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How long have you been studying?

MadelynBMadelynB Core Member
in General 17 karma

I have seen on these forums and other sites a range of how long people have been studying for the LSAT. How long have you and when do you plan too take the test?

Comments

  • jeremiahbertinjeremiahbertin Core Member
    27 karma

    I've been studying since mid-June 2020, and I'll be taking the test in the summer most likely. I graduated a year early so I decided to take a gap year and study, so I'm not really in a rush. It's different for everyone but if you study 3-4 hours a day you should be good to take the test in about a year I think

  • rebecca333333rebecca333333 Core Member
    13 karma

    My diagnostic was 139.. lol yikes. I started studying at the end of November. I have ADHD so my productivity tends to change occasionally because thats my life and I have good days and bad days— Ive just gotten to a point where as long as I have no 0 productivity days, I’m still doing okay and moving in the direction I want to go.. I’m also not going to let any circumstances stop me from following my dreams. That being said, I’ve gotten very good at the timed logic games section.. but I still have to pick apart/practice LR and RC. I will honestly just take the Test when I am feeling confident about all of the sections. Don’t feed into social pressures. Theres no reason to rush it.

  • @jeremiahbertin On the exact same study plan as you, patiently waiting for LSAC to release June/July LSAT dates. I started studying in July and plan on taking the exam in June, July, and August. ****Looking for a study partner who is willing to hold each other accountable and help each other stay on track! *****

  • _iamnw96_iamnw96 Alum Member
    437 karma

    TLDR: about 7-8 months of studying for round 1; but I was also working full time + overtime then (yikes lol DO NOT recommend), then about 4 months of studying for round 2 ( while job searching with a small side gig)

    My timeline isn't linear but I'm still happy with it, so I'm writing this to show that it's okay to not have a linear timeline and everyone has their own timeline that works for them!

    I started January 2019, got 7sage subscription around that time and took the June 2019 exam (aka PT 87 and in retrospect, that was an awesome and fair exam, I just wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be...) Then, I took the September 2019 (aka PT 88 which was a DISASTER on all fronts - really horrible proctor experience with the digital exam which led LSAC to refund me and PT 88 is just a cruel exam in general). I did my master's from September 2019-May 2020 so I couldn't really do anything about my LSAT situation.

    I picked up studying again this past September (2020) during the pandemic, because I was job searching and really felt like there were a lot of strings and unresolved feelings leftover from my previous LSAT test taking experience. I studied from September 2020 to mid-January 2021 (I just took the January 2021 LSAT yesterday!) This was my best studying/LSAT taking experience so far because I finally learned what study strategies worked for me and understood the groove of the LSAT. Long story short, this time around, I made sure to do at least one section and blind review every day (consistency is so rewarding for this exam), took about a week break at the end of every month (sometimes longer to avoid burnout), and then the 3 weeks leading up to the exam I tried to challenge myself as much as I could by doing very difficult problem sets (ie hard LR qs, hard LGs, hard RC passages) and difficult PTs. Even though I won't know how I did until next month, I felt like my study experience this time around was the best for me and the healthiest.

  • TimeIsMoneyTimeIsMoney Member
    495 karma

    I studied about 2 hours every day for about 4 months and got a solid score my first try so i called it quits. All just depends how high of a score you want. For me, I am a junior in college but have the chance to graduate early this summer. So i took advantage of down COVID time last year and studied for 4 months and took the test in July. I had no desire to take a gap year and dedicate my life to study for this test. I got into my top choice with a good scholarship so I am excited! Especially with all this miserable online learning, I couldn't be more excited to get back in a real classroom and study what i actually want to study! Obviously we all want the highest possible but sometimes it's just unrealistic to study for years when you could be in law school at that point. Obviously the higher the score the better $$$$, just depends on you

  • cali_girl96cali_girl96 Live Member
    39 karma

    I'd love to find a study partner too! Looking to take the test in June/July when they're released... have been studying for 3-4 mos!

