LSAT Score: Overrated.

One fallacy I am seeing a lot lately is that those with a bad LSAT score have no business in law school.  I, however, understand that a bad LSAT score does not mean a person is too dumb for law school.  Of course, such an assertion may not be well received.  Many law schools claim to take a "holistic" approach with a law school candidate.  But the truth of the matter is, it all comes down to the LSAT.  It's the world's obsession with standardized tests that is the winner of the day.  Let me just say right now, I believe that the LSAT is a faulty test that only gives into this bastardized-logic about smarter people being better at standardized tests. 

Standardized tests benefit the rich.  They can be gamed, and are easily by those who can afford $1000 for a course that allows them to 'beat' it.  Poorer students don't have the ability to pay the kind of money to compete with a kid that may otherwise have done poor in undergrad and yet was able to afford "test prep."  Let me say this right now: if you can "prepare" for a test in a few weeks by the virtue of having enough money, that test does not show your inherent intelligence.  Instead, it shows that you could afford to take a test and get better at it.  Yet society and it's "conventional wisdom" eats standardized tests up all day long.  And it does nothing for those who are intelligent throughout life but who are not good at these tests.

Standardized tests are highly worthless when compared to a track record of a person.  Yet, a law school weighs an LSAT score higher than an undergraduate GPA.  An undergraduate GPA takes four years to accumulate.  While, taken alone, the undergraduate GPA is not a complete assessment of a person.  However, it's a much better assessment of one's intelligence than any test that can be gamed.

Lately I have seen a lot of people saying that law schools should not admit kids in with an LSAT under 160.  Why is that?  Because those who are buying test prep materials and classes are those who are most likely to score the 160s and up?  I have known many people who do horrible on the LSAT who get top scores in law classes.  The LSAT, my friends, is a worthless test.  It only furthers so-called "conventional wisdom" that says that standardized tests are the only thing that matters and if a person can not do well on a three hour test, than they are not smart.  Yet, reality says the opposite.  There are many individuals who don't score a 160 or higher on an LSAT and who do things with their lives and even their degrees.  Whose the smart one?  A kid who gets a 170 on his LSAT, goes through law school getting mediocre grades (or even above average), and ends up not being able to find work, lamenting his life, or the kid who gets a 152 and lives according to his dreams, even if it means he can't find a legal job?

And yes, I did horrible on my LSAT.  I barely studied though, to be honest.  Further, I think the test conditions were just awful.  That being said, I did how I did.  I could have taken a class and got a 170.  No doubt.  Yet, I know I can do very well in my law classes when I put my mind to it.  I have gotten near the highest grades in some classes (and near the lowest in others, due to not trying).  My LSAT score had nothing to do with it.  It's largely irrelevant.  However, it helps those out who 1.  make money off the LSAT and LSAT prep companies, and 2. fuels the backwards law school rankings that are, frankly, stupid. 

The LSAT "allegedly serves as a standardized measure of one's ability to succeed during law school."  This allegation is FALSE.  Those who do AWESOME PO-POSSOM on the LSAT sometimes blow in law school.  Many of those who do Les Miserables on the LSAT melt faces during law school.  Conventional wisdom once again fails (as it always does).

Derailed at My Law School: Now an eBook through Amazon.com!

Now the story that you saw here, Derailed by My Law School, is available as an eBook though Amazon. 

However, this is not the same exact story.  It has been expanded, edited, and updated, with more material.  Law school is a terrifying place, but for some, the terror is just too much!  If you are a prospective law student, this is the perfect book to get you all jittery about the way you may feel during your third year.

So, if you are looking for a nice read about a student who is just trying to make it through his third year of law school, pick up the book: Derailed at My Law School: The Story of a Terror-Stricken Third Year Law Student.

A Hoax, A Death, and an Archaic Tradition.

I recently heard from a source that the nurse who was assisting the dutchess in England killed herself due to a hoax.  Crazy huh?  Crazy and very, very sad.   And very stupid, on the part of humanity as a whole.  The culture that perpetuates this myth, this HOAX OF HOAXES that someone can truly be better than another by virtue of birth, should be ashamed of itself.  Shame, shame, a thousand shames!

