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My question is exactly as my subject suggests: how should I balance working full time while preparing for the June 2017 LSAT. I'm aiming for a 170+.

splitsohard wrote:My question is exactly as my subject suggests: how should I balance working full time while preparing for the June 2017 LSAT. I'm aiming for a 170+.

Do what I'm doing. Work during the day, one or two timed sections either before or after work, and a full timed PT on Saturday. Review your answers on Sunday. Do that from Feb - June test and you should be set (assuming you're not starting from like a 140 or something)

splitsohard wrote:My question is exactly as my subject suggests: how should I balance working full time while preparing for the June 2017 LSAT. I'm aiming for a 170+.

I agree with the above poster. Either take timed sections before work or after work. Its manageable just don't do it at a time when the information won't be able to digest into your mind.

mrgstephe wrote:Do what I'm doing. Work during the day, one or two timed sections either before or after work, and a full timed PT on Saturday. Review your answers on Sunday. Do that from Feb - June test and you should be set (assuming you're not starting from like a 140 or something)

lol definitely not starting from a 140. I'm in about the lower 160s now but upper 150s timed. I have a lot of work to do to hit my goal at this point. Have you done this and seen a lot of progress? That's something I wonder about. Do you try to make time for family and friends?

Incrementalist wrote: I agree with the above poster. Either take timed sections before work or after work. Its manageable just don't do it at a time when the information won't be able to digest into your mind.

Is this what you do? I definitely think this is the best route at this point, but just want to see other people who have done it + succeeded in doing it. If I have to leave my apt at 8am every morning, should I be waking up at 5am to do this?

splitsohard wrote:

mrgstephe wrote:Do what I'm doing. Work during the day, one or two timed sections either before or after work, and a full timed PT on Saturday. Review your answers on Sunday. Do that from Feb - June test and you should be set (assuming you're not starting from like a 140 or something)

lol definitely not starting from a 140. I'm in about the lower 160s now but upper 150s timed. I have a lot of work to do to hit my goal at this point. Have you done this and seen a lot of progress? That's something I wonder about. Do you try to make time for family and friends?

Incrementalist wrote: I agree with the above poster. Either take timed sections before work or after work. Its manageable just don't do it at a time when the information won't be able to digest into your mind.

Is this what you do? I definitely think this is the best route at this point, but just want to see other people who have done it + succeeded in doing it. If I have to leave my apt at 8am every morning, should I be waking up at 5am to do this?

Well my situation is a little different then yours. I'm currently actually earning a second Master's degree full time while working part time as well. So I usually work during my scheduled days, go to class, then study. It has worked for me. But everyone is different. I just try not to study anytime after 11pm so the information will process in my mind better. But that is just me. Another thing that helps me is to study based on what time you plan to take the test. This has helped me as well.

splitsohard wrote:

mrgstephe wrote:Do what I'm doing. Work during the day, one or two timed sections either before or after work, and a full timed PT on Saturday. Review your answers on Sunday. Do that from Feb - June test and you should be set (assuming you're not starting from like a 140 or something)

lol definitely not starting from a 140. I'm in about the lower 160s now but upper 150s timed. I have a lot of work to do to hit my goal at this point. Have you done this and seen a lot of progress? That's something I wonder about. Do you try to make time for family and friends?

I started at 164, and increased to 168 (actual score) from October to the December test. I was Pting 170-173. I still haven't really done any real study on LR, and that is my biggest weakness (-5,-6 on Dec test). I plan to use the LSAT Trainer and drill LR questions by type until I can consistently go -2 or better on individual LR sections.

I think that will put me in a strong place to 175+ on test day (went -0 LG, -2 RC already and that is pretty typical for me). I took a break from December to now, but will start back up in the next couple of weeks. I unfortunately do not have any family in the immediate area (moved away after college), and am in a new location for my job, so don't have too many friends around me yet. Thus, I technically don't make a ton of time for family/friends, but I do regularly call and talk with people on my ~30 minute commute to/from work, and that seems to be the best substitute at this stage in life.

