How many hours do your study per day?

Comments

• Matt1234567 Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 1294 karma

  Around 5 hours per day right now. I am also planning on increasing this intensity in August and then in September with a day or two off in order to avoid burn out.
• StopLawying Alum Member

  July 2015 821 karma

  Seems like we have similar schedules. Just curious, do you split the hours up or are they consecutive?
• Matt1234567 Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 1294 karma

  It's kind of both lol. I'll study for an hour, take 10 minute break, study for another hour, take a break, eat lunch, back to studying with intermediate breaks between every hour of studying.
• emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 3462 karma

  I've been doing about 8 hrs per day. I usually take Sat & Sun off.
• Matt1234567 Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 1294 karma

  @emli1000 said:
  I've been doing about 8 hrs per day. I usually take Sat & Sun off.
  

  Wow, that's hardcore haha. I really wanna take it up to that intensity in August.
• emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 3462 karma

  @Matt1234567 haha, well I kind of don't have another choice =/ so I have to treat it like a job.
• emli1000 Alum Member Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 3462 karma

  @StopLawying I give myself a 10-15 min break every 90 mins.
• nicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 7965 karma

  @StopLawying said:
  Seems like there are a lot of motivated students on this forum and I just wanted to get a general picture of how many hours you study per day. Also, do you study every day of the week or do you give yourself a day off? I plan on taking the October exam and spend around 4 hours studying per day. I plan on increasing this to 5+ during August and around 7+ during September.
  

  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.
• KimberlyK Alum Member

  July 2015 217 karma

  I study approximately 7 hours a day (give or take an hour). I take Sat. and Sun. off.
• 2 Likes

  gs556 Member Inactive Sage

  July 2015 568 karma

  Word of caution:
  
  Beware of burning out before test day! This almost happen to me, but, luckily, final exams forced me into a two week break from LSAT material.
  
  My study schedule was 3 hours a day for 5-6 days a week. I studied about 5 months total. The first month was entirely 7sage curriculum and the next few months were dominated by PTs and BR.
• SummerMichal Free Trial Member

  July 2015 37 karma

  It depends on what you count as studying. I've only been giving the official study material about an hour a day, but I already work full time for a group of attorneys, so I apply the principles from the course to the documents I need to read for work. The principles have actually been very helpful here, and I think this real-life practice will help me a lot on the LSAT too.
• 1 Like

  GordonBombay Alum Member

  July 2015 edited July 2015 456 karma

  While working through the curriculum I would say I probably worked 3 hours a day 4 or 5 days a week. Since finishing the core curriculum I have been PT'ing and BR'ing almost exclusively. I spend one study day doing a timed 5 section PT, and then spend the next study day BR'ing and scoring it. The third study day is usually lighter and I typically spend it going through a few timed logic games sections or drilling a specific LR question type with the cambridge packets. I go through this 3 day cycle over and over again and sprinkle in days off when I feel the need. I'd say at the moment I probably average 6 study days a week, but it's worth noting I took a 16 day vacation out of the country mid June and didn't do anything LSAT related. (Much Needed !!)
  
  If you are still working through the curriculum currently I would strongly urge you to increase your study hours just so you can get to PT's. You'll want to get in a significant number of full length practice exams before October, as I can say in complete confidence that the timed practice exams, and even more so the BR, have really sharpened my LSAT intuition the most and really reinforced the important concepts taught in the curriculum.
• 2 Likes

  mikeysaikaley Alum Member

  July 2015 116 karma

  I'm still going through the 7sage curriculum, but I'm dedicating 5-6 hours a day with Sundays off.
• 1 Like

  nicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 7965 karma

  @sbammes said:
  The principles have actually been very helpful here, and I think this real-life practice will help me a lot on the LSAT too.
  

  I've found the same thing with trial prep!
• Pacifico Alum Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 8021 karma

  When I was doing the curriculum I was getting in about 6-8 hours a day M-F, now it's all over the place as I'm finishing my masters. When I picked up the Trainer I was doing about 4-5 hours a day and now I'm probably down to like 1-2 on average, which mostly means a PT on one day, some BR and BR group. Once my term finishes next week I should be back up to 6-8 per day.
• 2 Likes

  sarkisp23 Alum Member

  July 2015 374 karma

  I have a calendar and a marker in my room. Everyday that I study a minimum of 2.5-3 hours, I put an X on the day and try to get as many consecutive X's as possible. I know a lot of people here work quite a bit and I guess I'm one of them, so just a few hours a day I consider a success.
  
  One caveat however, is that I don't think time should be your only measure of study quality. Some days, you study less but you internalize more. Those days are a success as well. Likewise, failure days are when you study and force yourself to hit that 4-5 hour mark while not really feeling like you're learning anything.
• 2 Likes

  sarkisp23 Alum Member

  July 2015 374 karma

  And one more thing, I love that you all study so much. I think there was an accountability thread someone posted earlier, but that requires you to check it. I was thinking of something where perhaps we all give out our email, and each day someone different emails the group saying something along the lines of "If you haven't studied already, then start right now" followed by what that person has studied so far that day and finishing with some kind of motivational quote or phrase. This way, you would actually get the notification on your phone (assuming you have it turned on for incoming emails). Feel free to totally shoot this idea down LOL
  
  PS don't steal my idea and turn it into an app...
• SummerMichal Free Trial Member

  July 2015 37 karma

  I read a tip saying that one should aim to work 3,000 practice questions before taking the LSAT. I have a chart on my wall, with 3,000 squares marked out, and I color them in as I work through them. It keeps me motivated.
  
  @sarkisp23 I actually like that e-mail group idea.
• 1 Like

  sarkisp23 Alum Member

  July 2015 374 karma

  It's the best idea since the original iPhone @sbammes
• jyang72 Alum Member

  July 2015 844 karma

  Since I am studying full-time in the summer, I am studying around 8 hours per day and I take sunday off. LSAT is tough and it definitely takes lots of time and effort.
• nicole.hopkins Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐

  July 2015 7965 karma

  @jyang72 said:
  I am studying around 8 hours per day and I take sunday off.
  

  If you're studying that much, it's super important to take a day off! So, you're 100% on the right track there. I would go so far as to say that one day of 7 should have NO LSAT thoughts allowed! Gotta take a full break.
  
  I'm back on my 6-8am + 6-10pm weekday schedule with LSATurday full of LSAT goodness. But also breaking up LSATurdays with some funtivities in the afternoon.
• jyang72 Alum Member

  July 2015 844 karma

  @nicole.hopkins , you are definitely right. I always take a day off or even 2 days off. It depends on how exhausted I feel. This test is so challenging for sure. I've never seen any test like this before.
• eugene.chong Free Trial Member

  August 2015 62 karma

  Average about 2-3 hours per day since I started. PT Saturday and/or Sunday mornings (PTs after nights out suck). Days with PTs I do maybe an hour more reading/drilling later on. I usually take Wednesday and Friday off.
  
  It's tough enough to be up for it after work, so I have only the utmost respect for those who manage to do it with kids and other things going on.