Online classes

[gemini528]

I'm taking an online class with Powerscore.

Just finished tonight's lesson. 

Pros:
convenient--we meet live weekly, classes are recorded
I can literally attend class in my PJs
I drink beer during class to endure the Logic Games explainations
I took a nap before class.  Got up 2 minutes before class started and made it on time!
You can talk and chat w/ the instructors

Cons:
They go really fast!
It is hard to type questions in time while following along in your book.
You really need to focus and pay attention--many times my puppy is eating something and i have to run away from the computer!
If you are gone for a minute (chasing the puppy!) you miss a lot--and you can't just ask a neighbor what you missed.
They don't cover EVERYTHING in class--a lot of information is found in the homework and outside reading and analysis.  There is no instructor help w/ outside homework--although this is available if you get the full, in class version.

Homework:
...IS INSANE! (but i guess it motivates you to keep practicing)
There are tons and tons of homework.  (But I'm a student, work full time and a single mom on top of this--if you are only studying for the lsat, it should be ok)
Because it's hard to interact w/ other students, I tend to feel a little isolated, ie, I wonder if I'm the only one getting these wrong??

Overall, I've only had 4 lessons, and they've seemed to help. Note: I've studied w/ the bibles before, so this explained a lot more.  I was told not to worry about timing or score yet, so I cant speculate on how I'm really doing, but I am starting to grasp some concepts better than on my own.

Honestly, if it had fit into my schedule and if I had more money to spend, I may have opted for the in person class...seems to help w/ support.

Hope this was helpful!

[gemini528]

OK, my course just started tonight...this is pretty sweet! We started out just making sure everyone is able to hear and see the "whiteboard". There are two instructors--one teaching, and one answering questions on the IM. I have a headset with a microphone that I can talk into, but IM seems to be the best way to ask questions so far.

Alright we're diving into the real content now. I'll give more details tomorrow, but I thought I'd jump in here and give you guys a quick shout out. Back to paying more attention... 

I just saw this now...nice to see someone else taking the powerscore online class!  My class meets weekly, we started in the beginning of March and just finished lesson 4.  How often do you meet? (isn't the homework insane? lol..)

[widespreadLSATpanic]

Hey Gemini - Very cool that you're in the same course!  I'm in the session that just started on Tuesday, so I've only had one lesson so far. We meet online twice a week for the first half of the course, and once a week for the second half.

Yeah, the homework does seem to be a lot. I was sorta overwhelmed just by the books...now when I log into the "Online Student Center" I see there is a TON more material. I think the idea is that we don't have to do it all (that's what the PS people told me when I called)... we can pick and choose what to focus on based on our weaknesses. I'm brand new all this, so I don't really know my weak areas yet. But did you notice they have a "critical" homework list posted?

I was going to give a more detailed review, but you seem to have made a lot of the points I would have mentioned. As for being gone for a minute and missing stuff...you know you can go back and watch the recordings of each lesson, right? I already went through most lesson 1 again. I skipped around to certain areas... just like DVR.

Lesson 2 tonight 

[gemini528]

So...do you have one day between lessons to complete the homework? ouch.

[Trex555]

How is the teaching and the online aspect? Do you guys ever go back and rewatch parts of the class? That feature really intrigues me. 

[Mitch Cumstein]

From what I've gathered about online courses it seems that the archives of the classes are a HUGE help, even if you feel that were able to focus the whole time and understand the info presented. With a puppy running around this seems even more valuable!

Curious to see how often you PowerScore guys utilize thataspect as you get deeper into the course...

[widespreadLSATpanic]

  Totally!

I pretty much suck at taking notes, so the recordings are awesome to have. I'll probably review my first two lessons again this weekend and try to do most of the homework...definitely all of the critical list.

So far I'm a fan of the course. They lay everything out and explain things so clearly...it almost seems easy. The hard part is learning how to do it on my own. I like how they start out making sure we understand the types of questions and the words used.

Btw, I scored 148 on my first practice test before my first lesson. I don't think that's too terrible.

[Dr. Troy]

Oh, so they give you a "Critical List" of the homework that is most important? That's awesome! I can see how people with time constraints could really use that to help them better prioritize what to do.

And if the online course is structured like most other courses I've seen those first few lessons probably contain the most important, fundamental concepts, so be sure to review them at length until you're 100% comfortable with the ideas presented. Gotta walk before you can run!

[gemini528]

Although you CAN go back to rewatch the class, I have have problems with FINDING where I want to watch. When you 'rewind' it can take up to 5 mins to reload! A couple people from my class said they had this problem too...I havent had the dvr experience.

HOWEVER, the student site has recap modules--basically the same info covered in class, but a different instructor. That works well too.

The critical lessons are bare minimums...however, after paying close to 1K on a class, i keep stressing on getting all of it in! I need to slow down and go over things though.

good luck!

[DoubleAgent]

I was thinking about taking an online class before I take the LSAT and this has been helpful. Has anyone gone through any other online classes other than PowerScore? I have been reading through a number of forums and PowerScore seems to have a very good rep, but I think I still should research all options. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. 

[widespreadLSATpanic]

I did a decent amount of research before I signed up for the Powerscore class. I checked out the various websites and called people at Princeton, Kaplan, and PS. After those conversations, it was the online demo that really sold me (plus the great customer service). After a few lessons so far, I think I made the right call.

[DoubleAgent]

I haven't had a chance to check out the online demo. Where can I find it?

Thanks!

[widespreadLSATpanic]

Here ya go, DoubleAgent...

For comparative purposes this might help:

Kaplan Demo at http://www.kaptest.com/LSAT/LSAT-Prep/Online/lsat-live-online.html

PowerScore Demo at http://www.powerscore.com/lsat/virtual/content_index.cfm

Princeton Review Demo at http://www.princetonreview.com/law/free-lsat-practice-test.aspx

[DoubleAgent]

Thanks! Looks like I should have checked the previous posts again before asking. LOL

[widespreadLSATpanic]

I'm almost halfway through my course now, and I'm already scoring in the mid- to hi-150's (after starting out at 148 before any studying). I'm pretty stoked, and think I can very likely get into the lo- to mid-160's.

One of my biggest fears going into this was being able to understand the concepts as my instructor explained them, but then not being able to apply them when working on my own. I've surprised myself by remembering very specific points from the course when doing my practice tests. I think this is due to the way they explain everything so clearly, starting with the basic fundamentals and gradually ramping up to more complex ideas...all building on each other.