Fiancee says kids or law school - pick ONE - advice please

[upgrade]

My UG GPA is quite terrible, 2.5-2.6. My LSAT practice is not great, 157, but that was the first and only shot at it. I wanted to take a Testmasters course to see if I can get that in the mid-160s. If I can't get into the 160s for the real deal, I'll probably be forced to abandon this adventure.

157 is a decent diagnostic.  I don't know if a Testmasters course is necessary, you could probably get the score you need by buying the Powerscore LR/LG bibles and some practice tests.  It would save you $1000 to at least try self-study out first.

Which was your most difficult section on the test?

[Cabra]

My UG GPA is quite terrible, 2.5-2.6. My LSAT practice is not great, 157, but that was the first and only shot at it. I wanted to take a Testmasters course to see if I can get that in the mid-160s. If I can't get into the 160s for the real deal, I'll probably be forced to abandon this adventure.

157 is a decent diagnostic.  I don't know if a Testmasters course is necessary, you could probably get the score you need by buying the Powerscore LR/LG bibles and some practice tests.  It would save you $1000 to at least try self-study out first.

Which was your most difficult section on the test?

157 is definitely a decent diagnostic, but I disagree with the advice--taking a course is very, very helpful even if you're starting pretty high. Given the difference I high LSAT makes in where you get accepted and the kind of scholarships you get, the $1000 you pay testmasters often pays for itself and then some.

It might help you and your fiancee if you work out specifically how much debt, at what rate, various ways to pay it off, how long, etc, and help her understand that educational debt is not the same as any other kind--the bank doesn't look at it as a negative. Sounds like she doesn't like risk (even a small one) and knowing more might help her feel more comfortable.

Also, have a kid now! It might help if you're working for those first birth and baby expenses.

Good luck!

[Basscadet]

My UG GPA is quite terrible, 2.5-2.6. My LSAT practice is not great, 157, but that was the first and only shot at it. I wanted to take a Testmasters course to see if I can get that in the mid-160s. If I can't get into the 160s for the real deal, I'll probably be forced to abandon this adventure.

157 is a decent diagnostic.  I don't know if a Testmasters course is necessary, you could probably get the score you need by buying the Powerscore LR/LG bibles and some practice tests.  It would save you $1000 to at least try self-study out first.

Which was your most difficult section on the test?

Games were my most difficult.  I hear you on the self-study/cost savings. But to be honest, I'm not a gambling man and I want the highest score possible.

The fiancee is very risk-adverse, and she questions if I'm too old to start racking up all this school debt. I've tried to show her realistic debt-payment schedules based on conservative salary estimates...it still scares her senseless, almost to the point she might hit the eject button.  Law school or fiancee? Yikes!

[upgrade]

Games were my most difficult.  I hear you on the self-study/cost savings. But to be honest, I'm not a gambling man and I want the highest score possible.

The fiancee is very risk-adverse, and she questions if I'm too old to start racking up all this school debt. I've tried to show her realistic debt-payment schedules based on conservative salary estimates...it still scares her senseless, almost to the point she might hit the eject button.  Law school or fiancee? Yikes!

If she is going to ditch you because she lacks faith in you, I think you are better off.  You said you had been planning to do this for a long time, did she not know about this?  You do have a year to save up before you enter school as well.

As far as games, I think practicing on old tests, after you read the basics in the LG Bible is your best bet.  I missed half the questions on my first LG section, after a week of doing 30-40 logic games each day, I was easily completing 4 game sections in less than 35 minutes.  In any case, don't expect a class to do the work for you, you are still going to have to spend a considerable amount of time preparing to get your money's worth.

Good luck!

[Basscadet]

Games were my most difficult.  I hear you on the self-study/cost savings. But to be honest, I'm not a gambling man and I want the highest score possible.

The fiancee is very risk-adverse, and she questions if I'm too old to start racking up all this school debt. I've tried to show her realistic debt-payment schedules based on conservative salary estimates...it still scares her senseless, almost to the point she might hit the eject button.  Law school or fiancee? Yikes!

If she is going to ditch you because she lacks faith in you, I think you are better off.  You said you had been planning to do this for a long time, did she not know about this?  You do have a year to save up before you enter school as well.

