erynthered Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 Get out, stop. The second post on this thread nailed it. If you don’t like what you are doing move on. I did something for over 25 years, loved it. But after that long I wanted something different. Point is, find out what you like to do early in life, don’t !@#$ it up. My wife works with about 9 or 10 attorneys in her business, most of them are really quite idiots, they have no sense of “ street smarts”. I make sure I tell them often. Yeah, the old book smarts, that’ll get you out of a jam. Stay in school. Find your niche. Hey, no offence to the road tar out there, they help pay my bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkady Renko Posted August 27, 2005 Author Share Posted August 27, 2005 Thank you all for the advice so far. Just to clear up a couple of things. The tuition bill is fairly low right now. I don't mean to B word about my situation, just want to make sure I am doing the right thing. I don't think I would feel too obligated to go just to go, but I don't want to hint about leaving right away to people who will be affected by it. I gave up another school of slightly better quality to save money, but it means that I am going to the same law school as where I went to undergrad a little while ago and am still close to where I grew up. I never figured that all the NYC people would look down on me so much for this fact. I, myself, am beginning to doubt whether I should have gone elsewhere, but that would mean 20k more a year for a better back story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SectionC3 Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 If you have to solicit advice as to a major decision such as this from posters on an Internet message board, it might be time to fold your hand and go home. That said, I'm a recent law school grad and can relate to what you're going through. Things began to make a lot more sense and, with the exception of Civ Pro, became a lot more interesting after October of the first year. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester43 Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 dude! suck it up and finish what you started!!! i would never accuse anyone of this without actually meeting them, but you SOUND like one of those (thankfully few) kids who come to me a month into the season and are like, "gee coach...i don't know...all this work...it's just not as FUN as i thought it would be..." the "fun" in these types of situations is the sense of pride when you stick it out and ACCOMPLISH something- fast times if you're one of my athletes, or a law degree if you're you. and you will learn how to DEAL with sh-- you don't exactly enjoy in the process. you don't think this will be the last time you'll be faced with a task you're not all that psyched about, do you? the only reason i can think of to drop out is if you just had an epiphany and you have realized beyond any shadow of a doubt that there is something else that you MUST do now. but if you are just feeling a little ambivalent and slightly bummed about the work- which is what i am hearing- then you need to tough it out and be proud of yourself when you're done. a dear friend of mine just finished a ph.d. 2 years ago and for the entirety of her 4 year program all i heard was how hard it was, how she didn't like the people, the teachers were crazy etc...now she thanks me every day (well sorta) for convincing her to tough it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis in NC Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 School is for suckers. Get a job as a Mater Dei and the world will be your oyster.Seriously, you need to consider if you want a career in the law, or if you can start there and transition into something related that you like. If so, it's worth sticking it out for a few years. If not, you should move on to something else. 419606[/snapback] I thought by "Mater Dei" you meant something different, like it's Latin for "mother of God" (it's close!) Later, I realized you meant "maitre d' hotel", the restaurant grand poobah. That mother of God thing was strange... Never mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie68 Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 dont judge it by 1st year - you will have more options in yr 2. Law degree is a good thing to have unless you absolutly hate it. What are you interested in is the question. You dont have to want to practice, but at least be interest in a related field (business/tax/finance, even social fields) and load up on related classes in yr 2 & 3. If you see nothing tangent that interests you, then its a problem) I'm not practicing but it was worthwhile for me (in tax field) sounds like its not law school but it may be the school you are attending that you are not happy with. you could stick out yr 2, and if still want a change do yr 3 at a different school as a visiting student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 sounds like its not law school but it may be the school you are attending that you are not happy with. you could stick out yr 2, and if still want a change do yr 3 at a different school as a visiting student. 420196[/snapback] It also sounds like you're attending the same law school I attended my third year after spending my first two years at UB. I had no regrets doing it that way, but I have to admit that I looked around during my third year and was glad I didn't have to spend three years competing with those "gunners." Believe me, though, a lot of these "gunners" will shut up sometime during second semester when first-semester grades come out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 I gave up another school of slightly better quality to save money, but it means that I am going to the same law school as where I went to undergrad a little while ago and am still close to where I grew up. I never figured that all the NYC people would look down on me so much for this fact. 419964[/snapback] Look, who gives a flying !