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4 Likes
Working Out and Time Management?
Hey All,
I need some advice regarding a sort of inconvenient situation. I work 9:30-5:30 everyday in Manhattan, but I live on the outskirts of Manhattan, which means I am spending an hour and a half on the train each way every day.
That's about 3 hours a day on the train. Yes. I know.
I spend a majority of that time reviewing LSAT materials, in addition to whatever I can get in at work during my lunch break. But I never feel like I've gotten enough review in (if it's even possible to feel that way...). Mostly because the train during rush hour is not the most conducive environment for intensive LSAT review. I do what I can, but studying for hour increments, spread throughout the day does not exactly give me enough time to hit my optimal level of engagement with the material. So I clearly need to figure something out...
(Weekends are also mainly dedicated to review, as well as certain week nights. More on this below)
Now to the exercise part. I am sitting for 8 hours a day at work and another 3 hours on the train. I am an decently active person, so physical exercise is important to me. My hobby is rock climbing, so I do a lot of indoor rock climbing to keep my body engaged. Its mentally exciting as well as physically challenging, so I see it as a psychological release as well. I do some occasional yoga as well.
Okay so now back to the timing issue... considering I get home around 7:30pm, going to work out basically takes up the rest of my night. I'll end up getting home at 9:30pm and then...well...there's that early AM train I have to catch so I have to get to bed shortly after.
I'm willing to give up rock climbing during my LSAT prep if it's going to benefit me (I will cry every step of the way...but I will do it). My question is...will it? Physical exercise seems to be a common thread among top scorers and that's where I am aiming. I also don't climb everyday- I usually dedicate 2 weeknights to climbing and then a couple hours on Saturdays. It sort of comes down to what will benefit me more and I'm honestly not sure. I've considered other forms of "quicker" exercise like taking up running, but the idea of that makes me cringe (clearly not a runner...) and I don't see how that would give me significantly more time to study. Plus there's the whole "mental release" benefit to doing something I actually enjoy...
I should also follow up with the fact that the time I do put into study has been immensely productive. My understanding of the material has grown significantly. My contention is more because I know that I have the capacity to be learning more than I currently am (because of my limited time), so that is frustrating. All that to say, I could technically just keep doing what I'm doing and probably hit my goal score eventually...but I know I can hit it a lot quicker if I didn't have so many time constraints.
So I guess I'm just asking for cost benefit analyses. How important is physical exercise in your prep and do you foresee any catastrophic consequences if I decide to fully embrace the sedentary life? Do you think it's likely that the extra time will benefit me more than exercise?
Thanks in advance
I need some advice regarding a sort of inconvenient situation. I work 9:30-5:30 everyday in Manhattan, but I live on the outskirts of Manhattan, which means I am spending an hour and a half on the train each way every day.
That's about 3 hours a day on the train. Yes. I know.
I spend a majority of that time reviewing LSAT materials, in addition to whatever I can get in at work during my lunch break. But I never feel like I've gotten enough review in (if it's even possible to feel that way...). Mostly because the train during rush hour is not the most conducive environment for intensive LSAT review. I do what I can, but studying for hour increments, spread throughout the day does not exactly give me enough time to hit my optimal level of engagement with the material. So I clearly need to figure something out...
(Weekends are also mainly dedicated to review, as well as certain week nights. More on this below)
Now to the exercise part. I am sitting for 8 hours a day at work and another 3 hours on the train. I am an decently active person, so physical exercise is important to me. My hobby is rock climbing, so I do a lot of indoor rock climbing to keep my body engaged. Its mentally exciting as well as physically challenging, so I see it as a psychological release as well. I do some occasional yoga as well.
Okay so now back to the timing issue... considering I get home around 7:30pm, going to work out basically takes up the rest of my night. I'll end up getting home at 9:30pm and then...well...there's that early AM train I have to catch so I have to get to bed shortly after.
I'm willing to give up rock climbing during my LSAT prep if it's going to benefit me (I will cry every step of the way...but I will do it). My question is...will it? Physical exercise seems to be a common thread among top scorers and that's where I am aiming. I also don't climb everyday- I usually dedicate 2 weeknights to climbing and then a couple hours on Saturdays. It sort of comes down to what will benefit me more and I'm honestly not sure. I've considered other forms of "quicker" exercise like taking up running, but the idea of that makes me cringe (clearly not a runner...) and I don't see how that would give me significantly more time to study. Plus there's the whole "mental release" benefit to doing something I actually enjoy...