As far as games, I think practicing on old tests, after you read the basics in the LG Bible is your best bet.  I missed half the questions on my first LG section, after a week of doing 30-40 logic games each day, I was easily completing 4 game sections in less than 35 minutes.  In any case, don't expect a class to do the work for you, you are still going to have to spend a considerable amount of time preparing to get your money's worth.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for all your advice.  We're both seeing therapists and it could very well be that we are not going to be together in the long run.   I'd really prefer to be with someone who can believe that a 34 year old guy with an OK head on his shoulders can balance law school and a family.

[MahlerGrooves]

Thank you so much for all your advice.  We're both seeing therapists and it could very well be that we are not going to be together in the long run.   I'd really prefer to be with someone who can believe that a 34 year old guy with an OK head on his shoulders can balance law school and a family.

THAT's the truth.  If she doesn't have your back regarding your goals/dreams, then maybe it isn't worth it.  My fiancee is thrilled for me, even going so far as to take a lesser prestige but higher paying job after she graduates to support me while I'm in school.

[Basscadet]

How old are you and your fiance? She is ok with the debt load you will be taking on?

Thank you so much for all your advice.  We're both seeing therapists and it could very well be that we are not going to be together in the long run.   I'd really prefer to be with someone who can believe that a 34 year old guy with an OK head on his shoulders can balance law school and a family.

THAT's the truth.  If she doesn't have your back regarding your goals/dreams, then maybe it isn't worth it.  My fiancee is thrilled for me, even going so far as to take a lesser prestige but higher paying job after she graduates to support me while I'm in school.

[MahlerGrooves]

How old are you and your fiance? She is ok with the debt load you will be taking on?

Thank you so much for all your advice.  We're both seeing therapists and it could very well be that we are not going to be together in the long run.   I'd really prefer to be with someone who can believe that a 34 year old guy with an OK head on his shoulders can balance law school and a family.

THAT's the truth.  If she doesn't have your back regarding your goals/dreams, then maybe it isn't worth it.  My fiancee is thrilled for me, even going so far as to take a lesser prestige but higher paying job after she graduates to support me while I'm in school.

I am 24 and she is turning 29 in May.  She will be graduating pharmacy school in a year, and she is serious about helping me with debt and moving wherever I want for a job/clerkship.

[Basscadet]

Thank you so much for all your advice.  We're both seeing therapists and it could very well be that we are not going to be together in the long run.   I'd really prefer to be with someone who can believe that a 34 year old guy with an OK head on his shoulders can balance law school and a family.

THAT's the truth.  If she doesn't have your back regarding your goals/dreams, then maybe it isn't worth it.  My fiancee is thrilled for me, even going so far as to take a lesser prestige but higher paying job after she graduates to support me while I'm in school.

Are you willing to give up your dream of law school for your fiancee? 

That is the million dollar question. Either answer I can give is horrible.

[tmeacham]

People definitely are different.  My wife and I are..."old school" despite being 26 and 27 respectively.  She worked for about 1.5 years after finishing her degree, when she quit to raise our first child.  Since then we've lived on what I could make during the school year and during summers, and we've added another child to the mix.  I got my first student loans this year, just the subsidized ones.

In looking at our options for law school, we've been very concerned about debt.  At some schools I've been admitted to, I'm sure we'd have well over $100,000 which for us is astronomical.  We have one 10-year old car, we don't eat out much, I don't even have a cellphone (and probably won't for another 4 years at this rate), and no cable TV.  So I can understand debt concerns.  Although, we've fared very well thus far.

As for a biological clock...37 is definitely ticking.  I believe after 35 years old, every pregnancy is technically considered high risk.  I'll invoke the Mayo Clinic and WebMD on this one.  Google it, folks.  So I can understand her concern there too.

If you want to have kids and go to law school while maintaining your current standard of living, that might be tough, especially if she wants to stay at home afterwards.  OK, it's impossible.  But if you are both willing to scale back on operating expenses (as we call them) you can do it.  Standard of living is hardly the most important thing in the world.

I was trying to give advice with all that, but I suppose I know far too little about your relationship give any real advice.  I think it is very unlikely that she is concerned about your ability to handle it all.  Does she think any other guy could pull it off easily?  I seriously doubt it.  Your ability is not what's bothering her.  She wants to have some kids and doesn't like the idea of $50,000 worth of debt that she can't live in at age 37.

And I can obviously understand your desire to be a lawyer and your willingness to take on a certain degree of debt to make it happen.  But in the end, it will require you both to make sacrifices.  Kids can be amazingly tough, if my 2.5 year old is any indication, but they are worth making sacrifices. 

You know your situation and relationship much better than I do, so maybe some of the above applies, maybe not.  I wish you both well.