Studying aboard while studying for LSAT Forum

[bruss]

HI ALL.
I'm new to the forum and just recently decided to go to law school (grad in DEC). I have been looking around at various study guides. I've noticed that the consensus seems to be "LSAT Blog study guide" 5months or "Pithypikes guide" 3months. I would like to take the October LSAT. My dilemma is that I will be in Spain from June28-Aug13. I was wondering how I should go about my studying. should I use the 5month or stretch the 3 month to work around my classes in Spain? Any tips would be great.

PS taking a very week summer right now.

[tmon]

From what I've heard of study abroad, you could probably do LSAT studying along with taking study abroad classes, unless your program is more intensive than most. If you're shooting for a top score and a ways away from achieving that goal it'd be pretty tough to get there by skipping a month in the middle of your study plan. I'd probably try to fit in as much as possible while you're not taking classes, but plan to do what you can while abroad...but that's based on my motivation. If you're willing to sacrifice, the pay off can be worth it.

[cinephile]

I'd skip the studying while in Spain. Your course load may not be very demanding, but you're probably going to fill your time with weekend trips and partying and if you don't, you may end up regretting it.

[tipler4213]

I would not recommend it if it is language intensive. I was studying while in an immersion program in France and trying to take PTs. I was scoring in the 150s and flipping out--then I realized I was thinking through the exam in French while taking it in English. Not good. Stopped studying, enjoyed my time abroad (a lot), and then restarted after a few weeks in the states--immediately starting scoring in high 160s and 170s.

[bruss]

Thanks for the advice all. I will be trying to test into a supposedly "easy" Spanish class during my time in Spain so I can have time to read the bibles and get a feel while working on the sections within the bibles. To avoid "Tipler" syndrome I'll hold off on the Pt's until I can really focus once I get back to the states. As a senior I'll be taking one class in the fall, its 4 credits and takes sooo much damn time out of my day. So that leads the questions do you think I will have enough time to study since i will be back in the states Aug 15 and the test is Oct? or should I just do the DEC test?

[JD2014]

do you think I will have enough time to study since i will be back in the states Aug 15 and the test is Oct? or should I just do the DEC test?

Depends. If you PT in the mid-170's, then you'll be fine on test day. If you take a PT on August 16 and get a 153, then it won't even be close.

On a more serious note, spend your time in Spain travelling and partying, not studying for a standardized test. Law school isn't going anywhere, but your youth is.

[bruss]

^^^ thx for the advice...yeah i'm not getting any younger

[pkrtbx]

I studied abroad this past fall and one of the guys in my program took the December LSAT, which fell right near the end of our semester. He had to finish all of his finals by mid semester (they were all 10-15 page research papers) and I literally did not see him anywhere but the library or his room after about the first month. With all of the stuff (good and bad) that comes up abroad, I think you are either a) miss out on all of the fun because you are studying all the time or b) not study as consistently as you should or would have at home. I wouldn't recommend it.