Nice problem to have, right? $4,000+ to spend on my education, this year, & gut says

[Slobodon]

Employer pays $5,000/yr. The tuition assistance program.
NWCU School of Law - just started- will eat up most of that, next year- 2018.

Feeling swamped, already, I meant these first two weeks of first-year law studies, to which I was admitted, even though I have not completed my undergraduate degree, as yet, because I do have enough credits to have entered into NwCU.

The plan had been to use the money this year in order to pay for classes at the University that will confirm my undergraduate degree, once I'm completed with that, which is Bellevue University, but I am feeling so behind and that I will not have enough time to study law, such that I may not pass the baby bar, which I must pass in June of 2018, in order to continue in the program, that I would be short-changing myself, for the longer run, if I do not just attend to my law studies, because that is going to be more important.

I am thinking that once I get used to the rigor of law studies that perhaps in the second or third year I can go ahead do the general education requirements either in online classes via Bellevue University or spend the time to take the clips or DSS T's, even though those are not paid for out of tuition assistance, and thereby finish up the JD and the undergraduate degree which will be in banking at about the same time.

Thank you to any who read this far, and then I advise you might offer. My feeling is that I need to take my time on the thing that will be most important and most visible to my employer towards my getting to the next position, in a few years, should I be able to do it in the minimum time available through nwcu, and bypassing all the bar exams.

Any feedback, advice, or insults are appreciated.

[Slobodon]

Thread title was supposed to say that my gut tells me to leave it sitting on the table...

[cookderosa]

Employer pays $5,000/yr. The tuition assistance program.
NWCU School of Law - just started- will eat up most of that, next year- 2018.

Feeling swamped, already, I meant these first two weeks of first-year law studies, to which I was admitted, even though I have not completed my undergraduate degree, as yet, because I do have enough credits to have entered into NwCU.

The plan had been to use the money this year in order to pay for classes at the University that will confirm my undergraduate degree, once I'm completed with that, which is Bellevue University, but I am feeling so behind and that I will not have enough time to study law, such that I may not pass the baby bar, which I must pass in June of 2018, in order to continue in the program, that I would be short-changing myself, for the longer run, if I do not just attend to my law studies, because that is going to be more important.

I am thinking that once I get used to the rigor of law studies that perhaps in the second or third year I can go ahead do the general education requirements either in online classes via Bellevue University or spend the time to take the clips or DSS T's, even though those are not paid for out of tuition assistance, and thereby finish up the JD and the undergraduate degree which will be in banking at about the same time.

Thank you to any who read this far, and then I advise you might offer. My feeling is that I need to take my time on the thing that will be most important and most visible to my employer towards my getting to the next position, in a few years, should I be able to do it in the minimum time available through nwcu, and bypassing all the bar exams.

Any feedback, advice, or insults are appreciated.

No insults, but based on your projected schedule, it's only going to become more demanding as time goes on. My advice is to do everything within your power to finish your Bellevue degree now- if something terrible happened and you didn't finish law school, you'd be without both degrees.

[dfrecore]

I agree with cookderosa, it doesn't make a lot of sense to bypass a Bachelor's degree (which your employer will pay for) which it seems you're already having a hard time coping with, only to go into a more rigorous program next year. What makes you think it's going to get better? My guess is, it's only going to get worse. Harder. More rigorous. And the 2nd year of law school is not supposed to be easier than the first. Here's the adage I've always seen:

1st year they scare you to death
2nd year they work you to death
3rd year they bore you to death

I would advise you to complete your bachelor's degree this year. THEN, focus on your law degree.

[Slobodon]

Thank you

Too late, I guess

I've already started the first year of law school at NWCU

I guess the die is cast...

Work like hell and pass...not giving up on the u/g degree, at all, but, there's time and plenty of options for capping off the tiny trickle of remaining gen ed and electives, in order to have it officially conferred, when I can, while the law degree can really move me up the ladder, in the interim

I appreciate your feedback

I'm so close to the end w/ Bellevue, which is why I'm not sweating it, as much

[KayV]

Good luck, OP.

[Slobodon]

Thank you, very much, all.

[Slobodon]

Employer pays $5,000/yr. The tuition assistance program.
NWCU School of Law - just started- will eat up most of that, next year- 2018.

Feeling swamped, already, I meant these first two weeks of first-year law studies, to which I was admitted, even though I have not completed my undergraduate degree, as yet, because I do have enough credits to have entered into NwCU.

The plan had been to use the money this year in order to pay for classes at the University that will confirm my undergraduate degree, once I'm completed with that, which is Bellevue University, but I am feeling so behind and that I will not have enough time to study law, such that I may not pass the baby bar, which I must pass in June of 2018, in order to continue in the program, that I would be short-changing myself, for the longer run, if I do not just attend to my law studies, because that is going to be more important.

I am thinking that once I get used to the rigor of law studies that perhaps in the second or third year I can go ahead do the general education requirements either in online classes via Bellevue University or spend the time to take the clips or DSS T's, even though those are not paid for out of tuition assistance, and thereby finish up the JD and the undergraduate degree which will be in banking at about the same time.

Thank you to any who read this far, and then I advise you might offer. My feeling is that I need to take my time on the thing that will be most important and most visible to my employer towards my getting to the next position, in a few years, should I be able to do it in the minimum time available through nwcu, and bypassing all the bar exams.

Any feedback, advice, or insults are appreciated.

No insults, but based on your projected schedule, it's only going to become more demanding as time goes on.  My advice is to do everything within your power to finish your Bellevue degree now- if something terrible happened and you didn't finish law school, you'd be without both degrees.

I was let go from my job. I job-searched, finding a job on the admin side of law enforcement (which is a change - I was in banking). I moved my start-date at Northwestern California University (my non-ABA-accredited "correspondence" (the oldest of its kind) law school) School of Law back, eventually, a full year. I just finished my first year, by the skin of my teeth. Now, I'm preparing for the the purportedly extremely difficult (80% fail-rate for all takers, both first-time and returning) First-Year Law Student Exam (FYLSE), also known as the "Baby Bar."

---

I agree with cookderosa, it doesn't make a lot of sense to bypass a Bachelor's degree (which your employer will pay for) which it seems you're already having a hard time coping with, only to go into a more rigorous program next year.  What makes you think it's going to get better?  My guess is, it's only going to get worse.  Harder.  More rigorous.  And the 2nd year of law school is not supposed to be easier than the first.  Here's the adage I've always seen:

1st year they scare you to death
2nd year they work you to death
3rd year they bore you to death

I would advise you to complete your bachelor's degree this year.  THEN, focus on your law degree.

I appreciate the suggestion.

It didn't work out, that way; that employer is mine, no longer, but, I actually work in an area (admin side of law enforcement - a la jails, statewide - I'm now a state employee) that dovetails to my main interest which is criminal law.

I finished out year one of non-ABA-accredited law school via Northwestern California University School of Law (the oldest "correspondence" law school in the country), if just barely (w/ the natural conflict of work, family, and the intervening instability of a spate of time w/o a job), and now prepare for the 80%-fail-rate First Year Law Student Exam (or "Baby Bar").

I'll definitely finish out the u/g degree, but, the law degree will mean more to me, now, job-wise, than even the banking u/g degree that my former employer was paying for would've meant to them, back then.

Thank you for your advice, though.