How to create a preparation schedule while working full-time Forum

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chowda25

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How to create a preparation schedule while working full-time

Post by chowda25 » Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:25 am

Hello all,
A have just begun the process of getting ready to take the LSAT - I plan to take it this fall. I work full-time and must commute 60 miles each day (works out to an hour in and and an hour and half back). That puts me at work by 7am and home by 6pm or so.

Does anyone have any advice on how best to structure a preparation schedule? I am 1996 of a fine New England liberal arts college (about a 3.2 GPA), but I have not done any graduate work, so I am not all certain how best to structure a studying schedule for fit around a full-time work schedule. I would prefer to do my studying/preparation on my own as opposed to taking a course.

If anyone has any experience with creating a study schedule around their work schedule, I would be very interested/appreciative of their feedback.

Thanks in advance!

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BigFatPanda

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Re: How to create a preparation schedule while working full-time

Post by BigFatPanda » Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:35 am

chowda25 wrote:Hello all,
A have just begun the process of getting ready to take the LSAT - I plan to take it this fall. I work full-time and must commute 60 miles each day (works out to an hour in and and an hour and half back). That puts me at work by 7am and home by 6pm or so.

Does anyone have any advice on how best to structure a preparation schedule? I am 1996 of a fine New England liberal arts college (about a 3.2 GPA), but I have not done any graduate work, so I am not all certain how best to structure a studying schedule for fit around a full-time work schedule. I would prefer to do my studying/preparation on my own as opposed to taking a course.

If anyone has any experience with creating a study schedule around their work schedule, I would be very interested/appreciative of their feedback.

Thanks in advance!
My commute to work figure out to be 45 minutes in and 45 minutes out. In order to study for the LSAT, i stop driving to work and starting taking the metro rail instead; this way, i am able to do a timed 35 minute LSAT section on my way in and a second timed 35 minute LSAT section on my way out. Its a particular effective strategy for me because the rush hour environment more than simulate whatever interference i may experience on the real LSAT. Further, i squeeze out 1 hour 10 minutes during my work day when i just shut myself in my office and do another two sections of timed LSAT. In this manner, i am able to do one LSAT a day and i still got time all to myself after work to relax and exercise.

On the weekends, its usually a routine of taking a timed 5 section LSAT to be follow by 1 hour of review while devoting the rest of my days to my extra-curricular activity and further physical exercise.

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alive

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Re: How to create a preparation schedule while working full-time

Post by alive » Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:10 pm

Unless you find yourself having early successes (diagnostics in the 160s or higher), plan to give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Create a study calendar that you will stick to and that gives you enough time to get through each section of your studies. Having only a few hours each evening makes it difficult to make progress, but not impossible.

I recommend Pitypike's guide (stickied at the top of this forum), but instead of using 3 months to prepare, use 6 months or longer. Make sure you don't wear yourself too thin; forcing yourself to study every night with no breaks is a recipe for early burnout. However, studying 3 nights per week and heavily on most weekends (and taking a few vacation days when necessary to dedicate to studying), should be enough if you maintain that for 6 months or longer. Though, you say you want to take the test in the fall, so you may not have as much flexibility.

This is coming from someone who has spent the last 9 months studying with a few breaks, but my score has jumped roughly 16 points (though I am sitting for the official test for the first time in June...so we will see).

samolly

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Re: How to create a preparation schedule while working full-time

Post by samolly » Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:37 pm

I work full time as well, and this is how I schedule my study time:
I wake up 1 hour early, study for an hour, then get ready for work. On my lunch hour I study for the entire hour. I also have printed out some LSATS and clipped them together and put them in a file and do them at work (yes I am pretending to do actual work!)
When I get home, after I have put the kids to bed, a study for another hour. On weekends I study 3 hours a day, broken up into sections between family time. I recently signed up for a Virtual LSAT course. That has been a bit taxing because it is 3 hour 2 times a week. Getting up the next morning is very hard after getting to bed so late, so I skip the morning study on those days.
I plan on taking the June Lsat, and for the month of May I have taken 1 full day and 1 half day off each week so I can go the library and do timed test. I am fortunate that I have a lot of vacation time, and even if you don't, it is time well spent. You can vacation over spring break once your admitted :D

chowda25

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Re: How to create a preparation schedule while working full-time

Post by chowda25 » Sat May 01, 2010 5:05 pm

Thank you for the feedback and advice. I very much appreciate it.

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