Self-study
I try my best to study before work, for about 45 minutes to 1.5 hour, and study for about 3 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. I am also an athlete and an artist on the side, and tend to spend a 'healthy' amount of time with loved ones. I know that I should temporarily sacrifice some of these, but I find that really difficult. I am currently scoring 'average.'
I guess this post is looking for some relatedness, inspiration, as well as advice from fellow full-time employees here:
How do you make your studying lean/effective?
How long do you aim to study for the exam (in my case, 5 months)?
How much of other aspects of your life are you sacrificing, if at all? How do you personally process this 'need' to sacrifice?
etc.
Thank you!
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4 comments
Hi! I’m the exact same way. Balancing a 5-day, 8–4:30 work week with family, hobbies, and a gym routine is no joke, and I totally agree that "sacrificing" a crucial part of your lifestyle feels impossible. Here is what finally worked for me.
I started waking up at 5AM every weekday to study. Trust me, it was brutal at first, but it completely changed the game for my work-life balance. I usually head to a nearby Starbucks, and grind from 5:00 to about 7:15 AM. I'm lucky enough to work from home, which gives me some flexibility on the back end, but getting those uninterrupted hours in before the rest of the world wakes up has been key for my efficiency and consistency.
I keep my weekends open for more flexible study times, but this weekday routine keeps me on track. And honestly, while buying a coffee five days a week can add up, that $5–$6 daily investment has done wonders for my LSAT score! Hope this helps :)
@RawanAbdulhaq What time do you sleep!! I tried 6:30 - 8:00 AM before, but I am mostly in person work and my job was (seasonally) busy recently. I am trying to rebuild that. Haha I love doing my study in cafes too!! but I think about the accumulation of $ spent on coffee but it helps romanticize studying
@Gertabarentos Haha, I try to sleep between 9-10pm. I keep reminding myself that this is only temporary and will help me in the long run. I know a lot of people who also study in the living room in the early morning instead, but for me I need to leave the house to fully wake up LOL. Lots of people also just study late at night, but Im a morning bird so I cant do that haha!
@RawanAbdulhaq Emphasis on the waking up early! I have a similar schedule and the early wake-ups have been my most surefire way to make sure the studying gets done meaningfully.