From the Single Mom's Law School Experience, then "Almost Attorney" to FINALLY an Esquire!: Music while studying...

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Music while studying...

I got the following comment recently:

Hey Lisa!

This is totally off topic, lol! I'm getting ready to start classes in a week or two and I really want to put a ton of classical music on my iPod as well . . . can you recommend any songs or artists that were good for you while you studied?

First, let me say that my ipod looks like a music store exploded in it. I love music. For me, I found that if I could sing along, I got distracted....which led me interestingly enough.....to Italian opera! Can't understand a darn thing, because I don't speak the language, I really don't hum a long like I would to Mozart, but it's noise and it, for the most part is peaceful..... Pavoratti, The Three Tenors, and of course Bochelli! that made me expand more into German opera to Wagner, Debussy and others. I like the swells and emotion, but I can't understand a darn thing....AND the beat is not predictable so I don't try to tap my fingers, swing my foot, or tap my pencil on the table to the beat--- therefore annoying everyone else around me.

I also picked up this great classical CD at WalMart for 5.98 that had Mozart's greatest.

And you know, it's not a silly question! As single parents, we need noise to study I think. We are use to the racquet and silence = child getting into something they are not suppose to! Libraries drove me nuts if I was not listening to something.

BTW: to the poster -- I am excited for you! This journey is going to be awesome for you. I am small parts jealous because I loved law school so much. And that first year is a wild ride of ups and downs and new discoveries. Good luck! AND PLEASE, let me know your thoughts and impressions.

2 comments:

AnonymousAugust 11, 2010 at 7:09 PM
I'm a bit late, but thank you for turning my question into a post!!!! And thank you for the music suggestions and the good luck wishes! This fall is going to be VERY hard . . . besides the single mom thing, i'll be commuting one hour and fifteen minutes south to school. Every day. Just say a little prayer for me if you don't mind, lol :)
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LisaAugust 11, 2010 at 7:19 PM
I will pray for you! You will be fine, I have no doubt. One thing for that travel time... from your law library, you should be able to check out Sum & Substance CD's that will review your core subjects. I had a friend commuting about that distance, and that is what she did. She rocked her first year exams.
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FAQ

Lots of people ask me: how do you do it? How do you attend law school and raise a child alone? My answer is simply that you prioritize. You approach school as an 8 to 5 job. I take Friday evenings and Saturday's off. Study a bit on Sundays. For me this works. It means not being a part of the "social" things at school, and that time between your classes is in the library studying. But that's okay. You will have different goals then the students who are single with no children.

How do you afford it? Student loans........yes, you heard me. My reasoning is that my earning capacity will double, but likely triple, which means that I can afford to take on the debt to pay for a better future for my daughter and I.

Does you daughter resent you studying? No. Sometimes she gets frustrated, but she really does understand the bigger picture. She is my biggest supporter. I have learned to include her by taking her to class with me when I can, by having her help me study with flash cards, and by taking her to appropriate events at school. In fact, I did an incoming student panel one year, and the administration of the school had her speak as well. We are a team, and that includes this journey.