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[final_id]

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[saradsun]

Welcome from another oldie. *wave*

[Special Agent Dana Scully]

I dunno any answers to any of those questions. I'm 41. Are the two related?

In 1988 I got a "perfect score" on the Logical Reasoning (aka "logic games") section of the GRE -- yup, a perfect 800, 99+% -- but now that I'm "studying" for the LSAT, my WORST section is Logic Games. It's one of those things where, either you know that you have the right answer, or you know that you DON'T KNOW the right answer. But in the last eight games that I've tried -- comprising two different fully timed sections, at a test-prep center -- I've known literally zero answers. Eek. What happened? Is this a usual thing for "oldsters," the ability to "keep it in your head" sneaks away? I always "get" the game, when I either (a) have the time to figure it out or (b) have it explained to me or (c) read an explanation. But right now I'm not "getting" it ON MY OWN in a TIMED CIRCUMSTANCE, although I USED to do quite well at that. Eek again. I think I'm more concerned about the rapid and precipitous change itself, than I am about the raw score.

So I was originally thinking of staying here in my home town because I could live with family -- Tulane, Loyola (New Orleans), hopefully not Southern (what is its real name, Southern University in New Orleans? something, it's low low low tier), maybe commute to Baton Rouge for LSU. But then  I talked with mommy and daddy about funding (don't you just love permanent non-repayable loans from parents?) and it seems they might be more supportive of me attending a higher-tier school than those choices. So I haven't looked around. I can build a pretty good case for me being a First Amendment / Free Press advocate (experience in publishing, journalism, blah blah) or, by extension, Intellectual Property. But I don't know what I "want" any more than an average undergrad does, since I don't actually KNOW what you "do all day" as such-and-so a type of lawyer.

My grades and undergrad record are great, my LSAT USED to be good (though it is now plummetting, see above ...), but my recommendations are garbage. I keep getting fired from my work for "failing to fit in" or "not being happy here" -- read, I am not challenged by idiot-proof work! -- so I can't rely on anyone writing anything good about me from the last fifteen years.

I guess that makes me a "non-traditional" student. Any thoughts?

while i'm not a non trad student, i just want to say that the Logic Games Bible is a great help...you should look into it.

[papercranes]

Hey there UofTer.

[saradsun]

I had a bit of a freak out today. When I started this, all I wanted was to go to University of Nebraska. Now I'm thinking moving my family might actually be possible. So of course, I want to shoot for Harvard. Yeah, no middle ground between U of Neb (#79) and Harvard. LOL. 

[wellpreserved]

Hi there!

I'm in the process of kicking LG's butt and properly taking its name. I'll let you know how that goes.

Welcome to the saner side of LSD. What are your motivations for going to LS? What are your major considerations in choosing a school?

And, finally, nice to know I'm not the only one with a "spotty" work history. I've been told more times than I care to remember that I just don't fit in at a particular place. With age I've come to understand that to be a compliment. Have you SEEN the people that "fit in"?! 

Thank God I figured out that having a little autonomy is important to me and that it doesn't make me a egomaniac. I just think I can usually figure it out better by myself. 

[saradsun]

Well now I'm fantasizing about T14 + Texas. More specifically, harvard (dream school), virginia, michigan, boalt, and duke.   I'm still trending upward on my scores and with 5 weeks before the test, I'm hoping that trend continues. I'm shooting for a 172, but would be pleased with a 170, somewhat content with a 168. And only really need a 165 to achieve my original goal, $$ from UNL. Though I'm not an URM, I think my personal statement will be pretty strong.

I think Lawrence is a kickass town, but I really don't think I'd uproot my family unless I was "for real" going to a top 10 school. I'll probably apply there though.

My musings are further complicated by the fact that my 2 oldest children would likely choose to stay here, with my ex-husband. I'd miss out on a lot. But I'd be providing more options for my 3 youngest children. But I'd be leaving the family support of my parents and inlaws. But they might leave here anyway when they retire.

ARRGGH!!

Aren't you glad you asked?

[saradsun]

Yes, I have a tag along partner who is very excited about the prospect of moving. He's a bit younger than me and hasn't been away from home much. I'm not too interested in NYC or Chicago or D.C. I've been to SF and to Boston, so I know I like those areas. I can't see Ann Arbor or C-ville as too much different than Lincoln, NE (100-200K college town) so those would likely be comfy fits too. My dh is a linux/novell administrator with 7+ years of network admin experience at a company with over 500 employees so I hope he can be pretty mobile.

The older kids who would stay have lives here, friends, boyfriends, school activities, that they aren't interested in uprooting, regardless of where I pick. But they are also supportive. They will have my ex and my parents for support, so though we'd all miss each other, I believe they'd still have the support they need to finish out high school (and prepare for college) successively.

co-eds, can't help you. some of the "kids" taking the test are just 5-6 years older than my oldest child. So... ewwww!

distractions, sorry no advice there either. I study at home, and at the library. With 5 kids, I'm pretty good at staying on task through distractions.

short term memory, I've noticed some pretty good ability increases as I've studied over the last 5 weeks. My brain cells seem to be retraining themselves away from babytalk and back to getting to work.

As to my WHY. I had always planned on going to law school. I just kept getting interrupted by the births of my first 3 kids. Then I got into the tech craze in the late 90's and spent 5 years doing that. I'm good at "playing the game" and usually just end up quitting a job that I'm unhappy in before I burn my bridges. But this summer, with my youngest over 18 months, I went to start to look for jobs, and there is just nothing that was interesting to me that also actually paid enough to 1) pay for daycare and/or 2) paid enough to justify the inconvenience of not having a parent home. With 5 kids, you have to get paid pretty well to justify that inconvenience! (as MBW knows). And so when I was brainstorming about what to do with the rest of my life, it occurred to me that I could go back to my original plan and go to law school. And it all snowballed from there. I had this revelation first week in July, got my study materials by the 3rd of 4th week in July, and here we are.

Sorry for the semi-hijack of your thread final_id

[wellpreserved]

I find that in my work situations, people who are dumber, less capable, and more poorly educated than me, nevertheless also have some kind of "certificate" (usually in something lame, like "word processing" or "website content") that places them one or two tiers above me; subsequently, idiots above me note that I am capable yet uncertified, and this offends them (since those certifications and consequent abilities were so hard for THEM to come by) and they lash out by making my work situations counter-productive. To put it simply: Petty little tyrants who don't like smart folk. So I end up with the best brain in the office, doing the worst work; soon enough I "don't fit in" or am "not happy here" and some distant director-type thinks "he doesn't value the money we're giving him" or "he isn't committed." And because I'm low-down the totem pole, I never GET UP to where my abilities COULD be demonstrated. With a law degree I get to either (a) be supervised by smarter people who don't RESENT but rather VALUE productivity, ability, etc.; or (b) parachute in at a higher level than the grunt-work which has thus far stymied me.

I know this workplace hell hole of which you speak.

My epiphany came when a kindly old man in HR at my most recent company looked at me and said, "the real problem is you're underemployed" in response to my most recent run-in with a manager who thought me "uppity". Granted, I was necessary to her survival and she didn't want me fired or anything because I do the work well and have no real issues but could he just un-uppityfy me.

Yep.

I'm thinking of starting a club for folks like myself. Sure, we'll be hated and will probably even hate each other but it would at least be less vomit inducing that having to interact with dummies all day.

[BlueWhite]

I think the Bibles are cheapest off the Powerscore website, but Amazon is a great place to get Preptests (both individually and in books of 10).