How do you guys motivate yourself to study/stay focused?

jennilynn89

Hey 7Sagers!

Question for you all - what's your trick to stay motivated throughout the study process? I've had to have some surgery done about two/three weeks ago, and have been MIA on here as well as in my studying, as recovery was tough and painful.
I'm trying to get back into my study grind, but found myself lacking energy and motivation (plus being spoiled from being on pain killers and watching TV and sleeping all day... woo me).
I'm also WAY behind my study schedule now. I was planning on joining the September BR group within the next week, but now I am only about halfway through the curriculum since I've lost so much time.
Where would you guys pick up at? I'm thinking about re-reading all of my notes that I've made throughout the course of the curriculum and just trying to pick up where I left off.
I'd love to join the BR groups and really don't want to miss out, but feel as if it's probably more important just to get through the core curriculum right now?

MrSamIam

First off, I hope you're feeling better!
Next, think long-term, not short-term. When you think short-term, all you're doing is thinking about a score that you want to reach. However, when you think about your target school, dream job, etc. you'll be more inclined to want to reach those goals.

This may sound silly, but I have a HLS shirt that a friend of mine gave me from when she visited Harvard. Sometimes I'll wear the shirt while studying, or I'll just look at it and remind myself how incredible it would be if I got into Harvard. This, consequently, reminds me that I need to bust my butt to do so.

You may also want to develop a study schedule, and remind yourself that you can be somewhat flexible with the schedule. For instance, here is my old schedule:

Mon-Fri: Study for a total of 30 hours minimum.
Saturday: Study for 3 hours
Sunday: Break or short study session (2 hours tops)

There were weeks where I would only get in 25 hours of studying for that entire week. That was okay, because there were also weeks where I managed to study for 40+ hours.

TL;DR: Think of dream job, think of dream school, kick butt to attain goals.

Cant Get Right

I definitely wouldn't worry too much about catching the BR groups. Right now you need to finish the curriculum and hold off on PTs. Save those valuable PTs for when you're ready. Also, the BR groups aren't structured around any specific test anymore, so they will be more continuous. Whenever you're ready, there will be a group going for you to join.

As far as motivation, I have a similar thing as @MrSamIam . I've got coffee mugs from various T6 schools that I start my day with every morning. If you're having trouble jumping back into your studying, start slow and ease back into it. The hardest part is getting started and it sounds like you're feeling behind and overwhelmed. Don't think about what you missed. Plan to do just one lesson or one drill. Just get going.

Another thing I do is I try to make things as easy on tomorrow-me as I can. I know that guy and he's kind of a lazy asshole. So today I'm going to go ahead and plan his studying, print out his drills, sharpen his pencils, everything, and have him ready to roll.

twssmith

All the best to your recovery, slow down and give your mind and body to a chance to heal:)

@jennilynn89 said:
I'm thinking about re-reading all of my notes that I've made throughout the course of the curriculum and just trying to pick up where I left off.

After an unexpected break in studying, I did exactly what you asked in your question!

Re-reading my notes gave me a comforting place to not make a mountain out of trying to figure out which direction to go. Which area of lsat did you feel most confident? Try a few drills in that area to build confidence and then broaden the scope. Take your time in the core curriculum, regardless of your circumstances, or you will regret missing so many poignant points that will help build your foundation to achieve your goals. BR calls will always be available but please do not waste fresh PT's until you are ready:)

Please do not focus on a schedule and especially a test date. Along with many others, I have been studying for over a year and we recognize that it is just going to be longer process than we ever imagined. But, that is okay - want to know why? - because we believe in our hard work so we can achieve our goals. I hope you join us in embracing that it may not happen today but we work towards making it happen tomorrow...

All the best:)

esteerose

I am in a similar situation. I purchased the ultimate package and got busy being a mom and college student. Now I'm back...And waaay behind. I have put my child in daycare for 7 hours a day so I may study. I have a 45 minute (study) timer and 15 minute (break) timer. During breaks I clean. My goal is (7) 45- minute sessions per day mon-fri, then a 4-hour block on Sunday. Saturday off. I must take the September LSAT to keep my financial aid, so I am also very concerned with the schedule.

jennilynn89

Thank you so much everyone for your support and input! The community on here really is the best

@MrSamIam Thank you for the tips! You know, you're not the first one that told me about purchasing a shirt from your reach school. I think that is an excellent idea and keeps you focused on visualizing your goals. I'm going to do the same! I do need to develop an actual study schedule for myself. I work fulltime (8-5) and have been just kind of doing as much as I can after work, but more structure is certainly helpful in keeping you focused.

@"Cant Get Right" As always, thanks so much for your support! I have a bad habit of being a perfectionist and obsessive compulsively trying to be the best at everything and get upset when things don't go as planned.... I guess as future lawyers we all have that tendency? I'm definitely going to try and ease back into the curriculum. You'd think two weeks of study break is not that big of a deal, but oh man, once you are out of that habit it's a bitch getting back into it!

@twssmith Thank you for the well wishes! I am slowly but surely returning back to normalcy. I feel most confident in LG, so maybe I'll go ahead and revisit some drills on that and then ease my way back into the curriculum after re-reading my notes. It's hard not to focus on a test date, but you are very right. I will have been studying for about a year now this coming August, and I know that I always have December if I am still not ready by September!

