studying while working 70+hours Forum

[making34]

I graduated undergrad in 2011. I took the lsat in june after my jr. year with no study and got a 156. My plan was to study, retake and hit low to mid 160s and get decent money at public state school. However, after taking a kaplan course and pting in the low 160s i still only got a 156. big dissapointment. after graduation i had another job opportunity that i decided to pursue and i am easily making 100k plus. however, i really hate my job and location. ive always seen myself working in law and it is what i want to do so ive decided to send in my apps again...and with that retake the lsat. problem is im working 70-80hours a week and it makes studying very difficult. i honestly think i may have overstudied the second time i took and was too worried about what strategies to use on which questions instead of just using a little common sense and answering them. I guess question is do i dedicate any and all free time towards study or leisurely go through questions at my convenience just to get that lsat mode of thinking back? any insight or suggestions appreciated.

[Cerebro]

Although I'm not in your exact situation, it's pretty close. I work about 70 hours/week and I'm making about $160k at my current job (although, this probably doesn't have anything to do with preparing for the LSAT), but I've been out of school about 10x longer than you, and I also have kids to take care of. Although I have yet to take the LSAT, my 2 cents is that approaching this thing in a casual manner isn't going to cut it... at least, it doesn't work for me. I've been putting every ounce of free time into preparing for this test. I started in June casually, and then decided that wasn't working, and started going all out in July. Originally, I was planning for the October test, but I didn't hit my goals by the end of August, so I've decided to take it in December instead.

I've been thriving on pots of coffee and weekends without rest, but at the end of the day, it is invigorating and gives me a sense of satisfaction that I'm taking preparing for my 2nd career more seriously than I did my first.

[making34]

i guess i should have explained my experience the 2nd time taking the lsat a little more in depth. that time i crammed and studied to the point where on test day all i was worried about was recognizing question types and strategies. I obvisously dont have much time before the dec test and dont want to repeat my last lsat. that is why i am thinking about taking a very relaxed approach to studying for the simple fact that i dont want to overcomplicate it with strategies that work well once mastered, but having the time to master them puts me in a bind. also the 1st time i took the lsat i scored very well in everything but the logic games. if my logic games percentile would have matched up with my lr and rc i would have scored mid 160s. so i thought all i needed to do was to nail down the lg and id be fine. however, the second time i took the lsat was feb of 11 so i didnt get to see how my performance varied section by section. sorry for the sporadic rants i am posting but once again any comments are appreciated.

[cahwc12]

don't wait until the 11th hour to begin your studies and cram. If law school is something you want, make a long-term time investment. Also, if you managed a 156, over-studying wasn't your problem.

If you are really that pressed for time, and you're only seeking to improve in games, and will be happy with scoring in the mid 160s, I think you should consider a private tutor who can help streamline the games learning process. There's a code to it and it can definitely be cracked. You'll still have to do a substantive amount of work on your own, but the process is definitely easier having someone guide you through the mindfields, rather than you throwing bricks around.

[sky7]

Kaplan probably won't do it. Get the Bibles or do TM.

[making34]

law school is something i want and invested alot of time studying for the lsat the second time i took it while in undergrad. i took a kaplan course where i became very comfortable with lg. however since it was the feb lsat i couldnt see where i struggled. i honestly feel that the first time i took it that the rc and reading comp were very natural to me, but after taking the kaplan course i became preoccupied with strategy and question types. i guess my main concern is do i devote alot of my time to studying question types and strategy, or more time doing practice tests and questions?

[cahwc12]

kaplan is not going to help you in the least and their strategies are generally terrible, especially for games. The company is designed for people who have never seen an LSAT and simply getting exposure to test material accounts for most of their student gains.

You should devote considerable time to something between the two plans you're considering--you should focus on questions and games by type and drill them until you feel comfortable. Once you reach that comfort level, you should take full, timed practice tests and review them thoroughly.

[milanproda]

Hey man, I respect your dedication to work and study, it says a lot about your character.

My suggestion to you is to study when you are rested. If you come home tired and cannot concentrate, you are essentially wasting valuable questions. I had this happen to me and it seems that most of us end up committing this mistake. Many posters write it here all of the time, and they are right: quality over quantity.

