I took a practice test this am and did amazing! Well, amazing for me. See, I took the LSAT in December and didn't do so great (142) BUT, I took it on a whim. I wasn't sure if I was really going to go to law school (the whole single mom quiting her job thing...) and I didn't really take it seriously, I only took one practice test and I only read the LSAT Super prep book. If you think of it on that level, the Dec. LSAT was really only my second "practice" test. I want my June score to be 163+ (for scholarship reasons) My practice test today was...160!! I got an almost perfect score on the logic games section (which I didn't do so great on in Dec.) which is what I have been really concentrating on. I am planning to study the Logical Reasoning and Reading Comp sections more this weekend and try to pull 2-3 practice tests between now and Monday morning (this is my kid free weekend) and work on getting the score up even more.
I am so excited that this is actually working, that my studying is actually paying off. The only way that I can make school work is to get a big scholarship and then use loans for living expenses. I keep telling myself that succeeding at this means that my income level will increase (even with a low paying law-job, my income is not fabulous) and this will all be worth the effort (but it is still hard to swallow--quiting work on a maybe...) If my practice tests are any indication it looks like I might be going to law school in the near future!
(BTW: I do know that I can work while going to law school BUT I won't be able to do my current job--it is completely inflexible and they are very dependent on me to be here every day (since I am their only full time employee!))
Showing posts with label single mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label single mom. Show all posts
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A little intro
I sometimes wonder if I am completely nuts. Usually my 13 year old DD grounds me with comments like: "Yes, Mom, you are!" This time? She decides to tell me that she "cannot change what is or is not my destiny, she can only support my choices"--since when did she get so smart?
Here is all the crazy intro info: I had a pretty good future back in the day--graduated a semester early from HS, went to college early--planned to become a hotshot photojournalist the likes of which you'd see in National Geographic. What happened? First semester of college I discovered that I was pregnant. I love my daughter BUT I did have to make some concessions to make life work. Her Dad and I share custody and I (never learning from my mistakes) was still a bit of a wild child at 23, went to a friends "leaving for law school party"...little did I know that the party would lead to....my son--yup--I am the single mother of 2! At some point in those 9 months I realized that I needed to get my act together and start acting like a good parental figure, a good role model and so forth--shortly after I had my son I went back to school. So ten years after I received my HS diploma I received my BS in Marketing--unfortunately a BS in Marketing is just that in today's economy--BS!
Post high school I worked at various optical retailers just making a living until something better came along--here I am 13 years later and I am still working at an optical store, selling glasses and fixing oozing glasses (yes, glasses CAN ooze!) Last year a friend put a bug in my ear about law school. At first I thought she was crazy and brushed it off. Then I started looking at law school websites and reading blogs. Then I applied for and received the LSAC fee waiver and it's been all downhill from there! I am not trying to get into a Tier 1 school--I just want to go to THE only law school in my local geographic area and that is where all my indecision and current craziness starts.
I want something better for my family and I, I think I would do well in law--would love to do some type of child advocacy, family law, domestic violence type work eventually--that kind of stuff fascinates me. I think I could manage the work some days but others I wonder. I know a current 1L, going to the school I am hoping to attend, and I have barely heard from him in the last 6 weeks--he doesn't even have time for a 5 minute phone call AND he is single and doesn't have any kids to chase around.
My biggest indecision stems from the idea of what I have to do to go to law school. Due to my current work schedule and flexibility issues with my current employer--I will have to quit my current job. AND looking at my friend, who also doesn't have a job, I think how could I even possibly attempt this with a job--how could I even possibly attempt this with 2 kids (they are 8 and 13 but still...)--how could I possibly attempt this after being out of school for so long? What am I thinking-am I completely crazy? If I go to law school I will begin paving the way from my families future--I will be happier in a law career, I will be able to support us better with a larger income (which, trust me, even on the lowest end of the pay scale, has to be better than what I am doing now), I will love my job if I get to help others who are living through situations that I have survived myself--how gratifying will that be?? BUT I have to get through 3 years of hell getting there--working my butt off for 3 years, studying and reading constantly--barely being available to my kids, stressed constantly...well, in reality those issues aren't a ton different now! I am constantly stressed due to money, work issues, I work a lot of inflexible hours. The only difference will be the school work....
Maybe I am crazy, but I am thinking it's going to be worth it!
Here is all the crazy intro info: I had a pretty good future back in the day--graduated a semester early from HS, went to college early--planned to become a hotshot photojournalist the likes of which you'd see in National Geographic. What happened? First semester of college I discovered that I was pregnant. I love my daughter BUT I did have to make some concessions to make life work. Her Dad and I share custody and I (never learning from my mistakes) was still a bit of a wild child at 23, went to a friends "leaving for law school party"...little did I know that the party would lead to....my son--yup--I am the single mother of 2! At some point in those 9 months I realized that I needed to get my act together and start acting like a good parental figure, a good role model and so forth--shortly after I had my son I went back to school. So ten years after I received my HS diploma I received my BS in Marketing--unfortunately a BS in Marketing is just that in today's economy--BS!
Post high school I worked at various optical retailers just making a living until something better came along--here I am 13 years later and I am still working at an optical store, selling glasses and fixing oozing glasses (yes, glasses CAN ooze!) Last year a friend put a bug in my ear about law school. At first I thought she was crazy and brushed it off. Then I started looking at law school websites and reading blogs. Then I applied for and received the LSAC fee waiver and it's been all downhill from there! I am not trying to get into a Tier 1 school--I just want to go to THE only law school in my local geographic area and that is where all my indecision and current craziness starts.
I want something better for my family and I, I think I would do well in law--would love to do some type of child advocacy, family law, domestic violence type work eventually--that kind of stuff fascinates me. I think I could manage the work some days but others I wonder. I know a current 1L, going to the school I am hoping to attend, and I have barely heard from him in the last 6 weeks--he doesn't even have time for a 5 minute phone call AND he is single and doesn't have any kids to chase around.
My biggest indecision stems from the idea of what I have to do to go to law school. Due to my current work schedule and flexibility issues with my current employer--I will have to quit my current job. AND looking at my friend, who also doesn't have a job, I think how could I even possibly attempt this with a job--how could I even possibly attempt this with 2 kids (they are 8 and 13 but still...)--how could I possibly attempt this after being out of school for so long? What am I thinking-am I completely crazy? If I go to law school I will begin paving the way from my families future--I will be happier in a law career, I will be able to support us better with a larger income (which, trust me, even on the lowest end of the pay scale, has to be better than what I am doing now), I will love my job if I get to help others who are living through situations that I have survived myself--how gratifying will that be?? BUT I have to get through 3 years of hell getting there--working my butt off for 3 years, studying and reading constantly--barely being available to my kids, stressed constantly...well, in reality those issues aren't a ton different now! I am constantly stressed due to money, work issues, I work a lot of inflexible hours. The only difference will be the school work....
Maybe I am crazy, but I am thinking it's going to be worth it!
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