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Carving out time for LSAT studies is getting to be pretty specious. It is definitely plausible balancing work with studying on its face...however, it's so much harder in practice. I'd like to hear from anyone that has been successfully been able to manage both aspects and has the results to prove it.
If you want to tell me about working out, doing yoga/meditation, eating right, and all that good stuff--I've been doing all of it and then some.
Thanks!
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Thinking we may want to reignite this thread as we head into a new year.
The struggle is real.
At the beginning, I thought I could do work + social life + LSAT. Now I am starting to get a more realistic rhythm going, but it definitely involves less social life.
@mjjohns6426!Focus!Focus!
What about doing LSAT at a "standing desk" or on a counter—some surface that's at the appropriate height? And wear comfortable/supportive shoes when you do so ... Actually cocktail tables are a good height for this. Not to say you should LSAT at a bar but crazier things have been said/done.
You might be able to find tables at that height
1) at ikea
2) at Goodwill
3) on Facebook neighborhood/local garage sale groups (search for your neighborhood/town/city and garage sale on FB)
4) Craigslist or
5) mount a wide shelf on your wall and use that.
Everyone has mentioned really useful tips.. BUT..
Does anyone else feel like one of the hardest things about working f/t (sitting for 8 hours a day) and then LSAT prep after work... is the extra time sitting in a chair?! My lower back/ hip area and shoulders haaaaate me! It's so uncomfortable. But then, studying in bed or on the couch isn't very conducive for effective study habits. I'm seriously about to purchase one of those over-sized extra comfortable office chairs.
i know this is minimal in terms of what is truly difficult about working f/t and still dedicating 20hrs avg./week to LSAT prep.. but i had to share that with someone.
Yeah it's tough. No question about it. 85% of the battle is creating a realistic/manageable study plan and committing to it. Unfortunately life gets in the way and it makes committing to said plan that much harder. Keep strong everyone!
yep, the intention is there but, at night, i am Gumby. Then i amp up on coffee and do my best...its a struggle.
I work full time at a law firm as a paralegal and I try to study 1 hour before going into work and I try to also do it on the weekends. Anyone else have a hard time studying after a full day of work? I feel like I am mentally shot by the end of my work day. Reading everyones comments makes me feel like I should be doing more studying at night though.
As someone who has been working full time and studying for the LSAT for about the past year and a half (it's been a really long time!), I connect to almost everyone commenting on this thread. I work a demanding job so I know that the struggle is real...but it's not impossible. I have learned how precious little bits of time are: 10 minutes reviewing missed LR questions while waiting for your next train or that extra 20 minutes you get when you can convert your lunch break into a quick study crunch. Make a very precise schedule of how much time you can allocate to study versus how much time every other engagements require. This will make you realize that you need to work smart with the little time you have. It's not about doing many hours of work, it's about being productive and progressive with limited ingredients. If you're going to sit down 2 hours after work every day to study, make sure you're not hungry or distracted. If you're starting to nod off, close the books and hit the sack. Wake up early then to make up that missed time with a fresh mind.
Personally, I would wake up at least 1-2x a week early on weekdays (at around 4 or 5 in the morning) if I didn't spend 2-3 studying the night before. I would also study around 4-6 hours a day on the weekends. I minimized socializing to only hanging out with my significant other (who took the LSAT too) and then rarely with some close friends.
Additionally, I actually didn't talk to my coworkers about my LSAT too much. They're attorneys or paralegals who are also taking the LSAT so I didn't want to add to any anxiety or nervousness by talking up the exam.
I honestly think that one can have a full-time job and study for the LSAT. It is challenging but along the way you'll discover what methods will work best for you.
I had to be at work from 9-5 and it was about 30 mins away.
I would type notes from the lesson and record myself reading them and on my way to and from work I would listen to my recordings of notes. It was weird at first. But it made it to the point that I knew certain things just because of the time I kept hearing them. I would also record myself saying premise & conclusion indicators, valid/invalid argument forms (these are easier seen on paper but I had a mental image after hearing them for so long), conditional indicators/rules, and etc. Whatever I thought would be helpful and that I would need to know before taking my first PT. I also had flashcards that I would pull out whenever work slowed down or when I was on my lunch break.
