Gap Year 2018 : Mid life crisis avoidance tactics

sunkim49424-1

So, anyone got suggestions how to stay sane with adhering to the course and somewhat progressing during gap year(s)?

I initially had planned on taking the September 2018 exam but life decided to show me that "adulting" is more important.

How do some of you balance working/finding work that would "beef up your resume" while studying for this monster of an exam?

I'm aiming to try to get into USC or UCLA for Fall 2019 or 2020.

ebalde1234

Remember it’s the end goal that matters not always the means. Think of your life course as always bringing you closer to your future. Oh and always believe the universe conspires in your favour. Try to study moderately so you don’t burn out. I’ve learned it’s not so much what you do but what you learn and how you write about it in your application. Best of luck ,

eRetaker

Job hunting was really brutal for me, so I only started studying after securing a job offer. I was blessed with a very understanding manager that supported my grad school plans which made studying with a full time job much more bearable. So my advice would be to study after getting a job and to be transparent with your boss about your studying so that they don't force too much overtime work on you on top of lsat life.

Leah M B

I would say, make a schedule for yourself. Decide what hours you will devote to job hunting and what hours you will devote to studying. And probably lean heavier on the job hunting side for the moment. Maybe treat studying as if you are working full time, and job hunting as the full time job. Like, 8-5 you will be job hunting (minus lunch), and then in the evenings and a little on the weekends, you study. This would set you up well for what it will look like studying on top of working a full time job.

My schedule for studying while working looked something like this:

Monday-Friday:
Work 9-6
Study on lunch break, eat lunch at my desk while working
Get home, eat dinner, maybe 30-60 minutes of TV to relax a little
Study roughly 7:30pm-10pm

Saturday:
PT, then set aside, no more studying for the day

Sunday:
BR the PT, then no more studying

I also made sure to take 1 weekday evening off per week and do something fun with friends to recharge. For Saturday and Sunday, that studying would be about 4 hours worth, then I make sure to either relax or do something fun with friends. It's very important to schedule in down time and some things that you enjoy in order to avoid burn out. The good news is that doing this can really help you make your studying more efficient; if you're limited on time, there's no time to screw around.

So maybe while you're job hunting, replace that working portion that I outlined above with job hunting, with some mental breaks too since that is exhausting. But I'd advise coming up with a plan for your time so you don't end up accidentally wasting time and not being focused.

Leah M B

Oh, and I forgot to mention the job part! I'd also say, try to find a job doing something you enjoy. If you can find a job related to law, that's awesome. I think that's really helpful to find out how you like it and observe lawyers, network with them, etc. But if you end up doing something totally unrelated, that's fine too! Schools aren't going to care all that much about what specifically you are doing for a year or two after undergrad. They do want to see your work ethic and that you have some real life experience, but you don't have to be a paralegal, either. I think it'd be just as helpful to find a job doing something you enjoy, so that you can be happy for this year or two while you prep for school.

samantha.ashley92

Where you work isn't very relevant to law schools. Maybe if you got a job in the legal field it would carry a little weight. Focus on what feels right for you. If you want to work around people (I always do), recognize that it can be draining, and plan your study schedule around it. If you get a job in the retail/restaurant industry, I can tell you from personal experience that it's hard to create a solid study schedule around a random work schedule.

As an anxious human, maybe I'm just more prone to burning out than other people... but be careful of that, too. I always give myself at least one full day off every week. (I aim for two days off.) And when I take a day off, I am COMPLETELY off from anything that requires logical thinking aka anything that's not Netflix.

sunkim49424-1

Thank you everyone for all the comments!!!

Hopefully this thread helps other folks too!

hawaiihi

@"Leah M B" That's a great schedule. As someone who's currently working while studying, I'm definitely taking notes!