Full Time Job

Comments

• TheShrimpEater Alum Member

  December 2018 46 karma

  Hi there, I was in similar situation,( I have to stay full-time employed because of my visa). For the November test I studied a few months while working. My company is sort of flexible on working schedule, I'd start a bit early (~7 am) and leave early (~4 pm). I normally studied after work for about 2-3hr per day. It depends on the day though, sometimes I was very tired from work I just skipped study, but I tried to maintain minimum 15 hr study time each week. My personal opinion is to block a certain time during the day when you can sit down for 2 hour or so, some people say it's best to study first thing in the morning, I did in the afternoon. I usually took a day off on weekends. My other suggestion is to make a study plan and stick to it, during my studies I felt lost sometimes because I did make a specific plan for that week/day, then 2 hr later I barely started, but it was already 9 pm, that's one thing I wish I had done better. To be honest I think I would get a much better score if I had more time to study, but sometimes we don't have that choice. You still have a lot of time, good luck!!!
• aleland13 Alum Member

  December 2018 158 karma

  Chiming in because I’ve dealt/am dealing with this and have had some success balancing.

  For background: I work an incredibly demanding social justice-y job that requires more than 40 hours most weeks, and have taken the LSAT twice, once when I was a senior in college (for a 159) and again during my first year in my job (for a 160).

  In September of this year I realized I wasn’t happy with my work anymore and decided to revisit law school. I realized that what had prevented me from getting a better score on the LSAT was my lack of consistent studying, so for my third time, I realized I needed to COMMIT to the lsat above my job.

  I started studying in late September/early October for the January 2019 lsat with a 12 week schedule from the LSAT Trainer. I purposefully chose a 12 week schedule even though the lsat was still 16ish weeks away so I had some wiggle room if work got too crazy and i couldn’t stay on track (this has proven to be one of the best decisions I made as work DID get crazy and I fell behind sometimes). I also grabbed a cheap monthly planner from Marshall’s and calendered out all of my lessons for each week, alloting ~2 hours on M/T/TH for lsat studying each night after work and 4-6 hours on Sat/Sun. I did this in pencil so I could move things around as needed, and checked off things on the calendar as I completed them.

  I also scheduled random days off from work during the 16 week period so I could stay home and catch up on my studying/take some full PTs. This too has been invaluable, as I basically spend a full workday on the LSAT in the middle of the week. I’ve been averaging around a 168 with this method and am making a final push in December/January during my winter time off to hopefully break 170 before the January lsat. If I don’t, I’ve accepted that I may need to postpone until March so I get enough time to study and get the score I want.

  Final suggestion: figure out if there’s periods of time that there’s a lull in your work - I realized that November/December was going to be less hectic for me than April-July, so studying for the January lsat made sense for me. Other than that, think about if you’re really ready to commit to this test/law school, and what sacrifices you’re willing to make to get the score you want. For me this has meant that i only watch one tv show a night with my partner at most during weeknights, and that i turn down invites to get drinks with my coworkers. Basically, I realized I can’t have it all right now but getting a good lsat score is absolutely a priority for me so I’ve been able to deal. Hope this helps!
• _oshun1_ Alum Member

  December 2018 edited December 2018 3652 karma

  I studied during my hour lunch break and for 4 hrs after work and PTd on weekends. After a few months I cut those 4 hours after work back to 2-3 and I would occasionally wake up before work to study for an hour. I would take one evening off studying during the week. It’s totally possible just remember to take care of yourself and still exercise regularly and eat right etc.
• Leah M B Alum Member ⭐

  December 2018 8392 karma

  It's definitely doable and a LOT of people on the board here have studied while working full time, myself included.

  My schedule was basically that I work from 9-6. On my lunch break, I'd often walk to the public library up the street from my office and do a full section for practice, and walk back. Just about the right timing. Then after work, I'd take a little break by sitting down to eat, watch a 30 minute TV show, then get to work studying. I found that around 10pm, my brain kinda shuts down and I stop being able to really absorb things. So, I usually studied about 2-3 hours on weeknights. On Saturday, I would take a PT and then not do anything else LSAT related that day. On Sunday I would BR the PT that I just took. I'd usually study for about 4-6 hours. I'd continue doing the BR on Monday if I wasn't finished and needed to stop.

