Is it actually better to not have a job when LSAT studying? Forum

[bigben]

My thoughts as a former LSAT teacher for one of the top companies:

I do not think that a job necessarily takes away from LSAT study, because you should not study all day anyway. I think it is best to limit LSAT study to 5-6 hours a day (long enough to do a timed practice test + review). Ideally your studying should take place in the beginning of the day. After that, you should do something that takes your mind off the LSAT completely. It should not be something that is very mentally demanding or overly stimulating. For me this was a job (7-8 hours a day in the afternoon and evening). But you could easily fill your time with a mix of active hobbies and other activities. Do not watch TV or play video games during this time, because that degrades your mental faculties rather than rejuvenating them. For me, my job was not only not a setback, it was a very useful way of filling my time with something that would take my mind off the LSAT and give me something to do while resting up my brain. However, a job that is stressful, mentally demanding, involves long hours, or scheduling that is hard to mesh with LSAT study could make things more difficult.

Why do I recommend that you only study for 5-6 hours a day? Because LSAT prep is like athletic training. There are techniques to learn and knowledge to obtain, but that is a very small part of overall success. The rubber hits the road with practice. Practice helps you gain muscle and build muscle memory. In this case, the mind muscle. Like your other muscles, the mind muscle needs lots of resting time for every bit of training time. Over time, you will be able to "lift" more and more until plowing through an LSAT feels easy. Your muscle memory will allow you to perform tasks without consciously thinking about it. Suddenly 5 out of 6 steps in reasoning through an LR passage take no time at all. In short, do not "study" for the LSAT. Train for the LSAT.

[sundance95]

I get the debate and all, but do you know how over-privileged you all sound? Do you know why I had a job while I studied for the LSAT? To buy food and pay rent and such. Are you all a bunch of trust fund babies or just great savers? It the latter, then forgive my stereotyping.

Does it really matter?

Do you know how much of curmudgeon you sound like? Yeah, I worked to pay rent and buy food while studying too-but I'm not on my high horse acting like that makes me better than anyone else. If someone is fortunate enough to have options, why are you begrudging them that?

Personally, I think it is good for people to be called out once in a while. I was just reminding these folks that 99.9% of the world works to make ends meet, not to augment their motivation to study for a test. Perhaps my comment would remind them to regain that perspective and make their work-related decisions accordingly. Perhaps it won't. Either way, I can't thank you enough for putting me in my place.

So, you think it's good for people to be called out, or not? Or does that only apply when it's not you?

[zla2014]

If you don't have any law related internship experience, you may want to call your local representative as they still have some summer internships available and usually don't require a ton of hours a work per week. On the other hand, if you don't get the LSAT score you need to be competitive, the internship experience may only make you slightly more desirable to law schools and a ton of ppl out there have the LSAT score and the experience. The internship experience may play an important role in your personal statement. If you don't have any interesting experiences to discuss, or not enough, your internship may be an imprtant topic of discussion in your personal statement.

Good luck to you!

[kwais]

I get the debate and all, but do you know how over-privileged you all sound? Do you know why I had a job while I studied for the LSAT? To buy food and pay rent and such. Are you all a bunch of trust fund babies or just great savers? It the latter, then forgive my stereotyping.

Does it really matter?

Do you know how much of curmudgeon you sound like? Yeah, I worked to pay rent and buy food while studying too-but I'm not on my high horse acting like that makes me better than anyone else. If someone is fortunate enough to have options, why are you begrudging them that?

Personally, I think it is good for people to be called out once in a while. I was just reminding these folks that 99.9% of the world works to make ends meet, not to augment their motivation to study for a test. Perhaps my comment would remind them to regain that perspective and make their work-related decisions accordingly. Perhaps it won't. Either way, I can't thank you enough for putting me in my place.

So, you think it's good for people to be called out, or not? Or does that only apply when it's not you?

another zinger

[suspicious android]

Personally, I think it is good for people to be called out once in a while. I was just reminding these folks that 99.9% of the world works to make ends meet, not to augment their motivation to study for a test. Perhaps my comment would remind them to regain that perspective and make their work-related decisions accordingly. Perhaps it won't. Either way, I can't thank you enough for putting me in my place.

99.9% of the world works to make ends meet? Hardly. Unemployment's 8%, actual unemployment is more like 20-25% when you consider those not looking for work.

[haus]

99.9% of the world works to make ends meet? Hardly. Unemployment's 8%, actual unemployment is more like 20-25% when you consider those not looking for work.

Well, there is a good chance the the unemployed are not making ends meet.

[northwood]

99.9% of the world works to make ends meet? Hardly. Unemployment's 8%, actual unemployment is more like 20-25% when you consider those not looking for work.

Well, there is a good chance the the unemployed are not making ends meet.

what about the unemployed who are actually employed but are employed in professions that are illegal?
/ snark

[suspicious android]

Well, there is a good chance the the unemployed are not making ends meet.

Yeah, the point is though, a large percentage of the population is not actively employed, so assuming that people treating LSAT-prep as a full-time job are entitled trust-fund kids is presumptuous.

[minnesotasam]

Personally, I think it is good for people to be called out once in a while. I was just reminding these folks that 99.9% of the world works to make ends meet, not to augment their motivation to study for a test. Perhaps my comment would remind them to regain that perspective and make their work-related decisions accordingly. Perhaps it won't. Either way, I can't thank you enough for putting me in my place.

99.9% of the world works to make ends meet? Hardly. Unemployment's 8%, actual unemployment is more like 20-25% when you consider those not looking for work.

Not only this but there are LOTS of people who don't have to work to "make ends meet" but choose to work in order to live a more luxurious life.

edit: It's good we're clarifying this, it's important to call people out once in awhile.

[mushybrain]

Sure, it's great if you can make your most immediate goal your one and only priority. That said, studying while working full time is an excellent taste of what balancing priorities in law school is going to be like.

[kwais]

Wow, I leave and I come back to the biggest group RC fail ever. My point was that for the vast majority of this world, EMPLOYED and UNEMPLOYED, the decision to work is about survival or at least achieving some measure of quality of life. I'm not sure how or why you guys are finding ways to deny this. Pointing out that some working people don't make ends meet does nothing to this point. 130s for all of you

[suspicious android]

Wow, I leave and I come back to the biggest group RC fail ever. My point was that for the vast majority of this world, EMPLOYED and UNEMPLOYED, the decision to work is about survival or at least achieving some measure of quality of life. I'm not sure how or why you guys are finding ways to deny this. Pointing out that some working people don't make ends meet does nothing to this point. 130s for all of you

Everyone disagrees with me? RC FAIL!!!!

[krasivaya]

Wow, I leave and I come back to the biggest group RC fail ever. My point was that for the vast majority of this world, EMPLOYED and UNEMPLOYED, the decision to work is about survival or at least achieving some measure of quality of life. I'm not sure how or why you guys are finding ways to deny this. Pointing out that some working people don't make ends meet does nothing to this point. 130s for all of you

Everyone disagrees with me? RC FAIL!!!!

Exactly what I was thinking.