What's your study routine?

Sprinkles · July 2016

Looking for ideas

So far I'm finding (no surprise) that waking up around 7-8AM, having a quick fulfilling breakfast (oatmeal, fruit, tea), doing a quick workout (30 mins or so) does wonders to my whole day not just the studying portion. Taking a shower at night before bed also really helps me because I'm able to sleep better and I'm not wasting too much time in the morning getting ready.

dennisgerrard · July 2016

do some drill to get start

Cant Get Right · July 2016

I have a very specific schedule that I try to adhere to. I've been out of town and all over the place so just now getting settled back in, but here's what a day looks like for me if I don't screw it up:

5:00: wake up
5:30 am get up (because let's be honest)
5:45: run
6:45: shower, dress, etc
7:30: breakfast, coffee, relax 8:30: PT, BR, or LR/RC drills depending on the day's schedule
Noon (or when PT finished): lunch, tea, relax
2:00: LG drills, foolproofing & review and/or BRing depending on the day
6:00: (or when finished, whichever comes first) eat, relax, whatever.
10:00: go to sleep

This is a tough schedule for me. I have alarms set on my phone to help keep me on schedule. I'm a night owl by nature, but the test is in the morning so I want to optimize my routine for test day. Come September I'll be adhering to this really strictly.

The early bird may get the worm, but the night owl's diet consists of insects, spiders, frogs, lizards, small birds, mice, rats, moles, squirrels, rabbits, and even skunks.

Seriousbird · July 2016

I've been studying the curriculum intensely for the last 5-7 months. So for me, I'm just finishing up the curriculum doing that with Cambridge drilling.
I use it mainly/primarily for LR and LG. The first half of the curriculum I repeated twice and for the flashcards/quizzes I repeated them until I got 100%.

For LG I am using Cambridge LG (grouped by type from 1-38) and fool proofing games I get 1 question wrong or under 7-8 minutes.

RC, I am at the stage where I am drilling. So I am drilling untimed once my accuracy is 100% I will move to timed drilling..

Lime Green Dot · July 2016

Hi @sweetsecret, I've heard the Cambridge drilling packets are no longer being printed. Did you get yours before this happened or find them another way? For anyone else out there, are there some good, similar alternatives around?

Seriousbird · July 2016

@christine.trg I did get them online before they stopped selling them, unfortunately I did not get the 70s in PDF form though..

So I have heard you can buy the LR/RC/LG in book form on Amazon from preptests 1-20 and 21-40.

Hope that helps!!

Lime Green Dot · July 2016

Thank you @sweetsecret. I've heard amazing things about them and did see them on Amazon, but at quite a bid. Maybe a personal tutor is included?

One more book I saw by Cambridge is called the "Drilling Companion." Has anyone bought this?

Seems it has all the q's sorted from PTs 1-77, the SuperPrep I & II tests, etc. But I'm guessing that the actual questions are not there (268 pages total) and understood that having all the questions one place was one of the big advantages of the original drill packets. Does anyone think this companion is or would be a useful reference?

WinWin2016 · July 2016

Monday 9am-12pm Full timed Practice test+ 2 hours of Blind review
Tuesday 5-6 LR Drill during the entire day. I try to break them up, so I can fully concentrate and understand thoroughly every single question.
Wednesday - Additional 1 hour LR plus I go back to main curriculum so I can go over the fundamental explanations again. Evening 2 hours LGames + 2 Hours Rcomp explanations and doing fool-proof guide
Thursday - Continue 1 hour on LG + 1 hour RC. Evening take timed Second test.
Apply same method as Monday till Sunday.
Totally, I study about 5-6 hours. Its very important to study smart and understand why wrong questions are wrong.

Seriousbird · July 2016

@christine.trg I think it is more useful to use the material from the earlier tests say 1-21 or 1-40 for drilling and the later tests for PTing.

I just looked at Amazon and those prices are insane. I think people are just increasing the prices because they know that there is a demand for it and limited supply. I looked on PowerScore's website and you can purchase LR from 21-40 for $118 which is much cheaper but still expensive (I think I paid around $80 for all the LR by type, I don't remember though), and they have two volumes of RC passage books that are considerably cheaper ~$34.

https://www.powerscore.com/lsat/publications/

Hope that helps!

Lime Green Dot · July 2016

Thanks, @sweetsecret, it does! Powerscore for now seems to be a much better bang-for-the buck!

Sprinkles · July 2016

@"Cant Get Right" said:
I have a very specific schedule that I try to adhere to.

That's what's up! Question though, did you abide by this strict schedule during the beginning stages of your prep? as in pre-PT/BR days?

Sprinkles · July 2016

@Qwerty123 said:
Totally, I study about 5-6 hours. Its very important to study smart and understand why wrong questions are wrong.

