Last Post

I have decided not to continue this blog past the "0L" days. But I'll leave the archive posts up for anyone interested in tips, thoughts, references, and the musings of a pre-law enthusiast. Good luck!

Day of Test Tips

I wouldn't go with all of these, some of them are a little silly if you ask me, but take note of the ones that are worth it to you.

http://www.lawschooldiscussion.org/prelaw/index.php/topic,52900.msg0.html

The downside of buying used books of LSAT preptests

I've just erased 125 pages of pencil marks.

250 pages to go.

I'm going to need more drinks and more rerun television for this...

Study Tip

Before doing your pencil work in the study books you're using, (for example, The PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible) make copies of the pages which have actual test material on them. You don't need to copy the explanations and drills, that'd be the whole book! Just copy the 1 sheet practice exams for personal use before you start marking them up (there are about 21 practices in the Games Bible).

That way you can mark it all up to hell in the book as you're learning the game strategies; then later on in your study cycle when you come back to review these practice tests, you'll have fresh copies to work from that are unbiased from the remnants of your previous scratchings. This goes without saying, but let's say it anyway because I'm a dork: You can staple the sheets together and drop them in your bag so you'll have a little something to work on whenever you have extra waiting time while you're out and about. Of course I've yet to actually do this, but there may be some time in the foreseeable future when I'm waiting at a lunch counter and feel the need to drill my brain with the LSAT. It could happen. (This is also a good strategy when it comes to taking the full length practice LSATS: make copies first, then keep a personal scrapbook of the questions that you typically have problems with so you can work them over again.)

If you do enough practices and tests in the interim--unless you have a photographic memory--its doubtful that you'll still have the answers memorized from these early practice tests by the time you come back to them. But with repeated use of these and all the other practices you feel you can do, you WILL start to recognize the patterns of the question types. The makers of the LSAT only have so many types of tricks that they can throw at you, so they just keep using them in different ways. AND that my friend, is the key! Recognize all the tricks in their bag and you can ace the LSAT!

Playing (Mind) Games

I've always been good at Games. Even when I took my first diagnostic tests cold, I noticed that I scored pretty well on the Games section of the LSAT. I'm happy to report now that with my investment in the Logic Games Bible, I've gotten even better at 'em.

Yeah, that's right, games will bow down to me; I own diagramming; diagramming is my bitc--uh, what?

So yeah, this is good news. Still, it is somewhat surprising to the inner core of me, since all my life (up until the end of college/grad school) I was a language arts type of girl. Standardized tests of yore always scored me in the 99th percentile in reading comprehension, etc. However, I can credit my M.S. program for helping me to develop the analytical side of my brain, and thank goodness for it!

When it comes to the left and right sides of the brain, it turns out that bridging the gap is just a matter of learning to think about things in a different way. Even if you've gone most of your life living mostly in one hemisphere or the other, skipping over to the other side isn't as hard as you'd think it would be, if you put your mind to it (arrgh:P).

Once you train your brain to work on the other side of the fence for a change, you learn that there are less differences and more similarities afterall. Think about it, both halves make up YOUR brain, so any way you go about it, you're going to find a way to relate. I guess I'm just saying that you shouldn't let preconceived notions about what you thought were your particular strengths prevent you from branching out into new directions.

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't; either way you're right.

Games - Check!
Logical Reasoning - Check!
Reading Comprehension - Check!

This LSAT is mine.

Plus, the June test is being administered at Noon, so there's no pesky need to retrain my brain into functioning at some godforsaken early hour.

Mine!

Blogroll

T Sinister, left handed 1L at Harvard gets my vote.

Don't just take LSATs -- Analyze them

Just got the tip about this website that allows you to analyze results from LSAT preptests 19-45.

Web Sudoku

Great game for working on those logic skills!

