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Last Day Of Work! For Those who study full-time, what is your schedule like?
Hey Ya'll,
So it is official that my last day of work will be the end of the month! It has been a great 2 years and I've learned a lot, but sometime around the holidays I realized working crazy hours and the non-stop stress was hurting me from moving forward with my LSAT prep. I'll still be working part-time doing some random things, but I'll be able to kind of do those on my time frame.
So for those of you who study full-time, what does your daily schedule look like? I'm sure everyone's is different and possibly vary greatly, but I'm just looking for some ideas. I am kind of crazy and feel like I'd just study from like 9am-9pm and burnout. This is something I really want to avoid.
I'm aiming to take in September or December 17'. I'll admit that I'll postpone until I'm PT'ing consistently where I need to be. 174+
I was thinking something like this:
8am: Wake up, work out, shower, etc.
9am - 11am Prep (Not sure what at this point)
12pm-1pm: BREAK for lunch and just stay sane. I'm used to taking this time from work anyways.
2pm-5pm: Prep more.
I think after 5pm I'll take a break until 7pm or so and then maybe prep more.
I'm kind of lost because I've never really had a whole day that I can design myself and study when I want.
What do you guys think?
TYIA
Comments
Congrats Alex! I was working 60 hours/week for most of my study time leading up to my first two takes. Having the time to really commit to lsat was a game changer. More than 7Sage and more than the pressure of only having one take left, the time was the biggest change.
You're probably familiar with my daily schedule already, but here it is again, lol. I treated every day like test day. I mapped out my ideal pretest morning routine and I started living that every day. Up at 5:30, go for a run, clean up, breakfast and coffee, etc. Same thing at night. In bed by 10 - no electronics. During the day I started with a 3.5 hour study block and broke at noon for lunch. That was a good block of time to accommodate a PT if that's what I was doing that day. Then I'd get back on it from 2 - 6 and relax during the evening.
Taking time to chill out was something I had to learn. At first I started out studying 12 hours a day and I burned out really quickly. So schedule that in and make yourself take time off without guilt!
Good luck!
Just popping in to wish you the best of luck @"Alex Divine" . I think one of your posts was the first thing I saw when I joined 7Sage, so I know you've been at this a while.
Not the advice you're looking for, but maybe just take a couple of weeks and enjoy your new freedom? Binge watch a TV series or something, you deserve it.
I am moving into a similar full time mode, now that I am done teaching for the semester. Boo accelerated class for wrecking Feb for me however I ended up being really sick on what would have been test day, so I guess it all worked out.
Like Josh did everything is simulated here on out. If I am not taking a test I'll drill and review in the same window. Up at 8, Yoga. Light Drill, to the test site by 12. Chill for 30 start test, drills at 12:30. Break for snack, finish test/drills/reading. Head home Dinner and then review the test/join BR calls/Study group. In bed by 11. Rinse and Repeat most days of the week. If I am not testing, I'll be BRing/Drilling an review. Sundays will be my off day to veg be social and what not.
If I was doing Sept, I would be up at 6, but since June is a mid day test, and I naturally wake up at 8, I am sticking to that. I sometimes wake up earlier in the summer, and if that happens, I'll shift what I do in the morning a tad.
Im going to mix up testing locations a bit so I have more distractions, so keep that a bit varied, but everything else routine as possible. I have a few days I have to teach one day seminars, but none of them are on Mondays. Pretty much every Monday moving forward will be a simulated test day.
I usually wait so late to get into tests, which has been to my determent, so this time I am already in PT mode and will just keep it going without bunging out.
Whatever you do just make sure you are accountable to it, and dont be afraid to switch it up a bit.
I've been studying "full-time" for about 6 months. Cold diagnostic was 146 with my last few PTs 165-167. Shooting for 170+ by June/September, and I've studied for probably an average of 4-5 hours a day at an average of 4-5 days of study per week. How often, and for how long, you need to study really depends on what your deficiencies are, and how quickly/efficiently you're able to pick up whatever it is you're learning. (I was deficient in every section type, so there's some perspective for you.) I've taken a few extended breaks during my course of study (two-week breaks a couple times, and a month long break during February), and I've always come back to my studies reinvigorated and more confident in my approach to the LSAT. I think it's important to give your brain time to recuperate and transfer short-term memory into long-term memory.
