Long commute + work + LS Forum

[03152016]

Anyone have experience with both a long commute to school and working part-time? If I stay where I am I can shave $30k off the total COA, but the commute will be an hour and a half round trip. If I keep limited hours at work (maybe 12-15 hours total plus commute time) I can cover around $90k of my tuition out of pocket.

But is this feasible? I'm only in LS once and don't want to overextend.

[03152016]

Also I'd approximate that means I'll have 30 hours less per week.

[transferror]

Goals? School rank-ish?

[03152016]

Goals? School rank-ish?

NYU, goal is top firm for transactional I can get into.

[iliketurtles123]

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Even that commute alone is going to hurt you. Working on top of that?
You will not be able to pull it off.
Even if you somehow manage to work every hour outside of your time it will not be enough.

You are awake 112 hours a week (assuming 8hr/day sleep). Shave 30 hours off of that you get 82 hours. Shave 12 hours off of that for classes, you have 70 hours. 70 hours might be okay if you are studying all the time. However, what about the time it takes you to shower, get ready, eat lunch, dinner, etc.? What about socializing (at all?).
I know people who literally spend almost every waking moment at the library (outside of class). You are competing against them.

Sure it's possible you might do well despite all this. However, chances are much greater that you will do poorly. Do not do this. Even if you somehow manage to be super productive, you will burn out.

Grades > $30k.
Is this over 3 years? I don't know about 2L or 3L but do not do this 1L.

Edit: You'll go to NYU
Spend that extra 30 hours studying. Get high grades and land a 1L SA for an extra $30k. Hell, if you don't make it, you'll still have great grades anyway for EIW. If you can't manage to get high grades with that extra 30 hours, imagine the grades you would have gotten without those hours.

[daleearnhardt123]

You'd be crazy to keep the job or do the commute. The commute is, *perhaps*, somewhat justifiable if you can take public transit and you genuinely think you can get work done while in the commute, but the job is straight up crazy. Like you said, you only do LS once. If you're deadset on reducing your costs, maybe re-visit this issue if/after you kill 1L and line up your 2L SA.

[03152016]

Yeah, I guess this plan will put me at too much of a disadvantage. Thanks so much for the feedback guys.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I think it could be done. I think it would be really risky for 1L, especially the first semester, because that's the steepest learning curve (it may not be very steep for you, but it's hard to know ahead of time, and 1L grades are pretty important). Also, a lot of schools don't let 1Ls work at all (people still do it, of course, but you have to decide how you want to handle that).

After 1L, it would be less difficult, except that I think it would cut into any non-class stuff you may want to do (law review, moot court, legal internships/externships - personally, I think internships are some of the most useful things you can do in law school, though it depends a little on what kind of law you're aiming for). I don't think you'd be able to keep up the commute, the part-time job, and take on those extra-curriculars (though you might not care). You'd also (probably) want to be able to take time off around finals.

(This is based on having a similar commute and the amount of interning/externing etc. that I did during the semesters, though I know the latter isn't the same as formal employment.)

I will say that the commute in itself is a pain, but completely doable, even for 1L and even if you're not on public transport. Combining the commute with working is something else.

[Cellar-door]

If the commute is public transit where you can do your readings on the train or something it is ok.

Lose the job.

[patogordo]

the idea that you need to (or should) spend every second of your life focusing on law school is dumb. jesus christ, people would pay $30k to shave an hour off their commute to school every day? seriously?

the job probably isn't that big a deal either, if you're good at managing your time and your work is flexible enough that you can take time off around the end of the semester (or just quit after thanksgiving). studying 30, 40, or more hours a week outside of class is just fucking ludicrous. i'm sure some people do spend "every waking moment" in the library but those people are wasting their time.

honestly the bigger issue is that many jobs tend to add stress and distractions that far exceed the amount of time spent in the office. so depending on your job i probably wouldn't want to deal with that during 1L.

[TheSpanishMain]

Shave 12 hours off of that for classes, you have 70 hours. 70 hours might be okay if you are studying all the time..

People seriously study for 70 hours a week (outside of finals)?

[Buck Strickland]

Shave 12 hours off of that for classes, you have 70 hours. 70 hours might be okay if you are studying all the time..

People seriously study for 70 hours a week (outside of finals)?

That's what I'm saying. Seriously?

[worldtraveler]

Shave 12 hours off of that for classes, you have 70 hours. 70 hours might be okay if you are studying all the time..

People seriously study for 70 hours a week (outside of finals)?

That's what I'm saying. Seriously?

I don't know anyone who did that.

OP I know 1Ls who had a long commute and made it work. It just meant they had to give up some things. They often weren't as social or as involved on campus. I also know a few who lived at home, and then got a short term room near campus when it got close to finals.

The commute plus work might be tough though. Make sure the job is willing to be accommodating of your schedule and give you time off in Nov/Dec.

[patogordo]

the real downside of a long commute is that you have to hang around the law school (and law students) all day instead of going home between classes.

[JuTMSY4]

Shave 12 hours off of that for classes, you have 70 hours. 70 hours might be okay if you are studying all the time..

People seriously study for 70 hours a week (outside of finals)?

That's what I'm saying. Seriously?

Exactly. The real questions lie with the flexibility of the job with respect to the December and April/May months. Those are the times you need several weeks off. Commuting is NBD.

[staysha]

An hour and a half round trip, meaning 45 minutes each way? I go to NYU and that's about my commute. That's not bad. It gets annoying sometimes, but it's not bad. You leave an hour before class, who cares?

And you don't have to hang around school all day if you schedule your classes properly. I have a couple 2 hour breaks during the week between classes, so I get some reading done. Also after 1L you can always schedule classes so you don't come in on Friday. Overall it's very doable.

The part time job is another story...