  • TheMommaBearTheMommaBear Member
    348 karma

    I started studying mid-Nov and took my first diagnostic early-Dec (153). I haven't been able to study much since mid-Dec so I'm not expecting a great score from my test tomorrow. I'm hoping to retake in June or possibly as late as Dec.

  • RyanazRRyanazR Member
    208 karma

    I started studying mid-June 2020, but I was working almost full-time, so my scores aren't the best, and I am not where I want to be (scoring between mid/high 160s to the occasional low 170s). I am now dedicating 3 months full time to studying in the hope of getting consistent 170s by end of March and then take the test in April.

  • helmholtz99helmholtz99 Core Member
    71 karma

    Don't let anyone tell you that studying for 3-5 months isn't sufficient. Some people do this for years, some people can get a 170+ after a month. I've been at it for 4 months and went from ~150, totally clueless about how to do LG, etc, to PT-ing at 178.

  • mk90u90u0ymk90u90u0y Core Member
    29 karma

    @helmholtz99 said:
    Don't let anyone tell you that studying for 3-5 months isn't sufficient. Some people do this for years, some people can get a 170+ after a month. I've been at it for 4 months and went from ~150, totally clueless about how to do LG, etc, to PT-ing at 178.

    WOw, do you drill by type for logical reasoning or are you mostly PTing and reviewing? Congrats on the immense improvement

  • learn2skipQslearn2skipQs Member
    edited January 2021 730 karma

    on and off since 2016. tried kaplan, blueprint, expensive classes that provided me minimal gains. 7sage is where its at. I was in school full time and worked part time the majority of the time. Started at 135. Stuck around 148-152 now. -_-... 3 months clearly hasn't worked for me

  • helmholtz99helmholtz99 Core Member
    71 karma

    @mk90u90u0y
    First major improvements I made were from fool-proofing LGs until I was making all the inferences when I saw a new game. It's really like learning a new language and that's why for some of us it takes a long time. Once you get your LG to -1/0 every time, then just slowly work away at the nuances of RC and LR. And yes I took ~70 PTs. I don't blind review personally, but I know it's the best method. If there's any fundamental lesson I learned about studying for the LSAT, it's that exposure trumps everything. Try to take every PT in existence and then take them all again. If you do that you will get a 175+ on the real thing.

  • kilgoretroutkilgoretrout Alum Member
    795 karma

    i studied half heartedly in the summer of 2018, planned on taking it in fall 2018 but got too busy with school and had to postpone it. didnt start studying again until around may 2020 and studied full time until now. i had a 150 diagnostic, took the test twice, cancelled once and got a 158 on my second one. im writing the january test tomorrow and i'm pting at around 165. i think it just took me a while to decide if i really wanted to do this, because going to law school is a huge commitment.

  • Auntie2020Auntie2020 Member
    552 karma

    I completed the CC last year, and it took me a long time because I was working full time. So this year has been 6 months of dedicated study without work.

    So I would say 1 year of inconsistent and minimal studying, and then 6 months of dedicated study.

  • lethal_baconlethal_bacon Member
    107 karma

    About 2 years total so far :) went through multiple test prep books after half-heartedly taking the LSAT in 2017 (still in undergrad), including all the Powerscore Bibles, then started with 7sage. The leaps I've made with 7sage have been immense. Took me about a year to finish CC and have been PT-ing for the past 4ish months, closing in on my target score, but that last little bit seems to be the hardest. Earnestly studying for a year and a half and plan to take in April or summer.

    I agree with what others have said, everyone has a different time table and that is often contingent on how much you can dedicate to studying each day and how focused you can be while doing so. I work full time and also work OT almost everyday, along with a pre COVID commute of 3+ hours, so an hour or two is all I can get in per day with a few days off here and there, but not many.

    Don't be afraid to take more time if you need to. I've postponed my LSAT date so many times and was initially extremely disappointed in myself, but it has turned out to be the best decision for me. If you can get through CC and be PT-ing at your target in a few months, that's incredible and more power to you! If not, it's OK too, just keep at it!

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