53 days 'til LSAT

Rose-colored score projection: 161

I paid a visit to Barnes & Noble last night and made a bee-line for the test prep section. Unsure of exactly what to get, I picked up three of the recommended officially LSAC books of actual previous exams, a workbook of just Analytical Reasoning problems (i.e. "logic games"), and LSAT For Dummies. I've never even picked up a For Dummies book before, but I figured it best to assume myself a dummy from the get-go.

As I sheepishly pushed my stack of books across the cash wrap, the cashier asked me, "Did you find everything you need?"

"I certainly hope so," I prayed.

I drove up to the Minneapolis library to follow through on my original planned research of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, as per my mother's suggestion, but after flipping through some of the LSAT For Dummies, I was hooked. I ended up spending the next several hours pouring over the Analytical Reasoning section. My assumption was right--I am most definitely an Analytical Reasoning "dummy."

Here is an example I gleaned from ExamCram:

Charles has to put together a roster for his company's annual softball game against their cross-town rival. He's got eight healthy people that want to bat for the team: Corwin, Dorian, Hal, Joseph, Kamal, Peter, Ralph, and Seth. He's allowed to submit five names for his roster. However, there are some things to take into consideration:

• If Ralph plays, Hal must play immediately after Ralph on the roster.
• Two of the three managers, Dorian, Kamal, and Ralph, have to be on the team.
• Corwin and Seth can't be next to each other on the roster.
• If Kamal is on the team, then Joseph can't be picked.
• Peter has to play either first or second.

Then the exam questions ask you to determine if Joseph likes ice cream, then "who's on first, what's on second, I don't know is on third..." (Abbott and Costello).

I do understand the skills this section is intended to gauge, but if this sort of analytical ability is really necessary for one to survive as an attorney, I have no idea how my father has managed to stay in business. I know he's intelligent, but try setting up a tent with him and tell me he's an Analytical Reasoning master.