. If, after the explanation you’re still unsure, you can bring those questions to our next lesson). 3. The most important thing, write down your takeaways from the BR process as well as your original takeaways from the PT. (Make sure to write down your original PT takeaways before you even begin the time of your process).
0 Comments
Identifying the main conclusion is essential for the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT Why is it Important? LR is all about the anatomy of an argument. Simply put, an argument is the relationship between premises (a fancy way of saying supporting points) and main conclusion. Those supporting points are their to advance the main conclusion. If you can’t identify main conclusion, you can’t do what you need to do. You might luck out. But your process won’t be effective or reliable. But you deserve better. Let’s address. Let’s define the main conclusion – it is the Ultimate objective that the argument is trying to advance. The main/central point. The word main is important. Their can be sub conclusions – those are not the main conclusion; we want the main conclusion they are helping advance. A lot of people are familiar with Identifying indicator words, but that alone is not enough. An example of a little knowledge being dangerous. It’s a start but careful. Those words include thus, therefore, as a result, Reason its problem is an indicator word could point to a a sub or intermediate conclusion. We want the main conclusion. Again. This may be a sub conclusion. Or, And this is important, there could be no indicator words. This goes back to the definition of the Main conclusion - It is the main idea this argument is trying to advance. Here’s a test - If the idea is helping to support something else, then it is not the main conclusion. The main conclusion is being carried by the remaining ideas in the stimulus overall, even if indirectly in some instances. Again, remember the simple test - ask yourself is this supporting another idea? If so, it’s not the main conclusion. Think of it like an old-school picture of a queen being carried by slaves. The queen isn’t carrying anybody she’s just sitting there. That’s the main conclusion. Finally, be careful, sometimes the main conclusion is not embodied in a single explicit point or phrase, sometimes it’s a broader idea that the parts of the argument taken together support overall. You see this sometimes specifically in main conclusion questions in LR. As of the time of this blog post, the LSAT consists of 4 sections- three scored sections LR games and RC in addition there is one experimental section which can be either of those section types, LR, Games or RC.
Ideally when taking a PT you don’t just want to do the 3 sections that are scored you want to simulate a fourth experimental section. The reason is because the whole purpose of a practice test is to simulate testing conditions sitting down for 3 sections is one thing. Having to sit down for 4 sections , that is a third more of the time – that demands more endurance. I want you to be conditioned for what the situation is like I’m tested and that is four sections not three. So you want to replicate your PTS with four sections. Quick sidenote – it does take time to sit down and replicate a whole PT. So I can tell my students don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Ideally and more often than not I want you to do four sections a.k.a. include experimental in your PT if there’s a day when life is just busy and you come to get the 3/4 sections in that’s fine. Try not to make it a habit but don’t not do a PT if you can’t get the 4 sections done. Here’s a very important point - the experimental section is not scored. Yes, LSAC is literally using the section to experiment test takers :) It’s not that devious, they just want to try and see how students response to different types of problems for potential future use. The bottom line is that you are graded on three sections and then you get one mystery section that could be any of the three types and you’re not graded. Here’s the thing, they’re not going to tell you which section is the experimental in order to preserve the integrity of the experiment. So, you cannot simply say “oh I’m gonna sit this one out because I think it’s the experimental.” It’s just not worth the risk. So treat every section like it’s the real thing. Replicating the Experimental on your Practice Tests: Some courses replicate an ungraded experimental in their PTs. Ie Powerscore. If your course/platform does this, great, you're set. If you've got a course that does not include an experimental in their PTs, then I urge you to manually include an experimental section. That means, doing the three sections (one each of LR, RC and Games), but adding an extra section that won't count towards your score. My recommendation is grab an extra section from an older practice test. Maybe something old like pre-PT 50 and do it first that way you get it out of the way and then you can do your three sections that are actually graded. It’s very important that you don’t just do one type of section for your experimental. For example, if you just do games then you won’t be prepared for the possibility of having LR or RC as your extra section. That’s why it’s very important that you alternate. Another option is that you could just alternate with the sections your week run. For example, if you’re doing really great on games and only getting one or two wrong but you’ve got a