when to drop out, if you think you're going to Forum

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by bk1 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:49 pm

jdgolfer wrote:We all have to listen to these academics our whole lives...no matter what field...law, medicine, pharmacy, engineering. The academics are there just to teach us--they aren't there to give us our career advice.
Obviously being an academic and being capable of providing career advice are mutually exclusive in every single instance.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by jdgolfer » Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:49 pm

It's up to the OP and if he wants to spend the money or not. It's his bill in the end--not ours.
romothesavior wrote:Also, while it may have been the case previously (like decades ago) that going to law to escape a bad economy, find one's passions, add some extra education, etc. would have been okay reasons to attend, the cost of a legal education is staggering today. Spending $150,00 and three years of your life to "dabble" in law and see if you like it is not wise at all.

I wish OP all the best and I hope he makes the best decision for him. I really hope he ignores the posters telling him that a law degree is always a good idea or to just "suck it up." This is a huge decision and it is important that he make a wise decision.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by vanwinkle » Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:52 pm

BruceWayne wrote:I'm surprised that no one has started slamming his post with ad hominems etc. yet. A lot of what he's saying is a TLS faux paus. For some reason a lot of posters on here think that there are loads of non law jobs out there that pay great money, only require a BA----in any field at that, are hiring in droves, are incredibly enjoyable, and allow 9-5 hours (and maybe for a lot of TLS posters this is true since many of them attended schools like HYP MIT, Duke, UChicago, Penn, Stanford etc. for undergrad). Strangely the rest of the population seems to have a very hard time finding these ideal non legal positions that TLS posters describe as being nearly ubiquitous. If TLS could enlighten President Obama about these positions he would win the 2012 election by a landslide.
It's not that all those non-law jobs out there are easy to get. It's that they're just as easy to get without a law degree as they are with one. A law degree is not an asset for hiring in most non-law jobs and in fact it can be a hindrance (since employers will assume you're just going to work there until you can find higher-paying work more suited to your degree, and bolt). The point isn't that it's easy without one, it's that in most cases, a law degree doesn't help and is a waste of time and money.

It's the same thing with law degrees as what you mentioned about undergrads. Attend an Ivy? Sure, you can probably use that to get a job pretty easily, even outside the profession. But most people aren't attending prestigious Ivy schools, and they'll struggle a lot more to find a use for that law degree outside the legal profession.

Are there magic jobs out there with high pay and no grad degree requirement? No, at least, not many. But that's not a reason to go to law school, where the worst case is you increase your debt significantly and (if you never wanted to be a lawyer) still can't find work you want to do. For someone that sure from the beginning they don't want to practice law, in 98% of cases, going to law school is a bad idea and they should look for other options.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by vanwinkle » Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:56 pm

jdgolfer wrote:It's up to the OP and if he wants to spend the money or not. It's his bill in the end--not ours.
Yes, but OP is asking us for advice, so it makes sense to give it.
jdgolfer wrote:We all have to listen to these academics our whole lives...no matter what field...law, medicine, pharmacy, engineering. The academics are there just to teach us--they aren't there to give us our career advice.
You do realize that most law professors have worked in some professional capacity before finding academic work, right? They know the field, it'd be stupid to ignore what they know about it since they've lived in it.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by keg411 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 1:56 pm

OP, from your "travel writing" post, it makes you sound
a) lazy
b) like you have no idea what actually getting a job entails and you just want to travel the world and make money

Law school isn't about "academic curiosity". It's professional school. People don't go to medical school for intellectual reasons - they go because they want to be a doctor. Law is the same thing. If you want to sit in a classroom and talk intellectual theories and philosophical b.s., get a PH.D. or something like that. It sounds like you went to law school simply to stay in school and avoid the real world. Drop out and get a job and then see what you think about "intellectual curiosity" and "travel writing".

It is one thing to be freaked out by law school and have some doubts, but it's another to be that incredibly naive.
Seriously, this type of person can get into a freakin' T14??

