The Official September 2017 Study Group Forum

[Anon-e-miss]

Well that's $70 down the drain

[Anon-e-miss]

"digital watches, alarm watches, beeping watches, calculator watches, chronograph watches (digital or nondigital)"

Perhaps I'm just a dumb millennial, but what type of watch is allowed under this rule? An old school wrist watch with no functions at all?

[Csupo]

For anyone who has the Cambridge LG packets: how do these packets classify the games? Is it exactly similar to PowerScore's method of classification? (i.e., Basic Linear, Grouping Defined Fixed Balanced, Pure Sequencing, etc.) Or do they also classify some games as In/Out? Also do they sort games by difficulty?

[Mikey]

LSAC is so annoying, jfc.

[Ira Hayes]

Just to be clear; I blew $70 on a fancy paperweight?

[AvatarMeelo]

Well that's $70 down the drain

No kidding :/ i just bought one Monday. Well, at least it'll get some use between now and the test and I'll have to get a regular watch for the test.

[Gluteus]

For anyone who has the Cambridge LG packets: how do these packets classify the games? Is it exactly similar to PowerScore's method of classification? (i.e., Basic Linear, Grouping Defined Fixed Balanced, Pure Sequencing, etc.) Or do they also classify some games as In/Out? Also do they sort games by difficulty?

Cambridge LG consists of 8 PDFs titled:

Complex Ordering
Grouping (Distribution)
Simple Ordering
Determined Assignment
In/Out Grouping
Miscellaneous
Undetermined Assignment
Relative Ordering

And yes they are arranged by difficulty.

[Csupo]

For anyone who has the Cambridge LG packets: how do these packets classify the games? Is it exactly similar to PowerScore's method of classification? (i.e., Basic Linear, Grouping Defined Fixed Balanced, Pure Sequencing, etc.) Or do they also classify some games as In/Out? Also do they sort games by difficulty?

Cambridge LG consists of 8 PDFs titled:

Complex Ordering
Grouping (Distribution)
Simple Ordering
Determined Assignment
In/Out Grouping
Miscellaneous
Undetermined Assignment
Relative Ordering

And yes they are arranged by difficulty.

Thank you!!!

[Anon-e-miss]

Well that's $70 down the drain

No kidding :/ i just bought one Monday. Well, at least it'll get some use between now and the test and I'll have to get a regular watch for the test.

I'm almost reluctant to even use it now that I know it is banned for the test. I just had my highest PT yesterday on my first time using it (correlation, hopefully) so I'm sad to hear it is banned now

[NeverOrNow]

Being 8 years out of school, I was nervous about getting an academic LOR. I reached out to an undergraduate professor yesterday who said he would be happy to write me an LOR. Super pumped because now I can use his LOR and one from my previous employer, and not have to get one from my current manager. I assume that my current job would become pretty hostile for the next year if I needed an LOR from my current boss. This takes a lot of my application stress away. Now to just get my score up a few points here in September!

This is very encouraging. I've been out for a long time too. I've been dreading reaching out to a few professors.

[Impressionist]

Man LSAC is Chaotic Stupid. Why ban these watches? It's like they feed off our hatred.

[twiix]

Well that's $70 down the drain

No kidding :/ i just bought one Monday. Well, at least it'll get some use between now and the test and I'll have to get a regular watch for the test.

I'd recommend getting used to a regular watch far in advance of the real test. It's a big change if you're used to the easy to read 180/MM face.

I'd also recommend something like this watch : https://www.amazon.com/Casio-MRW200H-7E ... ting+bezel

It's cheap, and the bezel easily rotates. Just put the marker on the bezel when your time starts, and it's easy enough to track 35 minutes. You could likely even use a sharpie and make colors on the bezel to show your 10/5/0 minute marks.

[Impressionist]

Bezel is too loud on my normal watch. I'm just going to be resetting it to 12 every section. You force my hand LSAC! And ofc in the end their change in policy accomplishes nothing but aggravating people who spent money on the LSAT watches.

[chewinggum]

Did anyone in June use the MM?

[Anon-e-miss]

Bezel is too loud on my normal watch. I'm just going to be resetting it to 12 every section. You force my hand LSAC! And ofc in the end their change in policy accomplishes nothing but aggravating people who spent money on the LSAT watches.

Yeah, it is a bit goofy that they are SO restrictive of what watches can be used for a test that is supposed to be heavily constrained by time...

[AvatarMeelo]

I'd recommend getting used to a regular watch far in advance of the real test. It's a big change if you're used to the easy to read 180/MM face.

I'd also recommend something like this watch : https://www.amazon.com/Casio-MRW200H-7E ... ting+bezel

It's cheap, and the bezel easily rotates. Just put the marker on the bezel when your time starts, and it's easy enough to track 35 minutes. You could likely even use a sharpie and make colors on the bezel to show your 10/5/0 minute marks.

Yeah, that looks really promising. Do you use it?

[AvatarMeelo]

Anyone know the return policy for the MM watch? Slash does anyone not care about the policy and would be interested in my so brand new that it's not arriving til my house til Friday MM?