lot more work to do on LR or RC, you can consistently trade-off between those as the experimental in your simulation. That way you both gain extra practice as well as prepare for the possibility of having extra sections of those types. Here is the big wrinkle that can confuse a lot of people. If you look at the practice test available on lawhub, you will probably notice that all of them have four sections. But it’s not that simple. The most modern PT is, 90 and above, at the time of this episode that’s only a very few. Those are fine to take as is, they’ve got a built-in experimental. If you take those you’re good, you don’t have to change anything and you can score through lawhub or whatever platform you’re using. The one caveat is that because they are the most recent, I really would encourage you to hold off do use them later in your prep as you get closer to test day. Now let’s address the vast majority of PTS available, 89 and below or basically PTs from the earliest through 89. This is where you must be very careful. If you look at these, you’ll notice that there are four sections. But there is a very important difference between these and PTS after 90. The additional section in these were not originally designed to be experimental. So if you treat them as an experimental you won’t be accurately simulating what the exam will be like on test day. Stay with me now because it’s going to get a little complicated and I want to make it as clear as possible for you. You’ll notice while there’s a fourth section, it is specifically an extra LR section. This was not originally intended as an experimental section. The why isn’t as important but just to make sure you have accurate information, here is why. Before the pandemic LSAT consisted of four scored sections - TWO of which were logical reasoning. You don't just want to do those four sections and think you've replicated the experimental. Yes, it's a 4th section, but it won't always be LR and it shouldn't be included in your score (as they were when those tests were given). That is why I recommend doing three that will be scored and manually adding a section from an earlier PT as explained above. Breakdown of PTs w Experimental Options 90 and Above LSAC actually included experimentals for these so you don’t have to do anything. They’re literally built-in, especially with the law hub digital version. So there is an experimental built-in and it won’t be graded so it really does a great job of replicating what it’s like the day of the test. There’s one catch – there are very few of these, at the time of this writing only 90 to 92. And there because they’re the most recent you want to save them until you get closer to test day. Ideally, as time goes on there will be more “ready-made “exams with replicate experimentals like this. But for now we only have a few. So my general advice is save them until you get closer to test day. The reason we need this is we want to not only consider every answer choice but we want to maintain a healthy skepticism because LSAC is not doing us any favors in the way they would answer choices. We don’t want to give too much credit to an answer choice we like before evaluating all of them. At the same time, we don’t want to discount an answer choice it might be worth a second look. This is especially true on the more challenging questions.
We need to read EVERY Answer Choice - LSAC wants you to grab an answer choice that looks correct, and then rush off because you're concerned about time. But all too often, the correct answer is later on, and, not coincidentally, it's worded in a less obvious way. Consider EVERY Answer Choice using the following 3 categories: Contender: This is the category for answer choice(s) you like. Notice the importance of the word contender. Even if you think “This has to be the answer,” you’re still just going to label it a contender because contender means it has a shot, but we’re not going all the way in calling it the winner – at least not until we have evaluated ALL answer choices. If you have more than one contender, fine, they’re both contenders, evaluate them, scrutinize them, let them “fight it out.” Bring in the Hold Ons for consideration, IF after further scrutiny, you think they’ve got a shot as well. Note: The phrase contender can be our best friend because it can prevent us from jumping the gun and picking an answer prematurely. Eliminate: These Answer choices do NOT reasonably match your anticipation. AND, even considering the possibility the answer is something you haven’t anticipated, this answer choice still doesn’t cut it. Hold On: This is probably the broadest category, you don’t see enough to completely eliminate the choice, but you don’t see enough support for it. Also, if you don’t fully understand the answer choice, or need more time to scrutinize it, you can always use this option to be safe. Once you’ve gone through every answer choice, then you can evaluate what’s left of the contenders and any of the ones you’ve held onto that you might need to further think through. One topic I’ve wanted to address for a while now is taking care of your eyes. After all, both studying and taking the LSAT requires intense reading. This is especially true in the past few years, since the LSAT has become primarily a digital test. The bright light from our laptops and desktops takes its toll on our eyes. The amount of time people spend in front of screens – especially since the pandemic – compounds these problems.
