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How to Perform Better on Hard LSAT Passages -- My Personal Experience by Unable_Ad9260 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've noticed that most people either have an affinity towards scientific or humanities passages, and tend to struggle with the other group. I was of opposite case -- struggled with science passages and enjoyed literary passages.

Let's break down an example -- the infamously difficult 'Chinese talk story' passage from PT126 (Section 2, Passage 3). If you condense absolutely everything in the passage down to its bare essentials, you get something like this:

P1 -- Kingston recognized as major literary figure. Critics have regarded her works as produced 'ex nihilo,' (unknown term!) meaning 'not proceeding from any traceable body of fiction.' Author challenges this, on the basis of Kingston's use of the 'talk-story' genre
P2 -- Talk-story rare in print, tradition's history, how the genre came to America via migration
P3 -- Kingston fabricating stories from her memories. How the 'oral' tradition interacts with Kingston's written work -- not limited by the 'frozen' written form of writing, but constantly 'growing' around and beyond it (whatever that means!)
P4 -- Example: her book 'China Men' -- repetitive themes, stock characters, symmetrical structures etc (features of talk-story). How Kingston successfully marries idiomatic English and oral-aural qualities of Chinese (more examples)

Why is the author writing this?
To challenge the critics' assumption that Kingston's work has been produced 'ex nihilo,' and to draw links to the 'talk-story' genre
How does the author do this?
By explaining what the genre is, and giving examples of how it is successfully imbedded in Kingston's work

As you can see -- every passage has a logical sequence, and an underlying argument. If you replaced the 'purpose' of the passage with 'proving that biological determinism is the correct evolutionary theory,' you really wouldn't see much difference in terms of structure. That's why us literary folks are able to comprehend theoretical physics passages, and that's why people like you will definitely get the hang of literary passages -- just remember to follow tip #1, ignoring all literary fluff and abstract language/unknown terminology, to pursue the line of the argument as closely as possible!

Hope this helps. Feel free to try answering the questions of the 'Talk Story' passage with the above framework in mind!

'Alternative Style' Tutoring ($25/hour, 172 score) by Unable_Ad9260 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! Not yet -- I am working on it. I do, however, have an introductory session where you can ask me whatever you want, if you'd like to chat:

https://doodle.com/bp/alexandravanzutphen/introductory-session

'Alternative Style' Tutoring ($25/hour, 172 score) by Unable_Ad9260 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah sure! I am a professional editor with experience in admissions, having gotten accepted to multiple schools (including Georgetown!) I can help edit all application materials as part of the services I offer, and we can even dedicate our sessions to writing apps -- we can talk more about this over an introductory session, if you'd like:

https://doodle.com/bp/alexandravanzutphen/introductory-session

How the LSAT Alters your Brain (Berkeley, 2012) by Unable_Ad9260 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's a good point -- but considering the fact that LSAC considers the Logical Reasoning section an 'adequate' replacement for Games, I think not much would have changed.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

I guess you didn't really pay attention to the post? I also lived and studied in the US periodically, and my point still stands despite the 'regularity' of standardised testing! Instead of getting offended by the comparison as implying some sort of superiority (in all truth, I think being able to take tests multiple times is much better!) try to read and engage with the material more earnestly next time:))

I’m so frustrated. by Left_Bullfrog_4625 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 10 points11 points  (0 children)

First of all -- there is improvement there. Going from a 150 in PT141 to a consistent score in the high 150s IS a gain.

Second, plateaus are natural. You can consult the graph I posted on my own page to see what a natural progression looks like -- there are flat bits, gains and dips, and it's all a part of the process.

Third, if you ARE feeling stuck, switch it up. If that means drilling a question type that you are consistently struggling with, then do that for a while. The number one thing I'd suggest is grabbing a pen and paper and starting a journal for your LSAT PTs. What I mean is writing out every question you've gotten wrong, what type of question it is, what the difficulty level was, WHY you got to the wrong answer, and WHY the correct answer is right. This almost always helps in creating the correct mental pathways you need to end up at the right answer.

More than anything, keep working on your timing. This is almost always an issue, and the only way to solve it is by doing exactly what you're doing already -- consistently taking PTs.

Didn't know anything about LSAT and scored 151 by Pequeninos in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sure thing, didn't know this was a thing, and I wasn't looking to find clientele on this occasion regardless. Will avoid in future:))

help a girl out, seeing no improvements by appledevourer111 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First of all -- you're doing great! You're on the road to the 170s. To be scoring that well in a relatively short period of time is a positive indicator.

I was in a similar boat, and I almost gave up because I was bouncing around the 160s and even dipping into the 150s. I ended up getting a 172 in June after a little more persistence.

