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No Time? No Problem. How to Study for the ILTS in Under 1 Hour a Day

Published 6 days ago • 2 min read

No Time? No Problem. How to Study for the ILTS in Under 1 Hour a Day

Hey Reader,

Study Shift: You’re Not Lazy—You’re Overloaded

Let’s be real:

If you’ve opened your study guide five times this week and closed it five minutes later—you’re not lacking discipline.

You’re maxed out.

Burnout doesn’t mean you’re unmotivated. It means your plate is already full.

Between summer jobs, family, and maybe a class or two, “just make time” feels unrealistic.

But here’s the shift:

You don’t need 4 hours a day.
You need 30 focused minutes that actually move you forward.

This week, I’ll show you how to make your limited time work smarter—with AI, structure, and zero guilt.

AI in Action: Save Time with These 3 Prompts

Use ChatGPT to strip away the fluff and get straight to what matters. Here’s your power-packed formula for a focused session—just one prompt per day.

🔹 Prompt 1: Prioritize What Matters First

“Based on the [insert test name], what are the top 3 content areas I should focus on first for the biggest impact?”

💡 This helps you focus on high-yield topics instead of wasting time reviewing what you already know.

🔹 Prompt 2: Condense the Lesson

“Explain [topic] to me like I only have 10 minutes to study. Make it clear, practical, and teacher-focused.”

No endless chapters. No dense jargon. Just what you need.

🔹 Prompt 3: Connect to the Classroom

“Give me a quick classroom scenario that connects to [topic], and a question I might be asked about it.”

🎯 Perfect prep for scenario-based questions—especially for LBS1 and Elementary Ed tests.

⏱️ 1 prompt = 1 powerful study session.

No overwhelm. No burnout.

Resource Corner: Flexible Study Plans for Real Life

Whether you’ve got 3 days, 5 days, or a full week—you can make this work.

✔ 3-Day Plan

  • Mon: Learn 1 new concept
  • Wed: Quiz + reflect using AI
  • Sat: Apply it to a classroom scenario

✔ 5-Day Plan

Use the Monday–Friday structure from last week’s newsletter

✔ 7-Day Plan

Alternate between light and deep days:

20 min (Tues/Thurs), 45 min (Mon/Wed/Fri), 30 min (Sat/Sun)

Tiny Win of the Week

Maya, Full-Time Paraprofessional in Joliet:

“I started doing 20-minute reviews every morning before work using the 3-day planner and AI prompts. I used to think I needed 2 hours to study—but now I’m consistent and actually understand the content.”

👏🏾 This is what we mean by sustainable momentum.

Question of the Week

What’s one time slot in your day you could reclaim—even just 15 minutes—for focused prep?

Think about it:

Your commute.

Lunch break.

Right after dinner.

Even scrolling time.

📝 Hit reply and tell me—I’ll help you work a strategy around it.

🔁 Share This With Someone Drowning in To-Do Lists

Know another future teacher juggling all the things?

Forward this or screenshot a prompt to show them what’s possible. No one’s doing this alone.

👀 Coming Next Week:

“Fall Isn’t Canceled: How to Pass the ILTS by October (Even If You’re Just Starting Now)”

You don’t need more hours in the day.

You need the right rhythm—and the belief that progress is still possible for you.

See you next Sunday at 11 AM.

You got this.

—Tori J.

Founder, Over the Hurdle

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Over the Hurdle

Clear the final hurdle. Pass your Illinois teacher exam faster and smarter.

Over the Hurdle helps future Illinois teachers pass their certification exams faster and smarter. Get quick, actionable study tips — including how to use AI tools — so you can finally clear the hurdle to becoming a licensed teacher. Subscribe to our newsletter.

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