Why did she do herself in though?  Because she told the status of a person who the world seems to (stupidly) think is 'larger than life'?  Are you serious?  So, let me get this straight.  She ended her life because she told a radio DJ the condition of another human being?  Or did she kill herself because she told a radio DJ the condition of a person who is somehow, by marriage to a person that is by birth, greater than you and me? 

I think the idea of royalty is archiac.  To be honest, it's quite amazing that such a thing is still perpetuated.  Given a status by virtue of birth is stupid, pure and simple.  To say that someone's time on this Earth, their status, can be determined by birth, is disgusting to me. 

What if the nurse had been duped into telling the condition of a regular patient?  Would have she felt compelled to end her life?  It's sad, tragic, and horrible that she felt the need to end her life as a result of giving information that was probably, in whole, not a big deal.  So what, the population learned the condition of a person?  Why should have she been compelled to end her life?  Why should people feel the need to put someone on a pedestal as a result of their standing, which was determined by a person's birth (the prince who was born a prince).

I relate this story to the story of my brother in law.  I mentioned him before on this blog.  He exists, in this life, a businessman.  Had he been born from a father who did not start a trucking company, he would not be in his lofty position.  Yet, he is in the position, and he acts as if he is the smartest man alive as a result of his birth.  As if he created the business.  In reality, if he was not born into wealth, he would probably be in jail right now. 

So, I leave this rather disjointed entry asking: "why should a person be more respected than another person just by virtue of birth?"  And, what's the point of obsessing over another human being when you have only one life of your own to live?  Why is there so much adoration for people that, had they not been born in their position, are just the same as you and me?

Derailed at my Law School III: The Dean's Ultimate Revenge

I recently posted a couple of posts, which can be read here.  Please read those first posts before you continue with this, the final chapter of "Derailed at My Law School."

Part I: Derailed at My Law School
Part II:  Return to the Dean

Derailed at My Law School III: The Dean's Ultimate Revenge

As you can imagine, it was very hard for me to sleep after the whole incident that happened the night before at my top 150 ranked law school.  I had indeed told the dean off, but at what cost?  Now I knew that I was in serious trouble.  In fact, I was not sure if I would be kicked out of the school, but the thought had occurred to me.  If I was kicked out how would I survive the next semester?  I would need those loans to live off of.  More so, I would need that law degree to get me a comfy job at Kentucky Fried Chicken.  After all, somewhere I had read that they were hiring people who had a law degree.  Another part of me thought that maybe I would not get kicked out.  I mean, I figured it would look bad if I got thrown out due to standing up for myself at a law school.  However, just the thought of being removed from law school when I was so close to graduating was terrifying to me. 

I thought it over long and hard and decided that I would go apologize to the dean.  I figured that was the only thing I could do to save face and maybe finish law school.  And it was the only thing I could do in order to get myself to finally fall asleep as I laid there on my futon on my dark basement apartment.  It was the only thing I could do to get myself to fall fast asleep on that terrifying night. 

The very next day I found myself out on the grass outside of my law school.  I looked at the building.  It had not looked so good since the first day I started at this school.  Back then I was so excited.  Law school, it was a dream come true.  The first in my family to be a lawyer.  Hell, the first in my family to use his noggin to finish college!  Darn tootin!  Even though the weather was cold and the trees were all naked, I looked at it in a different way.  The huge walls stood before me, and up in there was the dean, sitting there, probably looking through his salary history or talking to a pretty young lass.  He was always being followed by the hottest of the hot at the law school. 

I decided I would not linger around thinking and daydreaming, and instead made my way to the dean.  Upon reaching the top of the building where the dean's office overlooks the city below, I caught the eye of his secretary, who had heard of me by this time. 

Let me describe her before I continue with what had happened.  First, she was tall, almost my height, which was really exciting to me.  Second, she had long golden suntouched hair, which was exotic to the core.  Third, her legs were not burdened by pantyhose.  They were pale and long, and somewhat muscular.  I envied the dean, who could see those legs as she sat with her back towards him when his door was open.  His desk faced her, and behind him was the most awesome view.  Almost as nice as the view of this fine specimen that I must say I was greatly attracted to.

