Question for Full Time Workers Also Studying

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• 1 Like

  Pacifico Alum Inactive ⭐

  November 2015 8021 karma

  @markariangeorge said:
  Should I be hitting the gym between work and studying or taking a nap?
  
  

  Yes. Can't recommend the former enough, and the latter as needed. It's all a matter of knowing yourself and having an understanding of what your body needs. If you just need to get the blood pumping, go hit the gym for 20-30 minutes. If you really need rest, get some. Don't make a habit of studying when your brain isn't ready to absorb information. While it can help to simulate issues that could arise on test day, if you make a habit of it you will just end up wasting too much time and not get enough rest overall. After my son was born in mid-August my PT/prep schedule went out the window and I didn't see the inside of my Crossfit box for 10 weeks (just started back up this week). I probably averaged 20 hours of sleep per week or less during the month of September and it really hurt my progression and maintenance but hey that's life.
  
  

  @markariangeorge said:
  I just feel like I'm wasting material often times when I drill while tired.
  

  For the most part these materials are wasted. If you do well, you aren't necessarily learning much, and if you do poorly, then it will be harder to absorb all the teachable moments that come with review.
  
  

  @markariangeorge said:
  Not sure if it would be better to do things untimed or take longer on my BRs from my weekend PTs
  

  Do not do the former. Definitely do the latter. You still need to time yourself and put those constraints on and the only time you should remove that is during BR. Take as long as you need on BR to compensate for any mental exhaustion that might interfere with the learning process, and don't be afraid to take a nap and regroup and come back to it.
  
  
  
  

  @markariangeorge said:
  For now I decided to take a LSAT break this weekend and go on a little trip somewhere to see if it is jut burnout but I think it is more than that.
  

  Great idea. Never be afraid to just get away and clear your head and let all of this stuff settle in a bit more.
  
  In closing, I would say use next week to experiment with different daily schedules. Mix it up each day. For example, go to the gym Monday morning before work and see if that sets the tone for your day and energizes you, then only prep after work. Tuesday just go to work and don't do anything in the morning, then hit the gym after work and then prep, Wednesday prep in the morning and then hit the gym after work and then prep, Thursday just prep in the morning and workout after work and take the rest of the night off. Friday prep in the morning, hit the gym at lunch and then prep after work. Keep a journal or something similar to document how you feel throughout each day and for each prep session and then analyze that at the end of the week and see if there was a day or two that was better than the rest and then replicate those days going forward. Good luck!
• markariangeorge Member

  November 2015 121 karma

  @Pacifico, As always, your advice is amazing, thoughtful, and very much appreciated. Love the experimentation and journal idea. Thanks so much!
• 1 Like

  nordeend Alum Member

  November 2015 349 karma

  @markariangeorge pacifico covered you well but i will add something that nicole.hopkins advised me on. People who do this while working fulltime usually need more time (months) to prepare. It just works out that way with what pacifico said about not being able to absorb what you're studying. I work 50+ hours a week plus the weekends so my studying needs to happen over a longer period of time. But take a break and get at it!
• Elle2015 Alum Member

  November 2015 198 karma

  I work 40 to 60 hours a week and try to study after work as well. When I was working more, I found that it was too much for me and I couldn't study, so I postponed my test. If I notice that I'm tired or missing things I shouldn't, I simply stop. I really want to fit in as much studying as possible before the Dec test, but for me personally, I know that there's little point if I'm stressed/tired/rushing and not focused.
  
  I also do 1 to 4 games during my breaks at work, which I enjoy, because it's a quick challenge and I'm in a quiet place where it's easy to study. But if you only have the lunch break and if doing LSAT prep would stress you out, I wouldn't recommend it.
• 1 Like

  harrismegan Member

  November 2015 2074 karma

  For me, I have been studying for over a year now. Close to two years. I've taken it twice and only gotten semi-close to my goal score. I used to get up at 3:30 AM to go to the gym before work so I could study before work, on my lunch break, and after work. I would literally study till 10 PM and then go to bed and repeat. I really don't know how my girlfriend still loves me.
  
  What the biggest thing I could say is that you should take your time. Set a realistic goal and stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Yeah I'm disappointed I didn't get the score I wanted this October, but I realized cramming until December with a fulltime job wouldn't be feasible.
  
  Find a schedule that works for you and that you don't feel stressed out and upset to be apart of. If you are, then that's not a good mindset to have when you're studying.
  
  Ultimately, the test and law school will always be there. It's not a matter about "if" you get in, just "when".
• 1 Like

  Julia L Alum Member

  November 2015 354 karma

  I work full-time and I've been studying the LSAT for over a year now (took June, preparing now for Dec retake). I find the most effective study time is in the morning, and I also sometimes drill at lunch. But after work my brain is useless, so I use that time to exercise/rest and then go to bed. I do think that it's important to utilize LSAT material when you are most focused.
  
