Subscription pricing
I'm studying for the September LSATs with a full-time job. Any thoughts on cutting out alcohol entirely. Do people think casually drinking negatively impacts our ability to retain information? I'm talking about drinking on the weekends (getting drunk max once) and maybe a beer or a glass or two of wine on a weekday.
I'm thinking about cutting it out entirely but it helps a lot to relax and lower anxiety. Any one else contemplating this?
0
31 comments
Wow, definitely wouldn't post THAT in a public forum as a hopeful law school admit/attorney.
I cut off alcohol entirely, but still smoke weed before going to bed
As an 80s kid all I have to say is D.A.R.E. to say No!
I cut out alcohol entirely during my LSAT preparation and found that it worked best for me. I was always energetic during my study sessions (especially on the weekends), and felt my mind was clear. May be a personal preference, but I believe it helped me.
It only gets worse.
@donya175 . Here are some Shaolin monks doing their thing. I can't do anything even remotely analogous, but this is the idea:
Haha, I'll try @donya175 .
@jhaldy10325 mind sharing what phase 3 looks like? =D
not trying to control your body or anything. but pls don't. <3
I’m thinking about getting a face tattoo of this.
If you ever want email notifications, just click the star at the top right and it’ll let you know. And that goes for your own threads and others. So if you see one that looks relevant and want to get notifications, just star it and you’re good.
Thanks for all the responses! I was waiting for an email to tell me people had responded...but it never came. Good thing I looked here. ha!
Anyway, I'm glad to know others have critically evaluated their drinking habits in relation to studying for the LSAT. I am a couple years out of school and feel way older when it comes to drinking. I think I might allow for a glass or two of wine about once a week and perhaps cut it out completely as the test-date gets closer. I just woke up Monday morning with the worst hangover and I hadn't had a hang over in a really long time! It was a wake-up call.
But I'm only human. It's easy to overindulge when you're under so much pressure (albeit self-imposed) - you just want to let loose! But moderation and discipline is key, especially during such strenuous times.
Happy studying!
For some reason alcohol doesn't have much of an effect on me. That said, I would still refrain from drinking. Or, reduce your alcohol intake as much as possible. As I'm sure you know, alcohol can have adverse effects on the brain.
I would assume that having a beer or two once every two weeks should be okay. Like @nicole said, stop drinking a few weeks before the test.
I would maybe cut it out a week or two before the Exam (I tried 2 months and don't think it's necessary - two weeks worked for my best score). As for the long term study plan, Be your own judge - light hangovers will affect the quality of your studying that day as well as your PTs.
Ditto.
1 shot, 2 shot, 3 shot, floor.
Haven't had a drink in 6 years and I can tell you it has definitely improved my quality of life as well as my study abilities. It's also given me a bigger wallet. Not to sound dogmatic but if someone is feeling anxious after not drinking for a bit that could be a sign of something much more serious.
That being said, I would hold off on the alcohol a few days before the LSAT. Alcohol isn't good if you want to get a goodnight's sleep and the effects on memory retention and learning definitely linger. I'd suggest rather than having a nightcap you have a celebratory drink after you take the test.
Monday, June 6
I have barely drunk over the past 15 months - such a loser I know. I also know that I'm going to get shmammered right after I take the test though :)
Maybe drink earlier in the day? Don't people say that sleeping is very important for LSAT? The scientific stuff that says alcohol before bed actually makes you rest less well.
O'Douls?
Just kidding
Can't disagree with an actual physician about data!
It's been my experience that drinking in the evenings just makes everything harder the next day - not just retention, but motivation, energy, mental clarity, the whole nine yards (the effects have gotten worse as I got older, so your mileage may vary).
That being said, anxiety is also likely to lower performance, and you might want to settle for less than optimal learning as a trade for feeling better and more like yourself. I'm sure some people would say that you shouldn't need alcohol to feel better and less anxious and instead you should exercise, meditate, do yoga and charity work and eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables, but part of the fun of being a grown up is that you get to choose your own way of doing things and sometimes being all good all the time is kind of boring.
You've got some time till September, so you could try a couple of weeks with no alcohol, and see how it goes - maybe you'll find that you're not as wound up as you thought, and you like the fresher feeling in the morning.
At the decided risk of being a killjoy, the data are clear that alcohol negatively impacts memory retention and learning. If you were my patient, I would counsel no alcohol.
I haven't had a drink in about a month, and I'm not going to have another drink until after D-Day.
I also work full-time. Two weeks ago I cut out alcohol completely and upped my physical activity. Keeps my mind sharp and my body even healthier than before. I 100% recommend!