"He does not want to see you," she said, immediately scowling at me when I made my way into the office.  Her face was not nearly as pretty as her body.  In fact, when she glared at me, her face looked like a cross between a mole rat and a pair of fuzzy dice that has been mangled by a pit bull.
 


"I just need to..."
"No, he told me that he does not want to talk to you."

I stood there, not knowing what to say.  There she was, the gatekeeper, to the man I was dying to speak with.  I understood that he did not want to see me.  After all, he probably was hurt by the way I ripped him up the other day.  But, on the other hand, I only told him what I felt, and I was angry.  Is it so bad to stand up for one's self?

I took this with my camera as I left.

"Even if he wanted to see you, he is very busy right now," she said, glaring at me still.  I looked away from her for a moment until she fixed that face of hers.
"You know," I finally said, "I pay a lot of money to go to this school.  I have given a lot of my time and I feel that I have a right to see him."
"I am going to have to ask you to leave right..." she began, when he stepped outside holding onto a golf club.  Yes, a golf club!  As if he had a friggin' golf course in there.  As if he was ridin' around in a golf buggy!  Why the hades did he hold a nine iron, or whatever it was, in his hand!?
"It's fine, Patricia, let him in," he said, giving her a soothing glance.  I didn't even bother wasting my eyesight on her and slipped into the dean's office.

"How can I help you?" he said, putting the golf club down.  Next to his desk stood a miniature golf set up like the CEOs have.  I could not believe it.  This is what a dean does in his free time!

"What do you want?" he said, noticing me staring at his little golf set up. 
"I came to say that I am sorry about yesterday.  I have been under a lot of stress lately.  Finals are coming and I am just scared."

"I know," he began.  "I know you are scared.  You are not alone.  I have talked to a lot of the people at this school lately and they are all scared.  Terrified even.  And, you know, I do tell them that I am implementing new programs. First of all, I am beefing up career services.  I am even hiring some of our school's own graduates to work part time in the career services office.  I am going to raise scholarships for the upcoming classes.  The class of 2016 will be getting our biggest scholarships ever with fewer restrictions.  Full scholarships for the top 10% of the first year class!  Plus, on top of that, I am going to implement more clinics to help our future students reach the new state pro bono requirement."

I did not know what to say.  None of that stuff would do me any good.  So what the class of 2016 is getting bigger scholarships, I thought.  He continued before I could even say a word.

"But, one thing that I don't understand is that those other students who are scared, they don't post blog entries on the internet about how awful law school is.  Hell, they all tell me that they enjoy it here.  They are happy that they got into a top 150 law school.  They are proud to be here.  On top of that, they would never explode at me the way you did.  They are nervous about finals as well.  We all have to work here, and you are no exception.  But you seem to not enjoy having to work.  You would rather have it all handed to you, like some kind of free loader.  Looking at your transcript, I can tell your grades are near the lowest at this school.  Most schools would flunk you out with that kind of performance.  You should have never passed Federal Income Tax or Evidence.  Yet, you slid by, because of how generous this school is."

I must say that I was more than upset that the dean looked through my transcript.  I thought that was private information and he just went through it. 

"But, I don't have to worry about it anymore.  I have talked to all your professors this year.  They are not going to pass you.  I gave them your student ID number, and they are going to flunk you out.  I am done with you and your blog.  You'll never get into another law school either.  Not now.  No school will take you."

"Why?" I said.  "I came to apologize!"

"I take my position as dean very seriously.  I gave you the opportunity to repent," he said, clenching his hand in a fist as he spoke.  "Yet, you figured that you would continue to post on that damn blog of yours!  And, if that is not bad enough, you continue to post on that blog, and you will post about everything I do.  I told my secretary to not let you in here because I didn't want to see your little story about me on your blog.  And I know you are going to post again, no matter what you say or no matter what I offer you.  The reason you scambloggers don't get legal jobs is because you are inept morons.  You were all given something from us and it was never good enough for you.  You were given the opportunity to go to a very high ranked law school, the opportunity to get a generous scholarship to offset your reasonable tuition.  How dare you complain that law school is so expensive when very few people here pay full price for the pleasure!"  He was screaming now.  Screaming!  I just sat there, in awe.  I did not get a scholarship.  I was paying full price, and the bastard knew that!