@#$ what the "NYC people" think? Think about it: those people are all there because they didn't get into Harvard or Stanford and they want to feel better about themselves by creating a caste system with themselves at the top. Law students are a fantastically insecure bunch as a whole and the sooner you realize that they don't have the right answers any more than you do, the better off you'll be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 I went to school in my backyard, which some people do look down on for the fact that you didn't go away for school. Screw them. It saves you from debt up to your neck (it's only up to your chest this way ). If this is your first year, you've been in classes what, a week? Give it some time. The start of the fall semester was always a rough time to get reacclimated. You feel like you may not be good enough or might not be doing the right thing. Doubt is endemic in the human mind. The key is to overcome it and we're often surprised at what happens when we actually get down to brass tacks. You had a goal in mind when you signed the application. Remind yourself what that was and stay the course you set. You say the main problem is with the people? Don't let other people dictate what you do. And the people who do talk like that, put them in your rearview mirror and make them get smaller. Surround yourself with the best people (this is some of the best advice I ever got. Only thing is, you need to figure out who these people are). This stupid crap is the only thing to talk about at this point. Once the work starts, it'll shirk away. I have lots of friends who I needed to just give a little encouragement to at the start of semesters who went on to do really well. Likewise, you can do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilsAlum Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 Law school SUCKS, but it's nothing like practicing law. I hated law school, but I love being a lawyer (commercial litigation). 419810[/snapback] I believe that there are many professions in which the schooling part "sucks" and the job itself is great. While I'm not a lawyer- I teach high school- I found that my Ed courses were brutal but I LOVE being in the classroom. Also, many education students think they want to teach unitl they get in the classroom and find that they are not suited for the profession (They think all you have to do is show up turn on the tv/ hand out worksheets). So, my 2 cents are stick it out for a year and try to get some sort of internship to see if you actually would enjoy the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckeyemike Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 I've been an attorney for 11 years. I absolutely HATED my first year of law school. If you want an asset to try to get you through the first year, try reading a book called "1-L", written by Scott Turow after his first year of law school, and obviously before he became a best-selling author. I love practicing law...but I feel law school is nothing more than a weeding-out process to get rid of those who are not going to give it their all. In reality, so is the bar examination. If the law is not for you, find something else. There is NO shame in that. More than once I wanted to drop it and get my master's and doctorate in history. I admit, more than once I've thought that maybe that's what I should have done, especially the night before a jury trial. A law degree can't hurt, but there is nothing wrong with trying to do something else. Don't let any of the NYC bastards get you down. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surfmeister Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 Who's paying for your school? If you are get out now and stop the bleeding. If your parents are paying ... they don't want to waste their money. It's not about being interested in the subject matter it's all about doing what you have to do to get the best grades you can get. That bar exam will kick your butt if you don't have a passion for doing this now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estro Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 I know of 2 people very well, one a successful practicing lawyer in the field, ready to retire, the other a best friend who graduated form law school last yr, worked in the field for a yr and decided it wasn't for him. The practicing lawyer heavily advised both myself and his son to not go to law school. My other bddy realized it wasn't for him, the hrs were crazy, and decided to become a teacher startying this fall. Like anything else, if you're heart is not in it, and you're gut already knows, then why stick with it. Law school is like the bootcamp for lawyers. Why go through bootcamp for the military if you sudden;y realize that you don't like to handle weapons. Lots of time, money, and dedication lays ahead if you continue. Do yourself a favor and follow your gut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.Y. Orangeman Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 Hey bud. PM me if you need an ear (corporate atty). One piece of advice: until you make a final decision, keep hitting the books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socalfan Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 School is for suckers. Get a job as a Mater Dei .... 419606[/snapback] Mother of God...Well, it's pretty clear that you didn't go to school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UConn James Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 Mother of God...Well, it's pretty clear that you didn't go to school. 420564[/snapback] Who knows, if JohnnyB gets a sex change and the position is vacant, he might have a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRH Posted August 27, 2005 Share Posted August 27, 2005 Who knows, if JohnnyB gets a sex change and the position is vacant, he might have a shot. 420600[/snapback] Actually, KD was absolutely right. If you were a Mater Dei the world would be your oyster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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