Self-awareness is the key, and a good tutor doesn't hurt.
Josh, Thank you, brother. You were one of the reasons along with Nicole and @"montaha.rizeq" that I am here. Your schedule seems to echo exactly what I am looking for. It's structured; yet, like you said, the 12 hour thing will burn you out and I have have to be honest: I am notorious for going for like 2-3 weeks of studying for every hour I was free outside of work (Usually 6-12am) and then feeling despair and depressed for weeks and making little progress. I suck at balance and your schedule seem to give to me that. So thank you
Thank you, @stgl1230 - That means more than you know. I started prepping during August and have been sort of been half in and half out with respect to consistency. I prep as much as I can, but all too often since I've signed up for 7sage, I get a work assignment that takes 2 weeks and I can't get much done. What free time ends up being divided between my girlfriend and friends. It got the the point where I almost had to decide LSAT/Work or girlfriend/being sane.... So, again, it mean a lot. I'm actually really excited to jump right in, but right now with work I'm kind of checked out in many ways. My boss and superiors know I'm leaving and as a result aren't giving me much to do. Lately, I've been kind of saying goodbyes and going to lunches with my friends where I work. Thanks again
Nice! That totally makes a lot of sense when you put it that way. I think from experience I would be alright sort of studying "full-time" or, something like 8-4 or 9-5. I just want to make sure that regardless of deficiencies, I really give myself a hard time where I need to stop. Like you said, self-awareness is key; and I know myself enough to know that I tend to kind of go until I'm too fucked to do anything. When I started prepping in August, for example, I would work 8-7 and prep 8-2am a lot of nights. It just got to be too much and eventually I realized I'm going to have to go through the CC again because when you're watching lessons and doing drills at 2am you just aren't getting the same value and knowledge you'd get doing those same things at 2pm.
I might consider one of the wonderful tutors 7Sage offers. I feel confident I can figure this test out because when I have out in the time I am capable of doing pretty well. I need work on LG because it seems to be the section that if I miss 2-3 days of drilling my time begins to lag.
Thank you again for all your advice and encouragement! Also, congrats on getting closer to that 170 with your last few PTs. We will be at 170+ by fall. And I cannot wait
Thank you, Steph. I've always loved you for being so kind to me since I signed up. Everything you said makes so much sense. I am going to follow a VERY similar path. And most importantly is this idea of accountability. I think it really separates those of us who achieve our goals to those of us who a year later are still scoring in the 150s. Thank you so much for this post and all your help, guidance, and love along the way.
Admin edit: Review rules, please.
https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/15/forum-rules
I currently study full time and I agree with mostly what everyone else has said. Something that I've noticed that you might want to think about is where you'll be doing most of the studying. I live in NYC and have found it really hard to find good locations to study-- when you're studying full time, it's super easy to get cabin fever if you're stuck in your room all day long (been there done that, and it was absolutely horrible). If you're studying from home, make sure you're still treating it as a job (waking up at a set time, not getting tempted by your bed...etc.) I found it especially helpful to study in a very productive environment, like a college library, since it gets me out of my house and into an environment where everyone else is there to work. I guess what I'm trying to say is, know yourself and recognize what you need to do in order for effective studying.
As for balance, I find it most helpful to make sure I'm getting something in every day. I've had days where I'm just not 'there' mentally so I just cut that day short, but still get some work in like fool proofing games. Best of luck!!
I remember going back and forth with you on TLS last summer when I was committed to studying as well. Turns out my 60-70 hour work weeks made me sacrifice studying in a similar way that it seems like it plagued you. I ended up taking a new job in the middle of February (better work AND less hours - a flat 40 thankfully), so after getting settled in to the new routine I finally decided to start the grind again. I also need a 174 for my goals.. I've got a super low GPA weighing me down so that's my only saving grace at this point. I won't be full time with you, but I should be good for 3/4 hours a day during the week and 5+ on the weekends.