"Nothing is good for your kind.  You are the leeches of society.  Some people; people like me, we build things.  And people like you, you tear them down (he hissed this, and phlegm was going everywhere as he spoke).  You scamblogger types all think that you can destroy the legal profession!  You all think that you can bring us down to suit your needs!  You realize that there is no way, though.  Oh yes, you do! You can't stop us!  There is nothing wrong with what we are doing!  Educating society is not a crime!  Your libel is though, and the law will catch up with all of you!"

I was in awe here, almost crying, to be honest.  I had never been so scared at the volatility of a man in my life.  And I could tell he was fast losing it.  As he was screaming at me he was clawing into his arm and blood was starting to trickle up where his finger nails were starting to dig in.  And it was like he didn't even know it.  He was oblivious to it all as he sat there, ripping me apart with his words.

"You act like I do nothing here at this school, that I just sit around.  But I work my ass off.  When you are at home watching Dr. Who, I am figuring out how to get you people jobs!  When you are laying in your bed trying to fall asleep, I am trying to raise this school's rank on the U.S. News and World Report rankings!  When you..."

He stopped.  He turned around, and picked up the golf club and stared for a moment at the window.  Then he took that club and he threw it right at the glass.  It bounced off, putting a large crack in it.   

"Are you alright?" the secretary said, rushing into the room with a terrified look on her face.

He said nothing for a moment.  Then he turned around.  Clenching his teeth, he said, very slowly.

"Get.  Out.  Of.  Here."

She backed out and shut the door without so much as a word. 

"I am really sorry," I said.  "That's all I came to say.  I am sorry." 

"You will be."  He went to his desk and he sat down and opened his desk drawer. 

"I just wanted to say that," I said, standing up.  "That's all I came to do." 

"I don't care anymore.  I gave everything to this profession.  I went to law school, too, and went through all the Socratic method myself and I never complained.  It took me a month to get my first job, and I never complained.  I had no help from Harvard's career services back then!" he hissed. 

"I see," I said, making my way to the door. 

"Come here," he said, somewhat calmly.  I changed course, and walked toward him, not thinking otherwise.  It was like my legs just moved without my mind working them.  It was like I had no control.  I should have ran.  I should have turned around and got the heck out of there.  I then realized I should have listened to some of my earlier comments and just dropped out.  But I was stupid.  Oh how stupid I was!

"Closer," he beckoned.  His expertly crafted teeth gleamed in the sunlight which beamed into that executive office as he commanded me to move towards him.  His nostrils flared in tandem, like twin hyenas pacing around a young gazelle, and his face darkened to a deep crimson red, as if lit up by the blistering fires of Hell itself. 

I was there, right next to his desk when I saw something black that scintillated as the dean held it.  He brought it up and in an instant, just as my mind registered that which he possessed, I heard an eardrum bursting bang.  In a fraction of a mere second, I felt my own skull cracking and exploding open as my body fell.  Intense pain shot through me as I felt darkness cover me.  My head toppled onto the desk right before bouncing off of it and slamming against the floor.  Blood gushed from my head, my nose, and also exited though my mouth.  The secretary rushed in immediately, and before she screamed, she saw the dean take his boot and slam it into my skull, busting my jaw, my nose, and snapping my neck.  I laid there, dead on the floor, as that janitor who had started it all, came in and began to clean up the remains of a decimated body that was spread on the floor right there before the dean. 

“The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers students.”
― William Shakespeare, King Dean Henry VI, Part 2

***

So there I stood in the bathroom of my law school holding a piece of paper with the name of my blog "LawSchoolFail." I brought it towards the wall and started to tape it there when I heard the janitor outside.  I wondered what would happen if I was caught.  Where would I end up if the janitor came in and saw me hanging up the advertisement for my blog?  Surely the dean would not be happy.  I could possibly be kicked out of the school!  And then what?  I thought it over, coming up with a realistic sounding possibility in my mind.  A possibility that could only end in my disfavor.

