Terrible mistake?? Forum

Txflier22 · Post by **Txflier22** » Mon May 18, 2015 8:42 pm

I graduated a few years back with a poly sci degree. I haven't done much since. Working at a law firm right now, I enjoy it and could see my self doing it in the future but it's definitely not exciting or anything. Took the lsat twice, 163 is my highest. GPA is a 3.2. I got into SMU with a half scholarship. I won't have debt because my parents are covering the rest. I feel like I don't really have any other career options. I can see myself being a lawyer. Like I said I've been working at a firm for a few months and it's okay but I don't have a passion or anything for law. My parents are about to spend a bunch of money on SMU and I'm not 100% sure is even be happy. I'm from Texas and want to work in Dallas. I want to work at a law firm, which ever size, I assume it'd be a small firm since only about 20% get big law, which I would do but am not expecting. My parents aren't millionaires or anythkng but can afford SMU. I guess should I be going if I don't really have an excitement about it and am just going in the hopes that i can land a decent (60k+) job. Half the class earned that much last year so it's not even a guarantee. This life business really sucks sometimes. I've though about doing a MA in middle eastern studies. I speak some arabic and have studied in the middle east but my Gpa is shitty so I probabaly wouldn't get into a good program and would probably end up with a shitty job. Wtf do I do.

usn26 · Post by **usn26** » Mon May 18, 2015 8:58 pm

Txflier22 wrote: Wtf do I do.

What do you, ya know, actually want to do?

If the immediate answer is not law, consider following that instinct.

wonka · Post by **wonka** » Tue May 19, 2015 3:43 pm

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Hand · Post by **Hand** » Tue May 19, 2015 3:45 pm

Have you tried heroin?

OhBoyOhBortles · Post by **OhBoyOhBortles** » Tue May 19, 2015 3:46 pm

Go to the Middle East and become fluent. Come back and pick up a translator gig/policy position. Or, take a year and explore something else that might interest you. If it doesn't, retake the lsat and apply again later on. There's no rush here.

wonka · Post by **wonka** » Tue May 19, 2015 3:48 pm

Post removed.

Chris Manifesto · Post by **Chris Manifesto** » Tue May 19, 2015 4:22 pm

Txflier22 wrote:I graduated a few years back with a poly sci degree. I haven't done much since. Working at a law firm right now, I enjoy it and could see my self doing it in the future but it's definitely not exciting or anything. Took the lsat twice, 163 is my highest. GPA is a 3.2. I got into SMU with a half scholarship. I won't have debt because my parents are covering the rest. I feel like I don't really have any other career options. I can see myself being a lawyer. Like I said I've been working at a firm for a few months and it's okay but I don't have a passion or anything for law. My parents are about to spend a bunch of money on SMU and I'm not 100% sure is even be happy. I'm from Texas and want to work in Dallas. I want to work at a law firm, which ever size, I assume it'd be a small firm since only about 20% get big law, which I would do but am not expecting. My parents aren't millionaires or anythkng but can afford SMU. I guess should I be going if I don't really have an excitement about it and am just going in the hopes that i can land a decent (60k+) job. Half the class earned that much last year so it's not even a guarantee. This life business really sucks sometimes. I've though about doing a MA in middle eastern studies. I speak some arabic and have studied in the middle east but my Gpa is shitty so I probabaly wouldn't get into a good program and would probably end up with a shitty job. Wtf do I do.

this.

jepper · Post by **jepper** » Tue May 19, 2015 4:27 pm

Why would you do something you don't really want to do because you don't know what else to do? I get jerking off because you're bored and don't know what else to do, but that doesn't cost someone else tons of money and influence the rest of your life.

timbs4339 · Post by **timbs4339** » Tue May 19, 2015 4:30 pm

You will make more money doing Arabic language doc review as a translator right now than you probably will in your first year as a lawyer out of SMU. That should give you an indication about what value that you have already you can make use of to find an alternative position.

Chris Manifesto · Post by **Chris Manifesto** » Tue May 19, 2015 4:31 pm

jepper wrote:Why would you do something you don't really want to do because you don't know what else to do? I get jerking off because you're bored and don't know what else to do, but that doesn't cost someone else tons of money and influence the rest of your life.

