How to make a driving commute productive? Forum

[beanbeanboo]

I drive a solid hour to and from school every day (for personal reasons—husband works an hour in the other direction so we chose a place in the middle).

No trains go through, busses take ~3 hours, so I drive. I'd like to make my commute productive. What's the best way to do this? Do law textbooks make audio versions? Should I be recording lectures? Are there podcasts out there I should be listening to? Should I buy one of those pages-to-electronic-text converters and see if I can have my laptop read it to me?

Keep in mind, right now, this is lost time. It's not like "Oh, I this supplement sucks, so don't do it because you're better off reading", because I can't read during this time. So don't be shy

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

[kalvano]

This is not "lost time," this is time you can use to decompress from law school.

[Tiago Splitter]

This early in the semester I'd say just enjoy the commute. Do whatever work you're going to do at school, then when you get in the car it's your time to relax and listen to music or talk radio or whatever you enjoy.

Later on in the semester you can pop in Richard Freer's audio lectures on Civ Pro. But for right now there is no need to maximize every possible second.

[cookiejar1]

This American Life.

[DavidConeSplitter]

This American Life.

[Charger]

I had a very short commute, but found the Sum & Substance audio lectures to be great. Different professors/subjects will be better than others, so don't expect them all to be of uniform quality (I recommend these: http://www.amazon.com/Millers-Substance ... 0314207155, http://www.amazon.com/Sum-Substance-Aud ... 0314160183, http://www.amazon.com/Sum-Substance-Aud ... 0314266917). Also, some are outdated, so you'll want to be careful about that; use it to supplement what you know, but be critical of it. Otherwise, though, it's a good way to shore up what you know, and have the material presented in a different way that may be helpful to you.

[BVest]

I like the Sum & Substance audio supplements, but definitely can't do that all the time. TAL is a good rec for a podcast. Also Planet Money, Freakonomics Radio, Fresh Air, and a number of the various Slate podcasts. I wish there were an audio podcast for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

[bandenjamin]

I too have a long commute. I tried out a few of the sum & substance and while they are fine (and helpful) I found that I was better off listening to audiobooks or music I enjoyed. I recommend World War Z audiobook (though its short so won't even last a week). Get your fiction fix since you probably won't really be in the mood to read that new [insert your favorite author here] book for the next few years (or you'll cram it in during a break). Heck, if you can find something your husband would also enjoy listening too you can agree to pick the same book and talk about it when you get home. If your husband is anything like my wife, he'll appreciate having something to chat about that doesn't require an explanation of how rule 11 sanctions are applied and the 21 day safe harbor provision.

There is more to life than law school. You'll be fine just relaxing (as much as you can while driving) during that time.

[seizmaar]

radiolab podcast + "great courses" downloads have kept me sane on roadtrips for years

[suzige]

use this time to decompress from school. You won't absorb anything worth the effort trying to find obscure audio texts. Honestly, invest in a bluetooth headset and use the time to catch up with friends, family etc. You could also use that time later on to start practicing your answers to interview questions (which is what I did). Sure, it looks ridiculous to be talking to yourself in the car, but w/e. Gotta start somewhere with that.

[Attax]

use this time to decompress from school. You won't absorb anything worth the effort trying to find obscure audio texts. Honestly, invest in a bluetooth headset and use the time to catch up with friends, family etc. You could also use that time later on to start practicing your answers to interview questions (which is what I did). Sure, it looks ridiculous to be talking to yourself in the car, but w/e. Gotta start somewhere with that.

Or don't take a call while driving.