I can tell you from experience both as a student and a teacher that taking care of your eyes makes studying and the whole testing process much more sustainable. Here’s some basic tips that can go a long way: Eye drops From the time I began studying for the LSAT I particularly saw the need to keep my eyes from getting dry. I now regularly have eyedrops at my desk and even in my jacket pockets. It’s worth it. Particularly when we are reading screens, we tend to blink significantly less. As a result, our eyes get dry quicker than normal. This naturally makes us more fatigued and, of course, will factor into our endurance and performance during the tests. Regularly using eyedrops has made a remarkable difference for so many of my students. I do recommend a quality brand, but any basic eyedrop is a start. Certainly have them available while you’re taking practice tests and the exam, though it is really important to regularly use eyedrops because studying for this exam demands so much reading. Shower This one might sound silly, but it makes a tremendous difference when I shower in the morning. A lot of people are tempted to hit the books and get started when they wake up. I respect the commitment, but I’ve noticed a significant difference when I shower beforehand. All that gunk builds up in your eyes can you get wiped away with your face in the shower. I’m much more productive and energized after a morning shower. My hunch is that a good part of it is just having that water in my face. Careful about devices. Watch your screen time. This one is especially important. We are constantly on our devices. Again, this has been compounded because of the new culture after the pandemic as well as the digital format of the LSAT. Seriously, take breaks. There are settings on the iphone and android that prompt you to limit your screen time. This is especially important before taking a pt/exam or starting a study session. Another helpful feature is dark mode or making the screens darker overall to limit blue light. If you wear glasses, you can get blue light limiting coating added for free at many optometry shops. If you don’t wear glasses, non-prescription blue light glasses are pretty inexpensive and worthwhile for study and exam time. PTs We need to simulate this test as best as we can during practice tests, so you must take PTs in the digital format to replicate the day of the test. But, use this practice to take care of your eyes, give yourself breaks, and have those eyedrops ready. Get your eyes checked. Whether you wear glasses or not! This is very important and I want to emphasize again, whether you wear glasses or not. If you don’t wear glasses, it is still worth regular eye checkups because you never know what might have changed, especially with all the reading and writing that’s done in preparation for this exam. If you do wear glasses, even if your prescription has seemed to stay the same for a number of years, still get regular eye exam. In fact, I would suggest telling them that you’re studying for the LSAT -- that means lots of reading more so than typical college stuff and lots of screen time. Ask them for advice, tell them you want to make sure you’re maximizing taking care of your eyes and you’ve got the optimal prescription. I’ve got a pretty telling story about this one. I’ve worn glasses/contacts since I was a child. My prescription seemed to be the same for a while, particularly when I was studying for the LSAT, so I really thought nothing of it. When I was studying, I did notice getting lots of headaches, particularly during and after practice test. I chalked this up to the fact that there was just so much intense reading. In my mind, these were “LSAT headaches,” And it wasn’t until I asked a teacher how to manage these “LSAT headaches,” Then I got some real perspective. His response was basically this: “‘LSAT headaches?’ What are you talking about? I think you should get your eyes checked!” So I did. I went to a different optometrist and here’s the key, I was proactive in communicating with this optometrist. I explained my prescription’s been about the same for a number of years, but I keep getting these headaches - I’m studying intensely for the LSAT, there’s lots of reading. The optometrists dug deeper and eventually determined that I was actually OVER-prescribed. I remember questioning that thinking - if anything I thought I would be under prescribed because apparently I was not seeing properly. As they explained it, over -prescription is actually pretty common. Whenever we are given our eye prescription, like anything, it’s not perfectly accurate. Doctors are just doing their best to approximate what prescription will best suit our complex needs. Most prescriptions are