[chewinggum]

.

[AvatarMeelo]

Anyone know the return policy for the MM watch? Slash does anyone not care about the policy and would be interested in my so brand new that it's not arriving til my house til Friday MM?

I believe Mastermind's primary sell is that it's "lsat approved" so you should be able to return it. Esp if you don't open it

I kinda feel really bad for the MM watch guys - they put a really awesome quality watch on the market only for LSAC to lower its value. Hopefully they'll let me return it!! I'll keep everyone updated.

[NeverOrNow]

I'd recommend getting used to a regular watch far in advance of the real test. It's a big change if you're used to the easy to read 180/MM face.

I'd also recommend something like this watch : https://www.amazon.com/Casio-MRW200H-7E ... ting+bezel

It's cheap, and the bezel easily rotates. Just put the marker on the bezel when your time starts, and it's easy enough to track 35 minutes. You could likely even use a sharpie and make colors on the bezel to show your 10/5/0 minute marks.

Yeah, that looks really promising. Do you use it?

I use it and used it during June. It's easy to use and I haven't had any issues with it at all. The bezel sticks at first but quickly loosens up. I'm actually on my second one because I promised to give the first one to my kid after the June test.

[Impressionist]

Bezel is too loud on my normal watch. I'm just going to be resetting it to 12 every section. You force my hand LSAC! And ofc in the end their change in policy accomplishes nothing but aggravating people who spent money on the LSAT watches.

Yeah, it is a bit goofy that they are SO restrictive of what watches can be used for a test that is supposed to be heavily constrained by time...

Can't tell if sarcasm or not. Fact of the matter is that if the goal of this change is fairness or adding artificial difficulty to the test then it still is a big failure because we can still bring watches and accomplish the same thing as before with only slightly more work. Until they ban all watches, a change like this makes no sense.

[Mikey]

Can't tell if sarcasm or not. Fact of the matter is that if the goal of this change is fairness or adding artificial difficulty to the test then it still is a big failure because we can still bring watches and accomplish the same thing as before with only slightly more work. Until they ban all watches, a change like this makes no sense.

It really doesn't make any sense. I'd love to see an explanation as to why they banned them, because at the moment, it makes 0 sense and just makes them look dumb because of what you mentioned.

[Ira Hayes]

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but Jon Denning posted this in r/LSAT:

[+] Spoiler

"Yeah I could see that perspective if that functionality difference is what drove this change. That said, I've never seen people use chronos as timers during the test; we always encourage our students, and I think it's pretty much universally accepted, to simply reset the minute hand to 12 at the start of each section and pace yourself as it moves to 7.

And if you're trying to truly level the field then don't permit watches in the first place: a watch in general conveys advantages that penalize those unable to afford them...shouldn't they all be banned? LSAT-specific watches (built specifically to count down from 35 minutes, not to tell time) can offer similar advantages over a traditional analog timepiece. How long until those are disallowed?

The whole thing is a bit slippery if the notion of fair play is at the heart of LSAC's thinking. And are they really going to rely on random proctors' horological knowledge as the gate keeper for what's permitted and what's confiscated? Just seems poorly thought out."

specifically the bolded part. Maybe we are reacting too quick?

[Anon-e-miss]

Bezel is too loud on my normal watch. I'm just going to be resetting it to 12 every section. You force my hand LSAC! And ofc in the end their change in policy accomplishes nothing but aggravating people who spent money on the LSAT watches.

Yeah, it is a bit goofy that they are SO restrictive of what watches can be used for a test that is supposed to be heavily constrained by time...

Can't tell if sarcasm or not. Fact of the matter is that if the goal of this change is fairness or adding artificial difficulty to the test then it still is a big failure because we can still bring watches and accomplish the same thing as before with only slightly more work. Until they ban all watches, a change like this makes no sense.

Not sarcasm, mostly bewilderment. I genuinely don't understand why, if time is a huge factor for the vast majority of test takers, the rules for watches make it difficult to efficiently track time during the test. I agree with you, of course. I just don't understand why making test takers use outdated watches determines who is more prepared for success in law school.

[Anon-e-miss]

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but Jon Denning posted this in r/LSAT:

[+] Spoiler

"Yeah I could see that perspective if that functionality difference is what drove this change. That said, I've never seen people use chronos as timers during the test; we always encourage our students, and I think it's pretty much universally accepted, to simply reset the minute hand to 12 at the start of each section and pace yourself as it moves to 7.

And if you're trying to truly level the field then don't permit watches in the first place: a watch in general conveys advantages that penalize those unable to afford them...shouldn't they all be banned? LSAT-specific watches (built specifically to count down from 35 minutes, not to tell time) can offer similar advantages over a traditional analog timepiece. How long until those are disallowed?

The whole thing is a bit slippery if the notion of fair play is at the heart of LSAC's thinking. And are they really going to rely on random proctors' horological knowledge as the gate keeper for what's permitted and what's confiscated? Just seems poorly thought out."

specifically the bolded part. Maybe we are reacting too quick?

Link to this thread/post?