I should also follow up with the fact that the time I do put into study has been immensely productive. My understanding of the material has grown significantly. My contention is more because I know that I have the capacity to be learning more than I currently am (because of my limited time), so that is frustrating. All that to say, I could technically just keep doing what I'm doing and probably hit my goal score eventually...but I know I can hit it a lot quicker if I didn't have so many time constraints.
So I guess I'm just asking for cost benefit analyses. How important is physical exercise in your prep and do you foresee any catastrophic consequences if I decide to fully embrace the sedentary life? Do you think it's likely that the extra time will benefit me more than exercise?
Thanks in advance
Comments
Now, like you, I can't live without working out. I workout 4 times a week, 1.5 to 2 hours each time. I do not think I could study efficiently or successfully without the ability to lift something or to run/step/cycle something out of my system. I am sure, whenever you do workout, you come into studying or your profession with much less on your mind. As you say, working out is a mental release.
However, your situation is truly a difficult one. What are your goals? How close are you to your goals? Are you a person that can back load their schedule and benefit from it? (As in, two 8 hour study days on the weekend while having 1 hour sessions during the week). Obviously, that strategy only works if you can saturate enough information in two 8 hour sessions. I am sure that is not recommended, but every person can adapt to different study patterns and saturates information differently.
@vduran1988 where did you go to undergrad? I went to RU/CCPA for the first three years of mine while living in Rogers Park.
So to be at work on time, you must be on the train by at least 8am. I'm going to guess your train comes at 7:45 am which would leave you about 15 minutes to walk to work once you get there after the hour and a half commute. Next, I'm going to guess it takes about 15 - 20 minutes to actually get to the train station from your home. This puts us at 7:30 am. Now lets assume you are a typical female who takes ample time to prepare for work. (Not meant to be sexiest, just attempting the breakdown the most efficiently way I can) So let's say you take an hour from the time you rise, to the time you leave for work at 7:30. This puts us at 6:30 am. If you normally get home at about 7:30 pm. Then from about 6:30 am - 7:30 pm you are spending about 13 hours of a given 24 hour time set devoted to work. Now lets say you are getting the recommended amount of sleep of about 8 hours. Ok, lets do 7 hours because not many people actually get 8 hours. Now we are at 20 hours total time. Lets subtract another hour to do normal tasks such as cleaning, taking care of an animal, laundry, ect. This leaves us with a total of 3 hours left to do with whatever you choose.
A home workout is going to be by in large the best option for you.
Well I think doing something you don't like may be a sacrifice worth making for the LSAT. The evidence is pretty clear in saying aerobic exercise is the most beneficial in boosting cognitive function. This would save you time because you don't need to be at a gym to do it. Being at a gym would further take away from our hourly budget listed above. There's actually a cell phone app called couch to 5k which is supposed to help you go from sitting on the couch, to running a 5k in something like 9 weeks? The workouts are typically 25 minutes daily - 6 days a week. I would recommend trying this out.
Another option would be ramping up the yoga routine. I'm sure there is plenty of good yoga instructions on you tube which could be very beneficial.
In regards to time management, I would recommend studying 1-2 hours nightly on weekdays, and 8 hours a day on the weekends. I know taking weekends off is alluring to mostly everyone, but you really don't have much time at all. This time budget would give you 21 hours a week of total study time which is pretty good. Obviously if you are getting burned out, then reconsider this advice and adjust your budget accordingly. It has been invaluable to me, but not in the way of 'oh I just killed this RC section because I got my 1 mile time down to 5 minutes'. For me its valuable in the way that it keeps me disciplined and keeps me focused. Also the cognitive benefits are noticeable without a doubt. It's fair to say exercise is recommended, but not necessary. I think the reason so many people who are prepping for the LSAT workout is really because we are all trying to grab a point any way we can, and maybe being able to hold one more additional premise in my head thanks to the cognitive benefits of working out, leads to that extra point. So again, exercise is recommended, but not necessary.
