Self-study
Hi all,
I’ve been studying since last August, and have taken the official LSAT twice (Nov and Feb). I’m trying to get started again and hoping to be ready for the June exam… but I’m having such a difficult time finding the motivation to study. I can get myself to do a few questions at a time, but I just don’t really have the energy to push myself for hours on end anymore. I’m defeated, and frustrated, and tired!!!
Any tips on how to study under these circumstances? Or how to get out of this rut?
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9 comments
I rarely did more than an hour a day, but I made that hour count as best I could. Like others have said, if you think it has to be an 8-hour slog, you probably wont do it.
All the advice down below is amazing. I want to add on something silly, but effective. I printed a photoshopped picture of myself as a lawyer and pinned it in front of my working space at home. That's who I want to be, so I'm going to do all I can to achieve it.
I sat for the exam in August 2025 and took a complete break for about 1 month and I do not regret it one bit. I started back up in September and have been studying pretty consistently since then, but I often feel really discouraged or unmotivated to study and just generally sick of studying for the same thing for such a long period of time. Here are some very specific things that keep me going:
1.) You absolutely have to remember that you cannot compare your progress to that of others. It will make you feel like you're "behind" or like maybe you're never going to be as good as this random person on the internet and that will definitely suck the motivation out of you. Acknowledge that the LSAT is not an easy exam to study for. I often hear people say that it is a learnable test, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the journey itself can feel like borderline hell.
2.) Don't listen to other people who have already moved on from the LSAT and have already applied/gotten into/started law school if they tell you that there is only so much you can do or that you don't need to get a certain score because they got into their school with X score and know other people who have as well. Everyone has different goals! If you know in your heart that you can achieve your goal score, you should go for it. If you have legitimate reasons for why you want to get that score, whether it's for scholarship opportunities or whatever the case may be, then that is enough of a reason to keep trying until you get there. At the end of the day, you're the one who's going to have to go to that school every day and work in your field of interest every day--not them. Don't ever feel like you have to settle just because other people have different goals for themselves.
3.) Don't waste your energy getting mad at the test writers/questions/answer choices, etc. The exam is what it is whether you like it or not and getting mad at the material is going to create a negative relationship with studying. Instead of getting frustrated with it, use it as motivation to figure it out. You can even think of it as doing it out of spite if that helps. If you prematurely give up on the test out of frustration with the content, they win and you lose. You are giving them exactly what they want from you (letting the test discourage you).
4.) Don't make yourself feel like you're on a timer. I often get frustrated because I think that I'm making progress and finally understanding certain concepts and then I take a practice section and do horribly and feel like I just wasted months of my life for nothing. I have to constantly remind myself that I have worked really hard and sacrificed so much and that it has all been worth it because every mistake you make is a learning opportunity. This concept is one that I am still trying to get comfortable with but it is the reality of the situation. Take as much time as you need when reviewing questions and answer choices because if you rush through it, you are missing out on so many learning opportunities. The more shortcuts you try to take, the more time you have to spend later on to make up for it. Do the work upfront and you will thank yourself later! You are the one who sets your timeline, so don't feel like people are waiting on you or something. This doesn't mean to completely lose track of time and just study when you "feel like it" because there's no rush--you just have to be strict with yourself while also giving yourself breaks.
5.) Keep track of your study schedule on a spreadsheet. I have a spreadsheet where I log the date, day of the week, time of day, breaks, total time spent studying, what I worked on, and what I plan to work on the next day. This gives me a visual of how long I've been working on certain tasks that I gave myself so that I don't get too comfortable working on the same task for weeks. For example, let's say I'm working on drilling conditional reasoning after reviewing a timed LR section: I tend to push off doing another timed LR section because I find it pretty intimidating so I'll end up spending almost a week just drilling the same thing because it becomes comfortable for me. With a spreadsheet, I'm able to see that it has been a week or more since the last time I did a timed LR section and that tells me it may be time to do the thing that I've been avoiding for days.
6.) Don't let it consume your life. Find a schedule that works specifically for you. I've changed mine a lot but I have tried studying for 3 days in a row for about 2-4 focused hours with 10-15min breaks after each hour and then taking the 4th day off to do literally anything I want and don't even think about the test. Recently, I changed it to 5 weekdays in a row with the weekend off, but less time each day because there is no point in trying to study for 5 hours everyday if your brain is already clocked out after hour 3. Pushing yourself is really important but you have to make sure you don't push yourself past your limit every single day. I've heard from a few people that you shouldn't study for more than 3 hours a day to avoid burnout and I have found some truth to that from my personal experience. Try to differentiate between just not being in the mood and actually being mentally fatigued.
7.) Review your wrong answers at the beginning of every study session. Be very specific about what you didn't understand, what mistakes you've made, and why each answer choice is either correct/incorrect. It can get boring reviewing the same thing over and over again but I have found that it really helps drill the concepts into my head. I personally find it helpful to rewrite these ideas down in different words each time I review them instead of just reading over my notes and the question.
8.) Tell yourself that you love learning. Even if you don't feel this way, just tell yourself that you do and it will eventually become reality. I try to submerge myself in what the stimulus is talking about and if it's a topic I have no knowledge on, sometimes I look it up later on and end up learning something new. I tell myself that you lose nothing from learning new things about the world around you.
This response ended up being a lot longer than I had anticipated but I hope it helps in some way :)
I think we all feel this way at some point. Its easy to burn out! Maybe set yourself a timer 20 minutes and work on what you can for 20 minutes. That's it you have the rest of the day off. Keep the pressure off yourself. If you ever get in the zone and want to keep going, do it!
I don't think you need to overwhelm yourself and your brain to do well on the test. I'd recommend reviewing the few questions that you do and really understanding why you got it right or wrong. Did you miss the alternative explanation? Did you not fully understand the assumptions that take you from the premise(s) to conclusion? Did you miss a key word that completely changed an answer and made it correct/incorrect? Reviewing sucks and it doesn't really feel like studying to me but it is a possible way to see improvements.
Less is more. I'd recommend focusing on specific drills and reducing how much you're studying. If your brain is assuming that studying means an entire Section + Blind Review = 3 hours then you will most likely feel tired even before you start. Aim for quality, not quantity. Extensive studying sessions often have diminishing returns after a certain amount of time.
This might also be your body telling you that there's an unmet need. Try scheduling "destress" or "fun" after studying. Take mindful breaks. There's a difference between going out and feeling bad because you're "supposed to be studying" and actively choosing to NOT study.
I am in the same boat. I recommend remembering what your motivating factor is. In my case, it's my kids. I always think of my kids and what a law career will do for them. I suggest starting with a 10-question drill and then increasing it to doing 1 section of LR and progress as you feel comfortable.