180

I heard good things about Kaplan LSAT 180, so since I have just under 4 months still till the test, I'm considering adding it to my study schedule (2 Powerscore Bibles, and official LSAT tests). I've heard not to switch to using their games strategies after learning the Powerscore ones though. I'll just go with whatever works best for me, and if its a combination of the two, or neither, so be it.

Mostly I'm interested in getting more question types to work on since I only have The Next 10 book and am deciding whether to buy the previous edition for 10 more practice tests or not. I think I'll go to Barnes and Noble today (wish there was a Borders nearby since it was founded in my hometown, but alas its miles and miles away, while B&N is just down the block!) and thumb through the 180 book to see if I buy it for the explanations behind the problems, or just more tests.

But since Kaplan tests are only based on actual LSATs, I'm dubious as to the actual value of studying with their materials. Everyone keeps saying there's no substitute for actual LSAT exams, and there's a lot of logic to that. Maybe I'll just pick up another 10 tests afterall.

-----------------

After a helpful reality check, I've of course decided to work on more practice exams instead of the Kaplan book. I'm sure the Kaplan book is a great tool and people have learned a lot from it. However the real LSAT tests are what you need to master, so the more time spent with them the better.

Sometimes you just have to take a step back from all of this and let others help you to pull your wits about you again!

Random Hip Hop Lyric of the Day

--Now honies play me close like butter played toast

"Juicy", by Notorious BIG

Blogroll

I added another blogger to my list (and am currently going through her archives from 2004 ;). Kristine at Divine Angst seems so similar to me in her approach to law school, her assessment of herself and career goals, and heck even book choices that I couldn't not follow what she has to say about this whole experience. So far its been good reading!

PowerScore Bibles

Got my Logical Reasoning and Logic Games books in the mail from Amazon yesterday. I started on the Games book, and so far think its really well done. There are margin notes on every page restating the important facts of what they are trying to teach you; and after the intro, the book gets right into thinking about and diagramming games.

Let the study schedule begin, June 12th will be coming up sooner than you think!

P.S. If you want these bibles, make sure to order them from your bookstore, Half, PowerScore, or Amazon early, because unfortunately you probably won't be able to just run out to your local bookstores and pick them up. I went to both Barnes and Noble and Tattered Cover--these are huge stores and neither of them had them in stock at any location, only available to order!

Legally Blonde

Is it bad that I added Legally Blonde 1 and 2 to my Netflix queue? I've seen them both a handful of times each, and I still love watching them. Taking some time out to enjoy the lighter (blonder?) side of law school is fun!

LSAT Study Countdown

Some advice to consider, note the alternating chapters theory:

Go on an read the LRB from Powerscore...also work your way through their games bible. Alternate between chapters, don't try to read and learn one book by itself. Your brain won't absorb all the information. By alternating, you will get more out of it because your brain uses different areas to store information because of the different subject matter. (Sounds crazy but it works.)

Also, take one practice test in two weeks...give yourself the two weeks to work through the first 6 chapters (min) of both Bibles...You need to make sure that you have a good basic understanding of the question and section types before you take another full length test.

February	1st wk	Test #9	Sat 2/4	~Nada~
	2nd wk		Sat 2/11	~Nada~
	3rd wk	Games	Sat 2/18	Games
	4th wk	Games	Sat 2/25	Games
March	1st wk	Logic	Sat 3/4	~Nada~
	2nd wk	Logic	Sat 3/11	Test #8	WIW
	3rd wk	Games	Sat 3/18	Test #7	WIW
	4th wk	Games	Sat 3/25	Test #6	WIW
	5th wk	Logic	Sat 4/1	Test #5	WIW
	WIW = Weakness Improvement Workshop
April	1st wk	Logic	Sat 4/8	Test #4	WIW	35 mins
	2nd wk	Games	Sat 4/15	Test #3	WIW	35 mins
	3rd wk	Games	Sat 4/22	Test #2	WIW	35 mins
	4th wk	Logic	Sat 4/29	Test #1	WIW	35 mins
May	1st wk	Logic	Sat 5/6	Test #11	WIW	35 mins
	2nd wk	Games	Sat 5/13	Test #12	WIW	35 mins
	3rd wk	Reading	Sat 5/20	Test #13	WIW	35 mins
	4th wk	Logic	Sat 5/27	Test #14	WIW	35 mins
	5th wk	Games	Sat 6/3	Test #15	WIW	35 mins
June	Sun 6/4	Logic	WIW	Test #16	34 min timing
	Mon 6/5	Games	WIW	~Nada~
	Tue 6/6	Reading	WIW	Test #17	34 min timing
	Wed 6/7	Logic	WIW	Test #18	34 min timing
	Thu 6/8	Games	WIW	~Nada~
	Fri 6/9	Reading	WIW	Test #19	34 min timing
	Sat 6/10	Logic	WIW	Test #20	34 min timing
	Sun 6/11	Games	WIW	~Nada~
	Mon 6/12			TEST DAY