Noted and I agree!

thanks!

Sprinkles · July 2016

@sweetsecret said:
and fool proofing games I get 1 question wrong or under 7-8 minutes.

RC, I am at the stage where I am drilling. So I am drilling untimed once my accuracy is 100% I will move to timed drilling..

Good tip(s)!

Sprinkles · July 2016

@christine.trg said:
Powerscore for now seems to be a much better bang-for-the buck!

For what it's worth, it does give good exposure to LSAT foundation, but I would rank it 3rd with LSAT Trainer being 2nd and 7sage being first. In fact, I'm finding the LSAT Trainer to go hand in hand with the 7sage curriculum, not PS however.

Seriousbird · July 2016

@montaha.rizeq no problem! Good luck with your prep!!

I think @christine.trg is referring to the books on PowerScores website where you can get LR and RC materials in book form for a much cheaper rate than the exorbitant prices on Amazon and not the PowerScore self help books.

For my prep (this is if you are at the beginning of your prep: I did some self help books with LG, I started with the Bible and Nova, for RC I did the Manhattan RC guide and am contemplating the Trainer (but I've heard mixed things in regards to RC and I like the system I have) and for LR/LG 7 Sage.

I really needed to work on LR and RC so I spent the majority of my prep there with some LG prep. I'm towards the end of the curriculum now and hope to be moving into the PT stage soon.

That said, I highly recommend spending as much time as possible with the curriculum to ensure you completely understand the material before moving forward in your prep.

Cant Get Right · July 2016

@montaha.rizeq said:
did you abide by this strict schedule during the beginning stages of your prep? as in pre-PT/BR days?

The early stages came in two parts. Working and not. While I worked I did the best I could. Once I quit work though, I followed it very strictly. It’s changed up a little, but for the most part this is what I’ve done. Main difference is the addition of the morning jog. I couldn’t get up that early before, try as I might. Finally got it added in. This will pretty much be my day until September test. I’ll probably take Sunday’s off and schedule one week off at the end of August, but other than that, this is what I’ll be doing.

MrSamIam · July 2016

It changes daily, but my "everyday" routine is as follows:
8:00 - Wake up, get out of bed
8:15 - Eat breakfast, drink coffee or take caffeine tab
8:30 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday): Hit the gym
9:45: Start studying
8:30 (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday): Start studying

9:00 P.M Stop studying, watch some TV or do something to unwind.
I also drink a ton of water throughout the day, take small breaks here and there, and eat when hunger strikes.

theLSATdreamer · July 2016

like @"Cant Get Right" I wake up early 5am but get up at 530ish (bc lets be honest)
then light run, then I focus on the curriculum here, I also do early tests before the 30s to drill I try and do a full game section and LR section and recently got in the habit of RC as well,I felt like I would do really well in that sections, I was wrong lol. then work from 830-6 then videos and drills till 8 then jiujitsu then I finish my night with some relaxing RC to bring the ZZZZsss.
once I finish the content i'll start PTing and my goal is to do two a week. one sat and one wed already took wed mornings off from work and then i'll blind review in the pm. Oh and for motivation I watch Suits and wish I was like Mike Ross and could take the Lsats and pick what grade I wanted to get.

Sprinkles · July 2016

@MrSamIam @giordanifabiano thanks guys! you do have a day where you don't even think about the LSAT though, right? lol

Sprinkles · July 2016

Yo @giordanifabiano pretty bad that you have the build to perform jiu-jitsu on the daily. I can't imagine the amount of LSAT steam you take off from this...I want to take up boxing one of these days lol.

theLSATdreamer · July 2016

Been doing jiujitsu for 6 years now, mon and thursday i teach the white belts and the other days i train def helps forget the test for awhile

bethesda00 · July 2016

How about anyone who works full time? I'm trying to adjust my schedule starting this week so I can get in more productive studying. Though I think trying to study smarter, not just harder might just be the better tactic. Schedule so far has been:

7:00 -- Get ready for work
8:00 - 12:00 -- Work
12:00 - 1:00 -- Lunch break -- do whatever drill/review is on my list for the day
1:00 - 4:30 -- Work
4:30 - 6:00 - Try and relax, make some dinner, unwind
6:00 - 10:00 - Accomplish whatever is on my list for studying
Saturday -- PT
Sunday -- BR

I have to admit, though, I tend to study quite a bit during work as well. I think that's doing more damage than good, though, since it feels less productive. Just going through the motions, if you will.

Sprinkles · July 2016

@bethesda00 said:
How about anyone who works full time?

@BruiserWoods

saniasuni · July 2016

@bethesda00 Did you just start the curriculum?

