Top Law Schools

So it's the third week of classes and I'm still trying to adjust to the part-time schedule. My wife is dealing with it to a certain extent, but I'm realizing that if I slip up during a weekend I'm screwed for the week. I've found that I can't get any reading done from monday to friday for the most part, I just don't have the time. So the transition has been a rough one.

How's everybody else making out? Are you sticking to the plan that you set out before classes? Has your plan changed? How's your family handling it?

I work full-time and do Georgetown part-time. Although I'm only finishing up my first week of classes, my plans have already changed substantially.

For one thing, I originally planned on doing some reading every night after class. Now I find myself too exhausted after class to get any substantial reading done - I can manage maybe an hour of review, but that's about it. Also, it's nice getting a half-hour with my wife every night. So I'll be getting the majority of my readings done on weekends. Also, hornbooks.

As an aside, it's amazing the number of people without jobs doing law school in the evening.

Zindras wrote:I work full-time and do Georgetown part-time. Although I'm only finishing up my first week of classes, my plans have already changed substantially.

For one thing, I originally planned on doing some reading every night after class. Now I find myself too exhausted after class to get any substantial reading done - I can manage maybe an hour of review, but that's about it. Also, it's nice getting a half-hour with my wife every night. So I'll be getting the majority of my readings done on weekends. Also, hornbooks.

As an aside, it's amazing the number of people without jobs doing law school in the evening.

That's exactly what I said. I was shocked at how many classmates don't work and just come to class. One of them even had her 21st birthday. All the unemployed and single generally go out after classes at least once a week as well. My wife wants more than a half-hour usually so I'm done for reading when I get home.

I worked in DC for 4 years, I don't know how you can do it with the commute to and from work and school. I couldn't take the area after a while and had to get out.

Great Question!!

I'm part-time evening and I do NOT work, and I barely have time to complete the reading. I swear I don't know how my classmates do it (those that work 40+ hrs a week). I'm so blessed to be able to NOT work, and I know it will make all the difference in the world w/ regards to how I fair this semester as a 1L

Zindras wrote:I work full-time and do Georgetown part-time. Although I'm only finishing up my first week of classes, my plans have already changed substantially.

For one thing, I originally planned on doing some reading every night after class. Now I find myself too exhausted after class to get any substantial reading done - I can manage maybe an hour of review, but that's about it. Also, it's nice getting a half-hour with my wife every night. So I'll be getting the majority of my readings done on weekends. Also, hornbooks.

As an aside, it's amazing the number of people without jobs doing law school in the evening.

i've voiced this same comment several times on these forums, and i'm not simlply using this thread to voice it again, but i did want to say this...if it bothers you now, wait until finals time! they will not stop talk aboout how stressed they are, etc...try working 50-60hrs/week on top of the school work! with that being said, if you havent planned on it already, i'd suggest taking a week off of work to study--save your vacay days for this

I have been able to stick to my schedule pretty well so far, and my wife has been very supportive. If she was freaking out about me not being around enough, I think this would be very stressful and hard to pull off. I think I prepared her pretty well, and I am just being extra nice whenever we're together. I think she might be digging the idea of 4 years of extra niceness

I set aside the one night per week I have no class to read/prepare until late. I spend all day saturday in the library. Sunday is family day.

So far so good, though I also know it will get more difficult close to the end of the semester.

I have finals on 3 consecutive Tuesdays in December. I'm thinking about taking Monday and Tuesday off (vacation) each of the three weeks, since obviously taking off 3 consecutive weeks is impossible.

I'm hoping work will cooperate.

As someone considering PT programs (I plan on continuing my full time job in InfoSec), I am curious about how many nights a week are your classes meeting in 1L?

haus wrote:As someone considering PT programs (I plan on continuing my full time job in InfoSec), I am curious about how many nights a week are your classes meeting in 1L?

we meet 4 days a week 6-9

LAWYER2,

I recently read on this forum that George Mason went to five nights a week (M-F) for there part time program 1Ls. Would you find the addition of another night of classes per week to a positive or negative?

Thanks,

2E working full time here. Classes 5 nights a week would be rough.

By ~ 5 PM on Friday nights I am ready to collapse.

xyzbca,

Thanks for the feedback. From the outside looking in a fifth night seems to me like it would take a big toll. While GMU seems to be a good school, I have to admit the 1L schedule the currently have may cause me to lean more towards some of the other local alternatives.

I'm really enjoying it so far. We have class 3 nights a week, so I think that helps a lot. I live and work right around the corner from school, so I don't have a stressful commute. I work full-time, but only 4 days a week, so this has helped the balance a lot and I can back off from work if needed. My classmates seem to belong to one of two categories: (1) completely stressed and concerned about their time commitments, or (2) taking it in stride.

All-in-all, I believe I made a good decision going with the part-time program at STCL--but that's not to say that it would work for everyone.

