Don’t Plan. Do. (Ep. 175)
Ben’s an outlaw, y’all. And the show opens with a badass tale of Ben flaunting the authorities as he speeds around the DC beltway with his LSAT vanity license plates. It’s a riveting story that will make you run out and check the dates on your vehicle’s inspection sticker. But outside of his troubles with the law, things are relatively drama-free for the LSAT duo. On today’s show the guys cover a question about RC strategy, we get an update from a high-scorer and would-be LSAT tutor, the guys crush an LSAT India question, and you’ll see a personal statement transformed through the Personal Statement Review service. And don’t worry. There are plenty of fantastic tangents along the way, including a guestimate of candy prices from the 1980s and a review of said candy’s questionable naming schema.
As always, if you like the show and you want to get more from the Thinking LSAT community, check out the links below. They’re great ways to connect directly with Nathan and Ben, to get more resources for LSAT study, or to jump into conversation with your fellow test-preppers.
3:02 – Right off the bat, the guys have some exciting news. Ben and Nathan are giving a joint talk at GW on 1/28/19 at 5:30pm. The talk is called Advice on the new LSAT: Changes to the LSAT in 2019. It’s open to the public. The guys will let you know those hot LSAT trends for 2019.
6:44 – Catch up on the latest about the LSAT Demon. The guys are rolling out a new feature where you can take 35-minute sections right from your phone. It’s pretty rad. Plus, you’ll hear some testimonials from folks who are using and loving the Demon.
11:39 – Last episode, Ben shared an anecdote from a book he’s reading, titled Unfu*k Yourself. This week, he shares more Yoda-like wisdom from the book that encourages action instead of over-thinking.
22:47 – March 15, 2019. Put that date on your calendar, dear listeners. Because the guys are. going. to. Vegas. It’s the next Thinking LSAT: Live course. And while the guys won’t be making Siberian tigers jump through hoops, they’ll offer you a weekend full of comprehensive LSAT prep to help you get ready to crush the test. Just imagine ripping through the air on a zipline over Freemont street with echoes of LG, LR, and RC questions in your head. It’s gonna be great—sign up here.
25:47 – Email 1—Lemonhead’s having quite a bit of trouble with certain RC questions. Particularly when the question stem reads something like – “the passage was written to primarily answer which one of the following questions…” LH feels like he can make a case for two or three of the answers, but never feels sure. Even on blind review, he’s not making much progress. The guys point out that this is a main point question. And they walk through how you’re not meant to “make a case” for the answer choices. Your job is to really understand the main point of the passage. Then eliminate the four wrong answer choices to find an answer close to your predicted one.
35:08 – Email 2—College Debater from episode 157 writes in with an update. You may remember that CD was f*cking crushing it with a 3.9 GPA, represented his school internationally on the debate team, and was pegging 180s during his practice tests. At the time, he was considering cancelling a trip to Oxford so he could study for the LSAT even more. The guys told him to enjoy a trip to England because he looked pretty set for the test. Well, CD didn’t listen. He stayed home because that’s what LSAT Champions do. They don’t do the fun shit. They stay home and prep. And the prep paid off (maybe?) with a cool 179 on the test for CD. CD describes the weeks leading up to the test, and asks the guys for advice about becoming an LSAT tutor. Nathan and Ben describe how they each got started teaching the LSAT, and give CD some pointers on how he should jump in the prep game.
42:13 – It’s your weekly Pearls vs. Turds, dear listeners. So far we’re at Turds: 5, Pearls: 0, Draws: 2. Today we look at a back-of-the-napkin approach to deciding where to head to law school and how much money you should pay for it. The “simple algorithm” goes something like this: if you get into a school in such-and-such tier, you go, unless you get a scholarship or full ride from a school in such-and-such tier (read: lesser) – then go there. Ben and Nathan discuss, only to place this wisdom square in the growing turd pile.
55:54 – The guys line up the next LSAT India (2009) question. This week, we’re on question 8 of the first LR section. Close your eyes and be whisked away to the halls of your favorite art museum where you can appreciate each work in lengthy solitary deliberation. Now imagine one of those POS art shows where all your favorite works by Van Gogh are on tour in your town, and everyone in your village crams into the museum to see the greatest hits. Real shitty, right? Yeah. We know. And so does LSAT India. Tune in to hear how the guys slay this LR question answer choice by answer choice.
1:05:20 – Nathan and Ben share a personal statement from the Thinking LSAT personal statement review service. You’ll hear how Sam’s essay started out in his first draft, and then you’ll get to hear a much different final draft. Great work, Sam!