Don’t Burnout!
July 30, 2012
The October LSAT is still 12 weeks away, and some of you are sprawled in a beach chair with a beer listening to Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. Needless to say, you’re not worried. What about the rest of us – those who actually have a taste in music? We should be locked up in a library studying eight hours a day, right?
Well, not exactly.
The latter is a surefire recipe for LSAT burnout and should be avoided like the Plague…or something less cliché.
There are a few reasons to closely monitor your study schedule leading up to the October LSAT. Perhaps the most obvious but overlooked factor is stress. Stress is now thought to not only distract from learning, but to directly hinder it as well. The LSAT is hard enough – don’t complicate it with added anxiety from over-studying.
Additionally, this whole process is really in preparation for a performance – your performance on LSAT test day. Marathoners don’t run 50 miles the day before the race; rather, they train slowly and steadily over time. Treat your LSAT prep time in a similarly measured and goal-oriented way.
Fortunately there are a few easy ways to avoid the dreaded LSAT burnout. Set a study schedule with a rigorous (but not traumatic) amount of hours, and adhere to it. Don’t be tempted to overexert yourself early. Also, take some time off. Exercise. See a movie. Frolic in the fields. Whatever your hobby, make sure to balance study time with other, preferably healthy, activities.
Phillip Belleau is an instructor and blogger for Blueprint LSAT Preparation. For more information on the LSAT and law school admissions, visit Blueprint’s free LSAT help.