I quickly took the advertisement down and thrust it back into my bag as the janitor walked in. 

"Oh, didn't know this was occupied," he said, smiling.  "How are you today?"
"I am fine, yourself?"
"Great.  If you are done, I will just get to cleaning up in here."
"It's all yours," I said.  Looking at my watch, I realized that class was about to start. 

"It's best that people find this blog on Google," I told myself, making my way to class.

The End.

College Students: The New Indentured Class?

Are college students and graduates perhaps the new members of the indentured servitude class?  It seems that while once college was celebrated for creating riches for those who enrolled, the type of thinking and debt that college bestows upon one is making people become less individualized, and instead, part of a mass of people who are being left behind. 

A new article by the New York Times states that many individuals are now starting to say no to college.  Many of these individuals are becoming quite wealthy and living their life according to their own terms.  Instead of working through six years of education for a degree in which they can rely on other individuals for a paycheck and to be fed, they are starting their own businesses and going out on their own.

I often have questioned the point of educating oneself in order to maybe be good enough to land a job in which you can be someone's slave.  And that person is going to reap the rewards for your labor.  You will be a small percentage of it.  And that's if you are lucky.  You may not even get the job in the first place.  In fact, you may only have debt to show for it! 

What is the point of college?

While it is important to learn and open your mind, in today's modern world that can be done easily.  Travel is cheaper than ever before.  One can use the internet to find information on any subject.  Books and information is plentiful.  College has become a way for people to sell kids a product.  Textbooks are mass produced in a "one size fits all" form.  You are told that in order to learn something you have to read the book that the teacher assigns.  No longer do colleges give students free reign to research a subject on their own.  Now it's all about a textbook that may cost near $100 or more for.  And all that is paid for with student loans, creating a new indentured servitude class that will have to spend years and even decades paying it off.

Sadly, the parents of the current generation are still telling their children that college is the "golden ticket."   

"The idea that a college diploma is an all-but-mandatory ticket to a successful career is showing fissures. Feeling squeezed by a sagging job market and mounting student debt, a groundswell of university-age heretics are pledging allegiance to new groups like UnCollege, dedicated to “hacking” higher education. Inspired by billionaire role models, and empowered by online college courses, they consider themselves a D.I.Y. vanguard, committed to changing the perception of dropping out from a personal failure to a sensible option, at least for a certain breed of risk-embracing maverick."

Those who do not go to college are told that they will meet failure in today's modern society.  However, skills are now easier than ever to learn.  One can learn a programming language on their own or over the internet for free.  One can learn how to start a business without amassing huge amounts of debt through the internet and community programs that are often offered free of charge.

"Even the staunchest critics of college concede that a diploma is still necessary for many professions — law and medicine, clearly, and in many cases, for a Fortune 500 executive, too. But that’s the point: how many more lawyers and middle managers do we need?

“College is training for managerial work, and the economy doesn’t need that many managers,” said Michael Ellsberg, the author of “The Education of Millionaires: Everything You Won’t Learn In College About How to Be Successful.”"

 College is teaching many people to think a certain way.  A type of "group think" in which new and novel ideas are often seen as no-good or even threatening.  Throughout history a hallmark of the indentured class was that they all were taught to think alike. 

"“Here in Silicon Valley, it’s almost a badge of honor,” said Mick Hagen, 28, who dropped out of Princeton in 2006 and moved to San Francisco, where he started Undrip, a mobile app. He is now recruiting from the undergraduate ranks, he said, which is becoming a trend among other tech companies, too. In his view, dropouts are freethinkers, risk-takers. They have not been tainted by groupthink."

We have been told all our lives that in order to be successful and to have a good life we need to live a certain lifestyle.  College was an integral part to that life.  Other ingredients for a perfect life include getting married, buying a house, and having children.   If you do not do all of those things, many think that they have failed.  Yet, there is no reason why a person should feel compelled to do any of those things.