MrSamIam · July 2016

@montaha.rizeq Sort of. I used to take either Saturday or Sunday off. Your brain is like a muscle, if you keep "using" it without rest, it'll eventually give out (not literally...at least I hope not). Now that the September test is just north of 2 months away, I only take days off when I need them. For instance, I went 3 weeks without a break. On week 4, I realized that I was dead tired, so I took a Sunday off and hit the beach. Don't feel guilty about taking breaks. It's better to take a day off and avoid burnout than to even come close to burning out.

BruiserWoods · July 2016

When I was in the heaviest/most intense part of my studies, I would PT on Saturday and BR and then again on Sunday. While this is not ideal, and definitely left me with little social life time, I work 9-5 and I'm SPENT at the end of my work day. I work at a law firm, so I'm using my eyes/brain for 8 hours a day and there's no way I could PT afterward.

Now, I PT on Saturday, do a THOROUGH BR of every section, and I'm working through the LG bundle on 1-3 nights a week. I also work out 5 days a week, so I'm juggling that with studying and it's pretty hectic at times.

bethesda00 · July 2016

@sanisuni I'm doing the LSAT Trainer 16 week study plan, and I'm almost through with it. I'm just trying to find ways to effectively fit in more PT's and utilize my time efficiently. I'm about to start doing 3 PT's a week (2 after work, 1 on the weekend) and I'm trying to find a way to not slowly die, haha. @BruiserWoods -- yeah, I feel you. I work at a law firm too and at the end of the day I'm not at my best to take a PT. But hopefully doing it in less than ideal circumstances will actually help me in the end!

kokobazooka · July 2016

I started implementing what JY says to do 8-12 weeks out from an exam...Habits. I eat 4-5 small meals during the day, with carbs/protein and lots of veggies. I also started journaling, meditating, and say a prayer every night specifically for the LSAT I have almost a gallon of water throughout the entire day with just my water bottle...When I need caffeine, I go for a half-decaf
cup so that I don't crash too hard...

5:30 am -wake, oatmeal, banana, coffee
6-8:00 am Gym (making sure to jog 20 min)
8:30am-2pm Study -L.G. currently, while finishing up BR and reviewing sections I really screwed up on..whatever needs to be done..
2pm-4- Break time. Eat. Catch some Pokemon.
4-8:30pm- 2nd Study session
9:00 Get Ready for bed, shower, clean
9:30- meditate 10 minutes, journal entry for the day, prayer.
9:45-10 LIGHTS OUT!

I also teamed up with a few 7Sagers who keep me motivated. We exchange LR questions to each other throughout the day, question-of-the-day style, which is pretty cool because having to explain it to someone works WONDERS for improving.

I think the journaling and meditating really make a huge difference... When I do a PT, I try to do it at 8:30 at the site I'm taking the LSAT... I also journal right before PTing and write down all my reservations about my own abilities, worries, anxieties, etc. It really helps clear the mind and serves as a pep-talk before diving into the test to boost my confidence. This test is truly psychological and its important to go in with a confident state of mind!!
Reading the discussions boards has actually been very helpful.

TheBatman · October 2016

@kokobazooka said:
5:30 am -wake, oatmeal, banana, coffee
6-8:00 am Gym (making sure to jog 20 min)
8:30am-2pm Study -L.G. currently, while finishing up BR and reviewing sections I really screwed up on..whatever needs to be done..
2pm-4- Break time. Eat. Catch some Pokemon.
4-8:30pm- 2nd Study session
9:00 Get Ready for bed, shower, clean
9:30- meditate 10 minutes, journal entry for the day, prayer.
9:45-10 LIGHTS OUT!

Besides catching Pokemon, what do you do to unwind? Like do you listen to music, read a novel, or watch a movie?

Jessica_Kuba · October 2016

I have a question. So, you guys that start your study in the AM- do you have other commitments, like work or school? I am a student and I also work, right now I'm currently working on finding the right balance of study for school and the LSAT.

Sprinkles · February 2017

@Jessica_Kuba said:
I have a question. So, you guys that start your study in the AM- do you have other commitments, like work or school? I am a student and I also work, right now I'm currently working on finding the right balance of study for school and the LSAT.

LOL sorry to reply 4 months later my love! here's my advice:
YOU DO YOU GIRL!

Jessica_Kuba · February 2017

Awww, I love you back and it's no problem...You are forgiven. ❤❤❤

tjphilbrick · February 2017

6am - wake up
6:15 - 8am - study
9 - 5 - work (I study during any spare moments at work, sometimes up to 2 hours)
5:15 - 6:45pm - work out/relax with a hobby/eat dinner/catch up on the rest of life
7 - 10:30/11pm - study

sometimes I skip the work out/relax part and just go right to dinner and then studying. Fridays are always completely off.

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