Staying Motivated During LSAT Studying: LSAT Diaries

LSAT Blog commenter "Proxy" left this advice on a previous LSAT Diary, and I thought it was worth sharing with everyone in its own blog post.

Proxy talks about staying motivated during LSAT studying despite various obstacles.

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Proxy's LSAT Diary:

I'm 30 years old. I graduated college with an extremely low GPA (tends to happen when you have no direction or goals). I'm stuck in a dead-end job with some pretty awesome benefits (healthcare, retirement, tuition reimbursement).

I'm currently taking courses that are part of an MBA program, primarily to give my law school app a GPA that is easier to digest. I'm also married, and I'm currently the breadwinner, which nullifies any fantasies of quitting my job and using the entire day to focus on school work and LSAT prep.

Some days I don't get home until 9 or 10 pm, and all I want to do is play a quick match of Starcraft or Battlefield before I hit the sack. I often think about how awesome it will be to have a six pack and a pizza on friday nights and sleeping in on the weekend.

I think the secret is to turn your perceived weaknesses into strengths, and to see yourself where you want to be.

I ask myself where I want to be in 10 years, 20 years, and 30 years. and picture the best possible scenario:

I imagine myself getting a 170+ LSAT, getting As in my classes, getting accepted into a T1 school on scholarship, becoming an associate at well respected law firm, making partner, giving lectures on a field of law that I'm now an expert in, becoming a law professor, owning a house, two cars, vacationing frequently in the South Pacific, becoming quite skillful in racket ball, golf, scuba diving, marathon running, and finally looking back at my life at 65 (or 70) and saying to myself "nah, I'm not going to retire, I love what I do too much, they're just gonna have to fire me when I become senile."

That's the best case scenario. Maybe I'll only get a 160 on the LSAT. Maybe I'll only get B's in my classes. Maybe the best I can do is get into T2 on a half scholarship. Maybe the region I study in is the region I work in. Maybe I'll only have one car. Maybe the South Pacific is too pricey so I'll have to settle for the Caribbean. Maybe I'll just do a marathon because golf is too expensive. Maybe I'll never work in academia. The point is even this end is better than me not trying.

The above is what motivates me. The question becomes "what do I need to do now for the best case scenario to become a reality."

I need good grades and a good LSAT to even have a shot, right? Which means that the most important thing for me to do is study. Considering how constrained my time is, I need every moment I spend studying to count. So I need to be on top of my game mentally, and my study process needs to be efficient.

I can't stress enough how important diet, exercise, and sleep are.

When I eat fast food, I become lethargic and unfocused. Considering my goals I simply can't afford to indulge myself. I surround myself with fresh fruits and veggies, and try to avoid greasy foods when I can.

I don't do anything outrageous for exercise because muscle soreness and exhaustion can be just as detrimental to a study routine as lethargy. I'll go for a walk or a run, do some push ups and sit ups, or anything that gets my blood flowing to my brain.

Sleep is the hardest thing for me to get a handle on. I've restricted caffeine consumption to the morning, and avoid it at night. I find that reading at night before bed helps my body unwind so that I can fall asleep right away.

As for studying, all the tips you find on this blog are extremely useful for efficient approaches to LSAT studying.

Just picture your best case scenario and allow that to be your motivation. Aiming high is always better than not aiming at all. Screw competing against others. Compete against yourself and be the best you can be, and you won't have any regrets.

Photo by bobaubuchon