An Adequate Study Schedule Forum

[RamTitan]

So, for the past 6 months I've been studying for the Feb. 2016 LSAT. I usually put in 5-7 hours a week (typically study 1 hour each work-day and then take a practice test or review intently during the weekend). However, after browsing these forums, I've noticed that a lot of people put in 4-6 hours of studying a day. Is this because they are trying to cram a lot in a short amount of time, or am I not preparing hard enough? Like I said, my typical schedule is 5-7 hours a week; one hour each workday, either drilling LR weak areas or taking an LR section and then reviewing it, or taking an AR section and then reviewing it, and every weekend I'll either take a practice test or study intensely. My contract for my full-time gig ends Dec. 18th, and I don't plan on renewing it....once it ends, I was going to spend the next 1 1/2 months studying full-time (practice test one day, review it the next day along with drilling weak areas). I've taken 11 practice tests so far, and plan on having taken 31 total by Feb. 6th. My initial diagnostic was 146, and my most recent score was 170.

Test 1 - 146
Test 2 - 157
Test 3 - 154
Test 4 - 156
Test 5 - 154
Test 6 - 159
Test 7 - 157
Test 8 - 161
Test 9 - 169
Test 10 - 162* (I took the test in an insane environment; my sister had just delivered some incredibly bad news to my parents, and so for half the test there was intense arguing and screaming that I was listening in on to figure out what was going on)
Test 11 - 170

Am I under-preparing, or does this sound like a logical course of action?

[cbbinnyc]

Well clearly if you have gone from 146 to 170 you are not under-preparing. Keep doing what you're doing and maybe ramp it up the last month or two before the test, but ultimately "the proof is in the pudding" If you're getting results you're doing it right.

[RamTitan]

Well clearly if you have gone from 146 to 170 you are not under-preparing. Keep doing what you're doing and maybe ramp it up the last month or two before the test, but ultimately "the proof is in the pudding" If you're getting results you're doing it right.

I figured; this forums does a good job raising my anxiety haha.

I'm going to take 18 practice test during the month and a half before the test, and 3 more before then. I think that's a solid game plan. Each test will be in chronological order too, so I can see how the test changes and develops.

[PwantsaJD]

Wouldn't it take 5-7 hours just to take a PT and review it? If you also study an hour or two a day in addition to that it would put you over the 10 hours mark per week. Which, still isn't that much.

But great job improving from a 146 to 170, hoping I can do around the same thing by February... Looks like you got a good plan.

What ticked for you in the jumps from the 155 range to 160, and then the huge jump from 160 to 170?!

[RamTitan]

Wouldn't it take 5-7 hours just to take a PT and review it? If you also study an hour or two a day in addition to that it would put you over the 10 hours mark per week. Which, still isn't that much.

But great job improving from a 146 to 170, hoping I can do around the same thing by February... Looks like you got a good plan.

What ticked for you in the jumps from the 155 range to 160, and then the huge jump from 160 to 170?!

Well, it usually takes me 3 hours to take a practice test. I don't wait till the clock runs out to start the next section (but maybe I should?).

155-160 jump was all about the PowerScore books. I learned how to approach problems correctly (like reading the stimulus first and getting used to it for example).

As for the bigger jump, I think it was just letting principles soak in and practicing enough to recognize problem types and flawed arguments. The jump from 161 to 169 only took two weeks. Something I've consistently read is that you can hit plateaus/not experience growths in improvement for long periods of time and also see quick spikes in improvement. I have a feeling this will be the case for me now until I hit the ground hard in December, but we'll see.....taking a test this weekend.

The best thing I ever read was taking a year to study for the LSAT, and doing a little bit every day, letting everything sink in.

[RamTitan]

Also, is ramping up my schedule a good idea? Do I need to space the tests out more so I can for behaviors and processes to infiltrate my brain (so maybe space the tests out and wait until June to take it)? Or, at this point since I have general concepts down is it more about brute force?

