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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Hi there! I'm working full time, working out, eating clean and prepping for the LSAT.
I usually workout 3/4 times a week (early mornings) and I combine cardio with weight training. I have been eating clean for a few years (gluten intolerant) and I prep most all of meals for the week on the weekends.
My work is very demanding, I usually arrive an hour early every morning and don't always take lunch breaks - when I do, it's logic games time for me. I usually study 2 to 3 hours day from Monday to Friday and then 6 to 8 hours on the weekend.
I have been prepping for the LSAT for almost a year now. First test I got 146 (back in June 2013) and now I am scoring between 164-166. It has been really challenging to manage everything but I love working out too much to stop it. It helps me with my stress and knocks me out so I can sleep properly at time.
I have found that the key to not drown while working full time is to be organized. I make lists, I put goals to achieve each week but I am always realistic - I know I am not going to be able to work 6 hours per day on weekdays for instance.
I don't really have a social life at the moment. I still go out a bit but the LSAT is my priority.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Plenty of good advice in this thread. My addition to the mix - break it up. In sports, athletes do two-a-days because two two-hour practices wind up being infinitely more productive than one four-hour practice. Your brain is subject to the same type of fatigue, so you should treat it the same way.
Can you plan in 35 minutes of LSAT before work? 35 minutes out of your lunch hour? 35 minutes after work but before you head home? 35 minutes after you eat dinner and recharge a bit? There's four timed sections right there (or, more likely, two timed sections/drill sessions and two sessions of blind review).
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!
If only the world were more like the 7sage community we wouldn't need as many lawyers... The irony...
C'mon guys. We can do it. We're all so inspiring on this forum ha ha.
This is my life:
Wake up at 3:50 AM, go to the gym, lift weights/cardio from 4:00-5:30 AM, come home, shower, leave for work at 6:30, get at work for 7, study from 7-8:30, work, study from 12-1 (lunch), go home, study from 5-8, veg out from 8-10, go to sleep. Repeat.
I started this thread when I was still trying to juggle working full-time at my law firm and studying for the test. I quit a few months ago because it personally wasn't something that I could see being feasible in the long run. I know it takes an incredible amount of dedication and discipline. Mad props to those of you that do it and make it work! :)
Let me know how that 4 AM shift works out for you. I usually stay up late studying. Once I get home from work I take an hour nap to recharge. But it's a never ending cycle of being tired all the time lol. I usually get around 6- 7 hours of sleep most nights.
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...
"To inspire is the effect of inspiration". My own personal quote. :)
Actually I have found that improving general quality of live has helped me a lot for the lsat. Pushing myself at the gym and overcoming obstacles helped for RC - before I could not sit down, could not be bothered to read boring passages and I had a poor score on that section. Now I'm like "just do it" (not stealing Nike's trademark quote) "focus for 35" so like in my gym, I'm in the zone and it seems to be working (I generally only miss 2 or 3 questions now). I believe that the LSAT requires a lot of mental training so find whatever helps you improve that. My job requires reading a lot about audit, finance and tax so it has been helping me with not-so-glamourous RC passages. I agree with the local that it is worth the time and sacrifice, sometimes your life suck for a bit but you now you are doing your best to achieve your dream.
I have been doing this balancing act for about a half a year now... I am a financial analyst in an oil company and spend around 50 hours a week in the office. I have been scoring around the 160-165 range but I hope to increase and nail down a more consistent and higher range in the last 7-8 weeks of my studies. I purchased the LSAT Trainer and I have to say that had it not been for this book and all the supplementals he suggests, I would not feel this confident nor organized. I have been able to carve out around 10-12 hours during the week and 6-8 hours during the weekend for the last 6 months. I have 2 weeks left in my schedule to complete the trainer and feel confident that my scores will only keep going up as I refine my skillset.
I have virtually no social life anymore though and I havent been able to travel like I used to, but in the end this is a small price to pay for a potentially massive upgrade in the quality of my own life so I just keep that in the back of my mind when things get overwhelming at times. It's all a means to an end.
What I would suggest, like Mike Kim of the Trainer, is to focus on training your subconscious through habits. I've been making it a routine to go home, work out/run, make a sandwich and pour some water and sit at my computer desk and start reading the Trainer or reviewing prior drills. At this point i dont even think about it, my body just knows to do it and that makes it much easier to drudge through it day-to-day. Like first starting to wake up at 6am. It sucks so hard to do for the first 2 weeks or so but then it becomes no big deal and you just do it. Same thing with study habits. It's not impossible to study and work full time but it takes an immense amount of discipline to balance it efficiently and to get the most out of your days in your personal, professional and academic life. Just keep in mind that this is a sacrifice that is intended to change the rest of your life for the better. If it's not worth the hardship then find something else that is. Hope this helps anyone..
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.
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
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 just defined what no excuses means... whole 'nother level... atta boy!
@chrijani7193 I 100% stick to it.
I am a bikini competitor, so skipping the gym is unfortunately not an option for me :( and I work a full-time job, so I can't miss that either. I have to fit it in where I can fit it in! And so I do it this way. I realize it's hard, but it's long term.
I am amazed that people who go to school study for the LSAT. I could not have done it! So good for you!!! :) good luck to you.
I'm bumping this old thread since I'm in the same boat and would love to hear what other tips are out there. I work full time in a hospital, so it can be a physically and mentally demanding job.
The greatest challenge for me is coming home from the day shift - I have little energy left. I usually start losing focus big time by around 7 PM. I work out 6 days a week, eat well, and use plenty of dietary supplements.
JY mentioned briefly in one of the intro lessons that full time workers should consider studying first thing in the morning rather than in the evening. This makes a lot of sense, and I'm going to start doing this immediately. I get up and train at 5:30 AM, so going to bed earlier and waking up at 4 AM should be doable. I will share results.
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.
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
@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!
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.
@harrismegan369, haha well thank you but going to school is not even nearly as intense as your schedule, I wish I could stick to mine is 75% of the time I might be in a better position than I am now.