Falling behind

[akatormubarez]

I signed up for the weekend live online course but am falling extremely behind. We are on week 7 and I am on week 3. Should I go at my own pace and finish chapters 4-6 (meaning I will continue falling behind) or should I just go straight to week 8 assignments? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Ron Gore]

Thank you for your question, akatormubarez, though I'm sorry to hear you are having difficulty.

First, know that you are not alone in falling behind your study schedule. Believe it or not, the fact that you have a schedule places you ahead of many folks preparing for the LSAT. However, I know that is little comfort to someone who has established a schedule and would like to keep it.

While I am not saying this is necessary at this time, do not immediately discount the option of delaying the LSAT to December. While it may not be an ideal solution, depending on your total circumstances, the proper analysis includes what the risk of delay would be compared to the risk of potentially rushing through your study and/or taking the test without having completed your course of study.

To get caught up, taking the weekend course is a great idea. Certainly, much of the material will be the same as what you receive in the full length course. However, this is not a bad thing. You can use the weekend session as an opportunity to review where you are to date, and to identify weakness in your preparation for those topics that are review material. At the same time, you can confirm for yourself those topics that you know well, and restructure your study to avoid putting more time in those areas, in which you would likely find a diminishing return.

As to the question of whether to complete the homework and drills you haven't yet done or pass them by to catch up with the class, given that you are on week three I recommend making sure you fully understand the materials in the beginning part of the class before doing all the homework and drills for week 7 and beyond. I say this because the beginning several lessons are foundational, and your firm understanding of that material is required for you to make the most of your later lessons.

If you are taking an online course, you will be able to access the class sessions for several months, so you will have a chance to re-experience those lessons with the proper foundation once you are caught up. If you have taking an in-person class, you don't have that same opportunity, but there are many materials in the online student center, including recorded instructional modules that provide some of that benefit as well.

Lastly, if you feel that you continue to fall behind, consider arranging time with one of our tutors. The benefit of a tutor for you would be not just to help explain the concepts, but to work with you on your scheduling, to probe into why you continue to fall behind, and to help you come up with the best strategy going forward.

Bottom line, don't panic. Your situation is not unique, and there are several ways in which you can move forward and crush the LSAT. It is a great start that you are reaching out for assistance, and please let us know how we can help you further.

Ron

[akatormubarez]

Hi Ron,

Thanks so much for your thorough reply. I was hoping to keep up with the class despite my other commitments (working full time and a full-time Masters student) but that clearly doesn't seem to be happening. Therefore given my circumstances I signed up for the December LSAT but still feel even that might not be enough time.

I did have a question though. In many ways, I feel like the three Bible works go into so much more detail than the actual live online class and I am grasping the concepts more reading independently (the Bibles). Would you recommend I finish the entire 3 Bible books completely and then return to the live online course? Or do you recommend I work on both simultaneously For instance, I look at the lessons from the live online class and read the chapters in the Bible that match topics from the live online lessons? I know there is a lot of resources and materials available to me but I am trying to figure out what would be the most efficient way to use my time. December is really not that far away.

Thanks again!

A

[Ron Gore]

Hey akatormubarez,

While the Bible trilogy is incredibly helpful and informative, and while the archived online classes are an awesome resource, I wouldn't pass on the opportunity to attend the online class while it's occurring. There is something about that spark of discussion and the ability to ask real-time questions that can drive home a point and keep it in your memory. Certainly, it would be extremely helpful to be caught up on the fundamental concepts before getting to the advanced lessons. But I think you can accomplish the necessary (though not sufficient) background for those classes by reading the subject material, even if you don't have time to do all the drills and challenge questions.

Plus, since I get the feeling that at the moment you are bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material and the requirements of studying for the test, it may benefit you to be an active part of the community that is established by being in a class together. It's better to get something out the live class and then review the archive later if necessary than to skip the live class and miss the chance to ask some questions, etc.

Hope that helps,

Ron

[akatormubarez]

that does, thank you!