Since I worked for a law firm my boss knew I was studying for the LSAT and she gave me permission to study if all of my work was complete. Every day I probably spend about half of my day working on every case that was on my desk and the other half on BR. Since most attorneys aren't in the office all day it was easier for me to pull out the PT I took the day before and start BR. But when the attorneys were in office I did try to avoid having any LSAT material out. lol even though I had permission to. So instead I would BR the 1 LR section as soon as I got to work and then get to the files on my desk. Then by my lunch hour I would pull out the LG section and work on those games. By the time I got home I would only have 2 sections left to BR. I didn't feel as tired as before when I was doing everything after work. I didn't think my job was stressful or draining but my brain thought otherwise when I wanted to do LSAT prep. So by the time I would get home, I would eat dinner, shower and take a 30-45 min nap and pick up where I had left off. It would be close to 8pm by then. So from 8pm-12am I would BR/study/review/or anything that had to get done. I was usually in bed by 1 am and would get up around 7:30 AM. This was maybe 3 months into the course.
Before, I never take any of my LSAT material to work. I would just sometimes pull up 7sage and go over some lessons on my phone. lol
But I would try to get at least 7 hours of sleep and then after work I would come home to eat dinner and then go to the library. This helped me focus on finishing the course ahead of time. Because I knew I could not study at home. So I had to prevent myself from taking a nap while I studied in my room. I would do problem sets and BR right away watch video explanations and move on to the next section. But I did feel tired at work every morning. I tried waking up 2 hours earlier to study before work but for me studying in the AM has never worked. I rather stay up late studying. So I realized that it was important to me and that the way I was doing was working well for me. I also noticed that the most important thing about studying for the LSAT is getting enough sleep daily. Because your brain needs it in other to manage your full day at work + the 2-4 hours you're dedicating to the lsat.
There are a few things that I've been doing to balance out life and studying for the LSAT. I work around 50 hours a week, am taking care of a parent, am married, and am already a mid-level professional... not sure what your situation is, but in mine - it's super easy to find excuses to let things put studying on the back burner.
1) I gave myself over a year to study. Initially I planned on only 6 months - but I postponed my LSAT and extended my access to this course. SO worth it.
2) I dedicate at least 1 weekend day to nothing but the LSAT and really evaluate my weekend out of town commitments. I wake up on Sundays and study until I'm really DONE for the day. Yes to the wedding, but I won't be attending the shower. Easter at the In-Laws? I love them all but, nope. Weekend beach trip with the girls? I'll take Friday off, but I'll be home by bedtime on Saturday night. Balancing like this helps me avoid burnout. This method helped me bump from a 157 to a 168 consistently.
2.5) A note on socializing on the weekends: One of my husband's new years resolutions was to see more of his friends in the area, so socializing is pretty much obligatory for me. Let's be real about this...it's not the 4 hours on a Friday or Saturday night that eat into your LSAT study time. (Honestly - if you're home on a Friday or Saturday night - you're still not studying! You're probably unwinding from a long week and enjoying an evening of NetFlix!) What is really damaging to LSAT Success is equating socializing with imbibing copious amounts of alcohol. You go out for the evening, drink, and not only have you "lost" those hours studying, but you've also interrupted your sleep schedule, thrown off your body chemistry, dehydrated yourself, and wasted the next weekend morning (prime study time!) to a hang over. My advice - go out, socialize, see your friends, but DON'T DRINK while preparing for the LSAT.
3) When my scores started to plateau with the once a week study method - I changed things up. For the last week and a half, I've arrived at work early (between 7 and 8) and studied for anywhere from 30-90 minutes before my morning meetings. Making this small change put me over the 170 hump and gave me the forward momentum to set a new and higher goal.