I have been conditioned, like many individuals, to see getting into the elite school as a mark of honor.  The ultimate goal in one's young life.  Many young people are force fed the idea that getting into an Ivy League school is the greatest achievement they can attain before adulthood.  They spend their youth trying to learn methods for beating the SATs and other standardized tests.  They are told that once they get into the Ivy League, their life will be perfect.  Many don't make it, and lament that forever.  Others get into the Ivy League and their reward is the chance to make another person richer with bouts of unemployment thrown in for good measure.

And there are those who think somewhat different than the masses.  Throughout history those who have thought different have received resistance, but in the end, history has shown them as trendsetters.  Many parents scoff at the idea of a child doing something so radical as not going to college or dropping out.  If a child goes to college, however, the parent is proud, proud that their child will one day be another puppet for society.  The child will become an adult, hopefully lucky enough to work towards a home and maintain a family, dodging unemployment and bankruptcy in order to maintain the material possessions that are thrust upon him/her via advertising and media.  As a student who was fed student loans and credit cards during college, he/she will battle a mountain of debt that maybe can be discharged in thirty years.  Yet the parents of this young person will fight tooth and nail to make sure the child goes along with what society has told him/her was the ideal life.

Many college graduates think that they are smarter than the rest of society due to a piece of paper that hangs on their wall.  They bought into the commercials and the media all their life.  Now they have the diploma and the debt to show for it.  Their 'reward' is perhaps psychological.  To think about the full implications of the time they spent in their youth, while others created something without amassing debt that can not be discharged in bankruptcy, is too much.

Consider the fact that entrepreneurial individuals can discharge their debt if their business does not work as planned, a business that has a possible upside of millions of dollars, and compare that to the fact that a person can not discharge a student loan, something that makes a person possibly good enough to work for the business creator.  Consider the fact that your degree will likely make it so that you must work for another individual for the rest of your life, until you can retire. 

College has taught me that their are winners and losers in life.  When put in a room with other people, some who obviously have a wealthy background, I have often felt that I was inadequate.  When graded on my performance I was reminded that sometimes risks are not worth taking.  However, the entrepreneur constantly tells him/herself that the risks are worth taking, because the individual is good enough to take risks.  Instead of telling themselves that a risk is too dangerous, or reminding one's self that they could fail, the entrepreneur realizes that the risk is an integral part to success.  The entrepreneur will take the risk.  Not going to college is seen to many as a risk.  Many won't take it.  And many who don't are not entrepreneurs.  If some of the intelligent people that succeeded and excelled in college would have went the other route, and used their creativity for themselves, they would have perhaps had great success. 

More thoughts about living overseas after college.

This is a continuation of yesterday's post, about living overseas.  I found an interesting New York Times article that talks about a few people's experiences retiring overseas.  The article is pretty recent, so I thought I would share it:

New York Times - Cheap and Colorful, an Overseas Home Beckons.

"Ask yourself how local you want to go, she said. The more you live like the local people — speaking their language, buying food at their markets, living in their typical housing — the cheaper your retirement can be, she said. By going this route, “you can retire to another country on a budget of $700 a month,” she said. It would be a very modest lifestyle, “but it could also be the adventure of your lifetime,” she added."

In the future, I may talk about more areas to retire to.  A list of good places includes:

Thailand: Chaing Mai, Phuket, Ko Samui, Bangkok,
Panama: Bocas del Toro, Boquete, El Valle de Anton,
Certain areas of South America,
Malaysia, India (Goa, Kerala to name a couple).
 

Boquete, Panama

There are some good places in Mexico that should be considered, and Belize, as mentioned in the article.  Of course, these are all tropical destinations and that should be considered.  One will have to get used to heat, certain insects, possibly rainy seasons, monsoons, poor infrastructure in some areas, and a different culture.  Other than a cheaper cost of living (which should not be your sole reason for relocating), one should consider the positive aspects of relocating.  For example, the chance to immerse yourself in a new culture, the adventure of a lifetime, learning new languages (which may result in marketability if you come back to the United States).  For example, some Asian languages are in demand in the United States - this could help one with law.

