How many hours a week to study for those with full-time jobs?

justrandom

I feel like someone started a thread like this before, but it's hard to find old conversations even with the search bar. Anyways, I wanted to know for those who have full-time jobs, how many hours are you generally studying a week and specifically a day? I work from 9am-5pm but really wake up around 6am to get ready and then get to work. It is extremely rare for me to leave the office at 5pm, I usually get home by 6:30-7pm. Then when I come home I eat and usually have to do some work at home. By 9pm, I try to start studying but tend to fall asleep. So for those who have full-time jobs, how do you manage study time? I am retaking in October and feel guilty every day because I don't feel like I'm doing enough. Thanks in advance to everyone who provides feedback.

Alejandro

Can you stay and study at your office?

abcdef312

Same here. I do like 1 or 1.5 hours every day. Definitely not enough

littlesnickers

I got at least 4 hours on weekdays, and often more like 6 to 7. That'd be a half hour before leaving for work, a half hour on the train, an hour at lunch, another half hour on the train home, and then studying after dinner from about 7 to 10 or 11. On weekend days I probably got 6 to 7 hours on average. I've always been the kind of studier who prefers to work in long blocks. I started PTing on just Saturdays, then moved to Sat and Wed, then Sat Tues Thurs.

So that's how I did it while working. Of course everyone's life is different, and I have the luxuries of having an understanding boss, a short train ride to work, and having almost no adult responsibilities (i.e., single and childless).

logicfiend

For the June test, I was coming in an hour early before work to study and then I would study after work until 8 or 9, on most days. That doesn't sound that bad, but I did it for almost 4 to 5 months straight. On top of that, I was studying 6 to 7 hours each weekend day as well. It really burned me out. I was miserable.

Now I'm practicing to retake for October. I'm alternating between getting up early and studying at home then coming to work. Those days I wake up early, I stay and study after work until around 6:30-7. Other days I don't study early and just stay a little later to compensate, 8ish. You need to find a balance. So I guess I'm averaging around 3 hours a day, but it feels very manageable.

You're doing work after you come home, you're also doing work while you're at work and on top of that, you're studying. It's a lot. Try out a few routines. Also, it's really not about how long you study, but the quality of it. If you can't get into it at 9 or 10, don't waste your energy. Hope this helps.

nicole.hopkins

I just posted this in another thread, but for your convenience ... [I work FT plus I have a PT gig as a legal assistant]

The answer to this question depends on where you're at in your prep.

When I was first starting, I did maybe 1.5-3 hours per day. Then starting in November/December or so, I started doing 3+ hours per day. In February, I went whole hog and started waking up at 6am, LSAT 2 hours before work, then 6pm-10pm M/T/W/F and added LSATurdays, on which I take a PT in the morning, BR it, and then join the BR call. At the peak of studies (when I was in the advanced learning phase) I was doing ~40 hours per week. I started taking Sundays off because when you're doing that much, you can't do it every day or you will burn out hard. Then once I entered the PT-only phase, I started taking 2-3 PT's a week plus BR plus BR group, so that's about 30 hours per week (I also take Thursdays off right now). I'm planning to add in more daily timed practice so that I can "keep my pathways open" but still committed to Sundays off. So the hours will likely go up a bit but BR does not take nearly as long as it used to do, and I'm pretty used to taking this many PT's at this point.

I would be doing myself a disservice if I backed the hours off much now, but I'm also at the point where I have to be very conscious of burn out. So that means allowing myself to take breaks. It's good risk management: the loss in burning out far outweighs the risk in spending fewer hours on LSAT over a few days/week.

justrandom

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I really appreciate it. @alejoroarios -- not really. I'm usually one of the last people to leave and it's because of work related stuff. They close the office so I am not able to stay there usually past 6:30pm/7pm. @cvidana - I feel ya! That is how much I am doing now. @sockstcat - I really like the way you break up your hours. I think I should do something similar.

justrandom

@logicfiend - I agree. I guess I need to try out different schedules. Thank you for the suggestion. @nicole.hopkins -- thank you for your suggestion! I'm amazed by how you do it.

nicole.hopkins

@justrandom said:
I'm amazed by how you do it.

It's surprisingly turnkey to split schedules up like I was for those months once you get used to it! I have an easy commute and a very casual workplace; if I were still working as a Legislative Staffer (got to do my hair and face, u know) then I would have had a much harder time carving out that block in the morning.

Oh, and I'm a single/unattached person. So props/kudos to the marrieds and parents out there. Y'all cray. That, to my mind, would be MUCH harder than having a demanding job!!