Anyway, just posting to reassure myself that I've committed again.. and also wishing you good luck. Let's kill it.
@poohbear 100% everything you said. I have a little work/office set up in my apartment where I study, but damn 8 hours will make you go stir crazy!
thank you for the advice!
Hey!
Yeah. I really tried and have started and stopped with 2-3 weeks sprinkled in between studying. I made progress, but I have no idea how much anymore. Reading your post makes me think we had the exact same luck. The 70 hour work weeks weigh a ton and the rent in too damn high. Some days it would be hard to find a reason to live let alone study for the LSAT after a long day, haha. Sorry to be depressing; I'm mostly kidding. But when you're working those kind of hours the studying just gets harder and harder.
I'm definitely re-committing myself and am actually planning a "rebirth" of sorts for my LSAT journey this April. The good thing is that I think being people that had worked so many hours will let us appreciate prepping with more time so much more. I always envied those prepping full-time without other jobs or school so much...
Good luck to you as well! WE GOT THIS!
I'm SO VERY HAPPY for you that you'll be able to give your LSAT studies full-time attention, @"Alex Divine"!!! I got the feeling you've wanted this for a long time! And here it is!
I'll be following yours and many others' full time schedule plan this Summer (then back to a part time LSAT study schedule while I finish my two last semesters, prepping to sit for the LSAT in June 2018).
I currently study at home in an office cubby, but cabin fever is definitely too easy to succumb to---so I will take the advice of many here in this thread, and previous mentors, to simulate test day conditions as often as possible and be elsewhere than my comfortable little nook at home while I study----college libraries, Panera Bread, Starbucks, etc. and not just for testing conditions but for BR and drilling too (+ working on my auditory fatigue and processing disorder at the same time). Being regimented is a good thing!!
I'm looking forward to the full-time Summer study schedule, so I'll be watching for you, my friend...ummm, hehe... in a non-stalker sort of way.
Just like @stgl1230, your posts are some of the first I had the good fortune to encounter when I first came to 7Sage in October 2016, and you have been, and still are, an excellent motivator and mentor to me. Thank you for being YOU!!
I know you will KILL THIS BEAST of a test! (The 'Eye of the Tiger' is playing in my head while I say that---in a good way!)
How do you guys study full time? You mean you don't work at all?
Awww haha! @ScooterMinion you always put a big ole smile on my face. I'm looking forward to it too. I was trying to get out for nearly 4 months. Golden handcuffs and NYC rent are all too real. I think I will take that advice too. I know I can study at home without problems, but I want to get used to taking the test in public and simulate testing day conditions. So when I begin PTing I'm going to a library or somewhere. Panera is too good and I can't concentrate, haha.
Well my personal journey to being able to study "full-time" was something like this.
Sometime in September/October I realized there was no way I could keep working at my job 70+ hours a week AND prep effectively. It took me a long time to admit to myself because I felt like a failure or something. So I began living more frugally and not eating out/shopping as much and saving up. At least for me, I didn't realize how much going out to eat and the mall were costing me.
I also got rid of my nicer car and got a lease on a way cheaper one a few months back as well as other things like moving in with my s/o and sharing a bigger apartment rather than a smaller one where it would cost me more. Paid of a good chunk of credit card debt.
The issue for me was that I didn't know if I needed to bankroll myself for 4 months, a year, or what to kill this test. I still don't know but I figured I'd better play it safe.
I have a couple side hustles set up working Maybe 3-4 hours a day depending. However, I can do what I need to for them on my time. The important thing is being able to have the proper time AND energy/mindset to study. I'm hoping to be putting in 6 hour days 6 days a week. And to be able to do it consistently.
I feel really awful about the whole last 6 months though. I wasted a long time probably just spinning my wheels with this test with flurries of studying from 9pm-2am and then being up the next day at 7:30am to work from 9-8pm. I'd do that for 3 weeks and then burnout and need 2 weeks off or get a work project that would keep me up all night during the weekends. I probably improved from August to October and since then have just kept myself not forgetting what I already had learned.