Started studying in May and didn't take til Dec while working and parenting. Made it above 170 so it's definitely doable. If you're planning to apply fall of '18, I would plan on using all three takes (if you have them) to take the pressure off of the June take and even think of it as a PT to help you overcome test day nerves. Did 1-2 sections before work and sometimes after as well. Even broke up sections of LR to do only 5-10 questions just to ensure I did them EVERY day. Watch for burnout though going for that long and that you don't overdo timed PTs. I think I did them before I was really ready and burnt some material that would have helped more closer to the end of prep.

Lahtso Nuggin wrote:Started studying in May and didn't take til Dec while working and parenting. Made it above 170 so it's definitely doable. If you're planning to apply fall of '18, I would plan on using all three takes (if you have them) to take the pressure off of the June take and even think of it as a PT to help you overcome test day nerves. Did 1-2 sections before work and sometimes after as well. Even broke up sections of LR to do only 5-10 questions just to ensure I did them EVERY day. Watch for burnout though going for that long and that you don't overdo timed PTs. I think I did them before I was really ready and burnt some material that would have helped more closer to the end of prep.

I'll echo lahtso as a fellow worker/parent who cracked 170. I found that small study sessions each day (~1 hr) plus one timed PT with blind review per week was a good load. I'd also recommend taking one day per week that is completely free of LSAT prep. That helped me balance studying over a long period of time with my other responsibilities and not burn out.

Lahtso's advice to plan on using more than one take cannot be overstated. If you do June and don't get what you want, Sept/Oct and/or December gives you another crack at it.

Pozzo wrote:

Lahtso Nuggin wrote:Started studying in May and didn't take til Dec while working and parenting. Made it above 170 so it's definitely doable. If you're planning to apply fall of '18, I would plan on using all three takes (if you have them) to take the pressure off of the June take and even think of it as a PT to help you overcome test day nerves. Did 1-2 sections before work and sometimes after as well. Even broke up sections of LR to do only 5-10 questions just to ensure I did them EVERY day. Watch for burnout though going for that long and that you don't overdo timed PTs. I think I did them before I was really ready and burnt some material that would have helped more closer to the end of prep.

I'll echo lahtso as a fellow worker/parent who cracked 170. I found that small study sessions each day (~1 hr) plus one timed PT with blind review per week was a good load. I'd also recommend taking one day per week that is completely free of LSAT prep. That helped me balance studying over a long period of time with my other responsibilities and not burn out.

Lahtso's advice to plan on using more than one take cannot be overstated. If you do June and don't get what you want, Sept/Oct and/or December gives you another crack at it.

Happy to see this strategy advocated for here. I'm taking June, but have thought that I should not hesitate to do September, and then December, until I crack 170.

I'll be 4 years out of undergrad by a Fall '18 start date. As someone with biglaw aspirations, I'm done wasting time.

Also, while I am not working full time at the moment, a strategy I tried to use for my initial Sept 2016 take (that I ultimately cancelled)...


Weekends. Weekends. Weekends. For me, weekday evenings after a day at work are my most unproductive times, and I have a better day at work exercising in the morning or sleeping in somewhat. I'd use my weekday evenings for whatever light socializing you want to do, and then treat the weekend days like full LSAT work days.

I plan on trying that this Saturday & Sunday (at least until the Super Bowl), will report back on my results.

I hope more people contribute to this thread, and it can evolve into a "Working Full Time + LSAT" studying master thread of sorts. I really think there are "quick" study methods that can be incorporated into someone's work schedule (i.e., every 30 minutes at work, do two LR questions) that can get someone to a 170.

I spent about 2ish hours at a coffee shop going over lessons, practice questions, etc. each day after work, took timed practice tests Saturday mornings then reviewed questions immediately after or as close to that as possible (i.e. after I ate lunch), and took Sundays completely off for my sanity. I said goodbye to the majority of my social life, but my friends understood. I joined the 170+ group after last year's June LSAT so it's definitely doable. Try a few different strategies mentioned here and see what works best for you.