Summer start or fall? Forum

[DepressedWorkerBee]

Currently working full-time and saving somewhere around $600-$900 a month (maybe more if I cut out the Chik-Fil-A)

Got accepted to a few schools to begin in the summer and get one course out of the way before the Fall semester begins.

Was curious what people thought about this. Parents think it might be better to wait until Fall and focus on saving a few extra thousand before leaving my job (between the extra months of rent at the new location, tuition, and loss of income, etc).

My thinking is that getting all of my focus on one course, hopefully doing well, getting acclimated to the new location/life as a law student, and finding out how the exams feel, will be invaluable. Especially when you take into account the advantage I may have in the fall with one less course

Any advice/insight will be very much appreciated!

[totesTheGoat]

Was curious what people thought about this. Parents think it might be better to wait until Fall and focus on saving a few extra thousand before leaving my job (between the extra months of rent at the new location, tuition, and loss of income, etc).

I think your parents are wise. The extra money will be helpful, but the main reason is that law school takes a mental and emotional toll, so taking a class in the summer to "get acclimated" does less to prepare you, and more to burn you out.

Law school isn't intellectually hard. The material is able to be grasped by anybody who tries. However, law school is an enormous pile of work and reading and diligence, which is taxing. Do yourself a favor and take it easy over the summer. Maybe look up the threads about preparing for 1L that pop up on occasion on TLS, and maybe read a book or two over the summer. I wouldn't try to rush to get classes done if I were in your position (even though it is tempting).

[kcdc1]

Disagree with above. I think taking one course, and more importantly, taking and getting professor feedback on one law exam over the summer would give you a small advantage in the fall. There's a learnable technique for taking info from lecture and turning into an exam answer that your prof will like. Doing a test run over the summer with only one course on the line could help a little.

That said, it won't make a big difference, and there is a financial cost. Do what makes sense to you. And I wouldn't worry about "burning out." If working really hard now means you'll be unable to work really hard later, I don't recommend going into law.

[totesTheGoat]

And I wouldn't worry about "burning out." If working really hard now means you'll be unable to work really hard later, I don't recommend going into law.

I think this is where our experiences diverge. I've been going to school part-time for the last 3 years while working full-time, so I'm on an "unsustainable" path that leads to burnout every semester. However, I've also observed other people burning out who are just full-time at school. It's very easy to overload your schedule with law review, clinics, extracurriculars, networking events, research assistantships, part-time jobs and a thousand other things that are "beneficial" if you want to get a job.

If you plan on just taking 15 credit hours and having fun the rest of the time, I agree with kcdc1, take the summer class in order to get a feel for law school. If you plan on taking on extra responsibilities to try to create a "bulletproof" resume, I think your time is best spent enjoying the summer.