Re studying in increments, learning science suggests that cobbling together smaller study sessions throughout the day can actually be more conducive to learning than studying in one long stretch. So, I wouldn't necessarily worry about that.
You should also speak with your supervisor to see if you can adjust your hours. You may be able to have an earlier or later start time or reduce hours if you can afford to.
Re exercise and based on what you said, don't cut it out completely. Burn out is real. Exercise can also improve learning.
Although studying on the train is not an ideal environment, you could also frame it as an opportunity for mental skills training, namely an exercise in training focus.
Lastly, why not try cutting exercise out and seeing how it goes? Give it a shot for a week or two and make your decision then.
Best of luck!
To be honest, I get home around 9:30pm most nights, and haven't found a way to really fit much exercise in. Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day depending on your lifestyle, job, and what you value. I usually get to go to the gym on weekends. I'm actually leaving my job within the next 6 weeks to prep full-time and be able to do things like exercise more!
I appreciate your super in depth analysis and you're actually almost spot on. 7:43 train ride and 5 minute walk to work, but close enough. My budget would actually give me 46 hours a week if I spent every waking minute that I was not at work/not sleeping/not doing laundry, etc. in my LSAT materials. Because I would get 3 extra hours for each work day (15 hours there) plus the 3 hours I already allocate during lunch breaks/train ride home (another 15), plus 8 hours on Saturday and then 8 hours on Sunday. I just have to find the energy to survive...haha oh man. But you're right, the LSAT is worth any sacrifice that is necessary. I will check out the running app, but I am thinking I like yours and @cam 's suggestion about a home workout. Dumbbells will never fulfill my climbing needs, but I can manage for the next 6 months. And, like you said, it will be 100% worth it.
@"Alex Divine" I am SUPER jealous of you! That is amazing-- good for you. I definitely would do that if I were able, but unfortunately it is not in the cards at the moment. Best of luck! You are also in NYC, right?
Your comment was super encouraging, so thank you! Unfortunately my hours are nonnegotiable. The nature of my job requires me to be accessible during the entire business day. Otherwise, I would have loved to change it.
I definitely am most efficient and motivated when I am loading up my schedule. I am probably about 10 points away from my goal score (give or take), but I am not confident that that is accurate since I have not been very good about keeping track. I usually just take a PT, BR it, and then take what I learned from BR and drill as much as possible. I think the last time I actually scored a test the way you are supposed to was 2 PTs ago. So to be honest, I am not exactly sure how close I am to my goal...haha. I guess that should be something I am better about following.
I know this is hard and that exercise is important for you. But if you are serious about the LSAT, you should curtail the time you spend on it on the weekdays. This will only by while you study and then you can get back to normal. Hope that helps!
I've been saving up and planning on taking a leave of absence. It's going to be painful and I'm going to have to live cheaply (to the extent one can in Manhattan), but there is no way I can prep, live a healthy life, and work my day job anymore. Some of the advice above is great, but people who don't live and work in NYC don't fully understand how crazy and stressful it can be. One of the biggest issues I find with working long hours is that your brain can't fire at 100% after work, as we only have a finite amount of mental willpower.
FWIW, I actually think rock climbing a couple times a week like you're doing is great!. It's what you like and you still can manage to find time for it, so certainly don't give that up. I think the fact you work quite a lot ensures you won't exactly be taking up the "sedentary" lifestyle. Though I can relate to the feeling of sitting for 11-12 hours a day.
I've begun to do very simple things like walking half a mile during my lunch break, walking to the store instead of getting Postmates/Amazon deliveries (as much), and sometimes at night going to the mall just to walk around where it isn't cold. It's not much, but it helps me feel better. I've also resorted to doing good ol' fashioned push ups and sit ups on my living room floor, haha. I think you should keep doing what you're doing and just have it ultimately take a bit longer. But if it does get to the point where you feel like you're being forced to choose between physical health and the LSAT, always allocate more time to the former. I'll put it in LSAT speak: It is a necessary condition to doing well on the test
Good luck
I didn't quite graduate, though. I went to CCPA from 2005 to 2008 for jazz bass performance. I'm finishing my degree (management this time around) while active duty.
