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Related Discussions
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Anybody ever study during Maternity Leave?
I may be naive, but I'm really looking forward to doing some hard core, full-time studying during the 3 months I'm off for maternity leave. I work full time and am only able to study a few hours a night and half a day on weekends. I often wish I could just quit my job and study full time.
Any parents out there had the opportunity to study while on leave with a brand new baby? I keep hearing from some friends that they were 'bored' during their time off so I figured it'd be a great time to study all day but I also hear new babies typically take over your entire life :-P
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I am not a mother, but I do have a one-week old niece and a 2 year old nephew who I've been close to since he was born. They live across the street from me, so its constant interaction. I'll start off by saying that you can do anything you set your mind to! Mothers are amazing, its seems as though some of them have superpowers. Every person is different so what you'll be able to do may be different that what another new mother can do. A few things to think about:
That being said, you definitely can make time to study and make studying a priority with a new baby. If you have a strong support system around you, even better! But don't get discouraged if you have high hopes for your study schedule and it doesn't go as planned. Focus on yours and your baby's health and take it from there. Listen to your body. I'm sure you will hear people on both sides. I did a bit a research on having a new born just before L1, as well as having a baby during L1/2/3. I'm 30, my partner and I are ready to start a family so we were trying to decide when it would be "ideal". I heard and read so many extremes, ultimately I came to the conclusion that it comes down to the individual and their unique circumstance.
Good luck to you and congratulations on your growing family!
Not a mom but a cancer survivor. I would say to take it easy on yourself during this time. Listen to your body and mind when you truly just need a break from studying. I remember after my second surgery (first one was impossible to do anything. I had severe muscle damage and was in constant pain 24/7 so studying was out the window lol) I was so pumped that it went way smoother than the first so I wanted to jump back into studying but that's simply not possible after going through something like this. I would say the same for child birth. These three months with your new born are precious and something you can't re-live. Cherish it and focus most of your energy and time on the baby. I don't think you'll regret it. Also mad props for becoming a future law student while being a mom! Truly inspirational.
Also I'm not saying you have to leave studying entirely. I would definitely continue studying and reviewing key concepts etc to keep your mind sharp. But I wouldn't do so intensely.
Congratulations first of all! I am not a mother yet but my husband and I do want to start trying but I am putting that on hold because I am trying my best to get this test done and over with unfortunately I didn't do so well in December 2017 so I decided not to rush it. I wanted to get into Law School by this fall but that didn't happen. But just letting you know you're not alone we're all trying to kill this exam!
PS:I was reading online as well about when is "Ideal time" during law school and they say to just make sure it's not during L1.
Best of Luck to you both!
Not a mom -but I second the time /preg. brain thing .
I do know a few friends who did post grad preg. and with kids and for them it worked out better they were used to staying up so it made studying easier.
Have faith- but don't push yourself so much. I went through something that pushed my study schedule off and post poned my entry into law school.
Respect and honour YOUR process - I try not to compare myself to people that already got in; what will happen will happen ( this is probably the hardest thing for me) and I'm sure most of us.
The whole pregnancy thing and law school is something I think offices/schools need to adapt to so moms don't feel like they are at a disadvantage especially if money is tight. In my ideal world lol.
Wishing you the best luck
You know what! That WAS my goal. Until I had the baby - which was my first. The being up every 2-3 hours constantly completely altered my plans. Not only did that not happen, it took the entire 6 weeks to get back to normal again. The 6 weeks flew by so fast. I also wasn't the most motivated person on the planet at that point, so you have a much stronger chance of focusing. Good luck!!
Sorry - I should have elaborated. I think you definitely can do it if you have the focus and motivation. I chose sleep over everything.
I can study a lot easier now. Once you get a rhythm down, it gets easier and you get a good routine down.
haha! Thats exactly what I was thinking until people told me how bored they were.. I guess I'll have to wait and see .... maybe the baby gods will send me a super easy baby that will start sleeping through the night after two weeks then I'll have a chance lol.
Luckily I do get bored super easily ... this pregnancy has been a lesson in forcing myself to take it easy so hopefully I'll have the energy to study when baby is asleep
I think it's a great idea to have a goal and something besides baby/housework to put your mind on and your energy into when you have the time. @LivingThatLSATdream has given some great advice and brought up some very valid points. Be mindful, keep a balance and don't pressure yourself. Allow LSAT study to be a positive mental focus. You will go through so many changes as a new mother. Besides the new demands, I can say that sleep depravation will probably create a real challenge in critical thinking and ability to focus. But honestly, this is likely going to be the case for you, along with many other distractions, until your child grows up and leaves the house. There is doubtfully going to be a perfect situation for studying, ever ...post children. LOL.
You can do anything that you put your mind to. Just believe it!
Hey! Good luck!
When I had my second I stayed home for a few months and thought I would start studying for the LSAT while she napped on me. She was such a good baby and she napped so much that I thought why not? Well, it didn't work out. I bought a book from the bookstore and honestly, it bored me and was just too much for me to handle and understand. I gave up studying for it fairly quickly because I was in "mommy" mode and just wanted to be with my little baby in every sense even while she napped. My little girl is now 5! Ha! And I really miss those days she nursed and napped on me any time she wanted.
Anywhoo, that's not to say that your experience will be the same but I would definitely go into it with eyes wide open. Babies are all different and your recovery and emotions will be different than anyone else's. Wishing you the best!
yea I can definitely see that happening to me .... I need to talk to al my friends who got 'bored' and see how they did it lol
Also you may be bored but will you be in the right mind to study for the LSAT? Those two I don't think necessarily go together. I def was not in the right mind to study for this test back then - even now! lol!
lol I'm always in the mind to study ... working a job you hate will do that to you lol