Always Trust in the Online Quiz!

I just go these 2 results in an "What Advanced Degree Should You Get" quiz:

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher. You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

You Should Get a JD (Juris Doctor)

You Should Get a JD (Juris Doctor)

You're logical, driven, and ruthless. You'd make a mighty fine lawyer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

The Internet Gods have spoken.

February Test date, Come and Gone

In addition to my confidence about my more traditional timeline for 2006, my confidence about this career path is strengthened all the time. Don't let the fact that I've put off the test and been content to continue exploring my current life and career fool you. Unlike some, I don't feel the need to jump into my next career until I've learned all that I can from my current one.

Everytime I am personally touched by injustices in our society, it just strengthens my resolve to delve into the intricacies of learning the law. My ultimate goal is to return to academia on a path to being a tenured Law Professor, however I fully expect that my journey there over the next decade will be rich with practical experiences. I look forward to it.

I Made My Decision

As I eventually decided and responded to Umich, due in part to the disadvantages of applying at the end of the cycle, I have indeed decided to wait for Fall 2007 to apply for admission to the Law School. This means taking the June 2006 administration of the test, which I am extremely optimistic about.

Though I had pushed back my LSAT test date to February, I must admit that I didn't do any studying until a week out. The demands on my time in other areas of my life just weren't allowing for it, and so yes while applying late in the game isn't too advantageous, applying with a weaker score than you are capable of is even less advantageous. So while I improved my "non-studying" baseline score by 6 pts in 2 days by taking a few tests to reorient myself, I really want to improve another 10 points to get the score I want to apply with. I'm confident I'll reach that extra 10 pts before the June administration, and I'll feel better about allowing myself these next few months as time that I didn't give myself before in order to write personal statements, complete applications, and get a move on gathering those already promised stellar letters of recommendation.

Advice from a 175'er on December LSAT:

Note: This person wasn't me! Nor was the 177'er below!

If you're reading this blog, you should know that I use this space on the web as a sort of supplemental study aid. I collect snippets of advice and tips that I find personally interesting or useful so I can come back to them if I feel like it during this whole LSAT study process. (Pretty much the entire original purpose of a blog eh, Namby?) So, if you actually read the original post below, it would've been apparent that there were 2 different advice givers there, and neither one of them was me. I haven't even taken the LSAT for godsake! (and when I do I'll probably be lucky to score a 120 :P but if you insist upon saying I got a 175, I'll take it ;)

I'm only posting this explanation to the top of this old post because I found it pretty funny that someone didn't read properly, so misconstrued it to think that I was talking about myself. (I was really confused for a minute there when Namby quoted me with something that didn't sound remotely like my own writing, and also said that I scored a 175--until I figured out that what happened was him just misreading my post.) The funnier part of this was the fact that hordes of his blog readers promptly jumped on the bandwagon to crucify the 175'er and 177'er (i.e. me). Geez, crucify the advice givers if you like! It doesn't matter to me--I may have blogged it for future consideration, but I'm not the one who said it. Anyway, way to follow a mistaken man off a cliff, guys.