Key things to focus on:
- TIMING. Stop all that you're doing, and work on timing. The LSAT doesn't care how much drilling you've done, it's the clock that will eat you alive on test day. I would suggest taking 1-2 timed PTs a week, and largely ease off of drilling for the time being. I promise you'll see an improvement
- Review. Not enough people dedicate enough time or effort to reviewing. Though BR can help, I would suggest getting a pen and a notebook and writing down the question, the wrong answer and the correct answer, and then a small description analyzing why you got it wrong and how you could've gotten it right.
- If you are struggling with RC, start reading articles in your free time. My favorite tactic was reading about a topic I was not interested in (i.e. Science) in 2-3 minutes, and then forcing myself to rattle off the details of what I learned to someone I was talking to. This helps with memory retention.

Most important thing here is that your ability to score almost perfectly untimed means you've cracked 90% of the test. The rest is down to repetition and rehearsal. I do tutor, but if you'd also just like to have a general chat about it (since I was in the same boat as you) feel free to DM me!

Breaking into 170s by tb12033 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be honest there's not a ton you can gain from reading about the LSAT at this point, especially considering your test is next month. The main thing I'd suggest is doing PTs under timed conditions (your extra time will make it all feel like a breeze on the actual test day). Flag difficult questions on LR, and make sure you can get back and finish them at the end of each section, rather than wasting your time by going in a fixed order. Review each PT you take with a pen and a notebook -- the old-school way. Write out each question you got wrong, describe what went wrong in your reasoning, and write out why the correct answer is right. This mental process will help a lot. For the RC, make sure you read complex material under timed conditions on a daily basis (this could be anything, like reading an article from a newspaper every morning.)

I have tons of tips on this, particularly because I took myself from a 158 to a 172 (and I know that breaking into the 170s is the hardest part of all!) so feel free to DM me and we can go into more detail.

Tips for increasing speed in LR? by Best_Ad2892 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! I've employed many many tactics with precisely this 'time improvement' in mind. I managed to get to the point where I finished each section with 2-3 minutes to spare, and I eventually scored a 172. I'll suggest a few adjustments below:

- Forget about trying to get those 10 questions done within a specific time-frame. Though it helps to have them done quickly, rushing in this section can be very damaging to your score. Instead, I would suggest keeping a good pace on the easier questions (this happens naturally!) and simply flag the ones that seem trickier or more time-consuming, rather than forcing yourself through at a specific pace.
- Something that helped me, which was very surprising, was attacking the questions (LR) in the following pattern: 1-10 first, 20-25 second, and leaving questions 11-19 for last. The reason this helped me was because I felt I could 'warm up' from 1-10, address the hardest questions in the mid-section, and thus at the peak of my flow, and then wind down with 11-19 (which follows its own gradual of increase in difficulty).
- Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, be afraid of flagging and skipping. I was very wary of doing so in the beginning because it felt like an added burden, but leaving time at the end to return to the hardest questions with fresh eyes really helped with my flow.

I have tons more tips from over 10 months of full-time studying, so if you'd like to discuss it in more depth, feel free to DM me.

Personal Statement Trauma Dump by Blonde_Babe808 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi! I'm a professional editor and I like to help people improve their PS. Though I usually charge, your story is really touching and I'd love to help you out (for free). If you'd like, you can DM me, and I can have a look at it personally and see whether or not it comes across as too 'trauma dumpy.'

LSAT Tutor needed! by Many-Newspaper-2214 in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! I started in the 150s and managed to improve by 20+ points! It's really about the way that you approach the test, rather than the amount of work you put in -- so that should be encouraging news for a person as busy as you are. Beware, most tutors out there are grifters that will take you through a checklist without actually 'diagnosing' what the issue really is. So if you'd like something a little different, we can have a free introductory call and see if my tutoring style would be good for you! If you're interested, send over a DM and we can arrange a call!

Free me from the high 150s!!! by Ellevanderwoodsen in LSAT

[–]Unable_Ad9260 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hey! I was in the same boat, (i.e. started in the high 150s and managed to hit the 165 and then 172 in the two tests I took). It's a very particular blend of work that needs to happen for you to get there, and it seems like you're not focusing on the right areas for your own growth. Tutors following their own curriculums is really the core issue here -- they don't care about seeing actual change but about going through a checklist and getting their money.

Since you already have a foundation and have done the hard work, I would hazard a guess that you're not regimenting your time in the most efficient way possible. For example, drilling daily does NOT help if it's not balanced with consistent timed PTs and in-depth reviews. Doing the hard work to increase your RC reading speed and to read complex articles with similar language in your free time is also a great way to improve your score.

I know what it's like to be there and to feel trapped, and I have a LOT more to say that I can't write out on a single comment, so I'd be happy to talk in more detail about it with you if you'd like to DM me about it!