Also, one could consider trying to find a position in a US based non-profit that does work in a cheaper country.  It may be possible to get one's loans discharged through the public interest loan forgiveness program.  This may be worth looking into.

"For people like the Justices, the financial complications of living abroad are worth it for the experiences they have had. Now back briefly in the United States, they are planning to return to Vietnam, perhaps to stay in Hanoi, where they have already lived for six months.

They have fond memories of Nha Trang, where “it was cheaper (and more fun) to eat out than it was to cook for ourselves, even with the low, low price of fresh market food,” Ms. Justice said in an e-mail. “We spent our days relaxing at the beach, socializing with our friends in the cafes, taking leisurely drives through the pretty countryside and taking private lessons in Vietnamese” — at a cost of $5 for a two-hour session."  

Recently, International Living ran an article called: The Cheapest Places to Retire.


This article mentions a few places where one can get by on a budget from $700 to $1,400 a month.   
 

"[In Vilcabamba, Ecuador] many residents live to be 100 years old or more. That may be thanks to clean water, clean, stress-free living, or the near-perfect climate. Just shy of the equator and at an elevation of 5,000 feet, temperatures average between 65 and 81 F, day in and day out. Estimates put the number of permanent foreign residents at about 150 and part-timers at perhaps another 100.

Although it takes some doing to get to Vilcabamba, it’s a small price to pay. Literally. Vilcabamba is among the lowest-priced retirement havens in the world. John Curran and his partner, Sue, own their home (so no rent paid) and say they live comfortably on a budget of less than $600 a month, although they admit that costs have risen in the last five years as Vilcabamba has gained popularity.

John pays less than $1.25 a month for gas for cooking and hot water. His monthly water bill is just $1.70 and electricity adds another $30 to the monthly utility bill. Thanks to the temperate climate, there’s no need for heat or air conditioning. Gasoline in Ecuador costs less than $1.50 a gallon."

Another article mentions Playa Del Carmen, Mexico:

"With a $300/month studio apartment (that is four blocks from white sand beaches and two blocks from the center of town I might add), one would be hard-pressed to spend more than a $1000 per month in total to live here. In fact, one could very easily live a good life here for closer to $700 per month."

Bocas Del Toro, Panama

Having been here, I will say that Playa Del Carmen is a great place to visit, close to the island of Cozumel, Cancun, and the resort cities in the Yucatan.  Would I live here?  Definitely.  I do suspect that this location is probably more expensive than others, but public transportation is plentiful around the region, the bus system in the Yucatan is actually quite nice and express service is just as reliable as in the Northeast United States.  Playa Del Carmen is a big tourist destination popular with the European crowd.  There are miles of gorgeous beaches with warm water that is just waiting for you! 

The author of the above article also mentions Australia, which may be more desirable for some individuals:

"Australia – Yes, Australia. At the end of 2008 I spent five months living in Melbourne and it was an absolute bargain. Using the excellent Gumtree.com I found a room in a shared house, located only a 15 minute walk from the center of the city, for a mere $400 USD per month. And even with frequent pub visits, live music shows, festivals, day trips and a shocking number of meals at my favorite Indian and Vietnamese restaurants, I managed to keep my expenses under $1000 every month quite easily."

This just goes to show that there are places out there, some of which are amazing and beautiful places, that are only now starting to be discovered.  If you are interested in a change of life, or starting fresh -- and I know many people do talk about it -- you may want to consider what the rest of the world has to offer.  You can still keep your US Citizenship, come back and visit family from time to time, and live quite cheaper, somewhere else.  Chances are that you can find something to do in order to make money. 

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Moving Overseas After College/Law School: Chiang Mai, Thailand

 I saw this video online recently and I found it to be rather intriguing. I have spent a couple of weeks in Chiang Mai and about two months in Thailand, and I must say, it's a place I have strongly considered living. It is quite different than the United States, but it is a very interesting and beautiful country. The food is amazing, travel is cheap, and entertainment is plentiful. Thai culture itself is diverse and interesting. A cheap railway ticket can get you to the beach paradises of Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, and Ko Samui. Bangkok is an intense city unlike any in the United States. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are both easy to get to via railway, and air travel around Southeast Asia is often inexpensive thanks to low budget airlines such as Tiger Airways.

