Studying and working 9-5

aabraham23

I work 9-5 in person tech job and have definitely not been putting in enough time with my studies. How do you guys go about working in-person, full-time, roles whilst studying? What does your study schedule look like?

thomasmtaber22

My days are absolute brutal, but I just remind myself its temporary. I wake up at 6, go to the gym till 8. I work as a paralegal 9-5, but study during my hour lunch break. I get home around 5:30, do stuff around the house till about 6, make dinner and then study as long as I see fit. Usually 1-2 hours. Most important thing for me is getting to bed before 10, just so I can do it all again the next day hahaha. I do make sure to mix in days off, and always give myself a day of fun on the weekend. We are all in the same boat, and we will all get through it!

darien.ross

I am surprised that only one person has commented on this! I am still in undergrad and finishing up my classes in May. I am also a full time stay at home mom on top of that. AND I am studying for the lsat to take it in August!

I wake up early before my baby, and study uninterrupted for 2 ish hours a day, sometimes, when I dont meet my time requirement I just do it at night when I am done with everything else.

It can be brutal to juggle everything, but it is definitely possible. You find times throughout the day, wake up a little bit earlier if you're able, when your mind is fresh, and do some drills then.

A big help for me actually was putting a limit on tiktok and social media, we dont realize how much time we waste on social media until we put it down and utilize that time.

Finding little times in the day to practice a 15 minute drill is a big help too (during lunch break, after work, when work is dead, in between classes) you can always print out old tests and drills and practice those whenever you have time!

Be aware of your mental health, do not burn out! I always have a break day, where I do nothing, and I take a PT once every two weeks.

We can reach our LSAT goals, we just have to become expert time and priority jugglers.

peezusmcgee

Wake up early, go to bed early. Sneak in minutes at work.

ev2k1

This is definitely what I needed to see! I'm finishing my undergrad in May and am having to take a gap year because my LSAT score wasn't where I wanted it to be, so I'm exploring a full-time job and how to study during my gap year and had the same thought. Thanks!

baileygodt

Hi! I am in the same boat. I work M-F from 7:30am to 4:30pm.I usually wake up at 5 to study for an hour before work. Then I go to work, and come home for my lunch and usually walk my dog for that hour. After work I will usually go to the gym for about an hour. Typically depending on the type of day I had at work (i work for the Courts.) I can sometimes get additional time in after. But generally my bare minimum is an hour of studying a day. Waking up earlier to study has been the most beneficial for me. Considering after work all day, the last thing I want to do is spend more time on the computer.

mikeross-1

I try to put in lots of hours on weekends and study from like 6-9 or 10 on weekdays.

LivinLaVidaLSAT

Consistency is key for motivation and progress. I suggest starting small to build up a study routine rather than having a grand, detailed plan. Start with a small block of study time (maybe 30 min to 1 hr) that's dedicated to LSAT. Have the mentality that you either sit there and do LSAT or sit there and do absolutely nothing. Starting small let's you get started to keep your motivation going. Then build up that time or add other study blocks during the day. Know that there may be some days where you may have to deviate from your schedule and that's okay but try to make up that missed time within the next day or 2 when possible. You have to figure out what works best for you because everyone doesn't have the same circumstances/constraints.

Remember small progress is still progress. It's not always easy but it can be done. Good luck!

33333333

Work 9 to 5 in the office, stay in the office until 9 pm studying. If burnt out from work, go home and take the day off so the burnout does not drag into the next day. Generally will take a 20 to 30 minute walk once work is done to clear up any brain fog and give myself some outside time. Most of the time on the weekend I do something enjoyable (rarely do I study at all on Saturday or Friday night) but I make sure to get in a few hours on Sunday. It's not too bad but what I've learned is that if my brain says I need to stop, it's best to stop or change up a habit so I can study effectively and not feel drained. Office is a game changer when no one is around because it's spacious and quiet. Zero distractions and it's motivating. I am not an early riser so I don't study before work, just can't see myself doing that. It's VERY rewarding when my studying is done for the day and I get to drive home. Driving home and still having to study kind of stinks, but knowing I can go home and relax for like an hour or two and then go to bed is great.

bernadettegclawson

I am in the same boat, but with a hybrid work schedule. I am not a morning person, but after reading these comments I think I am going to try to be! I struggle with consistency, but my biggest thing is reminding myself that this has an expiration date, and that I am working towards a bigger picture.

A few things that have helped me:
- Flashcards on my train commute for things that are memory based (like assumption indicators)
- Staying late at work to study - it is quiet and when I commute back home I am just exhausted. Its better to get it knocked out before
- Give yourself guiltless breaks. This weekend I was travelling to see family and I didn't want to pick up my studying. I told myself that I was giving myself a break to reset and honestly - it is recommended by a lot of LSAT professionals.

Hopefully this helps - and if you want an accountability partner to silently zoom with while doing LSAT stuff let me know!

Trevor.a.ybarra

I am working a 8-5 job as a Prosecutor Paralegal at the Attorney General's Office and it is definitely challenging to say the least.

I have about an hour of a commute to work from my place.
I work from the time given.
After, if I have enough energy or time (mainly), I like to do a workout. If not, then I go straight home, have dinner and get mentally ready for the night and begin my studies before 9pm and do not sleep until 11:30pm, midnight the latest. Then I use up the entire weekend to make up hours that I do miss during the weekdays.

However, I am at a point where I have been doing this routine for 3 months now, and I am taking the LSAT in June, so it is definitely challenging. I am sacrificing a lot of my free time to take that time and use it towards my studies.