[BlueJeanBaby]

I have long been considering an LSAT retake and work ungodly hours, but I make pennies and can barely pay my bills. The thought of trying to study atop my current obligations seems impossible. If I can't pull off an acceptance to somewhere I would be comfortable with this year, I'm retaking in June. I hope to have a good idea by January so I can start studying, but like I said just thinking about it exhausts me! Then there is the chance that I bomb the LSAT (my third and last try) and it ends up I spent every free hour I had studying for no reason.

[milanproda]

Blue Jean, any chance you can take two weeks off and really prep before your exam? I literally forced my study partner to do this and he improved his LSAT score by about 5 points compared to practice exams.

[BlueJeanBaby]

Blue Jean, any chance you can take two weeks off and really prep before your exam? I literally forced my study partner to do this and he improved his LSAT score by about 5 points compared to practice exams.

I improved my first score by almost 10 points, but it still isn't where I'd like it to be. I could pretty safely get into my dream school with a 3 point gain, though. The problem is I haven't taken the LSAT in quite some time. The last time I even looked at an LSAT question was years ago so I'm worried I'd be starting more with my original score (bad...) than the score I ended up with the second time around. I could take about 2 weeks off if I saved up some vacation time, sure. I fear that it would take a solid few months of substantial studying to make any improvement, though.

[M.M.]

As everyone who posts here regularly knows, I'm no LSAT wiz. But if you're making 100K a year, why not hire a tutor for a gratuitous amount of time?

It'd make your learning super efficient relative to time spent, and I would guess you can spare the money. If other posters see this post, let me know what you think, because it honestly seems like the perfect solution for someone in OP's situation.

[ilovelawtays]

It's tough, dude. I just worked a couple 60 hour weeks (usually only 40), and I'm dragging big time. I have no idea what I'd do if I was working 70+ hours.

Is there a way you can rearrange your schedule to block off X hours each week to study? You may just not be able to study every single day, which is fine, but if you can schedule in time three or four days per week that is solely LSAT time, you may find that you can absorb the material more quickly.

For me, I rarely ever work Saturday or Sunday, so I know I need to get quality study in over the weekend. I also try to block off a few evenings during the work week to dedicate to study.

Hang tough. It's not easy!

[milanproda]

I may be harping too much on this, but how the heck do some of you guys work such long hours then study? Whenever I study after work, or after practice, I am like a zombie. Any secret method?

[Cerebro]

I may be harping too much on this, but how the heck do some of you guys work such long hours then study? Whenever I study after work, or after practice, I am like a zombie. Any secret method?

Necessity is a bitch.

[DH87]

I may be harping too much on this, but how the heck do some of you guys work such long hours then study? Whenever I study after work, or after practice, I am like a zombie. Any secret method?

Coffee and the motivation that this HAS to be done (read: necessity is a bitch, as above). If you present yourself with the question "What would be the best choice to reach my goals?" ...then the answer becomes glaringly obvious, and you push through

[dowu]

I may be harping too much on this, but how the heck do some of you guys work such long hours then study? Whenever I study after work, or after practice, I am like a zombie. Any secret method?

Coffee and the motivation that this HAS to be done (read: necessity is a bitch, as above). If you present yourself with the question "What would be the best choice to reach my goals?" ...then the answer becomes glaringly obvious, and you push through

Does coffee make you guys rush through sections? I want to try it, since I'm also working FT (not 70 hours lol) but I'm worried that it will rush my thinking.

[RickyDnwhyc]

I graduated undergrad in 2011. I took the lsat in june after my jr. year with no study and got a 156. My plan was to study, retake and hit low to mid 160s and get decent money at public state school. However, after taking a kaplan course and pting in the low 160s i still only got a 156. big dissapointment. after graduation i had another job opportunity that i decided to pursue and i am easily making 100k plus. however, i really hate my job and location. ive always seen myself working in law and it is what i want to do so ive decided to send in my apps again...and with that retake the lsat. problem is im working 70-80hours a week and it makes studying very difficult. i honestly think i may have overstudied the second time i took and was too worried about what strategies to use on which questions instead of just using a little common sense and answering them. I guess question is do i dedicate any and all free time towards study or leisurely go through questions at my convenience just to get that lsat mode of thinking back? any insight or suggestions appreciated.

If you don't mind me asking, what is it that you do that you hate so much?

I can't imagine studying for the LSAT with that kind of work schedule...

If taking time off work isn't an option, just pace yourself and make it a point to take a couple of practice tests every week, or limit your studying to the weekend.