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by bk1 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 2:00 pm

keg411 wrote:It is one thing to be freaked out by law school and have some doubts, but it's another to be that incredibly naive.
Seriously, this type of person can get into a freakin' T14??
QF Irony

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by jdgolfer » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:20 pm

+1
keg411 wrote:OP, from your "travel writing" post, it makes you sound
a) lazy
b) like you have no idea what actually getting a job entails and you just want to travel the world and make money

Law school isn't about "academic curiosity". It's professional school. People don't go to medical school for intellectual reasons - they go because they want to be a doctor. Law is the same thing. If you want to sit in a classroom and talk intellectual theories and philosophical b.s., get a PH.D. or something like that. It sounds like you went to law school simply to stay in school and avoid the real world. Drop out and get a job and then see what you think about "intellectual curiosity" and "travel writing".

It is one thing to be freaked out by law school and have some doubts, but it's another to be that incredibly naive.
Seriously, this type of person can get into a freakin' T14??

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by romothesavior » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:30 pm

jdgolfer wrote:It's up to the OP and if he wants to spend the money or not. It's his bill in the end--not ours.
Are you just dense or something? OP posted his situation on an internet discussion board and sought input. It isn't like I found this guy, knocked on his door, and gave him advice. I'm not a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints seeking out people to be saved.

He gave his situation. We responded. That's how TLS works.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by jdgolfer » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:35 pm

This thread is turning into nothing but a bitch and whine session. A moderator should just delete this thing totally. It's so off-topic right now.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by bk1 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:43 pm

jdgolfer wrote:This thread is turning into nothing but a bitch and whine session. A moderator should just delete this thing totally. It's so off-topic right now.
I'm glad you like to destroy legitimate threads and then ask for them to be locked. You are the epitome of helpful.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by romothesavior » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:44 pm

bk187 wrote:
jdgolfer wrote:This thread is turning into nothing but a bitch and whine session. A moderator should just delete this thing totally. It's so off-topic right now.
I'm glad you like to destroy legitimate threads and then ask for them to be locked. You are the epitome of helpful.
He has to be a troll or an alt of some sort. He just sent me a very lulzy PM.

No idea what is with all the hostility and ridiculousness ITT. A very standard (albeit difficult) question on TLS, followed by some standard responses, and then this guy just flies off the handle.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by jdgolfer » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:46 pm

Look at your comments and your reply just now...This is why this thread should be shut down...you are whining and complaining about stuff not related to the OP.

Seriously moderator...delete this one...it's 10 million times off-topic.
bk187 wrote:
jdgolfer wrote:This thread is turning into nothing but a bitch and whine session. A moderator should just delete this thing totally. It's so off-topic right now.
I'm glad you like to destroy legitimate threads and then ask for them to be locked. You are the epitome of helpful.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by jdgolfer » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:47 pm

Your the troll...not me.
romothesavior wrote:
bk187 wrote:
jdgolfer wrote:This thread is turning into nothing but a bitch and whine session. A moderator should just delete this thing totally. It's so off-topic right now.
I'm glad you like to destroy legitimate threads and then ask for them to be locked. You are the epitome of helpful.
He has to be a troll or an alt of some sort. He just sent me a very lulzy PM.

No idea what is with all the hostility and ridiculousness ITT. A very standard (albeit difficult) question on TLS, followed by some standard responses, and then this guy just flies off the handle.

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romothesavior

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by romothesavior » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:49 pm

Just curious... an example of this "whining" you describe?

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by jdgolfer » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:51 pm

I don't take bait from trolls like you for one.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by bk1 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 3:59 pm

OP has gotten very helpful responses for a tough situation. Most sides have been fairly adequately talked about. I think we can just end this here and not devolve into any more pointless discussion of whether or not we personally think this post is on or off topic.

If anyone has anything else to add to the OP, go for it.

@jdgolfer: If you want to prove yourself not to be a troll and truly feel that way about a post or thread, use the report feature.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by Kulax22 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 4:13 pm

Well thanks to everyone who gave honest helpful replies.

I honestly am OK with doing one semester and seeing if I like it. It seems a shame to get here and drop out ASAP, but maybe it's a case of the sooner the better.

I'm also curious how BAD it looks in the real world to say "Yeah I attended a T14 law school for a bit, but decided it wasn't for me" I have been told it's really no big deal, looking at the big picture. Anyone with real world experience care to chime in?

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by romothesavior » Mon Aug 30, 2010 4:19 pm

Kulax22 wrote:Well thanks to everyone who gave honest helpful replies.