There's a lot of ways to make money for yourself now-a-days from home if you have some skills. I used to scan things on my Ebay app from my iPhone in a place like Marshalls/TJ Max. Buy like 20 pairs of $25 Calvin Klein jeans and sell them for $40.
Although I do get for some people studying full time just isn't feasible. I know I've talked with a few people on PM about it. If that's the case, you just have the remind yourself that no one can force you to take this test before you're ready. Another big takeaway for me was it is better to study everyday for 2 hours for a year then try to do 8 hours a day 7 days a week only to burnout in 3 months.
I learned this the hard way too!! If the LSAT teaches us anything, it's PATIENCE. More often than not, I'm finding that slow and steady is my best friend!
@"nicole.ann.keim" : For me, in one word: yes. But mine is not the typical situation.
A short version: I'm (ahem, much) older, married, have teenage kids, worked (and saved) for years, and have an absolutely wonderful family support system for my later-in-life, gargantuan goal of becoming a lawyer.
Of course, plus a stellar support system within 7Sage for the actual LSAT study (and some fan-bloody-tastic life advice). I am fortunate in many ways.
hustla
Haha! I tried anyways
@"nicole.ann.keim" I'm a few years out of school and I've only recently started full time studying. Initially, I definitely underestimated the difficulty of this exam and the time it'd take for me to build a solid foundation for it. I learned the hard way that I really needed to spend more time on this exam if I wanted to hit my target score.
I'm super fortunate in that I have a really supportive family; I've had to move back home and live with my parents while I study full time and I'm (and my parents) totally okay with this. I don't eat out much or spend money on anything, and I work part time as a SAT/ACT tutor which has definitely helped with the finances. I definitely second what everyone else has said: everyone's situation is different and you just have to do what's right for you.
I got a PM and ended up having a really great convo and just wanted to add a couple of things:
Don't let this discourage anyone from working full-time and studying. It is possible and tons of people do it. It was the nature of my work that led me to deciding between staying vs. studying full-time. For one, my hours weren't normalized so I could never schedule in time to study consistently. Some days from Monday-Wednesday I would have very little work. I'd come in at 10am and leave at 4:30pm then go home and study for 6 hours. Then I'd have blocks of weeks where I'd work 80 hours and have to work all weekend. Also, the work itself felt like studying sometimes, so the last thing I'd want to do is study after those chunks.
Anyways, I just wanted to make sure no one was discouraged by this. If you have to work, or want to stay at you job, you absolutely can make it work with prep.
Happy Studying!
Late to the party...but one thing I wanted to add is don't be so hard on yourself for daily goals. When I set goals that required more studying than I would have anticipated, it would back me up the next day, and the day after that, ultimately leading to long days, late nights, and ultimately burnout. I would just be wary of this because it even affected me on my actual test because I was still trying to catch up.
Don't be so hard on yourself if you don't achieve your daily targets, and don't be afraid to tone it back a little if things aren't working.
Good luck!
Can I just say I'm so jealous of anyone/everyone that can devote this much time. I have a baby and it is so hard! I have to cram all of my studying in when I can. eyeroll You guys are blessed!
@"Alex Divine"
Big congrats! I really respect your dedication and hard work to doing well.
I started studying using 7Sage in late October, but back then I was working and so was studying about 3 hours a day 6 days a week. I also found at the beginning I could only do about 3 hours before my brain was tired on top of the other stuff I was doing (I was doing research work that already required a lot of my brain power).
