- Posts: 465
- Joined: Mar 20, 2012
- Wed Sep 12, 2012 12:12 pm
#5311
I just wrote up a longer version of what I've done to improve in RC to someone in a message, so I figured I'd post it here, as well:
It used to take me 5 mins to get through a passage. I would underline A LOT, and notate way too much. By the time I was done, I wasn't sure what I read, and my notation hurt more than helped me. By focusing too much on underlining, you don't get the flow of the passage - you're too busy halting that flow by notating. It also is very time consuming.
The first step I took was to underline less, and notate less. I just focused on underlining things that I knew would give me points of reference when I returned to the passage - like viewpoints, definitions, examples, etc. Or I would just notate next to the passage really quickly what I thought was VERY important. That's key. It should be VERY important, not just important. I would bracket long things that I thought I may want to look back at by putting a bracket in the column next to the passage, so it wouldn't get the passage messy. When I would get to the questions, I would usually have a good sense of what happened in the passage, and would know where to look for the answers in the passage or would know the answers already.
Another thing that helps this a lot is focusing on structure, so you know what each paragraph is doing and you know where to look back for each question.
At one point I started reading through passages too fast, and when I got to the questions, I had no clue what I read. So I slowed down a little bit, to a point where I understood what I was reading, but didn't take too long. Notating less CAN take over a min off your reading times.
I also started reading NY Times editorials often, and focused on the main point and knowing what the author was arguing in the passage. It really does help.
I use two apps that I got on my iPhone - Acceleread and Speed Read. I got them to work on reading speed.
I now try to do 3-5 passages each day to keep improving and get a better sense of what questions the LSAT is going to ask.
Don't read for detail and don't get intimidated by big words. Structure matters the most, and knowing what the bigger picture is. Details are usually only necessary for questions that point you to them. The bigger picture and knowing what the Author's opinion is are the most important things to know in the passage.
It's all about practice, so dive in and rock that section!
You can do it. It just take practice.
It used to take me 5 mins to get through a passage. I would underline A LOT, and notate way too much. By the time I was done, I wasn't sure what I read, and my notation hurt more than helped me. By focusing too much on underlining, you don't get the flow of the passage - you're too busy halting that flow by notating. It also is very time consuming.
The first step I took was to underline less, and notate less. I just focused on underlining things that I knew would give me points of reference when I returned to the passage - like viewpoints, definitions, examples, etc. Or I would just notate next to the passage really quickly what I thought was VERY important. That's key. It should be VERY important, not just important. I would bracket long things that I thought I may want to look back at by putting a bracket in the column next to the passage, so it wouldn't get the passage messy. When I would get to the questions, I would usually have a good sense of what happened in the passage, and would know where to look for the answers in the passage or would know the answers already.
Another thing that helps this a lot is focusing on structure, so you know what each paragraph is doing and you know where to look back for each question.
At one point I started reading through passages too fast, and when I got to the questions, I had no clue what I read. So I slowed down a little bit, to a point where I understood what I was reading, but didn't take too long. Notating less CAN take over a min off your reading times.
I also started reading NY Times editorials often, and focused on the main point and knowing what the author was arguing in the passage. It really does help.
I use two apps that I got on my iPhone - Acceleread and Speed Read. I got them to work on reading speed.
I now try to do 3-5 passages each day to keep improving and get a better sense of what questions the LSAT is going to ask.
Don't read for detail and don't get intimidated by big words. Structure matters the most, and knowing what the bigger picture is. Details are usually only necessary for questions that point you to them. The bigger picture and knowing what the Author's opinion is are the most important things to know in the passage.
It's all about practice, so dive in and rock that section!
You can do it. It just take practice.