Unless you do it on a couch given to your parents as a family heirloom from the Victorian age while they're away on a business trip in Barbados. Not that that's actually happened to anyone or anything.

Mack.Hambleton · Post by **Mack.Hambleton** » Wed May 20, 2015 3:25 am

Join the army

DrSpaceman · Post by **DrSpaceman** » Wed May 20, 2015 3:31 am

Yeah, military for sure. Think about it.

usn26 · Post by **usn26** » Wed May 20, 2015 7:22 am

Mack.Hambleton wrote:Join the ~~army~~ Navy

FTFY

TasmanianToucan · Post by **TasmanianToucan** » Wed May 20, 2015 9:08 am

Don't go to law school because you don't know what else to do. Don't pay a lot of money to lock yourself into a career that you aren't the least bit excited about, especially when your prospects aren't even great.

Find a different job that will pay you money to do something you actually like. Much better deal.

liberalartslawyer · Post by **liberalartslawyer** » Wed May 20, 2015 9:11 am

timbs4339 wrote:You will make more money doing Arabic language doc review as a translator right now than you probably will in your first year as a lawyer out of SMU. That should give you an indication about what value that you have already you can make use of to find an alternative position.

I'm not sure where you're getting these figures from. I used to work for a translation company - translators are not very well compensated. They typically work as freelancers, or as part of a language specific translation collection, where they often make less (since we pay these collectives the same rate as freelancers).

Granted Arabic is one of the more expensive languages to translate (maybe $0.20/ word versus like $0.10 for Spanish), but keep in mind as a native English speaker, you will only be translating from Arabic -> English. Additionally, for those of you who don't know, the vast majority of the documents you will translate will be incredibly boring (think medical records and bank statements).

POTUSorSCOTUS · Post by **POTUSorSCOTUS** » Wed May 20, 2015 7:48 pm

You need to study hxc and get a 170+ on your LSAT in order to get $ from t14.

Txflier22 · Post by **Txflier22** » Thu May 21, 2015 1:25 pm

Do you guys think SMU is worth it though with a half scholly and no debt for someone who wants to work in a small/mid sized firm in north texas

wonka · Post by **wonka** » Thu May 21, 2015 2:28 pm

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mephistopheles · Post by **mephistopheles** » Thu May 21, 2015 3:11 pm

terrible mistake.

deadpanic · Post by **deadpanic** » Thu May 21, 2015 4:52 pm

I do not think it is particularly bad if you knew you really, really wanted to be a lawyer. The problem is all the incredible amount of stress that comes along with being an attorney. It sounds a lot better for your status to say you are a lawyer rather than just a clerk or whatever at a law firm. If that is your reason for doing it, I would advise against it. The people that seem to really love being lawyers are "true believers" (public interest) or are just lunatic workaholics, and the latter could probably treat any job that way. Just my experience for what it is worth.

FirmBiz · Post by **FirmBiz** » Fri May 22, 2015 10:39 am

Who cares about happiness? Do the 3 years, look at the average private sector salary for SMU, and you are in texas.

Happiness? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

TasmanianToucan · Post by **TasmanianToucan** » Fri May 22, 2015 10:44 am

Txflier22 wrote:Do you guys think SMU is worth it though with a half scholly and no debt for someone who wants to work in a small/mid sized firm in north texas

If you are 100% certain you want to be a lawyer and have more money available from the source that allowed you to pay half tuition with no debt in case you end up unemployed, sure.

King Dong · Post by **King Dong** » Fri May 22, 2015 2:52 pm

That sounds like a really bad idea. Why would you ever want to have a career that you weren't passionate about? I could understand if the answer was $ and that figure was so high that you couldn't refuse. But, you're talking about a "60k+" job here. Don't waste your parent's money

Clearly · Post by **Clearly** » Fri May 22, 2015 3:38 pm

DrSpaceman wrote:Yeah, military for sure. Think about it.

Haha you know a law school is bad when the more reasonable alternative is to go to war.

mornincounselor · Post by **mornincounselor** » Fri May 22, 2015 4:18 pm

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