essentially a guesstimate, usually a very optimal guesstimate, but a guesstimate nonetheless. That leaves gray area, so it’s not uncommon for an optometrist to err on stronger prescriptions as was the case with me. By reducing my prescription within the range that worked for me, it made a tremendous difference and my “LSAT headaches” went away. Don’t get me wrong. The test was still challenging and the PTS we’re still demanding. But it was no longer unduly tiring on my eyes. Let me emphasize, I am not an optometrist. This was simply my experience. Here the key takeaways: Do not take your prescription or lack of prescription for granted as accurate. Get your regular checkups. Be proactive and communicate with your eye specialist. Tell them you’re studying for the LSAT. Tell them if you’ve been getting excessive headaches and ask them to dig deeper if it’s not helping. I regularly share this story with my students because it is really important. Last cycle, I had a student who had the exact same over-prescription situation! Like me, she felt so much better after switching to a slightly lower prescription. I had another student who didn’t realize that she needed glasses. Her prescription was not as intense as others, but she ended up needing glasses for the first time in her whole life, and it made studying for this exam and just life in general much easier for her. Finally, don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good in getting your eyes checked. If you don’t have optical insurance, there are many affordable options. Costco, one of my favorite places, has quality optometry at pretty affordable prices. You don’t need a membership to get an eye exam. My students know how I feel about Sleep - check out this article - it's about a consistent schedule as well as the hours.
I recently finished Deep Work by Cal Newport and I highly recommend it.
The worst kept secret is how many of us are chronically distracted and, as a result, less productive. This is especially true when it comes to LSAT prep. The concepts are quite abstract and demand our focus. I have to confess, when I first began studying for the exam, I'd go to a noisy coffee shop or play music in my earbuds -- choices not exactly conducive to effective study, or Deep Work. After trial and error, I soon realized that proper LSAT study demanded concentration in a quiet environment, conducive to focus. I wish I had read this book back then. Here are some of my key takeaways: Be purposeful with your work - a little bit of time planning your work will prevent you from going off on tangents to less effective tasks. Target your investment of time to areas that will be most effective. Sure, there's almost always some benefit to any type of work, but that's at the expense of time and limited mental energy for the most effective uses of your time. At a minimum, prioritize the most effective actions you can take. Limit social media and web surfing - even if you're going to Google something specific, how many times do you end up getting "caught in the web," and then can't remember what you were searching for in the first place? Batch shallow tasks like email for specific times to prevent the distraction of busy-ness that can easily be confused with work that brings you closer to your goals. Schedule your time to “force yourself” to be ruthlessly efficient with your work. Sometimes the simple act of setting a timer in front of me can help me stay on task. Check out the book! Fool Proof
Fool proofing is an intense and time consuming process. It’s an amazing tool, but given the intense process, you only want to use it for games that you need major improvement on, not games where you’re off by a little bit. So, here’s the criteria for when to do it -
and/or
If none of these apply, then no need to Fool proof, just review, BR and or look to an explanation. If any of the criteria above do apply, then Fool Proof: 1) Watch JY’s Explanation of the specific game on 7sage: Watch purposefully, actively (Not passively) What did JY do differently, especially on areas where you had challenges? ie diagramming, set up, inferences you may have missed. 2) Repeat the game over and over in ONE sitting UNTIL... Fool Proofed! (Every question right and in the time JY says). Key Points
Episode 3 of the LSAT Habits podcast is out and it's all about Skipping!
Skipping, or as I like to say, doing the questions on your order, is a key habit to consistently score high. In this episode I explain the concept and dispel one of the biggest misconceptions, that skipping is quitting - it's not! In fact, skipping was essential to me getting my target score! Give this episode a listen! The second episode of our podcast, LSAT Habits is out! Give it a listen!
|