Retaking LSAT working part time vs. quitting job

[LawSchoolCutie]

Hello wonderful LSDers,

I was hoping you all could weigh in on a decision that I am trying to make. I scored a 147 on my LSAT recentely and I am going to take another year to retake the test and apply for the 2007-2008 Fall cycle. I'm working full time right now at a great firm and my contract ends in July. I want to take the September 2007 LSAT and I would like to know if I should:

A) ask my bosses to give me part time work from the months of July-September and then go back full time until Law School, even though I need to score very well on this test (Do you think this option would be jepordizing my chances?) or

B) quit the job in July and have those months to completely dedicate to the LSAT but then be floating around for the next 8 months until law school which I won't have any savings or income and I hate living at home.

If you guys reply ill forever be grateful. It would make my Christmas.

[KingJamesFan]

I'd vote for a. if you study 24/7 for that long, you're liable to burn out. this way you'll have money and employement until law school, and with part time, you ought to be able to study sufficently, assuming a very basic level of time management skills.

good luck!

[Ersatz]

You want to make a jump from a highest 152 in practice to a 165 on the real thing. That's aiming high (though not to say that it can't be done).

I would really suggest option A. You are not going to be studying for the LSAT 24/7, if only because there's really not enough questions from the past tests to keep up that level of study for more than a month. Go for the part-time job, and aim to have about 30-40 hours or so per week to study for the LSAT (sorry, there goes your weekend). Keeping your job will help you financially, of course, but it will also be something to take your mind off of the LSAT - otherwise, that's going to be the only thing on your mind for those few months, which is not going to help.

Are you planning to take an LSAT course, or just self-study?

[LawSchoolCutie]

Thank you thank you for the replies! I am planning to take a Blueprint class. I took a testmasters class and it didn't help at all. I think barely understood what i learned in retrospect.

[Ersatz]

That's curious. What kind of a TM class was it - that is, how many weeks was the course?

Did you go through the homeworks, jams, etc. that they provide?

[LawSchoolCutie]

I was working full time and it made me very tired. I went to class from 6-10 and I was falling asleep. Hence my apprehension at working part time while going hardcore on the studying thing. I had a 3 month testmasters course. My instructor taught us well but I never had time for the homework

[KingJamesFan]

how many hours would part time be?

[LawSchoolCutie]

it would be about 20-25 a week

[KingJamesFan]

So even if you assume 30-40 hrs of studying a week, you're only talking about 60 hrs/wk of commitments. It won't be the most fun thing you've ever done, but its definitely doable, and you won't have the time issues you did while working full time as long as you're careful.

[LawSchoolCutie]

Okay I'll go ahead and ask my boss when I get back to work. I'm sure they will be thrilled with the idea. I hate living at home. So boring and no money coming in. It would give me  great chance to get in shape if I had no job for a year but I guess saving for law school is much more important. Thanks for the feedback. Please keep it coming!