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Related Discussions
Study Scheduling: biting off more than I can chew?
Hello- I would really appreciate some advice!
Some background info:-
- I'm a junior taking a course overload (GPA 3.88 that I plan to push up to 3.9), heavily involved in extracurriculars and athletics, and seriously considering taking an internship or two this spring, and one in summer semester (since I haven't done a single one yet, and I know law schools really value work experience.)
- I just had a go at my first ever cold diagnostic test and scored a 157. I'm disappointed and stressed by it but optimistic.
- I've decided to take the June LSAT (on the 23rd where I am), giving me 4 months excluding June to study.
- I'm open to repeating it in September if need be, but I would prefer not to have to of course, especially since I plan to apply to schools as early as possible.
- I'm aiming for a score of 172+, so a 15 point increase. I know it's a long shot, but I need it for where I plan to go, and especially to offset my lack of work experience (that I don't think I can realistically remedy much by admission time in early Fall.)
My questions:-
- Given the severe time constraints and all my other commitments, what would a realistic study schedule look like? I would feel best putting in 5-6 hours a day, but I really doubt that's a realistic expectation. I really don't want to slack on my GPA etc. or lose so much sleep that I burn out, but at the same time, this is the only chance I get to... get into the law school that I want. Should I start with 4 hours a day for the first month and see how well I do? Is that unrealistic as well? How far do I have to stretch myself to comfortably get into the 170s?
- Any input on what plan to go with? I think the ultimate+ would be a waste if I can't cover the material. I think I will start with the premium then upgrade as I go. Will that harm my scheduling? I've read that you only really need to do as many practice questions as you happen to need in any section, and to save the rest for drilling later. Is that a good approach?
I'd really, really appreciate any help! Thanks!
Comments
I'm going to be completely honest with you. I work full time at the courthouse and I'm working to take the June test right now....I have the premium plan and it's hard. I try to watch a couple lessons in the morning before work, then I watch lessons during my lunch break and then I put in about 2 hours at home every night. Then on the weekends, I working on LSAT for literally 8 hours. YOU WILL FALL BEHIND! Sometimes you get sick, sometimes you absolutely need a break from the LSAT so you can refresh your mind. This is just me but I wanted to put my two cents out there. I wish the best of luck to you though!
I'm taking 6 classes right now, similar GPA to you. I did the same last semester. I studied for the LSAT last semester about 1-2 hours a day and was still able to get a 4.0 for that semester. It can be done. It's hard though. 5 hours a day? You're not gonna have a life - plus it's really easy to let your GPA slip if you're devoting that much time into something other than school.
4 months to make a jump from 157 to 175 is insane, even for those studying full time. Our brains need time to absorb all of the information we're taking in. You 100% can make that improvement, given a year or more, but I doubt that you can do it in such a short of time.
Don't sell yourself short, or risk damaging such a pristine GPA. I'd advise that you start off studying 3 hours a day, see how it goes. If you feel you are retaining information from the CC, try ramping it up. Make up for the hours you lose during the week on weekends by studying more. Take a day off every week - seriously. Finally, they've added a July test, shoot for that one instead of June. If you're not ready for July, then you can always postpone until September and make apps in October (still early in the cycle).
A final note, your score distribution on the June 2007 diagnostic is important. For example, -17 LR, -11 RC, -8 LG, would be harder to improve (generally speaking) than a -12 LR, -8 RC, -16 LG. It's still the same diagnostic score, 154, but the second case will have an easier time making score improvements quickly. This is because LG is by far the most improvable section over a short period of time. The second case above, could foolproof games 1-35 over 2-3 months and would probably get -3/-4 on a consistent basis. They'd bring their score up about 10 points in a very short time. For LR it's harder to do in a short period of time, and RC is all about exposure to questions and repetition. There's no foolproof way to do these in a couple months.
I hope this helps
Good luck.
Hey, @lianaLAW ! It seems like you are kicking butt in undergrad and preparing yourself to be in a solid place post-graduation (be it law school or a job). While this is a bit of a different suggestion, I wanted to share some thoughts.
It is extremely hard to prepare effectively for the LSAT while maintaining a ~3.9 GPA. During my junior year (2014-2015), I worked tirelessly to gain improvements in my score and even took the in-person PowerScore class. Even with all of that, I was flatlined at a 160 and couldn't breakthrough. Similar to you, I worked hard to maintain a solid GPA (your GPA is stronger than mine was, I graduated with a 3.79) and participated in tons of extra-curricular activities (university government, internships, part-time jobs). In the end, I was simply stretched too thin, limiting my ability to approach the LSAT prep with the frame of mind I needed.
So, I put a pause on it. I knew I could score better than what I was scoring and that I could've studied more effectively (I look back on it now and giggle as to how inefficient I was being trying to juggle so many things at once).
Have you interned in a legal setting? Have you thought about working for a year + post undergrad to gain more experience and solidify the "why law" decision for both yourself and your personal statement? While I recognize these are conflicting questions to have asked, I might ruminate on them if you're willing. The LSAT will always be there. Law school will always be there.
Since I've taken time off, I've explored other professional interests that have only further validated my personal reasons for pursuing a legal career. And, because I have a grasp on my job, I am mentally fresh in the mornings, evenings and weekends to focus on LSAT prep. I've already seen my score grow more than it was back in undergrad. Further, I now feel much more confident that I could handle a law school environment as I am more aware of my strengths in an office setting. I would be afraid to dive into a career in law having never worked full-time elsewhere, because there are soft skills that apply to any job.
