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For those who are working full-time and trying to study for the LSATs, how are you managing it? How are you scheduling yourself. I have tried to study for the LSAT for about three years and have never been discipline enough to manage both. I would study at work but never at home or during the weekends.
Granted I have not done enough practice exams to see where I am at. I just want something more than what I currently have in live and would love to be a lawyer. But finding sometimes finding the motivation is hard for me. I am trying to find ways to improve my mental health so I can manage both
Any tips would be appreciated
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15 comments
Seconding everyone's comments here. Also, know that it's ok if you have off days or even weeks. Like someone else said, having the "why" of going into law helped me keep my north star. It's always about coming back to studying even if you've felt like you haven't been consistent lately. Being easy on myself when I'm tired or in pain from my chronic pain condition and just getting back at it when I could. For a long time, I'd have sticky notes around the house reminding myself that it's hard to get started but once you start, it gets easier. Or tell yourself, "i'm going to just do five minutes and after that I give myself permission to stop." Usually you'll keep going. The hardest part about setting up habits is the beginning. Definitely agree with the meditation comment. So much of this is a mental marathon, and for me it's helped to figure out the right balance of long term vs. short term thinking.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
You got this.
Unfortunately balancing study with a full time job comes with knowing and accepting that your time is limited, so something(s) you do will have to be sacrificed to the LSAT gods.
And that SUCKS.
I study about 6-10 hours a week.
For me to find that time, I've had to cut out all weeknight television/couch rot time. I've simplified all my at home routines. I've said no to or put time boundaries on social engagements.
I highly recommend you look at your routine and your screen time and see where your time actually goes.
It helps for me to frame it as a temporary stage of suck. You could spend another 3 years studying off and on for the LSAT, or you can get brutally honest with yourself, embrace that your life will be pretty boring and repetitive for a while, and buckle down for the next 6 months.
The other element here is your mental health.
If your mental health is seriously preventing you from achieving your goals, please seek professional help.
Otherwise get good sleep, eat good food, and try to get some type of regular movement even if it's just a walk around the block.
I treat it as a continuation of my job. Instead of going home, I pack a dinner and head to the library. I don't make it optional, and that continued momentum helps me. If I go home, even just to stop by, I am going to struggle to find motivation and probably not study or do what I need to. For me this also helps with my mental health because when I do go home I am not frustrated with myself and having anxiety about studying since I know I already did what I need to do.
Studying while working full-time is hard, and it doesn't give a lot of time for life to happen depending on your schedule. Since it is hard, if you haven't done so already, you might want to register for the test, or plan intermittent school visits to make it real for you. When you are stuck in the grind of a full time job, it is easy to lose sight of your dreams and passions, so it can help keeping it at the forefront so it doesn't feel so abstract and far off.
I know this might seem counterintuitive, but developing a short daily meditation practice (5 minutes/day) may be helpful. Those of us that work, have families/kids, etc are always in go-mode, and turning off your brain can be an effective part of having the mental stamina to keep going.
I'm on the same boat - I've been studying on and off for a while now. Honesty, what has been working for me now is getting to work an hour earlier, and studying in a cafe until it's time for me to go into my desk job. It forces me to dedicate that time to study. I don't know about you but studying at home by myself was not happening. I don't have time after work or on weekends, so before work or during my lunch has been working out amazing. That add 4 hours of studying into my week versus none.
On the side, I will "watch"/listen to the recorded classes. If it's a slow day at the office I will pause my desk work and quickly answer the questions as the class does. This helps because it's extra practice, but when I get the answer wrong, you have an instructor there to go over why answer choices are wrong/right. Each video is about an hour, so add that to your weekly hours of studying.
What ever you do - just don't stop studying. I've noticed a major decline after coming back from a break. You got this! :)
I also work full-time and found that having a set schedule works out really well for me. I do an hour after work Mon-Wed and on the weekends do two hours. I have a tutor on Saturday, which helps, because I am reminded that I am paying money for these services, and it keeps me accountable to working on the days that I set.
Of course some work days are so much harder than others, but thats why you make a plan that's flexible and do-able and maybe takes a little more time than an more traditional learner without a FT job.
Try to tell yourself its not really an option to not study, because your future is that important to you. But also maybe get a tutor who keeps you accountable to learning! And of course, it is okay to fall off sometimes. But recognizing and then getting back to it matters more!
I’ve basically turned it into a part-time job and hobby. I study and drill early in the mornings before work, during lunch breaks, after work, and then put in 4–5 hour study sessions on weekends. I remind myself that studying for this exam isn’t forever. So I’m giving it 100% now, so I can ace it and move on with my life.