Grey Warden

I work as a law clerk to a supreme court judge in my country. I am 24 and its been one year since I graduated from law school here. However, I would need to move to the US for some personal reasons and I want to continue my career in law so hoping to get into a law school there. My work timings are 9 - 8:30 and I get a half day on Sunday and no weekends. I try to wake up early and study for an hour before I leave for work, I eat my lunch quickly and squeeze 30 minutes of study time there. I study for around 20 minutes during my commute time. After coming back from work, I try to study for 30 minutes. I end up studying for 2-2.5 hours on average everyday. Its hard managing work with LSAT prep, and after reading the wonderful conversations on this thread I feel I want to keep going
P.S JY is absolutely right about having actual knowledge about a subject in general being helpful in RC. I have noticed that i am much more accurate and faster in law passages.

harrismegan

I wake up at 4:20, to go the gym, get home at 6, leave for work at 6:45, study from 7:30-8:30, study from 12-1. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I study from 6-8, on Saturdays I write a practice and do 1-2 hours, on Sunday I BR and study 1-2 hours, so I would say..... about 25 ish hours a week? I also read notes to myself when I am blow drying my hair.

For August/September I went to part time with my job and will be doing the same morning routine, but I'll be off at 1 so I'll be doing 2-8 every day, prep tests on Saturday and on Wednesdays nights.

I guess I should also mention I've been studying for a full year now.

Alejandro

You guys are all inspiring! Thank you for sharing how you study for this test.

DNRDNRDNR

Hi,

I work 12 hour shifts in a busy emergency department as a nurse from 3pm-3am, which is exhausting. I am having a difficulty organizing my time d/t my work schedule and the educational demands that are required of me to keep up on current medical/nursing practices. I am working on making my study time a daily habit, but I frequently have set-backs. The necessary upkeep of hygiene, oral intake and sleep-sleep-sleep often get into the way of my study time (I know, I should be stronger than that). Sometimes I think nursing is good enough until something jolts me back to my reality and personal goals.

I have tried to study at work during my breaks, but my breaks are frequently interrupted by patients and/or co-workers, especially if I am needed on the floor. It is advised that we do not leave the department in case of emergencies that require more assistance than what is already out on the floor. I often end up with OT when I would just rather take a much needed breather.

For the last two weeks I have been diligently sticking to my schedule and have regained one course week that I lost, I am now only three weeks behind my study schedule. I am hoping to eventually regain those weeks instead of readjusting my study schedule (I have already done this once).

I know that exercise can increase energy and having once been a gym hound, so I know that it will greatly improve my stamina and mood. I have decided to incorporate this valuable coping mechanism back into my schedule and have been doing 2 days per week so far with plans to increase to a max of 4 days per week. I think that this is attainable.

Life is difficult, but I am up for the challenge. My only other option is to shrivel up and barely exist.

nolesandphinsfan

Have wife and kids and am a 4th grade teacher.. Hard to find time to study as much as the other posters on this thread.

Pacifico

I think the most important thing for being able to study while working full time is to keep your motivation up so that during those times where you do have some free time, you're excited to be able to study for the LSAT. I had to taper off a lot of my LSAT prep the past couple weeks as I finished up my job and two graduate courses, but every chance I got I would do at least a little prep to keep myself moving forward.

I also think it's important not to set unrealistic goals for yourself. If you work 60+ hours per week and have a family then rather than put in 40+ hours per week for LSAT prep, I'd do only 5-10 hours per week and just target an LSAT next year. If you have a job that is supporting you now then you're in a generally enviable position so just remember that the LSAT and law school will be there waiting for you whenever you're ready.

nicole.hopkins

@Riju2015 said:
After coming back from work, I try to study for 30 minutes. I end up studying for 2-2.5 hours on average everyday. Its hard managing work with LSAT prep, and after reading the wonderful conversations on this thread I feel I want to keep going

Aww That's why we're here, folks!

nicole.hopkins

@nolesandphinsfan said:
Have wife and kids and am a 4th grade teacher.. Hard to find time to study as much as the other posters on this thread.

Absolutely. It's always wise to play the long game, anyway. Your situation sounds especially challenging, so I'd say just focus on grounding yourself in the fundamentals. Low and slow, like good Texas brisket ...

esteerose

Hey guys I'm doing my undergrad full time and have a three year old daughter. My schedule on 7sage just keeps getting more behind. There is no way I can keep up with 17 to 20 hours a week studying. I'm lucky if I get a full hour per day. I plan on taking the test next summer, and I only enrolled in 3 classes for the fall to keep my homework down & motivate me to study for the LSAT. I'm so nervous!

DNRDNRDNR

@esteerose said:
Hey guys I'm doing my undergrad full time and have a three year old daughter. My schedule on 7sage just keeps getting more behind. There is no way I can keep up with 17 to 20 hours a week studying. I'm lucky if I get a full hour per day. I plan on taking the test next summer, and I only enrolled in 3 classes for the fall to keep my homework down & motivate me to study for the LSAT. I'm so nervous!

I wonder i f you can just study for a longer period of time and delay he LSAT for a later date so that you do not get too flustered and eventually discouraged.

There is nothing more discouraging than not being able to reach a personal goal.

"Pacifico's" advise to set realistic goals is right on point.