I switched to full-time study about a month ago. I agree with the comments so far, although I'm probably less strict about simulating exact conditions for the test. I do aim to get up at 5:30 or 6 am every morning and do some prep before I leave for Muay Thai class at 11:00. I also do Muay Thai bootcamp at 6:00am two days a week. So depending when I do Muay Thai classes I'll adjust my prep times. I think this is fine, as my Muay Thai is a priority for me and keeps me mentally alert and physically strong. So my schedule works around it, but I still end up doing about the same amount of work every day. Probably 6-8 hours on average. I also take breaks throughout prep to go for walks in the cemetery (there is a gorgeous old Nicropolis right by my house). I think taking short breaks to walk in nature is really grounding, and I like going through the cemetery because it reminds me of my mortality and that at the end of the day, no matter what we achieve, we all end up worm food. This puts things in perspective and calms me
I also meditate every day. I'd recommend finding some time for this if you can.
I take Sundays off and usually work on my PS and other parts of my application.
Lately, I admit, I have been feeling a bit burnt out with how much I'm studying, so may take a short break. But overall, it's been a good schedule
Great work @"Alex Divine" I'm quitting my job Oct.1to study full time for the December test. Bookmarking this for future reference!
That's awesome! Fortunately or unfortunately I ended up having to go back to work. I got another offer that seemed too great to pass up. I decided to study the LSAT and GMAT at my own pace. Like I always say, Barack Obama didn't start HLS until he was 27. And extra work experience in the field I am interested in will only help.
God bless you though for being able to study full time. Having a few months to just focus will definitely be preferable to spacing it out for what seems forever, lol.
Good luck
I'll still be around to chat
Thank you for the congrats! As fate would have it, I ended up back working about 6 weeks back. My leave ended and I was offered another position within the company, basically doing the same thing. It's honestly not the worse thing and I decided I'd value some more work experience in this field before I set my sights on the applying. I'm aiming for next cycle, but lately I've just sort of realized that if you continue to make good decisions, things tend to fall into place, even if at the time the decisions seem to suck.... lol
And my god your routine is crazy! If you're feeling a bit burnt take a few days a eat some ice cream and relax or do something you like. For me, when I get a day off, I like to just walk around the mall completely alone. Haha
Sounds good @"Alex Divine"
For what it is worth. I don't know your age, but I'm 33. I took nearly 10 years off after undergrad, traveled and lived abroad for 5 years by myself, wrote and published a ton, was a hospice volunteer, worked as a waitress at a stripclub, worked as an English teacher, ran a youtube channel and a podcast and so much more. Did my spiritual search etc. I'm really glad I did all those things first and now feel totally ready to focus.
All that just to say we are all on our own paths and I don't think you have to rush applying this year if you can get another good year of work experience. You are still young! I remember when I was 25 I thought I was so old and had to figure everything out, but in retrospect I would have really regretted going to law school then. But that was me and my path. I had too many interests I needed to explore first.
Anyways, all the best. Plus, when you actually write that LSAT you are going to kill it with the amount of exposure you've had!
And yeah, planning to take more ice cream breaks
I can get a bit hardcore when I study
Oh wow! I couldn't agree more. You only get one life, so live it up. Law school isn't going anywhere, just hopefully the terrible unranked ones. And besides, as long as I'm starting my law career reasonably young, I think it's a perfectly fine move. One thing I do envy is all you've done; traveling, working different jobs, and experiencing so many neat things. I've really only had a couple of jobs, I graduated in 2015, and I'm indeed 25.
So thank you much for the kind words and encouragement. I will feel much more confident not only applying with an LSAT I know is my best, but with a resume that shows I can handle the industry I want to work in.
@"Alex Divine"
For sure. You will do great.
And maybe you can even sneak in a travel somewhere before you start school. This is totally unrelated to this thread, but I really think some good backpacking travel is what your 20s are for, even if just a couple months. The experience is invaluable. I only planned a year and ended up gone for five
Best of luck with the new gig!
I hope to be able to do that, it would be a dream come true. I've rarely left NY and it's pretty sad I'm 25 and that's the case. I truly hope I can find some time and resources to be able to do that. Right now it's just a pipe dream, but the beauty of life is you never know where you'll be in a year.
Thanks for luck with new gig. Kind of old gig, but kind of new gig, lol. I'm working with a team I like a lot better, more staffed, and I'm feeling much better. Overall, doing the same things, though.
Which could be worse.