I'm really enjoying it so far. We have class 3 nights a week, so I think that helps a lot. I live and work right around the corner from school, so I don't have a stressful commute. I work full-time, but only 4 days a week, so this has helped the balance a lot and I can back off from work if needed. My classmates seem to belong to one of two categories: (1) completely stressed and concerned about their time commitments, or (2) taking it in stride.

All-in-all, I believe I made a good decision going with the part-time program at STCL--but that's not to say that it would work for everyone.

not a law student (yet), but i saw this thread and just thought i would pop my head in and say "hang in there." my g/f was a pt student at one of the programs in dc and she had a demanding gig during the day time. in the beginning she thought she'd be able to come home and read after class, but 80% of the time that never worked out. she ended up devoting her weekends to reading, taking a week or two off during finals, and buying the supplements to get her through the rest. she ended up doing well enough to get an offer and now she has even better multi-tasking skills. we'd usually try to catch a movie or squeeze in time for a game of tennis during the weekends so that she could decompress.

good luck everyone!

blurped,

A three night a week schedule sounds interesting. Personally I am more inclined to have longer evenings in exchange for fewer days, to provide greater flexibility to tackle all of the out of class studying that will be necessary.

David,

Thanks for the insight.

Starting my third year of PT. This is the third semester where I've told myself, "This is the most difficult semester you're going to have; it will all be downhill from here." I really mean it this time. I think.

Connelly wrote:Starting my third year of PT. This is the third semester where I've told myself, "This is the most difficult semester you're going to have; it will all be downhill from here." I really mean it this time. I think.

aw, hang in there!

........and I wouldn't wish to go 5 days a week, unless it somehow afforded me to finish faster

As John Coffey said in the Green Mile, "I'm tired, boss."

Schedule is working so far and the family seems to get along fine without me

My overall impression is that (I think) I have a decent grasp of the material we've covered so far... but there seems to be a LOT of junk yet to come. I guess the proof will be when we get far enough in to start doing practice exams. Hopefully that will give a better assessment of how well I'm "getting it."

Add me to the list of those totally jealous of our part time classmates who are not working, or even the ones working part time. Another 40-45 hours per week sure would make things a lot easier

Iconoclast wrote: My overall impression is that (I think) I have a decent grasp of the material we've covered so far... but there seems to be a LOT of junk yet to come. I guess the proof will be when we get far enough in to start doing practice exams. Hopefully that will give a better assessment of how well I'm "getting it."

+1. I'm getting in about 20 hours of studying a week and feeling pretty good about the material. Guess we won't know for sure until the practice exams.

Iconoclast wrote:Add me to the list of those totally jealous of our part time classmates who are not working, or even the ones working part time. Another 40-45 hours per week sure would make things a lot easier

I was envious at first, but now I wonder what I'd do with 40-45 more hours a week. I also think the lack of time forces us to better manage the small amount we have - that may be our greatest asset. You know, look on the bright side and all that.

Iconoclast wrote:***

Add me to the list of those totally jealous of our part time classmates who are not working, or even the ones working part time. Another 40-45 hours per week sure would make things a lot easier

You would be spending significant hours worrying about the massive debt you were accumulating by not working and paying for law school as you go. Remember, those folks are spending FOUR years going part-time without job.

The opportunity cost of four years wages lost PLUS the debt of going part-time is too much to think about

I'm a 2nd year part-timer (w/ full time job) at Gtown and wouldn't wanna do it any other way. I have one more year till OCI and will graduate with little debt. I finished top 10-15 percent, so I didn't have much prob competing against part-timers with no job. I did look down on them, though.

RUQRU wrote:

Iconoclast wrote:***

Add me to the list of those totally jealous of our part time classmates who are not working, or even the ones working part time. Another 40-45 hours per week sure would make things a lot easier

You would be spending significant hours worrying about the massive debt you were accumulating by not working and paying for law school as you go. Remember, those folks are spending FOUR years going part-time without job.

The opportunity cost of four years wages lost PLUS the debt of going part-time is too much to think about

Nah... if they are smart they will start working after the second year, when all the 1L grades are in the books, they have been ranked, and their OCI prospects are pretty much set. At that point, they can probably even get something in the legal field. At least, that's how I would do it if it was an option.

I'm still jealous, but I certainly don't look down on them. Hard to look down on someone for not working when I would do the same thing if I could

As for what I'd do with an extra 40 hours? Add 2 hours of sleep a night (8 hours of sleep would ROCK!) and replace my ten hours of Saturday studying with ten hours of family time. That takes care of 24 of the 40 hours. With the 16 remaining I would probably add an extra 10 hours to the study/prep routine each week and actually join a student org that I think I would enjoy, but had to skip over due to time constraints.

how are the part-timers doing now that the fall term is in the review mirror?

haus wrote:haw are the part-timers doing now that the fall term is in the review mirror?

I'll let you know when we get our grades

I was able to stick to my schedule, but I was pretty beat-down by the time the semester ended.

Any luck on getting a little rest between terms... Now that you are down tonjust a full-time job, and family (we will not mention the long list of things that have been put on the back burner while you have been dealing with a near impossible schedule for several months).