Subscription pricing
Let's say I don't get enough sleep in the day. After a day of work, I go home to study, but I can't focus no matter how hard I try to wake myself up. I put in less effort during my study session, I cut corners, and I just can't pay proper attention. Would it be better off to power through and study anyways, or is it better to put off studying until I'm fully rested and at top condition?
I've always tried powering through but I'm thinking of changing that. I've learned that mindset is EVERYTHING while taking the LSAT, and I don't want to get into practicing the habits that I develop while sleep deprived.
What do you guys think?
3
13 comments
I think it depends on where in your study journey you are. In the begining when you're trying to build your foundation, it can be hard to derive any value if you're zoned out the entire lesson or too in your head to follow or grasp the concepts.
However, As you work through the curriculum and are shifting your focus to preparing for test day I think you should study regardless of if you're "at top condition", you can't guarantee how you'll be feeling on test day so its good to get practice not feeling your best and to take note of what you tend to overlook when you're a bit tired.
On the days when I'm tired, I shift my focus from drilling my weakest question types or doing high difficulty questions towards drilling questions I normally would be fairly confident doing and making sure I can maintain that confidence and result even when not feeling peak.
Always remember. Some work > no work.
Even if it's a 5 question drill. Do it untimed and aim for 90% accuracy
In the long run, you need to carve out sometime where you do drill and review daily. I work a 9-5 that's really a 10 hour job so I really need to follow a schedule or I won't get anything done. Getting up early is hard for me but is where the bulk of my study happens.
My daily schedule looks like
6:00 wakeup/30m exercise/shower
6:30 eat, skincare, get dressed
7-8:30: drill LR and RC.
9:00: commute to work
9-5: work (i try to take a lunch where I'm reading or watching something to have some chill time, but sometimes I drill)
5:00 commute home
5:30 Review RC/WAJ.
6-8: random work tasks/dinner
8-9: LR review and WAJ
If I'm really struggling with a concept I try and watch a recorded session
9:00 study/prep for bed
10:30 in bed.
I have a pretty tough job and work a minimum of 10 hours per day so I feel you. Studying after work is not pleasant.
I think consistency is key so I try not to let more than 2 days go by without me doing anything.
However, burn out is real and can hurt your score (and health) so I don’t think it’s a good idea to be constantly “powering through” or “forcing” it.
The way I do it is:
Feeling well, max energy: full timed prep test or if I don’t have time for full PT I do timed sections. Full PTs are usually the weekend for me.
Tired but functional: a timed (ideally) or untimed section only and maybe blind review it the same day. If I didn’t finish the blind review for my weekend PT I also work through that first.
Very tired: progress through a blind review of a PT or section I did before that I haven’t finished (just a couple of problems), short drills either timed or untimed, or just review my bookmarked / annotated questions
Exhausted: rest - it’s very important to take a break.
I recommend doing maybe 3-5 questions, so you have some practice for the day!
I think just find the most optimal conditions where you're able to properly do every single question and also review super well. However, I think there is a slight benefit to being able to push through slightly when you're sleep deprived but this is purely from my own anecdotal experience where I had to take both of my tests at 8 am and I can say that fatigue definitely hit hard throughout both.
you can shift to low effort tasks like making summaries for1-2 star questions or reviewing concepts you are working on. maybe even scheduling your study plan, including planning an a earlier time to sleep.
agree with all the comments here :) If you study exhausted or without focus, it's easier to get down on yourself . Quality over quantity imo
Wait until you're fully rested! When I push through when I'm exhausted, I find that I don't retain any info and am basically wasting my time.
In my opinion, I feel that the work I do is better and I get more out of it when I’m not so tired that I can’t focus! I think it would be helpful for you to be well-rested (or at least more rested) while studying for the LSAT so you can build a strong foundation! Hope that helps :)