Sorry if this post is annoying! Just wanted to share some thoughts. I don't think you need to pressure yourself to get that 172+ now. If it isn't happening, breathe and focus on what is happening in your life. Come back to the world of the LSAT when you have the brain space to do so.
Best of luck!
Your gpa is more important and will never change once you graduate. Focus on that. Study here and there until you graduate, I suggest just doing LG until then, and then really dive into studying after graduating. If you’re hitting 170+ before November then take the November lsat. With a 3.8+ gpa and a 170+ lsat, you will get into a top school and it won’t matter if you apply before November or after November. You’ll get responses from schools quickly with those stats, they respond to apps with highest gpa/lsat before everyone else.
I think it would probably not be wise to study that much during the school year. If you do, keep a close eye on your classes to make sure you don't tarnish your GPA.
During the summer however, even if you have an internship there will be a lot more time to study the LSAT. 4-5 hours a day during the summer with one day a week off from the LSAT worked well for me. Much more than that and you are risking burnout.
I think you should pick one section probably logic games to work on until summer. Logic games are the easiest to improve. Just foolproof however many you have time for from tests 1-35 every day. Hopefully by summer you will be perfect on the games section.
https://7sage.com/how-to-get-a-perfect-score-on-the-logic-games/
The other good thing about logic games is that 7 sage has free explanations for all the logic games so you can get a taste for how good 7 sage is before committing to the course.
https://7sage.com/logic-game-explanations/
If you don't end up testing where you want to be in time for next cycle, then you can always get a job and gain real work experience while you continue to study. By then your beautiful GPA will be locked in.
Good luck!
A 157 diagnostic is actually pretty good. Don't beat yourself up over it. My diagnostic was lower and I honestly wish I had not even taken one because it can make you second guess yourself and your abilities. A 15 point increase is definitely possible as long as you put in the work. However, to maximize your score, I would suggest taking in September so you have the summer to study. When you're not in school, it's going to be a lot easier to put in the hours. When you're studying while in school, just try to study as much as you can when you can without sacrificing your grades. I would set a somewhat flexible schedule. Lastly, don't ever let anyone tell you that you cannot accomplish a goal than you've set for yourself. You can do this!
A couple of thoughts...
As @"Seeking Perfection" said, above all guard your GPA. That's the best advice!
As far as your other questions, they are impossible to answer. Every single person has different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to this test. For me, it was fairly easy for me to get into the 160s because of my background in philosophy. After that, every point to the 170 mark has only come after tons of review and drilling. However, this progress can't be measured in hours nor extrapolated to say how long it would take you.
If I could go back now, I would start with Ult+. The CC is the same but you're getting very helpful extras. I think having all of the tests, LR/LG bundles, and explanations (my fav!) is quite instrumental to have from the beginning. But if you go with a starter or premium and then upgrade, I think you'll be fine, too.
Good luck!
thanks for the reality check. I've been realizing over the past couple of days that my plan of 5-6 hours is just not feasible. I'd briefly forgotten I have other things to do! I'm looking into 2-3 daily, and a long go on the weekends and maybe 1 day off a week! I'll try to be consistent but flexible. I'm really worried in getting too caught up in other things to prepare well!
It's motivating to know you've done it! I'm going to take your advice and not risk my GPA. I'll start at 3 hours and see what I can do with that. I'm adamant on getting a 4.0 this semester (I always get bored with a course and slack a bit in it. Enough to dent the GPA) and have been putting more effort into my courses than I ever have before. The problem is that that takes up so much time. You're right, I would risk all other aspects of my life by aiming for 4 hours a day!
I can't take the July test because it's not offered outside of North America, but I've decided to give myself until September (7 months!) to study instead. I think it will do better for my overall score than taking it early.
Thanks for pointing the importance of the breakdown out. Mine is
LG -10
RC -9
LR -10
This is so helpful and great advice!
I think I'll adjust my score and study expectations for as long as I have classes, and I'm taking the LSAT in September, giving me the summer to do almost nothing but study for it. Until then, I'll only do as much as I can! and I've been considering running for student government but I think I'll draw the line before that now. I'll definitely be a lot more selective on what I spend my time and attention!
I haven't interned anywhere yet, but I do have some work experience. I've worked a lot with, and not yet in, different offices. Where I live is an incredibly corporate centered environment and my university is very much industry-involved, so I do have some exposure to work environments, but I know I should look to have plenty more. I'm definitely looking into one of my upcoming internships being in the legal sector, and after hearing from you I think I will look for that one first! I'm thinking to do 2 4-week internships in Spring and 1 in Summer I (it counts as a credited course too!). That leaves me 2 months to fully dedicate for the LSAT.
Thanks! I think the Ult+ would be the best option from the get go as well, and I'll do my best to put in the hours without sabotaging my GPA! I've been putting in more effort than ever in my coursework this semester, so I like to think I have that managed, but at the same time it's so time consuming. I just hope I can manage to make use of all the hours in ult+!
Thank you all for the helpful input! I think I've settled on delaying it until mid September, though I was initially reluctant to do so because that would make repeating it in early December prevent me from applying early on (rolling admissions!) But I think it would make all the difference in the world to have a couple of summer months almost fully dedicated to it! It would be better for me to take it when I can score higher than to score low and repeat it.