I am in the exact boat as you having tried studying on and off since I was a junior in college, where I worked two part time jobs that was full time hours and then had a full time school load. I'm a year and a half post grad and I thought it would easier only working one full time job, it's not.
I too have struggled with discipline in studying, which equates to not grasping the foundations enough to see improvement. The biggest thing that's helped me this go around in self studying is the 7sage study plan because you can set how much time you're willing to put in daily. I also really loved their blind review breakdown. Before when I would review, it just felt like time consuming crap because I wasn't sure why I got the answer wrong even after being shown why. With blind review the way 7sage broke it down (even if it's just one question) I am able to see where my gut goes so I can correct some of the thought process, then I can also see patterns in sections of where I'm actually struggling v. getting it wrong on first pass due to confidence and then getting it right in the review v. I actually understand the concepts.
I personally don't love their drilling model as much, so I alternate to LSAT Demon and their smart drilling. It really attacks the questions the software notices I don't get and allows me to focus on the content, as I'm not as concerned with my time yet. It also is nice to use 2 different materials because it feels mundane to work within the same platform, so I've been more engaged in studying.
As far as scheduling for this goes, I work from 8-5:30 including commute. I try to workout every other day after I get home and I cook for myself and my partner almost every night. That leaves very little time, not to mention if you want to RELAX. I personally am not a morning person, so getting up before work seems like hell to me but I see where it could be beneficial for others.
After I do my routine from getting home, I give myself 30 minutes of eating/buffer time. Then I have a designated spot in my house where I study. My phone is in a different room because I noticed when I got overwhelmed, I would immediately go on it to avoid studying. I study in incremates of 15-20 minutes (i.e. watching explanation videos, going over the daily modules in my study plan, small drills). Then I check in with myself, if I can do another 15-20 minutes I keep going, if not I stop. Some weekdays I studied for 2+ hours, sometimes it's only 15 minutes. I'm not gonna risk burnout for the sake of hitting an hour benchmark when I've had a long day. I also have a hard stop time regardless at 10:15 so I can prep for the next day and decompress before sleep.
On the weekends, same idea but with sections and/or full length tests and then blind review. Saturday is the testing/sections then review and Sunday is the going over concepts I noticed over the week that were my weakest then review. I maybe hit 2 1/2-5 hours depending on what I was willing to do or if I had time. If I have plans over the weekend, I go on my phone and drill on both platforms even it's only 3 questions, just to keep the muscles working.
Any studying is better than none, and don't beat yourself up over not being able to get 4+ hours everyday. For the average person it's not feasible. You do need to take care of yourself during this time and be kind. I wish you the best of luck and hope you ace the LSAT because you can!
I am literally in your position. I try to put in an hour of studying after work and sometimes an hour in the mornings/on the way to work. I study more on the weekend. Trust me, it is extremely hard but this exam is brutal and you just have to consistently put in time into it even if it is at least 30 minutes a day. Concerning motivation, remind yourself why you want to do this. Let your reason(s) be a motivation to drill/study the concepts. Most importantly, take breaks. Like I am trying to stay away from all LSAT materials like once/twice a week.
Try to take a practice exam section, just thirty five minutes timed to push through and see where you are. If you do well then awesome and if not, hopefully it’ll push you to study just a couple hours each weekend day to raise that score. You’re here so clearly you know you want something different in your life. Easier said than done but change must come from you :)
I feel you on all of this!!! For what it's worth, this time around I'm more clear on my "why" for going to law school than I ever have been when I studied in the past, so I'm motivating myself through the lens of imagining what being a lawyer will make possible for me in terms of my broader dreams.
Tbh it's been so hard from a time management perspective while working full time at a demanding job. I'm accepting that there's literally only so many hours in the day and consistency is more important that rigid perfectionism.
As far as mental health, having my "toolbox" of things that help me restore and come back down to earth is vital - something simple that always helps me is lying down on the floor. It sounds silly but it makes everything feel way less serious and helps me get back into my body after being obsessed with getting everything done in my head.
Maybe ask yourself what would make studying feel more fun and satisfying to you? Whether it's romanticizing going to a coffee shop or studying in bed (like me) and allowing myself to complain but still show up for it every day even if I can't always do the same amount of hours. Fifteen mins here and there is sooo much better than nothing.
7sage has been a helpful tool, and using their study plan function has allowed me to structure my time with tangible goals in mind. Also, having the app on my phone has been good because whenever there's downtime wherever I am, I can do something quick that keeps the skills fresh in my mind.
I am still figuring out how to manage this but just know you're not alone and you are capable of doing hard things and showing up for your dreams!!