Full Length Test after a 9-5 work day Forum

[cord]

Hello Board.

So I'm starting a full time job tomorrow and probably wont be home till 6, and with eating and all, wont be able to start taking an exam until 7. Obviously this is stressing me out because Im afraid I might develop bad habits, and condition myself improperly for this exam in October.

Just wanted to know how people dealt with this/ are dealing with this currently -- again those of you who are taking full length tests after work? Any helpful suggestions in attenuating the fatigue ? Should I just postpone to Dec? Im batting around a 164 right now, am in the 40s range, but really wanna get a 167 at least in October.

I'm considering maybe waking up at 530 am , starting an exam at 6 and doing the first 3 sections straight before getting ready and heading to work. And just getting to the last section, 4, when I get home.

Any thoughts on the topic would be great. Thanks.

[Holly Golightly]

When I was studying for the LSAT, I did full-length practice tests after work pretty frequently. It was annoying, but worked for me. *shrug*

[2014]

The concept is still good if you do them after work as long as you aren't mentally or physically exhausted to the point where your scores will suffer and your confidence will be shaken.

I have a similar issue between school and work, so what I am doing is taking 2-3 a week in the evenings, and then waking up on one day each weekend and simulating the real deal.

[cowgirl_bebop]

I worked 8-5 all summer and took a 6-9:30 prep course in the evenings, so I started off studying in the night. I think if you do a couple of timed (or untimed, whatever you need to work on) sections in the evenings and then do some full ones on the weekend, you should be ok.

Technically, a full exam after work CAN be done (I used to pull a few), but if you dont think you are going to absorb anything at that time, then dont push yourself. Just find out what times work best for you, and make sure you try a few early Saturday ones to simulate test day. The last thing you want is to be doing great in the evenings and then not be used to early morning test taking and bomb it.

[St.Remy]

I took an online prep class designed primarily for California students when I most decidedly did not live on the West Coast. This meant that I would regularly start full practice tests at 11:00 pm and go to around 3:00 am. Is this an ideal schedule? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But one of the things that the LSAT tests is mental endurance. The prep tests that I did that late where just as beneficial, if not more so, because they took place after I was already mentally fatigued.

What you have to realize is that the important thing about prep tests is not how you feel while doing them, but how you feel when the actual test rolls around. If you can manage to perform adequately on the LSAT when you start at 7 in the evening , your performance will likely be even better when you take the actual test when fully rested. Your schedule should not pose a problem in my experience. You should of course still make sure to take some daytime tests so that you are used to doing LSAT questions during the day, but I don't imagine that would pose too huge of a problem.

[Patriot1208]

When I was studying for the LSAT, I did full-length practice tests after work pretty frequently. It was annoying, but worked for me. *shrug*

Same, I've done at least half my PT's after work. You just have to force yourself to focus.

[northwood]

I work 8-7 monday through friday( used to work on saturdays, but took them all off from now until the big day). I frequently take my prep tests after work. I find that it is harder to remain focused, especially after the 3rd section. However, learning how to cope with the distractions can help on test day. As long as you are not super tired, you should be okay. There have been a couple of times where I had to stop in the middle of the test, b/c i was starting to fall a sleep.( i just turned the test into timed section review, not a pt)

Try to schedule at least one prep test a week during a day off in the morning. That way you will get used to taking a test in the am. As long as you keep a nice routine, you will be okay. GOod luck, and congrats on the new job!

[reverendt]

When I was studying for the LSAT, I did full-length practice tests after work pretty frequently. It was annoying, but worked for me. *shrug*

Ditto

[cord]

Thanks guys, really appreciate the feedback, and Im not gonna be to anxious when taking it much later in the day knowing you guys all figured out schedule balance.

[09042014]

After you do PT's after 9 hours of work, 2 hours of driving, and on 4 hours of sleep, the real thing is a breeze.