  I am NOT a morning person, but starting from the beginning of this year, I forced myself to wake up around 5 AM, and I have been pretty consistent with this throughout my prep. I've been able to get 2-3 hours in before work, and that has been key. I use Saturdays to PT, and Saturday/Sunday to thoroughly BR. Now I have increased to 2 PTs/week, and I actually take 4 sections without a break on one of the mornings before work. Then I just completely forget about the test for the rest of the day, and when I come back to it for review, I've had some distance and can think more clearly.
  
  Breaks are GREAT. I took a 1.5 month break after June test, and I came back super refreshed and broke through the 165 plateau. I also think it's important to actively incorporate at least day of rest into your weekly schedule, where you do nothing related to the LSAT. And if you start to feel overworked / fatigued, don't be afraid to rest. Getting your mind off the LSAT for a while will help you come back ready to take it on.
• adam.simon23 Free Trial Member

  November 2015 2 karma

  I'm not quite in your predicament--I have a more flexible schedule since I'm just writing my dissertation--but I am in the position of having LSAT prep not be the primary focus of my professional life. I sympathize with you. I would reiterate some of the things said on this thread (a) don't stress yourself out over this test (more than possible; especially over missed questions), (b) do work out, (c) do get rest, and (d) if there's not enough time to prep comfortably for the next test, think seriously about postponing it (obviously, this will have to be weighed against other factors). I didn't see this advice above, but one that's helped me is realizing that "less is more" (esp. if you're aiming at getting a high score). Old adage, but in this context it doesn't just mean getting enough rest, not doing frantic study binges, etc. It also means that you have to use your time as wisely as possible. Usually, I would think that this is best done with diagnostics concerning your weakest areas and, more specifically, question types. Usually, you don't need any analytics to know which section is your worst, but these can be helpful when your focused on detailed study of a particular area. For instance, I don't drill on more than one or two question types in a given study session. And I don't necessary feel like time is so* important, esp. in logic games.--I'll sort of keep track of it at first, but that's not what is most important (your intuition concerning timing can be tailored over a period of a couple weeks--at most). The key is keeping the accuracy, and getting the accuracy takes focus on pattern recognition, both in question/game and answer type. That's what the drilling is for, at first. If you try to get the accuracy and the timing, its like trying to solve for multiple variables (which is just more difficult and takes longer...besides being more liable to land you in the position that you're making no progress, even though you've been throwing hrs at the same section--I know, because I tried (and failed) to solve that equation before). Like you said, you don't want that wasted practice time. So just work less, plan what you're going to work on, and don't worry too much about timing. Then, to ramp up on your timing, I've found it helpful on the LR sections to just drill blocks of 5 questions in 7, then 6, then 5 min (though, I'll usually go for as close to 5 as possible and then check back at what sorts of mistakes I'm making when I push my time). For RC, I would just do passages (one at a time) and causally check the time. Then, I would drill timing in blocks of two passages (and questions) at a time, so you get a sense of what cognitive toll reading passages on more than one topic takes on your speed (I know that it has an effect on mine). The reading comprehension is supposedly the "least teachable" of the sections, so maybe that advice won't help you as much. And then there's AR, which is one of those things that, once I get down all of the game types (I haven't got them all down yet--just a disclaimer), I just see how close I am to the suggested times. Some of the games I notice that I'm just quite a bit off of the target time (given here), but below the average time.--I'm comfortable with that, since I notice that I'm under the target time on some of the games that are supposed to be more difficult. The biggest thing with the games is make sure that there is no main game type on which you can 'stuck'. And that just takes breaking up game types and very carefully logging your weaknesses, looking at the videos and trying to adjust your diagramming more and more so that there is less and less of those 'stuck' moments. And it is still helpful if you can only do 3 games in a span of time.
  
  That was quite a bit, but I'll just say in general that you might want to go to sleep early (like 10) waking up early (5am) and having that uninterrupted time before work to get coffee and drill (or even take a whole section or two). Having uninterrupted blocks of time is a must and maybe that's a way to do it. And then after work you can workout and chill/do other things for the rest of the day unless you want to go back to some studying, that way you know that you've already studied and you're also fresh for those most important hrs of studying. It sucks as far as scheduling but its temporary and also productive. And you don't have this fragmenting of the most important study time. Oh, and don't study during your lunch break...just don't. An annoying performance on something might add unnecessary stress to the back half of your day that just isn't worth it (for such a stupid thing). Plus, you might not even be able to learn from whatever mistake you made in that case. Good luck with your balancing and have fun on your weekend!
• GSU Hopeful Core ⭐

  November 2015 1644 karma

  @markariangeorge I think everyone has probably already hit on everything relevant to your situation. My experience over the past year would be used to caution you against burnout. I spent a year pressing and pressing even when I didn't feel like it. Make no mistake, it takes hard work and a lot of long hours. But, when you get to the point that you are tired and you just don't want to be there, its time to take a break from it. I found that no matter how much I studied or how much time I devoted (tired or not) to this thing, I wasn't getting better... at all. You have to allow yourself time for these concepts to sink in and allow your mind time to rest. This is even more important if you have extra stresses in life to worry about (which we all do). Bottom line, don't be afraid to take a break. You're not weak... you're not being lazy. Rest is a necessary condition when going through this journey. Best of luck to you.