"I scored a 175, which may be less than your >175 goal but the December LSAT was a bad draw for my skill set and my practices were 1 to 2 points higher. I think >175 is a bit aggressive for your starting scores but a target of 170 may be reasonable. I give the following advice to serious test takers who are scoring high already and want to go the extra mile.

(1) Master time management. Obtaining a sophisticated timer than controls time and question number is essential. By working with a timer during all practice tests I got a tremendous feel for time control that earned me at least 1 or 2 LSAT points.

(2) Develop a sophisticated strategy. A Princeton Review course is not for the very top test takers as the advice is too simple and the methods not conducive to scores deep into the 99th percentile. Your strategy should be custom to your strengths and weaknesses and should evolve as you analyze your practice test mistakes. If you are not a very top test taker follow the Princeton Review method and shoot for a 97th percentile score.

(3) Purchase the PowerScore books (there are two PowerScore bibles). Study these as these are a great place for your personal strategy to begin.

(4) Purchase as many real LSAT tests as possible. Take a practice test every day, preferably at the same time as your real test. Simulate testing conditions.

(5) Cut every single problem you miss on your daily test out of the LSAT book and save it. Review these missed problems often. Analyze the missed problems for trends. Refer back to the PowerScore books on problem types you have issue with. You must find where your mistakes are and correct them.

(6) Get in the mind of the test writers. Look for traps and don't follow the flock. Look for trap types you fall for in your cut out missed problem collection.

(7) Develop a system of notes and symbols to use on the test. You should have your own language for each of the section types that aids in your problem solving.

( Keep taking more and more tests with extreme focus on finding and correcting your errors. The mistakes in your thinking are there and with hard work you will find and correct them.

Following these steps will develop a speed and precision needed for a deep 99th percentile score. I spent one month with particular focus on the arguments and games sections. By test day I missed only one problem on these three sections. I missed 3 on reading comprehension which is a section I didn't focus on much and found it difficult to cut problems from. I missed a total of four on a terribly curved December LSAT and scored 175. In practice I had been between 176 and 177. If you are not a genius the road to a high score will come through long hours of serious test taking with the focus being on finding an eliminating thinking errors and avoiding traps. I hope this advice helps.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/tls396.html
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More advice in response to dtrossen above, this time from a 177'er:

"I agree. The Dec. 2005 test had a terrible curve. Three scores above 170 weren't even possible... I missed three and scored a 177. dtrossen gave really good advice for the LSAT. There are only a couple of things I would add.

1) Don't concern yourself with the scaled score of previous tests. I mean, they're a good benchmark, but I've found that those scaled scores don't mean much at all (and may lure you into a false of security). Pay more attention to your raw score. To score >175, you should aim to get a raw score of 94+ (and even then no guarantees).

2) I tested myself with 34 minutes and with someback ground noise (just in case the test center is noisy and if the moderator makes a mistake).

3) To nail >175 you should plan on acing the games. They are the easiest to study for and (in my opinion) the most predictable section. Reading can be a crap shoot and when you're aiming for a perfect test, even a few weird arguements could tank you.

4) Don't freak yourself out... Keep things in perspective (ie 161 is like the 84th percentile). Set small goals for yourself (ie scoring consistently above 80 raw) and then gradually step them up (scoring consistently above 85 raw). And don't get discouraged...

5) Lastly, be consistent. Ultimately, after studying your butt off, there is only so much you can do... Your LSAT score could depend on some luck too (LSAT even acknowledges that your band, score +/- 3, is only 68% accurate)... Just do your best.

Georgetown, as they focus more on LSAT scores and admit such a large class, should be no problem for you if you score 170+

With regard to minority status, I can't imagine that Asian-Americans are an URM (underrepresented minority). I don't think being Indian-American will hurt you, but I don't think it'll be any help at any T-10 schools."