I honestly am OK with doing one semester and seeing if I like it. It seems a shame to get here and drop out ASAP, but maybe it's a case of the sooner the better.

I'm also curious how BAD it looks in the real world to say "Yeah I attended a T14 law school for a bit, but decided it wasn't for me" I have been told it's really no big deal, looking at the big picture. Anyone with real world experience care to chime in?
I guess a lot of the now/later discussion hinges on whether you are okay with possibly forfeiting a lot of money to give it a shot. Do you have a good scholly? Are you willing to take a hit financially to try it out for a semester? I suppose that is something only you can decide.

No personal experience on the dropping out and shifting gears thing, but you wouldn't be the first person to do so. I know a guy who quit law school and went to business school who currently works a great job in marketing, and he didn't seem to think that the quitting law school thing hurt him.

Again, good luck to you. Sorry some moron had to come and ruin this thread.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by vanwinkle » Mon Aug 30, 2010 4:22 pm

jdgolfer wrote:This thread is turning into nothing but a bitch and whine session. A moderator should just delete this thing totally. It's so off-topic right now.
jdgolfer wrote:Seriously moderator...delete this one...it's 10 million times off-topic.
1) We do not delete threads at user request, nor do we take orders from new users.

2) There was plenty of useful information given in this thread, making it worth keeping around anyway. If there's anyone here who's failed to positively contribute and served solely to derail the thread, it'd be you.

3) Don't send harassing PMs to other users. You will be banned if I hear about you doing that again. HTH.

OP, hopefully there was enough useful information in this thread to help you make a decision, despite the trolling.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by lawschoollll » Mon Aug 30, 2010 4:31 pm

You are a 1L at a T14. You have the world at your feet.
Not going to bother reading this whole thread but just wanted to say LOL at this.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by keg411 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 6:02 pm

bk187 wrote:
keg411 wrote:It is one thing to be freaked out by law school and have some doubts, but it's another to be that incredibly naive.
Seriously, this type of person can get into a freakin' T14??
QF Irony
I don't get it :| .
(If you mean I'm naive about what actually practicing law entails or what my opportunities are going to be from where I'm at, you're barking up the wrong tree. Trust me.)

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by bk1 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 6:03 pm

keg411 wrote:
bk187 wrote:
keg411 wrote:It is one thing to be freaked out by law school and have some doubts, but it's another to be that incredibly naive.
Seriously, this type of person can get into a freakin' T14??
QF Irony
I don't get it :| .
(If you mean I'm naive about what actually practicing law entails or what my opportunities are going to be from where I'm at, you're barking up the wrong tree. Trust me.)
Because it's naive to think that, for the most part, anything other than LSAT/GPA matters for getting into the T14. :P

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by keg411 » Mon Aug 30, 2010 6:33 pm

bk187 wrote:
keg411 wrote:
bk187 wrote:
keg411 wrote:It is one thing to be freaked out by law school and have some doubts, but it's another to be that incredibly naive.
Seriously, this type of person can get into a freakin' T14??
QF Irony
I don't get it :| .
(If you mean I'm naive about what actually practicing law entails or what my opportunities are going to be from where I'm at, you're barking up the wrong tree. Trust me.)
Because it's naive to think that, for the most part, anything other than LSAT/GPA matters for getting into the T14. :P
Well, that I know :).

OP is a good example of why they should stop taking those 3.9 philosophy majors who want "intellectual stimulation" instead of "a job" ;).

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by Bumi » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:04 am

jdgolfer wrote:As for your professor, he is an academic and I really don't value a lot of what academics have to say.
I'd say you value what they have to say to the tune of $60K to $70K per year.

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Re: when to drop out, if you think you're going to

Post by northwood » Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:16 am

ID say before you do anything weigh out the pros and cons. Are you afriad of committing yourself to one field? Is there something that you really want to do other than law? If you dont want to be a lawyer, then leave law school. If you are not totally sure if you want to be a lawyer, take a leave of absence- and figure out if you want it or not. This is a common thing. People change their minds and careers.

Honestly, take a leave of absence, clear your mind for a few days, and figure out what you want out of life. Once you have found peace, either go back to law school, or start on another path.

Good luck

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