[Cerebro]

Does coffee make you guys rush through sections? I want to try it, since I'm also working FT (not 70 hours lol) but I'm worried that it will rush my thinking.

Well, I suppose it affects people differently, but I'll throw on a pot of coffee and throughout the day, I drink about 7-8 (or more ) cups. I don't feel rushed at all; I just feel normal. If I don't drink coffee, then I feel like I'm dragging ass.

ETA: To give you an example of how it affects people differently, my wife will only drink one cup of coffee, and only when she doesn't have to go to work the next day. Since she drinks coffee infrequently, if she drinks a cup on Saturday morning, she'll be up until after midnight that night (she normally sleeps around 10pm). As for me, on the other hand, I can be drinking cups of coffee up until 2am, and once I finally go to bed at 2:30 or 3:00am, I fall asleep within 10 minutes.

[ilovelawtays]

Does coffee make you guys rush through sections? I want to try it, since I'm also working FT (not 70 hours lol) but I'm worried that it will rush my thinking.

Well, I suppose it affects people differently, but I'll throw on a pot of coffee and throughout the day, I drink about 7-8 (or more ) cups. I don't feel rushed at all; I just feel normal. If I don't drink coffee, then I feel like I'm dragging ass.

ETA: To give you an example of how it affects people differently, my wife will only drink one cup of coffee, and only when she doesn't have to go to work the next day. Since she drinks coffee infrequently, if she drinks a cup on Saturday morning, she'll be up until after midnight that night (she normally sleeps around 10pm). As for me, on the other hand, I can be drinking cups of coffee up until 2am, and once I finally go to bed at 2:30 or 3:00am, I fall asleep within 10 minutes.

Same here. I've been drinking a minimum of 4 cups of coffee per day for the last several years. I'm sure I hit 10 cups per day at one point. If you're very sensitive to caffeine, it will make you feel rushed. I really love coffee and the caffeine buzz helps me concentrate. This is true both at work and during LSAT studying.

Studying while working is just a bitch, plain and simple. The level of bitch depends on what you're doing. I am paralegaling all day, so I'm pretty fried when I get home. I've learned to have a cup of coffee at 5:00, right before I leave the office.

[Aequitas_]

Figure out your goals. How important is a career in law? Where do you want to score? Set your priorities according to your goals. If its something you really want to do you should save up cash for a year and quit your job. 70 hrs leaves NO time to study. Sorry bud, you're human and can only do so much. Properly study and make the lsat your life.

[Cerebro]

Figure out your goals. How important is a career in law? Where do you want to score? Set your priorities according to your goals. If its something you really want to do you should save up cash for a year and quit your job. 70 hrs leaves NO time to study. Sorry bud, you're human and can only do so much. Properly study and make the lsat your life.

How would you know that working 70 hours/week is too much? Have you ever tried it yourself?

[BlueJeanBaby]

Figure out your goals. How important is a career in law? Where do you want to score? Set your priorities according to your goals. If its something you really want to do you should save up cash for a year and quit your job. 70 hrs leaves NO time to study. Sorry bud, you're human and can only do so much. Properly study and make the lsat your life.

Some of us can't quit work long enough to make the LSAT our lives. That is why I am in a weird limbo. I want to retake, but it is way easier for me to apply using the score I got a few years ago while I was still in undergrad. I am actually a grad student right now as well, and am literally out of my house working or in class about 17 hours a day... most of the time without a break. Add in hundreds of pages in reading and writing papers on the weekend and I'm swamped. I haven't seen the inside of a bar or restaurant in what feels like a year! The problem with me is I don't make 100k/year. I make just enough to pay my bills, so there isn't a way I could save up and not work. I could save up sick days and take a week off, but what if that one week isn't even enough to get my score back to where it was a few years ago, and I do even worse? Anyone in a similar situation as me?

[M.M.]

As everyone who posts here regularly knows, I'm no LSAT wiz. But if you're making 100K a year, why not hire a tutor for a gratuitous amount of time?

It'd make your learning super efficient relative to time spent, and I would guess you can spare the money. If other posters see this post, let me know what you think, because it honestly seems like the perfect solution for someone in OP's situation.

ITTCR?

[dingbat]

70 hrs leaves NO time to study.

I can honestly say from experience that this is bullshit. Once you start hitting 85+, on the other hand...