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Ramadan Observers - Tips and Tricks for LSAT Studying
Ramadan starts this weekend, and I thought I would make a discussion post for those observing it this year. As much as I love this month, I am bit worried about how I will be able to manage fasting, studying, Taraweeh (night prayer), and Suhoor (pre-dawn meal), or even just the first two. Fasting time is 19 hours where I am.
Regardless of how you practice Ramadan, or the various commitments you have going on, or the fact that we may be at different stages on our LSAT journey, I would still love to hear about the tips and strategies that you use or plan to use during this month. Even a rough outline of your study schedule might help me or someone else browsing through. As of now, I am just going to dive into the first few days and see what works and what doesn't.
Thanks!
Comments
Several days ago @naychi mentioned Ramadan in a thread (https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/11155). Also there is a discussion on Muslim prayers by @afelsafa, and @Sprinkles provided some answers (https://7sage.com/discussion/#/discussion/9555 ).
So I'm tagging them hoping they could provide you with some tips
Salam! thanks for starting this thread OP and thanks for the tag @akistotle
@mnr12345, I'm curious as to which stage of your prep you are in? Anyway, there's no doubt that this month will be a time to get closer to our Creator and do more ibaadah, our goal is to come out of Ramadan as better people than we entered it. Having said that, you shouldn't overkill yourself with LSAT prep while foregoing doing things like taraweeh, memorizing Quran, and the likes. Everything comes down to a balance - which is a fundamental concept in Islam. What helped me prepare for Ramadan with LSAT prep was simply fasting on random days throughout the year (especially Monday and Thursday), this helped see what the best route was for me to take once Ramadan arrives. I've found that studying a little during/after Fajr and mostly during 'Asr was ideal because those were the times that I had the most energy.
I also think working out during Ramadan is certainly possible and helpful in regards to how you feel throughout the day and even when we are allowed to eat. Some people can workout while fasting, but I found doing so after breaking fast or before suhoor to be ideal, it all comes down to preference. Ramadan is indeed a blessed month, things come very easy even if the task is difficult. It's all mind over matter. If you're determined to do it and it's written to happen, there's nothing stopping you. 
I've been given the advice to just cut off all LSAT prep for the entire month because it would be too difficult, lol. Granted I'm only fasting 17 hours, this is ridiculous advice. Have you heard of the Abdullah Brothers in the NFL? They managed to fast while practicing and physically playing professional football, and they attributed that to how they managed their time and what they consumed at Suhoor. We aren't professional football players here I know lol, but studying for the LSAT takes up a lot of energy, so keep that in mind when you're thinking of what to eat for Suhoor and even Iftaar. Eat foods with lots of protein, drink lots and lots of water (go figure), and I highly highly HIGHLY encourage not to overeat! That is, in my opinion, the number one cause for people to be lethargic throughout the day. Plus it's against the prophetic teachings
yes!! thank you for starting this thread. I'm a little behind on my studying schedule already so have been a bit worried about what's going to happen in Ramadan.
What I'm going to try doing is getting an hour of studying done post-Suhoor. Instead of going to sleep after suhoor & fajr, I think I'll just study for a bit and then head to work. I will be too exhausted in the evening and I like the pre-maghrib time to read the Quran, etc. So I know studying in the evenings will be hard for me.
Ramadan is a month of blessings so I think how much ever time you devote to the LSAT, you'll get a lot out it.
Thank you so much for the link and networks @akistotle
Thank you both for contributing. I am glad you found this relevant @famjad14. The high energy foods is a really good tip @Sprinkles (such an awesome username btw lol), and I'll definitely be conscious of that. I am still working the CC, but I hope to/need to be done by the end of June so I can start PT'ing for my Sept test. I am aiming for a 161 or higher iA for my top choice.
I will be going in with this schedule in mind. I am blessed in that I only have the LSAT to worry about (unemployed). So here is what I plan to do:
I will be studying for the LSAT after Taraweeh (I will be doing only half in the first 20-24 days, and all of them in the last 6) until sometime around sunrise. Then sleep in until Thuhr (7-8 hrs of sleep), and continue studying until Iftar time.
I'm not going to worry about working out for this month as I don't want to put too many things on my plate. I will try to incorporate short walks here and there though.
