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Schedule while working FT

120_or_bust120_or_bust Core Member
in General 124 karma

Hi folks,

I decided to take the plunge and start the LSAT journey (again...long story). I'm now in a home office FT job so I have more steady hours, but my schedule for a planned Aug 2021 LSAT has it at almost 35 hours per week which floored me. With work and family situation, I simply can't add 35h/wk onto it.

My diagnostic was 150 (not great, but whatever) and my goal is 160+ for most Cdn law schools. So, I'm really looking for 10-15 points. Does anyone have any tips on how to lighten the weekly load but still get to the goal?

Thanks!

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Comments

  • trishuestrishues Member
    130 karma

    Taking 1 timed LSAT section every morning before I am expected to contribute to my day job has been super helpful in driving my progress & keeping me accountable while working full time. If I left it for the end of the day I think I would skip more and have less available brainpower. I also block off an hour on my calendar mid day to do a few LG games at lunch.

    If you take around 1.5 hours per workday, 1 PT every weekend or so, you can probably make your progress in under 6 months. May seem like a long time, but I have heard that less study time per day over a longer period is more beneficial than a lot per day in a short period.

  • rmmccoy94rmmccoy94 Core Member
    edited January 2021 53 karma

    You have like 7 months, you definitely do NOT need to be studying 35 hours/week. That's 5 hours a day and highly unrealistic even for someone not working full time to maintain from the end of January until August. Try to set aside 30-60 minutes a day during the week, more time on the weekend. Work through a curriculum before you start going too hard on practice tests.

    Here's the suggested LSAT Trainer schedule. Obviously it's tied to their book, but it only suggests 8-10 hours a week for 4 months out. Much more realistic and should be manageable working full time. http://www.thelsattrainer.com/assets/16-week-lsat-study-schedule-2020.pdf

    Also my initial diagnostic was around 150 as well, and I scored a 166 on the actual exam while also working full time, so you can definitely do it with some dedicated study!

  • mariaye0604mariaye0604 Alum Member
    79 karma

    You can do it. I work full time and study on the side, and my job can be demanding as now I'm pulling 55 hour work weeks. But I study on average 1 hour, on a good day 2 hours on the weekdays and then do a full PT on each weekend. I'm now PT'ing in the 170s. My last exam score was 160s.

  • dutchiebrowndutchiebrown Member
    170 karma

    What I did was start small to get my feet wet, discovered my weaknesses and went from there. Even 10 hours a week will make a difference, with seven months until your test I think you could make some strides with 10 hours or so a week, the challenge is to not overdo it or get burnout before then. I work full-time with a side gig on the weekends. I managed to study several times a week and I penciled in rest days. My diagnostic was terrible (129) ended up PTing the high 160s with three months of studying. I also was sick the two weeks leading up to the January test.

  • dutchiebrowndutchiebrown Member
    170 karma

    @rmmccoy94 said:
    You have like 7 months, you definitely do NOT need to be studying 35 hours/week. That's 5 hours a day and highly unrealistic even for someone not working full time to maintain from the end of January until August. Try to set aside 30-60 minutes a day during the week, more time on the weekend. Work through a curriculum before you start going too hard on practice tests.

    Here's the suggested LSAT Trainer schedule. Obviously it's tied to their book, but it only suggests 8-10 hours a week for 4 months out. Much more realistic and should be manageable working full time. http://www.thelsattrainer.com/assets/16-week-lsat-study-schedule-2020.pdf

    Also my initial diagnostic was around 150 as well, and I scored a 166 on the actual exam while also working full time, so you can definitely do it with some dedicated study!

    This book helped me along with 7sage!

  • davejonesydavejonesy Member
    50 karma

    I am in almost precisely the same boat (FT job & looking at CDN law schools) and was also floored when I saw what the 7Sage study schedule generated for me.

    Aside from the LSAT Trainer schedule, which I've been using as a rough guide while trying to work through both the content of the book & 7Sage, I chilled out a bit when I looked at the breakdown of the 7Sage schedule's later weeks. Obviously the BR method will require significant investment in the early stages of running through PTs, but theoretically (in practice, almost assuredly) it won't continue to take 12 hours / test up until your test date.

    If you cut that from 12 down to 8/10 per test - and probably even less - the simple average the schedule generates (total hours of all the material over weeks you inputted) gets a lot more manageable.

    Good luck!

  • 120_or_bust120_or_bust Core Member
    124 karma

    @rmmccoy94 said:
    You have like 7 months, you definitely do NOT need to be studying 35 hours/week. That's 5 hours a day and highly unrealistic even for someone not working full time to maintain from the end of January until August. Try to set aside 30-60 minutes a day during the week, more time on the weekend. Work through a curriculum before you start going too hard on practice tests.

    Here's the suggested LSAT Trainer schedule. Obviously it's tied to their book, but it only suggests 8-10 hours a week for 4 months out. Much more realistic and should be manageable working full time. http://www.thelsattrainer.com/assets/16-week-lsat-study-schedule-2020.pdf

    Also my initial diagnostic was around 150 as well, and I scored a 166 on the actual exam while also working full time, so you can definitely do it with some dedicated study!

    Thanks! I clicked the link but I don't see how it's only 8-10 hours/wk (unless I'm not looking in the right spot)?

    Is there any way to play with the 7sage schedule to make it 8-10 hours/wk?

  • equallyyokedequallyyoked Alum Member
    374 karma

    From what i am noticing the 7sage schedule suggests about a year to prepare. If you set your schedule at 8-10 hours week that may put you at a further finishing time. Try it out and see.

  • rmmccoy94rmmccoy94 Core Member
    edited January 2021 53 karma

    @wetcoastcanuck said:

    @rmmccoy94 said:
    You have like 7 months, you definitely do NOT need to be studying 35 hours/week. That's 5 hours a day and highly unrealistic even for someone not working full time to maintain from the end of January until August. Try to set aside 30-60 minutes a day during the week, more time on the weekend. Work through a curriculum before you start going too hard on practice tests.

    Here's the suggested LSAT Trainer schedule. Obviously it's tied to their book, but it only suggests 8-10 hours a week for 4 months out. Much more realistic and should be manageable working full time. http://www.thelsattrainer.com/assets/16-week-lsat-study-schedule-2020.pdf

    Also my initial diagnostic was around 150 as well, and I scored a 166 on the actual exam while also working full time, so you can definitely do it with some dedicated study!

    Thanks! I clicked the link but I don't see how it's only 8-10 hours/wk (unless I'm not looking in the right spot)?

    Is there any way to play with the 7sage schedule to make it 8-10 hours/wk?

    The 8-10 hours a week was on this page: http://www.thelsattrainer.com/lsat-study-schedule-options.html

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