@bswise2 Dumbbell workouts get the job done, but I know what you mean about not being as fulfilling as something else. Before getting sidelined for a bit, I trained and competed as an amateur power lifter. Heavy barbell lifts give me a nice high. If you want circuit or DB workout recommendations, hit me up.
One of the worst things about LSAT-prepping was going from a 6-day workout schedule, to barely cramming in 3 days of working out. But, it still helped.
If you can, try getting in a morning jog. Or, do a bit of cardio right before your late-night studies.
Good luck in the meantime!
A few weeks ago, I noticed a drop in my studying performance, which occurred at the same time as "not having time for working out every day." I know, I know, co-incidences...but....I couldn't figure out where the drastic change (drop) in performance came from, but realized my performance improved once I went back to my daily yoga workouts (the intensity changes as I combine several different teachers and styles so it doesn't become all muscle memory and no sweat). Duh me!
Because of my familial/other situations, I don't have time to travel to and from the gym so I commit to getting my butt on my mat---I save 30 minutes right there each time I workout. I would highly recommend finding at-home workouts that you enjoy. There are so many for free on youtube.
I might be biased, but have you tried different styles of yoga, especially flowing styles? I'd say you're aware that it isn't just meditation and stillness, but there are so many flow styles that are so intense I'd defy any weightlifter to find their own bodyweight unchallenging. P90X Yoga X is one of my personal faves even though I have so far only built up getting through 60 minutes of the 90 minute workout. I know Tony is not a yoga teacher, but I give him credit for helping me to push myself to stay in the flow with proper posture (and muscles screaming). And the fact that he is so intense and focused helps me to build up intense focus anywhere else I need it---like LSAT study. My point is: yoga is not for the weak-willed or -minded.
I also would not advise giving up that which you love, regardless of how important other goals are, or how temporary the denial. Otherwise, what are we working towards if we also cannot partake in some enjoyable things---there are so few of those moments. Maybe shave down that big block of (rock climbing) enjoyment time, but I wouldn't exclude it completely.
While I do not work outside of the house, I have much to do with the people inside my house, so I can relate to squeezing study time in whenever possible.
Do the best you can as often as you can. You're already getting to know yourself pretty well by continually tweaking your systems and balances. But more importantly, it sounds like you're listening to yourself too. Kudos.
Still I feel like I'm not quick enough and gained 10 pounds in the process because I'm eating while I'm studying which means I'm wolfing food down or eating after 10pm
I haven't really found a solution, but I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.
I also work for a law firm and that could unpredictable
Ditto for both of these. What I did instead was buy at home weights and lift while reviewing or do mini workouts while taking breaks between sections/drills. I bought a yoga mat, weights, and found some good quick YouTube videos to follow.
Also: I'm with you on the snacking. I started seriously cutting down the calories on breakfast/lunch, and instead of having dinner I decided I'd snack while studying for LSAT (since I study for LSAT after work and invariably run into dinner time). It helps keep the weight off
I usually stick to low calorie and non/low fat popcorn, assorted veggies with hummus, or even just a bit of dark chocolate and almonds while drinking coffee.
Sometimes, on my most stressful days (because what is "snacking" during the LSAT if not stress-eating?) I'll end up having dinner while doing LSAT prep. I decided early on that if I need to stress eat then I can stress eat, I just have to mitigate other factors.
I keep my big gym workouts to Friday/Saturday/Sunday at two hours a day because those are the days that I have enough time to both LSAT + work out
It's tough balancing this all out, but with enough trial/error and planning it's possible.
But staying in city, studying here (in library or in a coffee shop) after work has worked for me till now. So i suggest the same.
-What's worked out really well for me is doing one of those at-home workout programs that takes a half hour but is a full workout (e.g. more HIIT-like so that you are maximizing a small amount of time). I personally use a Jillian Michaels program, but there are lots of other great ones. I feel like you should do a program like that or at-home yoga. There is a great website called Gaiam where you pay a really small monthly subscription and you get access to a ton of yoga videos (different types of yoga, different levels - plus it has some meditation videos as well)
-I'd save your rock climbing for Saturdays and Sundays to get a break in for studying.