Overall, I am relieved that there are other people out there who understand the process of working an important job and studying for their LSAT. In my opinion, it is all about balance and sacrificing certain parts of your time in order to pass this beast of a test with flying colors.

We got this. Keep pushing. Stay positive!

gam121800

The best advice I got f when trying to start these consistent study habits is to just tell yourself you are going to study for ten minutes and if it’s really just a bad day then you will give yourself some time off. But more often then not you will find that is just enough to get you over that initial hump of sitting down and starting to work. I’ve found this helpful on those days I’m not motivated or don’t feel like studying.

imtryingggggg

One thing that helped me is putting aside an hour everyday after work to study. I work 9-5 as a paralegal so it is mentally exhausting. I'm more likely to study if I know I only have to study for an hour than doing it for 3-4 hours without learning anything. If I can keep going then I will study for 2 hours. I try to start studying as soon as I get home so I don't get lazy and I also try to put an hour in the morning to study at work. So from 9-10AM I will spend mostly studying for lsats at work. It helps a lot and you have less to do when you get home.

Cant Get Right

@gam121800 said:
The best advice I got f when trying to start these consistent study habits is to just tell yourself you are going to study for ten minutes and if it’s really just a bad day then you will give yourself some time off. But more often then not you will find that is just enough to get you over that initial hump of sitting down and starting to work. I’ve found this helpful on those days I’m not motivated or don’t feel like studying.

These sorts of very small time goals were really important for me. I was working 5-5, and my job was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. I started out trying to power through, setting up highly ambitious daily study goals. The effect was that I was overwhelmed even by the thought of studying and so I'd usually not study at all.

By setting a goal of 30 minutes or something similarly manageable, no matter how tired I was from work, I could wrap my head around the study goal. Even days I most dreaded studying, I was able to think of it as getting it out of the way. If nothing else, that got me on my desk, and getting started had always been the hardest part for me. Some days I'd hate every minute of it and would quit as soon as I'd logged my time. Other days I'd get into it and want nothing more than to continue.

Eventually, it became almost like a hobby. My friends would look forward to getting off work to play video games, go to the bar, or go fishing. I'd look forward to studying for LSAT. That's a challenging tipping point to reach. Studying is tedious at first. But effective, engaged studying really helps move us in the right direction.

I did not achieve my final score while working this schedule, but I went from a starting range of high 140's/low 150's to the mid 160's. I still had a long way to go, and reducing my hours and eventually leaving work altogether was really beneficial. But moving from 50th to 90th percentile while working 60+ hour weeks was a major accomplishment, and I only started gaining traction once I stopped pursuing super-human study goals, embraced my limitations, and worked within them.

jakebergstrom4

@aabraham23 said:
I work 9-5 in person tech job and have definitely not been putting in enough time with my studies. How do you guys go about working in-person, full-time, roles whilst studying? What does your study schedule look like?

My schedule is similar to what the first person who commented said lol. Up at 5:30am, hour of studying/reviewing, gym at 6:30/6:45am, come back and WFH 8:30-5:30pm, 30min - 1hr of “relaxation”, then start studying from 6:30-10-11ish (depending on tired i am). Usually I try to take Friday evening off since it’s the “weekend” but with the April LSAT coming up, I’m just embracing the suck.

aimeeblautnord

I work 9-5 as a marketing exec and have two kids under ten - with no nanny. It is a struggle, but I have found that perspective has made all the difference. 'This is only a few month crunch,' is my mantra. I try to stay consistent with my study schedule and cut myself slack if life dictates a deviation. It is nearly impossible to find a silent place to study at home, so I spend a lot of time in the public library on weekends and after work hours. I recommend spending a chunk of time in the library; it's quiet with no distractions, and I always leave with large gains in skills and points.

I fit in 3-4 hours of studying when work ends (M, T, TH). I WFH on Fridays and sneak in a couple of extra hours. Saturdays and Sundays I spend at the library/cafes from 11-5.

I do timed drills on M & T, take a test on TH, review areas of weakness, and drill them on F & Sa, then take a new test on Sa/Sun then review where I need to improve. This system has worked well for me. I also recommend doing 35 min sections in your weakest area as practice. If you are OK with killing some exams it's worth it!

Interesting with the 30 min timed sections someone suggested. Will try that!

meredith23

I work 9-5, I will see how the rest of the class plays out but so far the virtual class has been a great investment for me because it gives me set homework each day and 5 hrs of class each week (3hr core class and then a 2hr LG class). Having set assignments and the interaction in class helps me time manage and understand the concept better. I think right now I am averaging 15 hours per week including the time spent in class. During the week I probably do 1-2 hours after work each night based on assigned homework and then take a prep test and blind review on the weekend.

sadiewhitney96

I work full time in person as well, and almost always do 1 hour of studying on my working days, plus about half of my working days, I'll have a drill to do as well. I usually have 2 to 3 days off with my job per week so I take a practice test almost every week on one of my days off and study for 3-4 hours on my other day(s) off. It's a struggles sometimes, especially adding on grocery shopping, making dinner, chores, staying healthy, maintaining my relationship.
As others said, sometimes on my working days, I just have to tell myself to do 10-15 minutes and am almost always able to do a full hour or more of studying.

owusu101

I also work a 9-5. I wake up at 4:30 a.m. or 5 a.m., work out for an hour, and then study for about two hours before setting out for work. When I come back home, I give myself thirty minutes to an hour off before studying for another two hours. It comes down to discipline and one's mindset. In the beginning, it can be hard, but once it becomes routine, it becomes easier.

There are days when the amount of studying time I get is less. When that happens, I make it up on the weekends.

llinkato

If any 9-5'er wants to form a pre/post work study group I am down!! I am finding it hard to stay motivated and accountable