Motel or 55 mile drive? Forum

[fosterp]

Is it worth it just booking a motel the night before instead of driving an hour and a half to the testing center? I figure I will have to get up at least 2-3 hours before the test anyway so it makes no difference driving...though I am not sure just how early I should get there. Anyone got suggestions? Kind of a stupid question I know but I can't decide...so I figure maybe someone here has an opinion

[Knock]

Is it worth it just booking a motel the night before instead of driving an hour and a half to the testing center? I figure I will have to get up at least 2-3 hours before the test anyway so it makes no difference driving...though I am not sure just how early I should get there. Anyone got suggestions? Kind of a stupid question I know but I can't decide...so I figure maybe someone here has an opinion

MOTEL!!!!! You have to be there at 830 am. You shouldn't have to wake up at 630 to make it to the LSAT. You will be tired, plus you may be stressed about making it on time.

You can get a motel pretty trip, it won't be very nice or anything but it's just for one night. I got one for the June LSAT, and I'm glad I did. It also allowed me to check out the classroom I thought i'd be taking it in (they switched it up on test day from the ticket), and figure out my route/how to get there.

[kazu]

Yes, book a motel. 1 less thing to worry about come test day - you don't want to get stuck in traffic or end up having to drive through really bad weather.

Try to get there 30+ minutes before the "report by __" time (which is, I think, 8:30?), so you have time to stand in line for the bathroom, settle in, maybe to a games section in your car etc.

[Knock]

Yes, book a motel. 1 less thing to worry about come test day - you don't want to get stuck in traffic or end up having to drive through really bad weather.

Try to get there 30+ minutes before the "report by __" time (which is, I think, 8:30?), so you have time to stand in line for the bathroom, settle in, maybe to a games section in your car etc.

Definitely. Can't even imagine having car trouble at 630 am when you need to be somewhere in 2 hours for your LSAT!

I don't know about 30+ minutes, at least in my opinion, you don't want to get there TOO early. There's already alot of waiting around, and your stress level shoots through the roof when you get on sight. I'd relax. Remember 830 is just the report time, you're not taking it until 930 at least.

[kazu]

I don't know about 30+ minutes, at least in my opinion, you don't want to get there TOO early. There's already alot of waiting around, and your stress level shoots through the roof when you get on sight. I'd relax. Remember 830 is just the report time, you're not taking it until 930 at least.

Knockglock has a point, it depends on your personality I guess. I like getting to these things super-early and having time to "settle in" instead of stressing that I might be late. Plus there was a line for the bathroom where I took it, so I was grateful for those extra minutes. Remember, once they start reading the directions you can't go to the bathroom until the 1st section starts - and then the clock is running.

But if you're the type that hates sitting around and waiting (and it does take about an hour or more for the actual exam to start) then 10~15 minutes should be fine

[sophia.olive]

I like the motel thing because it seperates you from destractions at home. I would get it for two nights so you can go by the testing site and just relax one day. Also if the motel sucks because of noise or something you can easily switch the next day.

[fosterp]

Ok I will go with the motel, thanks for the suggestions.

[Blindc1rca]

Yea motel would be good. But two hours to go 55 miles? I'd think an hour or so... but I guess it depends on the traffic of your region.

On a side note this is why I decided to go back to the states for the test. In the village where I'm stationed it's a 2 hour chicken-bus ride to get to the capital, and even then I've heard some horror stories about the test center. Back home it's a 10 minute bike ride to the TC. Here's to hoping that flying in 40 hours before the test won't hurt (Central America, so only a 2 hour time dif - at least no jet lag).

Regarding the motel, I just thought about something... Are you a picky sleeper? As in - do you not sleep well unless it's your bed? This could be an important factor to consider. I think an hour in a car with coffee and positive music could be beneficial, and certainly would beat the heck out of getting a less than complete sleep cycle. Also, getting up early can actually be beneficial and could give you more energy. I know on days when I wake up before 6am (provided that I got some dece sleep the night before) I feel absolutely fantastic.

Whatever your decision, good luck!

[Kabuo]

I think this is a personal thing. I drove myself and my friend to our test in June, which was almost exactly 55 miles away, and it was a disaster. We left 3 hours early to be safe because we hadn't bothered scoping it out at all, and we ended up needing all that time. Parking was a disaster and caused us to get to the TC right on time. It's just a lot of unneeded stress. This time, we'll be going up to our TC or as close as we can get to it the week before to take a practice test, and how that turns out will dictate what we decide to do for the day of the test.

[cowgirl_bebop]

I was going to drive from DC to Fredericksburg, but Ive decided to just get a motel/hotel. I dont want to risk tragedy striking, such as a early Saturday morning accident on the highway or the car breaking down. I would rather shell out the funds to hedge against disaster than take that risk and miss the test.

[Sauer Grapes]

I was going to drive from DC to Fredericksburg, but Ive decided to just get a motel/hotel. I dont want to risk tragedy striking, such as a early Saturday morning accident on the highway or the car breaking down. I would rather shell out the funds to hedge against disaster than take that risk and miss the test.

I did exactly this for my test and it was an extremely good idea (it snowed the morning of, especially up in DC). I had time to grab breakfast, have a coffee and get to the center early enough to find parking and relax a bit.

[Ssoto0055]

55 miles is too far. What if there's an accident? You'll never make it, plus an extra hour of sleep.

[JJDancer]

I drove 40-50 miles when I took the June LSAT. But the big difference was that the test started at noon. So it was not a problem for me at all though I thought about staying somewhere for the night.

Since this test is so early in the morning and you'd have to worry about accidents/rush hour - motel seems a better choice.

Another reason I didn't stay somewhere the night before is that I actually like leaving "From home" to go take the test. This might be super lame or cheesy, and just depends on personal preference but I liked having my family support me right before I went to take the exam and it made me happier.

[GoGetIt]

Definately the right decision to go with the motel. Too many weird and unlikely things seem to happen on the most important days.