Self Study Milestones?

[msirchia]

Hello,

This is my first attempt at studying for the Summer LSAT, I have been following the 4 month self study program with the intention of starting the online course end of April.

I feel as if at this point I know more than when I started but I'm sometimes still struggling to identify basic things in Logic Reasoning, for example the premise and conclusion as well as knowing when and if a diagram is necessary.

Is it normal to not be retaining everything at this point or should I be reviewing that much more everyday and week.

I'm steadily putting in around 20-25 hours per week of self studying.

Any insight would be most appreciative!

Thanks!

[Adam Tyson]

It's totally normal to be a little confused at this stage, msirchia! Study, then practice, then down the road take a practice test and review it, and then circle back to review those concepts that you struggled with. Leave yourself some homework and practice problems to go back to later, rather than trying to do them all at once the first time through.

As far as diagramming goes, I rarely diagram anything in LR other than complex conditional reasoning problems, by which I mean those problems that involve "if/then" types of statements and which bring in three or more conditions. I occasionally might diagram a causal argument by noting what the alleged cause is and the alleged effect, especially if there is a causal chain where one thing causes another which in turn causes another. Other than that, I see little value in trying to diagram stimuli. I ask myself what the conclusion is, but I don't mark premises and conclusions, and I don't counsel my students to do so either. Trying to diagram stimuli like we learned to diagram sentences back in elementary school has little upside and a lot of downside in the form of wasted time and effort, and losing the forest for the trees.

If you want to know what the conclusion is, ask yourself what the author is trying to prove. Then, if you aren't sure you have the right claim in mind, ask yourself if you could use that claim to support some other claim in the stimulus. If it supports something else, then it is NOT the main conclusion, because the main conclusion is the end of the discussion. It is selfish, getting all the support and giving none.

Stick with the plan, keep practicing, and don't worry! Different concepts and strategies will begin to click for you at different times. Have faith in the process, and understanding will follow with time and practice. You've got this!

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Msirchia,

I saw your question and thought this might help with the diagramming question: LSAT Conditional Reasoning: When To Diagram

Also, everything you are feeling right now is normal. I liken it to scaling Everest: at the bottom it's confusing and seems impossible and you can't tell which way to go, but when you get to the top everything has become crystal clear. It just takes time and effort to get there!

[msirchia]

Thank you Adam and Dave.

I appreciate the kind words of encouragement.

Im hoping in time with another month under my belt of studying these situations will get easier and easier to diagnose and exploit.

I am looking forward to doing well on this summer's LSAT!

Matt