Of course throughout I'll be trying my best to maximize my ibaadah. I came across a a lecture series titled a "Busy Muslims Guide" to a meaningful Ramadan last night lol, and I found it really helpful. Basically, it talked about incorporation (reciting/istigfhar to and from the library and during the gaps you have in the day, budget a good chunk of time for prayer instead of the usual 5 min, don't take any one minute for granted, and other great tips). Here is the link for those interested: https://meaningfulramadan.com/
I honestly wasn't too sure about how to go about it, but I feel confident in this schedule. I am glad I made this discussion post as it motivated me!
Thank you so much,
Mohamed.
Haha, thanks! I bake as a hobby, I made a list of things to bake for Ramadan lol. I think that's a great schedule! try to make it as specific as possible though to keep you focused and on track. Studying after taraweeh is a good approach, I may use that time to review some material since I prefer studying in the day/morning. Everyone's different, but I find not worrying about eating/drinking while studying allows me to utilize my time more efficiently. Thanks for the link! It's simple things like that that get overlooked constantly. I love that it reminded us of the continuous small forms of ibaadah. Also taking salaah breaks help me so much and also aid in taking proper breaks throughout studying. It's practically a 20 min yoga sesh to help rejuvenate your mind haha.
Hi sorry I'm jumping in late to this thread but I am studying for LSAT right now (just a little bit before pre-fajr). I came home from work today and had iftar then passed out at around 10 and woke up at 1am. I've been studying since. I think it's easier for me to study at this time because I am able to eat and drink coffee and hydrate when I need to and keep my blood sugar up and focus optimal. It also helps that theres little to no distractions during this time, so I am able to fly through my blind review/timed PTs. I'm not really sure what else to do this month in terms of studying.
I will say that between balancing a 40 hour work week, long commutes, working out, fasting, and studying I've been a little bit more than exhausted and sleeping in on weekends (which really helps to rejuvenate). But, everything is in balance. Tonight I skipped my jog and instead took a nap which I think did a lot more for my health than working out would have.
Taking salah breaks like someone mentioned above has been really instrumental for me to relax, and ease any anxieties I have about performance. Ibaadah is so important and I hate when I start slipping on it. I find that when I eat a good nutritious meal that I am able to keep going for long periods of time, even if the meal is low-cal. As long as there are good portions of vegetables and protein, i try to have a slice or two of bread for the carbs. A banana, another piece of fruit and lots and lots of water. I also have a 19 hour fasting period and it has been shockingly easy to go through this Ramadan. Not sure why. Alhamdulillah.
Ok, back to studying. But thanks for including me on this thread. Haven't found much on this site about Ramadan + fasting and havent gotten around to making my own thread on the topic. I know there are a lot of other people out there in the same situation as us so its nice that this is now publicly available.
Hi everyone, It might be a little late but I would like to share how I've handled ramadan LSAT studying so far. And with the strategy I am about tell you about, I've actually been more productive than I was prior to Ramadan. You will have to adjust your sleeping pattern which might be hard initially but it helps a lot. During suhoor, I drink a large coffee to get me going. Fajir here in Edmonton is around 3am and maghreb is around 10pm. Then I go to the university right after fair and study all the way until around noon which is when I start getting fatigued and hungry. I take a quick power nap which helps me get a couple more hours done before the hard hunger pains come. Usually around 2pm I stop studying, go home and sleep until maghreb which is about 6-7 hours of sleep. Then, I break my fast, relax, go to taraweeh then take a small nap of about an hour until suhoor and repeat. Also, I assume this method depends on if you work or if you are in school also. For me luckily, I took the summer off to study for the LSAT so it wasn't a problem. I found myself being much more productive than I was before because right after suhoor till late morning, I do not hungry or fatigued yet so that Isn't an issue i had to deal with. Also, during the early morning, there is not much happening in life (social media, nobody to talk to) so it was very easy to not get distracted. Also, I felt like sleeping 6-7 hours in the day to get the essential hours of sleep to function, relaxing afterwards and eating, then take another swift nap before going to study really helped me from getting fatigued versus the usual one shot 8 hours of sleep I was doing prior to ramadan. I hope this helped! Good luck to everyone and Ramadan Mubarak.
