Building Stamina Forum

[rbrown0824]

Anyone have any advice on building stamina while PTing? I'm starting to lose focus during the final section and this results in an overabundance of dumb errors.

[ilikebaseball]

Do 6 section PT's, then when there are like 2 weeks left, just do 2 pt's a day. That's helped me.

[Lacoste]

Anyone have any advice on building stamina while PTing? I'm starting to lose focus during the final section and this results in an overabundance of dumb errors.

Your losing focus during the final section!? I lose focus after the 2nd section. After that, nothing registers in my brain.

[Jon McCarty]

Are you using 5-section exams? If not then that's the best way to help build your stamina. Also you should try to study in 4 hour blocks if possible so that you get used to thinking critically for the amount of time that the test will take. If you're not using 5-section exams then you could slip in a section from a different test, although you'll know it's "experimental" when you take it so that's not ideal. You could also purchase 5-section exams where you won't know which section is the experimental until you score it here: http://everylsat.com/official-lsat-prep ... 128faa0254

Hope this helps!

[rbrown0824]

Thanks....that does help. I wasn't doing 5 or 6 sections because it was my first PT in a while but I will start that tomorrow

[ilikebaseball]

If it was only your first PT then dont worry about it. No one has the stamina after just one PT. Its something everyone has to work up to

[dontdoitkid]

Are you using 5-section exams? If not then that's the best way to help build your stamina. Also you should try to study in 4 hour blocks if possible so that you get used to thinking critically for the amount of time that the test will take. If you're not using 5-section exams then you could slip in a section from a different test, although you'll know it's "experimental" when you take it so that's not ideal. You could also purchase 5-section exams where you won't know which section is the experimental until you score it here: http://everylsat.com/official-lsat-prep ... 128faa0254

Hope this helps!

I like the 4 hour block idea, I'm going to start using this in the 30 some odd days leading up until the September exam.

On a second note, I'm finding that my main stamina issues start to hit around the last two sections, usually around questions 15 and on. I find myself needing more double takes for passages and not processing inferences or other information as quickly as I had before. Anyone else run into this/solutions for working in improving that?

[Skool]

Another quick and dirty method if you start losing focus. Take a 10-15 second break when you notice your mind going. Get focused, and jump back in. I think this is a nice supplemental tool. No substitute for the advice above.

[archangel326]

I had the exact same problem when I took the LSAT years ago. I'd always bomb the last section because I'd get tired. But, eventually, with the practice and real exam, I began taking a little bit of 5 hour energy drink during the break.

And just a funny story -- I remember going into the test room with a bottled water and that 5 hour energy drink. The proctor asked me to throw away one drink, and he was shocked when I threw away my bottled water. During that real test, I messed up the first part of the exam, but I still ended up with a decent score. I hope this helps!

[RunnerRunner]

I would also think about how you will perform in the absence of food and water, cause this really influences fatigue. When I tested, they started pretty late after the posted test time, which meant I had gone longer since breakfast than I anticipated. I actually felt more mental fatigue during the third section because I was hungry than I did during the fifth section (since I had eaten during break). Try some of the above mentioned strategies (like the 6 section PT) and do them without a snack break. If you can score well under those conditions then nothing will shake you on test day!

[BJS]

Any suggestions for improving stamina that don't involve huge chunks of time? I work full-time and can't spend 4 hours drilling/studying outside of the weekends, which is when I'm taking PTs (which I'll increase to 6 section this weekend!). I've definitely been struggling with stamina. During the break I haven't been eating, so I bought some granola bars to eat. Any other suggestions as far as break food to help mental stamina?

[Lying Lawyer]

Any suggestions for improving stamina that don't involve huge chunks of time? I work full-time and can't spend 4 hours drilling/studying outside of the weekends, which is when I'm taking PTs (which I'll increase to 6 section this weekend!). I've definitely been struggling with stamina. During the break I haven't been eating, so I bought some granola bars to eat. Any other suggestions as far as break food to help mental stamina?

I'm in the same boat as you. I don't know what to do during the week either. I'm not PTing yet but on Saturdays I get up early and study for 4-5 hours consecutively. Honestly I don't know of any other way. Just like you train your body to run a marathon you have to train your brain for this endurance test.

[jw316]

Any suggestions for improving stamina that don't involve huge chunks of time? I work full-time and can't spend 4 hours drilling/studying outside of the weekends, which is when I'm taking PTs (which I'll increase to 6 section this weekend!). I've definitely been struggling with stamina. During the break I haven't been eating, so I bought some granola bars to eat. Any other suggestions as far as break food to help mental stamina?

I'm in the same boat as you. I don't know what to do during the week either. I'm not PTing yet but on Saturdays I get up early and study for 4-5 hours consecutively. Honestly I don't know of any other way. Just like you train your body to run a marathon you have to train your brain for this endurance test.

Same thing here. I'm about to switch on to a full-time position and weekends are fine for full timed PTs, in depth 2 hour review etc. but I am trying to figure out what to do during the week. How do you guys typically go about your prep during the week? Do you typically just take an hour or two in the morning/evening to do a timed section or two or to drill?

[BJS]

Same thing here. I'm about to switch on to a full-time position and weekends are fine for full timed PTs, in depth 2 hour review etc. but I am trying to figure out what to do during the week. How do you guys typically go about your prep during the week? Do you typically just take an hour or two in the morning/evening to do a timed section or two or to drill?

I study 7-8am with one (Cambridge Difficulty) LG and one (Cambridge Difficulty) RC passage. I try to do some drilling at lunch. I do another LG/RC in the evening (after plus extensive (Cambridge Difficulty) LR drilling. Probably three hours tops, unfortunately, and spread across the entire day.

[InPursuitOfaPassion]

I'm not sure that this will work for everyone, but it has worked for me and I started off barely being able to focus on 10 LR questions (let alone 50 plus 3 other sections). I built my stamina up very gradually. Starting off tackling so many questions per section (e.g., 10, 10, 10) and then adding more in every few study sessions until I was able to complete a full section for each type of section. Once I was able to complete full sections, I would do full length timing for 3 sections per session. I didnt necessarily do them back to back like in an exam, but would get them done and take a ten minute break between them if I felt like it. After some time of doing this, I bumped it up to no breaks. By the time I went to write a full test, it really didn't feel bad. The first half of the test felt like another day of drilling. And the second half felt like part of a day of drilling.

[Arad]

In order to build stamina (and increase speed) I have been taking 2 tests per day back to back, allocating only 33 minutes per section.

4 sections nonstop (1st PT) 15 minute break, 4 sections nonstop (2nd PT) as opposed to the actual test which is (3 sections, 15 min break, 2 sections)...

1 PT is usually an older one (pre-40s) and the other is usually Post-40s

This has been working very well for me, and I have seen drastic improvements in both my time and endurance. A few months ago I could barely finish RC in time. Now I am finishing with 1-2 minutes to spare (keep in mind because I am doing 33 minute sections, it's really 3-4 minutes leftover). I am also not noticing any fatigue. I am slightly less accurate under these conditions, but when I give myself 35 minutes, I do considerably better.

Rationale: Train harder than you play.

EDIT: I don't take PTs everyday, only M-W-F

[ilikebaseball]

In order to build stamina (and increase speed) I have been taking 2 tests per day back to back, allocating only 33 minutes per section.

4 sections nonstop (1st PT) 15 minute break, 4 sections nonstop (2nd PT) as opposed to the actual test which is (3 sections, 15 min break, 2 sections)...

1 PT is usually an older one (pre-40s) and the other is usually Post-40s

Train harder than you play.

boom.