4) I got a maid - she comes every other week. That 4 hours I used to spend cleaning my apartment every couple of weeks now happens while I'm at work. I come home to a clean and organized apartment with no tasks with which to procrastinate. I'm considering increasing the frequency if my scores plateau again.
5) Some minor things:
- I sit at a desk with an upright chair in a place that is associated in my mind with studying (in this case, a library at the school where my husband teaches). If I sit on the arm chairs there, I go straight to sleep.
-I gave myself incentives (like getting a delicious burger on Sundays during my study break).
-I have a printer where I study. (I asked the school's permission first!)
- My study buddy has extremely strong study habits and is NOT working on the LSAT: My husband and I go to his school library together every Sunday. He lesson plans and I study. I DARE not interrupt his precious planning time with idle chatter. Now, my next comment may be controversial, but again, this is what works for me personally! I have found during my academic life that when someone asks me to be their regular study buddy, what they are really asking me to do is tutor them. While teaching and explaining really does help me more deeply digest the course material, it also slows my pace. I made a decision NOT to have an LSAT study buddy - because I am working on getting over the low 170 hump and nailing the last five hardest questions on the test is EVERYTHING to me right now. I really don't have the bandwidth to go over material I've already mastered and been working on for over a year. Also - as a working professional - I can't wait for my study buddy to arrive when I have unexpected study time pop up!
Hope this helps!
Though balancing is a tough job... I did it and my doctoral work suffered... got my worst grades ( a B+ and 2 A -s not good at the doctoral level) and reviews in the sem I gave my LSAT in... and not everybody is supportive either... One prof even gave me a horror review... which had nothing to do with my abilities but in the weaknesses column he wrote about how I was not committed to the program and in the areas to improve about how a 'practical' degree like a JD was more suited to me and that I should question myself as to whether I wanted to do a doctoral program at all. Not one shred about my abilities in his course.. as for strengths, all he wrote was : he certainly has the patience and good intentions of a doctoral student... how that qualifies as a strength I fail to see... all this because I had to take an off twice in his class for the tests of the September administration which I did not end up giving because of a family tragedy and then the December test... he quizzed me one day for 20 minutes as to why I wanted to write the LSAT when I was already in a PhD at a school... Thank God for G'town... otherwise I was really thrown under the bus here :P
I was at my law firm from 2pm-8pm on a Sunday alone cranking out cases. So, why do I want to do this as a lawyer? Don't worry, that was a rhetorical question. ^_^d
@ksaluzzi806: That's perfect advice!
There's been a lot of talk about exercise and, while that is super important, I also wanted to mention that you should make a point to blow off studying every once in a while. What I mean by that is that you should make time to have fun. This is a personal tip that I learned through trail and error. I get obsessive about goals sometimes, and I can go full-tilt into something for weeks/months at a time. However, that type of intense focus on something will, occasionally, break my will to live. I'll hit a wall, and spend the next week recovering and getting back on the bandwagon.
Few things have helped me more then setting aside one or two days per month where I went out with some friends. Do it the day before your break day (Sunday in my world) and don't worry about the hangover. Talk to some people. Eat some food. Dance on a bar.
One thing about studying for this test is that it's so easy to get trapped inside your own head. Please don't misinterpret what I'm saying. Don't feel as though you have to go and rage twice a month (or however often works for you), but Dear God!--please--do something fun. I would make a point to go people watch and read at a coffee shop because that feels relaxing to me. Other times I'd go dance my face off. Pencil it in on your calendar if you need to (I do). Just do it. Leave your flashcards at home and go be a real person.
And then go back home and drill your ass off until next time.
@lucykelly459 I have a decent set-up in my basement :x lol its not that I can't spare it or the 30min is gunna make a huge diff... its more of a mindset bc I know I easily get distracted and the 3-4 hrs after work that I'm in my room studying isn't actually 3-4 hrs because of distractions so say its 2-2:30 then 45 min workout drops it below that time... and now I'm making more excuses (which is what my head does causing my issues lol) bottom-line I know working out is more of a + than - ... I just gotta push myself to do it
@lucykelly459 just defined what no excuses means... whole 'nother level... atta boy!
