Goal-seeking and busy professionals who want to apply to a law school often have a hard time fitting LSAT preparation into their hectic schedules. It is a tough decision, deciding when to prepare for the LSAT between a busy 9-5 schedule. But remember, so long as you will it there is a way to do it.
The LSAT is a type of test that necessitates both accuracy and time management in order to achieve a high score. Hence, sometimes a tight working schedule actually helps with time management skills. In many cases, the more you manage your time, the more productive and efficient you can become. If you are a busy professional striving for a top law degree, but struggling to make a decision on whether to start preparing for the LSAT or not, this article will guide you through the decision making process. Even if you have already made the decision to proceed, you offer you some tips and strategies that will guide you throughout the entire process while helping you to come up with the most perfect schedule.
1. Never say never
Hesitation is very common when it comes to preparing for the LSAT. Hearing about someone’s bad or good experience with the LSAT is helpful for guiding your own journey. But don’t let their experiences dictate your own. Just because you hear negative stories doesn’t mean that the same anecdote will apply to you. Remain motivated and do not fall into the trap of self-deception. People tend to have a strong tendency to stick to what is easier rather than looking for multiple solution paths to their problems. Concentrate on mixing a helpful LSAT prep schedule with your busy life.
Eliminate excuses completely. There are no excuses holding you back. No matter how busy life gets. We often subconsciously tell ourselves that we are too busy for such academic endeavours. By making such excuses we tend to push off achieving our goals. Consider it this way, if you were to calculate the hours you put towards social media sites, you’d be shocked at how much time is wasted! Taking a Brain Break can be helpful, but not at the expense of your studying. The first tip is never to reject opportunities for studying. You can always find a moment to study for the LSAT even with a busy life and schedule.
2. LSAT is temporary, but long-lasting success is forever
Your life can always be busy. Maybe you work a lot or must take care of kids. The idea of preparing for the LSAT might make your life busier. Important to remember is that this stress is ‘temporary’.
A working professional’s LSAT preparation can take anywhere from 2-4 months. If your day starts at 9 am, you can make yourself wake up at 7 am to do some studying in the morning. For some, their brain works best in the morning, while for others the afternoon or evening is best for studying. Whichever it is, be sure to start the day with some brain stretching, such as doing LSAT preparation tests or quizzes that will broaden your understanding of the topics.
Bonus Tip! Avoid passive learning. Do not spend too much of your time preparing with LSAT videos. While videos can help you understand concepts, it does not replace actively working on practice problems.
3. Have an established approach on do’s and don’ts
You know that you should make time for studying, but it might be the case that you don’t have a predetermined plan for the day. The most significant thing is to maintain consistency. Develop a regular plan which prioritizes studying, as even the busiest professionals can make themselves prioritize things that have a high probability of falling behind on the list.
Do not underestimate the result of taking a few minutes here or there to cram some extra LSAT knowledge. Even if you have 5 minutes, create quality study techniques by reviewing your work. The materials learned can fall into your short-term memory and be easily forgotten afterwards. Do a math exercise regularly and do not focus on too many things several days in a row. Try to split everything equally during the day so you do not get tired out by the same LSAT section.
Finally, keep it fresh. Go back and forth between the sections but always remember that reviewing what you have done and even planning the review process beforehand is a must.
4. Enjoy the LSAT process
Making things work for a busy life is intimidating, especially if you do not enjoy the studying process. It is true that concentrating on multiple things at once can break your mind and result in less productive outcomes. This is why time-management is a key strategy in your LSAT prep schedule. If you have a specific time for each one of your tasks, you are able to enjoy the process and focus on one thing at a time.
Suppose you have developed a plan to study for half an hour during your break, it means real-time studying without noise and distractions. Make it a habit to study during your allocated time and forget about tasks which you deem unnecessary. It is hardly the case that you will end up thinking “I am so happy that LSAT prep time has come, I can’t wait to study during my one-hour lunch break!” Find parts of your LSAT journey which excite you, it will make your studying process all the easier.
Conclusion
It might take time but adopting these four mentalities into your preparation process can help you create an efficient LSAT prep schedule. Remember what you are working towards. Your LSAT journey is not only about the final result, but also about the skills learned along the way. We here at Apex are more than happy to support you on your journey. You can sign-up for a 30-minute complimentary consultation call with one of our instructors!
Contributor: Ruzanna Mirzoyan