Motivation ?

arabprodigy30

Maybe it is just me, but sometimes i just don't feel motivated to do LSAT. I guess LSAT has not grown into me well yet, what do you guys do to get motivated? Sometimes I noticed switching to logic games sorta "wakes" me up ( I know I am a wierdo but I love the logic games). Reading comp and logic reasoning my mind drifts off , can't focus sometimes. Any advice on keep drilling?

AlexanderL0

Same for me, I watch a logic game explanation video or do one before a PT. As far as motivation goes, I always think with each PT, I'm one step closer to a higher score on the LSAT.

arabprodigy30

@alexanderL0 ah yes

shine.on.me

I get the same way. First of all, I try not to be too hard on myself about it, easier said than done. And I try to get pumped up by listening to a little of my "LSAT Playlist" before studying.

arabprodigy30

@shine.on.me good idea, music to get pumped up!
I realized for me studying from home I get nothing done!, I am too comfortable and get lazy. When I go to to campus library I get more done, I see other students focused..sorta motivates me

jdawg113

Motivation is very hard at times (I'm actually laying in bed BC I'm exhausted lol) but you just gotta look and think about what this test means to you and what your goals are and how you'd feel if you can't get in the school you want and how you'd feel getting in your reach school

nicole.hopkins

Like @jdawg113 I allow myself to study (ok certain kinds of study are not conducive!) on the bed from time to time. I consider it an opportunity to practice good self-care. Sometimes you just gotta dial it back a bit. Can't be too rigid—rigidity is the counterfeit of diligence; and rigidity breeds burnout.

Motivation is the product of positively reinforced action. Motivation is not inspiration: it's not something that strikes us in a given moment as if out of nowhere. Motivation is not a feeling: it's emotionally-supported momentum, and momentum is the product of action.

If you're looking to motivate yourself for LSAT study, think about what you enjoy most about the test. I'm certain that you wouldn't have stuck with it if you truly enjoyed nothing about the process. Do some of what you enjoy most and let that energize you.

arabprodigy30

Thanks guys!
I guess I need to take breaks. My spare time logic games been highlight of my day. Logic reading and logic reason kill me .

nicole.hopkins

@arabprodigy30 yes breaks are good self-care!!!!

arabprodigy30

Yes, and I realized studying in mornings is best or late evenings for me at least.

inactive

Motivation is one of the hardest things for me. I have ADHD & chronic back pain, so not only do I get easily distracted but doing things that require a lot of movement (cooking food, picking up clothes on the floor, petting my cat) require a lot of will power and energy.

I don't know if this will work for the LSAT as I've never taken it (and I don't think I could comprehend half of the stuff if I tried), but to motivate me to do things (like the things I mentioned above & beyond) I try a few things:

First of all, take things one step at a time. Try to focus on one aspect and don't get overwhelmed thinking about the entire picture. This is kind of funny to me because as I was typing this, I got distracted and clicked away. Good thing 7Sage saves drafts. :P I find if I break things apart into smaller tasks, everything goes much smoother. For example, I have to do several things when I work: Answer emails, reply to posts on the forums, make sure I'm up to date with the 7Sage Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr and check on the students. If you look at everything combined, it seems like a lot. As soon as you start looking at them as separate things, it's not so bad.

Another thing I do is a sort of reward system. Once I'm done one of the things on my list, I reward myself with different things. 15min break, a cookie, a game of League of Legends, etc etc.

Really you just have to keep the goal in mind when trying to find motivation. I love my job and I love interacting with everyone, sometimes that's motivation enough. (Seriously - I really, really love this job. Really.)

arabprodigy30

@"Dillon A. Wright" I like the reward yourself idea! I have ADHD too, its bad. I can't wear nail polish anymore bc it would distract me, I can't wear a shiny watch either haha. The clicking sound from other students key boards at the library distract me so I have to wear ear plugs . My biggest worry is being distracted during the test, so I try to do timed practice sections rather than whole exam just to keep on my toes. But lately I slacked with my timed sections, I just go back and review the basic foundations (almost done with the sage review ) . I do wish I made a review sheet of all the things I learned it would have been easier.

danielznelson

I think each person is different. I, for one, am nothing like you insofar as a tendency to become distracted (which I do not mean in a negative way), but for me, thinking of where I would and could be long-term is a big motivator. This test effectively changes your life forever or, at the very least, can significantly improve your chances of being better off long-term, whether that means having less loans to pay, starting with a greater salary, or opening more employment opportunities.

I also am something of a perfectionist and notably competitive. I get pissed at the test in order to WANT to beat it. But you have to be focused in whatever emotion you decide to manufacture in order to do your best. Simply being angry would never get me anywhere, haha. This test is so psychological that it'd be absurd to deny the need to build a mental and emotional makeup designed for the test.

DumbHollywoodActor

Treat yo self!!!!

inactive

@arabprodigy30 Do yourself a favor and buy some stim toys, they really do help. Something to fidget with while you're doing things keeps me from getting too distracted. I have a little brain puzzle and some silly putty by my desk at all times.

Nilesh S

@arabprodigy30 working out used to keep me motivated... I'd set aside that time just for myself and some how that would help me power up thru the prep... and to stop myself from getting distracted, I'd watch a Tom and Jerry cartoon after every 50 minutes of studying and that would help keep me rejuvenated for the next 50 minutes(except of course when I was PTing... but I used to follow a PT with a movie) !!! Weird but these little breaks helped me power through 4 -5 hour sessions.

arabprodigy30

@"Dillon A. Wright" Yea, I may need to get something. My ADHD gets out of hand when I stress out most.

@"Nilesh S" what do you recommended should longest studying sitting be? I pull 4 hours or 5 max but that usually bc I take my sweet time reviewing answers, why I got what wrong.