[RamTitan]

Bump

[LitigatingLiar]

Adequate can mean different things to different people. Around here conventional wisdom is several hours a day is necessary. However, everyone is different. Some of us burn out quicker than other, or sometimes our work schedules prevent us from studying more. For the last few weeks I've been studying about two hours in the aftenoon and then 3 in the evening. I have to cut back on the evening studying. For starters it is ruining my sleep schedule. It takes my brain a while to shut off after intense studying and then getting up at a quarter till 6, I am not getting a whole lot of sleep. I'm missing questions on test because of detail creeps I'm not noticing, that later on review I can't believe I missed. As I read questions sometimes I'm stuck trying to figure out the conclusion or the assumption. I didn't all of a sudden forget something, I've been doing for months. I'm taking a practice test in the morning because I need to make sure i keep my stamina, but I am going to pull back next week and take a few days off. If you think you've peaked the main thing is to stay where you're at, so you can pull back a little. If there is still room for improvement then perhaps studying more is in the cards, but read your body' signs of when it's time to pull back and give yourself a break.

[RamTitan]

Adequate can mean different things to different people. Around here conventional wisdom is several hours a day is necessary. However, everyone is different. Some of us burn out quicker than other, or sometimes our work schedules prevent us from studying more. For the last few weeks I've been studying about two hours in the aftenoon and then 3 in the evening. I have to cut back on the evening studying. For starters it is ruining my sleep schedule. It takes my brain a while to shut off after intense studying and then getting up at a quarter till 6, I am not getting a whole lot of sleep. I'm missing questions on test because of detail creeps I'm not noticing, that later on review I can't believe I missed. As I read questions sometimes I'm stuck trying to figure out the conclusion or the assumption. I didn't all of a sudden forget something, I've been doing for months. I'm taking a practice test in the morning because I need to make sure i keep my stamina, but I am going to pull back next week and take a few days off. If you think you've peaked the main thing is to stay where you're at, so you can pull back a little. If there is still room for improvement then perhaps studying more is in the cards, but read your body' signs of when it's time to pull back and give yourself a break.

Are you studying for the December test? I couldn't imagine putting in that many hours. To prepare for the Feb. test, I'm going to do a practice test one day, and then blind review it the next (will get through 17 tests during that period of time; Dec. 20th-Feb.5th). And before that point in December, I will have taken 15 practice tests. I took my twelfth test today, and scored a 167. It was a test from 2004 (have been using the 2006-2008 tests so far). I don't think I've peaked.....I don't think I've studied enough to have hit that level yet.

[LitigatingLiar]

Adequate can mean different things to different people. Around here conventional wisdom is several hours a day is necessary. However, everyone is different. Some of us burn out quicker than other, or sometimes our work schedules prevent us from studying more. For the last few weeks I've been studying about two hours in the aftenoon and then 3 in the evening. I have to cut back on the evening studying. For starters it is ruining my sleep schedule. It takes my brain a while to shut off after intense studying and then getting up at a quarter till 6, I am not getting a whole lot of sleep. I'm missing questions on test because of detail creeps I'm not noticing, that later on review I can't believe I missed. As I read questions sometimes I'm stuck trying to figure out the conclusion or the assumption. I didn't all of a sudden forget something, I've been doing for months. I'm taking a practice test in the morning because I need to make sure i keep my stamina, but I am going to pull back next week and take a few days off. If you think you've peaked the main thing is to stay where you're at, so you can pull back a little. If there is still room for improvement then perhaps studying more is in the cards, but read your body' signs of when it's time to pull back and give yourself a break.

Are you studying for the December test? I couldn't imagine putting in that many hours. To prepare for the Feb. test, I'm going to do a practice test one day, and then blind review it the next (will get through 17 tests during that period of time; Dec. 20th-Feb.5th). And before that point in December, I will have taken 15 practice tests. I took my twelfth test today, and scored a 167. It was a test from 2004 (have been using the 2006-2008 tests so far). I don't think I've peaked.....I don't think I've studied enough to have hit that level yet.

Yes, I'm scheduled to take it in December. I took my test on Saturday and checked it on Sunday. I didn't do very well. Even on review, I noticed things weren't registering, so halfway through I put it away and haven't looked at LSAT stuff since. I can't say my mind doesn't wander back there though. Next week I'll pull back on my studying though. I was doing way too much.