Checkpoint: 2 mos til September. Where are you in your studies?

[just dot]

I've read both LGB and LRB and I've taken about 10 prep tests so far (all timed...don't see the point in not timing them, they won't let me have all day on the real thing).  I'm scoring 167-172.  I'm shooting for a 170+ on the real deal so I still need to get to a 174-175 consistently to really feel confident going in.  I generally do very well on standardized tests; I don't have test anxiety or anything.

I'm thinking about taking the Powerscore weekend course the weekend before the LSAT...any opinions on that?  I'm thinking that might be too late but then again, it might not be bad for a last minute cram.

[premieraw]

I've read both LGB and LRB and I've taken about 10 prep tests so far (all timed...don't see the point in not timing them, they won't let me have all day on the real thing).  I'm scoring 167-172.  I'm shooting for a 170+ on the real deal so I still need to get to a 174-175 consistently to really feel confident going in.  I generally do very well on standardized tests; I don't have test anxiety or anything.

I'm thinking about taking the Powerscore weekend course the weekend before the LSAT...any opinions on that?  I'm thinking that might be too late but then again, it might not be bad for a last minute cram.

The point of taking tests untimed, is so that you actually understand what it is your reading which leads to less mistakes when you do take it timed. For most people, simply plowing through test after test timed leads to the same mistakes over and over. Mybe this isn't the case for you, and if so, congrats, but realize there is a "point" to it.

[just dot]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear about that.  I DO understand why other people would want to take a test untimed, I didn't mean that to be in any way snotty.  I meant for me there is no point.  Time is only an issue for me in the logic games.  If I had an extra 5-10 minutes I could get all of the logic games every time.  On the other sections the ones I miss I would miss if you DID give me all day.  For me, taking it timed every time is best because it forces me to go faster in the games. I was only speaking for myself.

I've read both LGB and LRB and I've taken about 10 prep tests so far (all timed...don't see the point in not timing them, they won't let me have all day on the real thing).  I'm scoring 167-172.  I'm shooting for a 170+ on the real deal so I still need to get to a 174-175 consistently to really feel confident going in.  I generally do very well on standardized tests; I don't have test anxiety or anything.

I'm thinking about taking the Powerscore weekend course the weekend before the LSAT...any opinions on that?  I'm thinking that might be too late but then again, it might not be bad for a last minute cram.

The point of taking tests untimed, is so that you actually understand what it is your reading which leads to less mistakes when you do take it timed. For most people, simply plowing through test after test timed leads to the same mistakes over and over. Mybe this isn't the case for you, and if so, congrats, but realize there is a "point" to it.

[just dot]

I've read both LGB and LRB and I've taken about 10 prep tests so far (all timed...don't see the point in not timing them, they won't let me have all day on the real thing).  I'm scoring 167-172.  I'm shooting for a 170+ on the real deal so I still need to get to a 174-175 consistently to really feel confident going in.  I generally do very well on standardized tests; I don't have test anxiety or anything.

I'm thinking about taking the Powerscore weekend course the weekend before the LSAT...any opinions on that?  I'm thinking that might be too late but then again, it might not be bad for a last minute cram.

You had me at 'I've read both LGB and LRB and I've taken about 10 prep tests so far' + 'I'm scoring 167-172'

Then you lost me with:
'I'm thinking about taking the Powerscore weekend course the weekend before the LSAT"

 

My GPA is garbage.  LSAT is my only hope to get into the schools I've chosen.  If I'm being anal about my score it's because I can't afford not to be.

[killblues]

I need to start cracking down - 2 months is nothing! 

I plan on taking tests on my days off from work (Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday), and reading/completing the Bibles on my work days.

I am also taking 2 Power Score courses.  Need to get that score up!

Haha, I've actually been doing the bulk of my studying at work.  I'm interning in a law firm right now and it's cool cause they're pretty lenient once they see an LSAT book propped open on my desk

Here's a few thoughts for the questions posed above:

Killblues: You stated that doing the problems in the order they appear on the test gives you an advantage because you "know how to attack them". I'm not sure what your strategy is, (unless your speaking to the order of general difficulty the problems appear in) but regardless what makes you think that LSAC is going to do a 180 on the Sept test and changed the ordering of problems? If you glance back at the vast majority of released tests i think you'll notice the only pattern is the way in which the problems are layed out out, not the actual writing of the questions themselves. (Besides maybe finding some longer ones toward the end) With that said, unless your talking about doing problems over that you've gotten wrong, i think you might be better served (in terms of time anyways) to start with question 12 or 13 from a test you haven't seen, and then once you get home figure out why/where you went wrong.

Thanks for the tips!  Yeah, actually I was referring to order of difficulty as well as general familiarity when practicing tests vs practicing problems.  (Ie, I remember this carpet problem -- it comes right after/next near that auditorium concert one).  But I'm hoping that since there's so many problems and tests that this wouldn't be an issue.

My GPA is garbage.  LSAT is my only hope to get into the schools I've chosen.  If I'm being anal about my score it's because I can't afford not to be.

I'm in the exact same boat my friend, except I'm out of the country and can't take a Powerscore course (as much as I'd like to!).  Good luck

[Lil Orphan Annie]

I probably started about a month ago -- finished the Logic Games Bible, now halfway through the LRB. Next up is the Superprep, then 20 preptests.  Yay.

[killblues]

I probably started about a month ago -- finished the Logic Games Bible, now halfway through the LRB. Next up is the Superprep, then 20 preptests.  Yay.

Cool, we're going at about the same pace.  Just about 100 pages left on LRB and been working section by section (timed) on the original 10 Actual LSATs.  (I have the 10 More and Next 10 as well, the 5 newest preptests and 2004 Deconstructed on the way from Amazon).  Got a loooooot of studying to do

[BlackJack21]

Went through both bibles carefully June 15th-July 15th. Did two prep test. Score really sucked ass. Currently, working out of my TM materials (not enrolled in the class), I am learning a lot from doing the same type of question types in a row. I will take 20 + prep test from here on out! Time to get on the grind people, unless you're scoring 180

[P. Pius]

I've been working on the sections in between taking summer school and working (which really doesn't give me much time at all)  But I'm taking a Kaplan course and the lady teaching it is really helping me grasp the concepts better than before I took the class.  I've got the LR Bible I'm trying to crack open...in the meantime I've just been plowing through different prep tests and just focusing on sections that I'm weak on.

My two previous LSAT's haven't been as high as I was looking for.  But I'm really trying to just buckle down and keep moving forward.  The concepts are bound to click soon enough, and in the meantime I'm just trying to fine tune my studying.

[dirkdiggler41]

After a six month break from the Feb LSAT (160) I started studying in late July. I have read the LGB and the LRB several times each and today I took my first timed practice test in a long time, scoring 166 on test 29.
LR -7
RC -3
LG -3
LR -4

I'm aiming for a 170.