@mnr12345 @famjad14 @Giulnara @najah94 @sweetsecret @afelsafa @naychi. @"Idil.Beshir"
Salam folks! Congrats on completing the first week of Ramadan! InshaAllah you found it to be a good start to the month. I wanted to check in to see how everyone is doing with their prep. We finish taraweeh here around 11:30PM and I get home around midnight. Since fajr is at 4AM I like to utilize the time in between for rest and preparing something for suhoor. But I found studying everyday after fajr was getting difficult because I would sleep until dhuhr and I don't like starting my days that late. So I decided to study after taraweeh every other day and the days in between I would study after fajr. I've liked this approach thus far. I found I needed to take more frequent breaks in between my studies during the day but I can grind out a few-3.5 hours after fajr with less breaks since I've already eaten something for suhoor such as a protein shake, eggs, lots and lots of water etc. Oh btw can I just add that Tamr blended with almond milk is LIFE. Naturally sweet and fulfilling. Definitely hits the spot lol.
So here's what my schedule has roughly consisted of:
Post Taraweeh (every other day) study until suhoor. I would also read some Qur'an during this time too because why not lol. These days I wake up early and study until dhuhr.
Fajr every other day - study the longest/most efficient time since I've had a suhoor that energized me and slept after taraweeh for 2 1/2 hours.
Dhuhr - relax, catch up on ibaadah, clean, run errands etc. ( I would most likely take a nap for 20 minutes after salah) Review material.
Asr - salah is around 5:30PM so that gives me roughly 3 hours until iftar. Generally I like to do intense studying during this time but I have to help my mom prepare iftar lol so the time is mainly spent doing that. Nothing I can do about it plus I would rather squeeze in more ibaadah before maghrib anyway.
Maghrib - pray, break fast, clean up, have something sweet (Matcha tea etc.), study for about 45 minutes until I head out for taraweeh.
Isha - pray isha and taraweeh. Like mentioned above I come home around midnight so I don't do much except relax a bit every other day.
So needless to say my sleep has been sporadic but it had been working out so far lol. But yeah, that's my schedule for the next 2 weeks give or take. I also would do a very light workout before studying (when I say light I mean really light lol. We're talking silly warm-ups haha)
Do NOT panic if you find you have to study less during this month. I realize the strain this may cause on people especially since these days are much longer than previous years. Let me know your schedules and any updates you'd like to share 
I will provide an update for the last 10 nights. We should focus our time to seek laylatul Qadr during the last 10 nights so my times will be shifted during those days
Hope you all are doing well! Reading about your schedules was quite helpful and inspiring. I was struggling at the beginning of Ramadan, feeling frustrated that I was too exhausted to put in the hours that I was putting into studying before Ramadan. After working through the frustration, I realized that it's simply useless to obsess over the hours you've put into studying. I've started to focus on the quality of my studying instead. Each night, I'll try to study for 2-3 hours after taraweeh. In these 2-3 hours, I try to understand what I'm doing thoroughly instead of going through as many questions or problem sets as I can. For example, yesterday I was working on in/out games. I only got through a few games but I was able to catch the mistakes I was making on these games a while ago.
Just wanted to provide my little update because it took me some time to figure out what I really wanted to accomplish with my LSAT studying this Ramadan. Hope you all are having a blessed Ramadan. iA we got this!!
Salam. I'm glad you got it figured out and I definitely agree - it's all about quality versus quantity. Put all your work up front and it will pay off. I said I will provide an update for the last 10 days so here it is: the days are long and the nights are short. Laylatul Qadr will occur one of these nights and I'm not willing to sacrifice it for anything. Although I'm not observing itikaaf, a lot of my time and effort will be to focus on my spiritual being. Basically I'm using these days to also fill in any holes I may have missed prior to the last 10 days. It happens. Since I go to the Mosque around 1:30 AM until 4 AM (qiyam until fajr) instead of 10PM-11:30PM, I utilize that time to study. Besides that, my study schedule is light for the remainder of Ramadan. I consciously chose to do this, there are a few external things I'm currently dealing with and they take up my time generally speaking. That's life though, it's always throwing curveballs your way. It may make you adjust your schedule and it may delay you in reaching a goal. Just move forward! I would love to hear how everyone else is doing though
Honestly it's been a bit of a struggle, but like you said, just keep moving forward. Doing what I am able to without burning out spiritually and lsat wise. I've just been using the day time to study. Most effective is morning, after my power nap in the afternoon, and definitely my best results 3 hours before Iftar cause I get motivated to work hard knowing that dinner/water is coming soon lol. Also I went for a run once after ASR and it really helped getting me focused for the last stretch of the day. Might do it again if I feel like I'm out of it. Only 9 more days now, we got this