@esteerose I feel you on the stress and pressure the LSAT brings with it. It sounds like you have your study schedule figured out just fine, and you have a lot of time until September! Please feel free to reach out to me anytime you need a study buddy or some encouraging words! The LSAT is a brutal beast, but it can be tamed! Just reading all of the responses and all the positive support on here makes me incredibly motivated to get back to it and do my best!

MrSamIam

@jennilynn89 Yes, do it!
You may also want to try studying during your breaks at work. Also keep in mind that no schedule is set in stone. Set up a schedule with what you have, and change it if you need to.

ethaaaan

Kind of similar to a the shirt mentioned above: I have a hat from Georgetown (target school), I've had it for 5 or 6 years now, and actually lost it for about a year as it sat hanging in my friend's vacation home. I've worn it while studying and will usually let it sit on the shelf above my desk while doing PTs, just to serve as a reminder of what this is all about.

From a purely internal standpoint, I usually just remind myself of a few things for motivation:
This is a pursuit that could result in life-changing opportunities. Opportunities that would outweigh any night at a bar, Netflix marathon, or vacation.

This is a test that is graded on a curve. If you are aiming for a T14 school, you can be assured that every day you decide to blow off studying for this exam, the person that will end up taking your spot at your goal school is at the library right now doing what you're not.

Everyone has goals, goals are worthless. Execution is what matters. The "path" that must be taken by most people to achieve a goal is usually well understood, but most people are too scared of failure or too lazy to actually do the work required, so they never even take the first step. The path to success on the LSAT is not a mystery, it's just not a path that most are willing to walk.

jennilynn89

@MrSamIam I work in a very noisy office, so studying during lunch break mostly hasn't worked out for me, but I'll figure my schedule out! Thanks again!

@ethan.ames Truer words have never been spoken! Thank you so much for your thoughtful input!

BruiserWoods

Ok. So, i know this is silly, but a thing I've been doing lately is pretending that [insert presidential candidate that you don't support/like] is making the arguments. And every concept i'm not strong on and every question i don't get right, i was outsmarted by said candidate. Idk how much it really improves my scores/learning, but it's a fun game to play and helps keep me engaged.

And is also pretty much what we will be doing as lawyers.

runiggyrun

If you have the option, try to not go straight home after work - maybe the office gets quieter, or maybe there's a coffee shop or library nearby (even a park might work with summer ahead, if you don't live somewhere with crazy hot weather). Doing some work before getting to your familiar home surroundings removes an extra temptation to just head for the couch/fridge/remote.
Best of luck easing back in, and hope your recovery is smooth and complete.

Cant Get Right

I also got myself a few really nice bottles of wine. So there's a bottle for breaking 170, a bottle for getting accepted at a T14 school, and so on. The bigger the accomplishment, the nicer the bottle. If I fall short of a bottle's goal, then a friend is getting a really nice gift. And that would be a shame. My friends shouldn't be allowed to have nice things. And preventing that from happening is all the motivation I need.

MrSamIam

@"Cant Get Right" said:
My friends shouldn't be allowed to have nice things. And preventing that from happening is all the motivation I need.

Here's a little more motivation: It would be devastating to find out that you busted your butt studying only to have to give your non-studying-for-LSAT friend your precious wine!

Cant Get Right

For real @MrSamIam , those guys are the worst. Bunch of lazy good-for-nothings if you ask me. Maybe I'll just throw the bottles into Gordon's Creek if it comes to that.

Nicole Hopkins

@esteerose said:
I have put my child in daycare for 7 hours a day so I may study.

Incredible dedication!!!

Nicole Hopkins

@"Cant Get Right" said:
So there's a bottle for breaking 170, a bottle for getting accepted at a T14 school, and so on.

For each school acceptance, I got a bottle of Moët et Chandon and then upgraded to Veuve Clicquot for my Northwestern (T14) acceptance. Good thing I didn't apply to too many schools

Cant Get Right

Nice @"Nicole Hopkins" ! Maybe I'll grab a bottle of that specifically for Northwestern!

Nicole Hopkins

Also this:

[Note: awww my epic Elle Woods studying montage GIF disappeared! Gotta re-upload]

Cant Get Right

Yeah, mostly that.

GordonBombay

I would think about all the people I could potentially help. Whether it be small stuff like legal advice to relatives and friends, or future clients who were harmed due to someone else's negligence. One day you could very well be helping someone put their life back together after going through something terrible.

Now idk if this the best thing to do, but in complete honesty other times I would think about people who have underestimated me, or who wrote me off at one point or another. Who am I talking about? Ex's, former boss's or coworkers, former coaches, etc. I used to think about how awesome it would feel when they found out I was going to a respectable law school.

MrSamIam

@"Cant Get Right" and @"Nicole Hopkins" have motivated me to celebrate with alcoholic beverages. Not a big fan of wine or champagne...so I will be taking a shot of vodka for every milestone reached. Would anyone like to donate a bottle of Stoli Elit, Himalayan?