The picturesque landscape of coastal Thailand.

I am considering leaving the US to study for the bar exam. I may sublet my apartment here in New York while I am away and live somewhere like Thailand or Central America in a house rental. Houses can easily be had for $200-$400 a month versus $1200 here in New York. Plane tickets to Central America are about $450 round trip from the northeast United States. Plane tickets to Bangkok can be found for $1300 round trip. Of course, there is the issue of making money outside of the United States. Teaching English in Thailand is an option. For this reason I am considering taking one of the courses to learn how to teach a foreign language. Coupled with a degree, one can teach English in one of these countries. It is a good way to supplement a lower cost of living. Not everyone is hip on the idea of leaving the United States. Personally, while I do love it here, the idea of spending a couple of years somewhere else is incredibly appealing to me. This is because I have traveled and realize that there are some amazing places outside of the United States that I really enjoyed. I know that I could have a great time living in these places for a few months or a few years. Further, there is the possibility of doing law for expats outside of the United States. While I have not researched that aspect of it, I plan to in the next few months.

Ko Samui, a popular resort destination in Thailand.

I can't help but feel excited at the idea of leaving the United States and living a while in another country.  I know that a lot of people talk about running from their debts and starting a new life somewhere else.  I don't know if I would go as far to "run from my debts."  But, the opportunity to live somewhere exotic and inexpensive is appealing to me. 

Thailand is one of those places that many people consider relocating to, and for good reason.  The cost of living is extremely low compared to the United States.  When I visited Thailand, I found that the 'tourist' prices are lower than other countries, but they are still high.  Thus, in order to live in Thailand one must try to live like a local somewhat.  What that means is eating in the restaurants that locals eat at, buying foods at grocery stores where locals shop, and not always staying on the comfortable and visually appealing 'tourist boulevards.'  That being said, I found Chiang Mai to be visually appealing throughout.  The central city, also known as the old city is gorgeous.  The mountains that surround the city offer all kinds of outdoor diversions.  One can buy an inexpensive motorcycle or scooter to get around quite easily.  Bus transportation is mere dollars and is plentiful.  The small village of Pai is a close trip from Chiang Mai and is a celebrated enclave for alternative thinkers and "hippies."  No matter what your interest, there is probably a way to engage in it.

Chiang Mai is in the northern interior part of Thailand surrounded by mountains.

Furthermore, I find that trying new experiences opens one's mind and lets them see what is important in life.  After spending seven years in college, why not truly learn about the world?  There is only so much that can be taught in a classroom.  No class on Thailand or Asia will tell you as much about the country as visiting it will.  You will notice that you have many preconceived notions about the outside world that are false.  A truly amazing life can be had overseas. 

One thing that many people do not like about some touristy areas of Thailand (and one issue that I did not like myself) was that sometimes a fair skinned individual is treated like a walking ATM.  This was the case in many of the places I visited.  With that being said, you may want to read up on various scams that exist in Thailand.  As you spend time in the country you will learn that if something seems false or too good to be true, it is.  There is no reason to be scared of going to Thailand, though.  It's a great place!

Ko Phi Phi, Thailand.  A gorgeous island near Phuket.

A sample budget may look like this.

Airfare to and from the United States - purchased in advance.
(From New York: $1,300 round trip)
(From Los Angeles: $1,100 round trip)
Transportation to Chiang Mai from Bangkok via train: $50
Monthly rent in Chiang Mai: from $200 - $400.
Food: can be cheap depending on how you eat.  $150 should be adequate for a single person, another $75-100 for a couple.
Transportation around Chiang Mai: very cheap, possible to walk around the city easily.

*Utilities may be included in rent.  Wifi internet is sometimes included as well.  Internet cafes are plentiful.

Compare those costs with living in the United States, owning a car, renting an apartment, paying insurance, gas, etc.  If you can create a way to make money overseas (teaching English, providing a service to others, writing, etc.), then you can probably live quite well. 

Looking down onto Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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