@whaleyjasmine734
When I was a poor undergraduate, I was very much into "ghetto fitness." But disregarding money, it's actually an amazing way to cramp exercise into a busy schedule because you can train anywhere, anytime.
Calisthenics (body weight exercises) like push-ups, sit-ups, squats, dips, etc. can be done at home.
When that stuff wasn't enough, I got creative. I did microwave squats (fill a microwave with textbooks and squat with it), lateral raises with cast iron pans, flip a chair over as a platform and did preacher curls with a fire extinguisher.
LOL - I always want to do a blog about this stuff. Maybe when I get time in the future, but the point is there's some cool exercises you can do at home with limited time. And that's a good way to start building up the energy to study the LSAT. Best of luck, and feel free to PM me if you need advice on training like this.
Doing well on the LSAT is about building strong habits. This includes the test itself as well as other tangential things like a proper diet, exercise, and a strong psychological outlook. Everything is interrelated. I hope you do well!
Jayswims, if taking 30 mins to an hour each day or 4 times per week is what makes or breaks your score then you have a bigger issue on your hands (not trying to be rude). Plus, taking the time to clear your mind actually HELPS with the LSAT. Beating your head off the desk for 8-10hours a day does you no good, you NEED that time to take a step back and move around. I picked up running from the LSAT, its a slow process like Drackedary says it doesnt happen overnight. It takes 21 days to build a new habit, and while its hard to find time, its something you just kind of do. Once you hit the pavement (or whatever exercise) you get lost in it and just do it.
I try so hard to find time to workout but having such limited time I feel like I should devote any free time to LSAT, its so frustrating cuz I know working out would do some good.... oh the struggle
I always recommend exercise, and whaley.jasmine's advice is great. Exercise doesn't have to be working out at the gym - find something you are interested in and will have fun with. You'll more like stick with something that's fun.
I would point out, however, that the energy boost comes gradually. A lot of fitness websites and advocates, with good intentions, give the impression that exercise would lead to an instantaneous energy boost. I recall it took two or three weeks before I really felt a constant energy boost after I started regular training. After all, the energy comes from having a healthy body, and you don't just build a healthy body after an hour of training. Be patient, and you'll see the MAD GAINZ in energy!
I completely agree with Drackedary--the key is going to bed early. It's one of the toughest parts.
Marleybaby, I reccommend exercise. I'll also reccommed that you do what works for you. That means something that you'll enjoy and that you'll stick to. These are your criteria for selection. Do something that works for you--I used to run three miles everyday (hated it but I was a varsity athlete in college and it was required). I totally could have jumped back into running, but it's not where I find my zen. So I picked up yoga and it has been awesome. It can be done in 15mins or an hour, and that really helped with my schedule when I needed the release but just didn't have the time for anything more intense then a 20-mintue session before I grabbed a cup of coffee on my way out the door.
Swim, play tennis, bike--it truly doesn't matter. Just have fun and blow off some steam.
I don't work out. Should I start doing so to get an energy boost? Whadya'll think?
I used to be a runner so It's not like I'm helpless but id like some feedback as to whether it would actually help my life out at the moment
Update:
Getting up to study early is indeed useful. I do feel I absorb more info than trying to study after working a shift. In fact, I don't even bother with studying after a shift because I'm too mentally drained.
The key, however, is going to bed early. This takes getting used to for most people. I go to bed between 8 or 9 PM.
Fortunately, because I am used to training at the gym in the morning, it wasn't too hard of an adjustment. Additionally, I use a pre-workout supplement before the gym so I'm really wired in the mornings - a cup of coffee might be needed for those not used to early mornings.
If you commute on the public limo like I do, I suggest also studying on the bus. I use flash cards. My energy level is high on the commute to work, so I might as well use that time to study rather than listen to music on my phone.
@harrismegan369: Bikini competitor and lawyer? I'd hate to face you in trial...