How do you keep yourself motivated and interested? Forum

[notaznguy]

Ever since I started my prep course in early July, I've been doing drills everyday when I'm not in class. There's also a lot of homework, so I really don't have that much time to waste.

Usually when I'm not in class, my day will consist of:

Waking up around 11 AM
Eating breakfast
Showering
Going online and reading sports blogs/forums *cough TLS*/etc for 1-2 hours
Go to library/coffee shop and do drills for 6 hours
Go home and eat dinner
If I have any energy left, I'll study or just read a book/watch a movie til I fall asleep.

The routine is pretty dull, but I don't think I can really spare any days to just relax and not do anything LSAT related. I started off with a 142 on my diagnostic so that's why I need to work my butt off. Plus I've been seeing improvement when I'm drilling questions of certain types for LR and reading passages for RC. It's just during that 6 hour stretch, I'm always thinking "Sigh, I'd much rather just be at home playing games or hanging out with friends." It just feels like a battle everyday dragging myself to sit in the library/coffee shop and study for 6 hours.

[lawgod]

I think you should make it your day, instead of a chore.

So wake up at 9, get to the library at 10, work for 3 hours until 1, take lunch for an hour, work for 3 hours until 5, go home and drink and TLS and watch movies until 1.

[paulshortys10]

well those games won't get you anywhere, while this test will get you to your goal/dream. Maybe you should find other people that are going through the same thing and study with them...it's helped me

[notaznguy]

well those games won't get you anywhere, while this test will get you to your goal/dream. Maybe you should find other people that are going through the same thing and study with them...it's helped me

I generally prefer to study alone. I've studied with a few classmates before in my prep course and I ended up just wasting time. For one, the middle point for us was a half an hour drive from my home, so I wasted an hour commuting back and forth. Next, while I enjoyed talking to them, I also didn't get as much work done. I spent a lot of time helping them go over concepts (cause they needed help) and spent little time studying by myself. Plus, the more I'm around other people studying for the LSAT, the more stressed and anxious I get. If I had to study with someone, I prefer if it was someone studying for the MCAT or PCAT or something so that we don't have to talk about law school.

[firemed]

First off burnout is a real issue. My advice is to take off a day every week. Schedule it in advance and consider it part of your LSAT prep... an indispensable part.

Then, on the days you have to study do as above: Recall every time you want to go hang out that your LSAT score will basically determine your entire future and screwing it up will result in you being a failure.

Those two tactics worked very well for me, personally. YMMV.

[THE_U]

I think you should make it your day, instead of a chore.

So wake up at 9, get to the library at 10, work for 3 hours until 1, take lunch for an hour, work for 3 hours until 5, go home and drink and TLS and watch movies until 1.

This is good advice. I struggled with the same thing as the OP and once I made my day look like the quoted post, I found myself having much more focus and endurance for studying. I take the weekends completely off to avoid burnout, as I study nearly 30-40 hours in the 5 day week. This is huge as I come back Monday pretty refreshed and ready for the new week.