Nilesh S

@arabprodigy30 ... I guess its a personal study habit thing but a safe one size fit all framework would likely be 20 minutes of work followed by a 5 - 7 odd minute break and if you have ADHD, then doing something physical during those 5 - 7 minutes might help. so 45 odd minutes of productive work in a full hour is not a bad thing to aim for imo.

jdawg113

granted this is for working out but I think the message applies well to the LSAT

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Homeless bodybuilder, his name is Jacques Sayagh and he is 50....
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blah170blah

TREAT YO SELF 2011

blackpearl

Motivation is tough. My advice is two-fold: First: try setting a schedule with rewards, and second, treat your study schedule as a to-do checklist.

I've augmented my 7-sage study schedule by putting in reward days and/or events. Better yet, the augmentations are already part of my day-to-day schedule. For example: events such as trips to the gym or weekend brunches with friends are treated as "rewards". However, the ultimate reward of performing well on the LSAT is not the great score you'll receive, but more so the freedom of choice that the score will allow. With a great score you will CHOOSE which law school to attend. You will CHOOSE how much you want to pay. And, most importantly, I think, you will CHOOSE how you look back on this moment, say 5 or 10 years down the road. The LSAT, while important, is a very small part of the process of attaining freedom of choice.

Second, if you like to-do lists like I do, print off your study schedule so you can have a checklist. I like checking things off checklists, and the 7-sage study schedule can be treated like one. You can see your day-to-day, or week-to-week progression. Also, this can be part of your reward system. Ultimately, you're going to have to find a process that works for you, but I hope these tips help your search. Good Luck.

emli1000

Motivation is hard to come by when you're not doing so well on PTs or problem sets. But it depends on you! When I score high on my PTs I have unlimited motivation for the following week which is awesome lol but when I don't perform my best it's kind of a blah week for me. I take it personal so it affects me more than it should Ha. But what I've noticed that works is really giving myself a strict schedule. I have to write a to-do list every day on what I must accomplish. I also include the time it should take me. I also include when I can take a break and when I can finally forget about studying and go out shopping. Usually I do it every other day instead of daily lol had to change my schedule due to lsat prep lol. But during the middle of my prep time for the day I take a break 30 min- hour and go driving to get something for myself, kind of a reward. It's usually a mountain dew baja blast freeze from taco bell but I try to only get these on maybe 2 or 3 days out the week since i try to stay away from sodas. I can actually focus better when I know I'm going to go get a drink because I'm kind of hooked on those things lol.

blah170blah

Ah, the good ol' motivation question. This one has been really tricky for me because I've never been an extrinsically motivated person meaning I don't undertake actions to achieve a particular goal, I do it for the action itself. I consider it a blessing and a curse that I never have had to motivate myself otherwise for 23 beautiful years -- that is, until I started studying for the LSAT.

It honestly took me so long to get motivated for the LSAT (and it's still something I'm working on), which is probably why it's taken me over a year to study for this test while for others it takes months. I won't lie, the first 6-9 months or so were painful. The beginning was fun because I made rapid improvement in gains and, like @nicole.hopkins mentioned, motivation is the product of positive momentum.

However, after the first month or so, I was stuck in the high 150s and experienced so much inertia in my studying. I physically hated the thought of studying because it seemed so worthless. And, even though I knew that the LSAT was either going to be a huge asset or liability for my future law school application, I couldn't get myself to get out of whatever I was doing and into my books. That period lasted a good 4 or 5 months until I just forced myself to do it, even for an hour or two a day. Slowly but surely, I started seeing gains, crossed into 160 land, looking towards 170 land. At this point, I'm at the 9 month mark.

Since my 9 month mark, however, I started to really enjoy the LSAT. I could feel my mind getting sharper and there is honestly NO HIGH compared to feeling like you're getting smarter. Instead of doing one timed section, I did multiple. Instead of doing 20 LR questions, I did 50. The high I experienced while studying for the LSAT is the only thing that motivates me to study. Not the fact that the LSAT is the crucial component of my law school application, but the fact that the LSAT is something I can do today, tomorrow, or for the next few months that will make me smarter. It's still hard to study at times when I'm in a lull but I remind myself that this is something I can do to make myself smarter. One of the honest to god, most amazing moments of my life is when, just a few weeks ago, I got my first 173 -- under strict timing conditions, no extended break, and on an unseen PT. I think I started tearing up because I was so damn happy that I had tangible evidence of my hard work.

OP, what I hope my story tells you is to FIND YOUR MOTIVATION. If it doesn't exist now, that's fine. Ultimately, if you want to go to law school, you MUST TAKE THIS TEST. And, if you must take this test, you might as well try hard to do your best. It'll be painful at first but so rewarding in the end. In my case, it helped to think about the short term and not the long term. Do what floats your boat and gets you moving. Everybody is different and there is no size fits all approach to studying for the LSAT.

mes08

After I got a disappointing score in December, I totally lost motivation to start studying again for the retake in June. At first I didn't resist because I thought I should take a break anyway, but then it dragged on and on and I just couldn't push myself to get back to studying. I eventually realized that if I just waited around until I was in the mood to study for the LSAT, it wouldn't ever happen lol, so I made a daily study schedule and buckled down. By forcing myself to follow the schedule, I've gotten to the point where it's a habit and while I can't say I love studying for the LSAT, I'm not miserable either. I'm able to study efficiently and gradually make big improvements in my PT scores.

I recommend making a schedule and sticking to it no matter how you feel. Once it's habit, it gets to be more pleasant and as other people have mentioned, the reward system is good too.

Best of luck!

arabprodigy30

thank you for your posts