How To Develop An LSAT Study Schedule
How To Develop An LSAT Study Schedule
One of the most common questions I get from my students is how much time they need to devote to studying for the LSAT. Although I always tell them individual factors will determine how much time you need, here is my process for helping them develop an LSAT study schedule.
How To Develop An LSAT Study Schedule
1. Determine which exam you are taking, and how far away it is.
It may seem too obvious a start, but you need an end goal so you know how to structure your study. Be honest with yourself: if you are starting from scratch, you probably need more than a month of preparation time. Choose an LSAT that’s between 3-4 months away if you don’t have too many other time commitments. However, don’t be afraid to take more time if necessary! When I developed my LSAT study schedule, I gave myself 6 months to study since I had a young baby at home and I knew my studying wouldn’t be as regular as I would like.
2. Figure out when you can commit to studying each week.
When you make your LSAT study schedule, sit down and plan when you realistically will have time to study. If you don’t have any serious commitments, say during a school summer break, you can be far flexible with your scheduling. For example, you might plan to spend 2 hours a day studying, but can do that any time of the day. Just make sure to stick to your predetermined study period length.
If you have other commitments, like children or a job, this is even more important. More likely than not, you will need to regiment your studying strictly. Plan your sessions, and stick to them. You also might need to study over a longer period of time, like I did.
3. Commit to a certain number of hours each week.
When I took 6 months to prepare for the LSAT, I planned on spending 1-1.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. This worked out to roughly 5 to 8 hours each week spent studying. I think this is a good baseline for those who are pacing themselves for the long run. If you have 3 months to prepare for the LSAT, plan on doubling your weekly commitment. You’ll need to spend about 10 to 16 hours a week to be fully prepared in my experience. Again, how you break that up is down to your schedule. As you get closer to the test, plan on ramping up your hours even more, as you will need even more time to take full practice LSATs to fully prepare yourself for test day.
For more specific LSAT study schedule tips, here is my more detailed scheduling post!
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