  It's important to avoid burnout while studying and working. I made sure to take 1 weeknight totally off from studying, and make plans to do something fun with friends on that night. That helped me feel refreshed and happy. And as mentioned, on the weekends I would only do a PT on Saturday and then study for several hours on Sunday. Aside from that, I also made sure to do something fun with friends or at least out of the house. Make it a priority to set aside some time to do other things.

  On that schedule, it took me about 7 months to go from a 157ish to a 168 on test day. You have to just know that for a while, you are going to have to give up a lot of things. Your schedule may look different, but I think it's really helpful to just have a set schedule like that and lock down specific times that you are going to be studying, period.

  Hope that helps!
• RemainCo Alum Member

  December 2018 18 karma

  Go to work, go home, study, go to sleep, repeat. On days you don't need to work, just do the other steps. I'm doing it and it sucks but I like to think of it as practice for law school and thereafter. I shoot for 20 hours of studying a week since I work 50 to 70.
• jreynolds Core Member

  December 2018 18 karma

  I just started studying this month for the LSAT and I also work full-time. What I do is study on my hour lunch break Monday-Friday then when I get off I study for at LEAST 2 hours. Although I know I could potentially squeeze in 4 hours after work MAX. My weekends are free pretty much starting with Friday night. So I try to wake up early on the weekends instead of sleeping in to get a morning session of studying in. For Saturday and Sunday I dont put an actual number on the hours I study, I just make sure I remember to take breaks as needed.
• RFLSATStudy Alum Member

  December 2018 12 karma

  Hey Alex,

  Full-time worker here. Between work and studying, I’m on 60- and 70-hour weeks.

  1) It’s going to be difficult, but you will learn to manage if you want it bad enough.

  2) Set a weekly schedule that takes you through to test day. Make sure you account for necessary changes along the way (when you will start taking timed PTs, etc.). My advice would be to set a test date, commit to it, and do everything you need to do to get where you need to be by that date. You may never feel 100% ready, but test day will come regardless. It’s been really tough for me, but every time I hit a roadblock, I assess my current needs (Do I need some encouragement, a break, or maybe to push harder?) and take it one step at a time. When I get passed that particular block, I feel even more excited and proud of myself that I’m one step closer to my ultimate goal.

  3) Utilize the free tools available to you. I’m currently using Manhattan Prep’s LSAT Navigator and that’s helped me visualize my strengths and weaknesses. I’ve been able to take my struggle questions/sections one step at a time and am knocking them down one by one. If I come across a concept that’s particularly difficult, I read, search, and test until I’ve found a strategy that works for me.

  4) Be in tune with your personal needs. A while back I was really struggling. It seemed like my brain had stopped working, and I could see my score being affected. I was absolutely exhausted and decided to take a break until I could get myself together (and some rest). The break ended up lasting two weeks. I was really nervous and a bit discouraged in anticipation of seeing whether or not the break had set me back. I ended up coming back stronger and had taken my RC from -10/12 to -3/4 (btw, the strategy that is helping me overcome RC is to read the questions first). I listened to my body, and I was rewarded.

  5) What kind of encouragement works for you? Figure that out and surround yourself with it. For me, it’s reading stories of others who’ve been in similar (or worse) situations and have come out on top (top-law-schools is great for this). I’m also constantly reminding myself of why I want this and that this is just a stepping stone to the next phase of the journey (which is going to be even more difficult). I’m also encouraged by overcoming difficult concepts. Now that I’ve experienced this a few times (feeling so defeated I wanted to quit), I look forward to crushing the next task and getting even better.

  If it helps you any, I’m pushing 30. I completely understand your concern about time. Just know that time is on your side, but don’t allow it to become a crutch. Set that date, make your schedule, and commit. You’ve got this!! Many in your shoes have accomplished their goals, and you will too!

  Best of luck.
• PineapplePizzaSucks Member

  December 2018 534 karma

  We need more info. How many hours a day are you working/commuting? Are you driving or taking public transit? Are you able to do any studying at work? What's your energy level before and after work? Realistically, how many hours of sleep do you need a day (important to know in order to calculate a goal number of study hours per day)?