Stayin' alive with a 2.5 Forum

[Zazelmaf]

So I have a 2.5 GPA. This puts me well below median at my new school. I transferred with pretty decent grades, but those did not factor in on my GPA here. I missed a ton of classes last semester due to a lot of personal reasons, such as moving, financial aid mess up which almost rendered me homeless, and a 4 hour commute. The grades were B, B, C+, C, for those who were interested. Also, the classes were Int'l law, Evidence, Corporations, and Tax. I was told these were hard courses. I don't know if they were or not. I am guessing they were not too hard, as I pretty much only went to 1/5th of all my tax courses and got a C+, which means that about 10-15% did worse than me.

However, I am wondering if I get A's and B+'s, will this crush my chances at any type of job in the future? I have some internship experience and am going to pursue more. However, I feel that this semester could have broke me.

I live in New York. I go to a lower T1/upper T2 school. Any insight would be stellar.

Thank you.

[Zazelmaf]

I should state that my official rank is not yet determined. Also, I would not mind working in 'high finance' if this law school thing does not work out. That or write epic novels.

[memo2partner]

If you're a 2l without a job lined up by now, I think you're screwed regardless of your grades.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

Biglaw was probably out anyway if you didn't get something already for the summer. What do you want to do?

[IrwinM.Fletcher]

You go to BLS, right?

You're screwed.

[5ky]

"4 hour commute"

[thesealocust]

Grades don't mean nearly as much once the clusterfuck of 2L OCI (and massmailing) has come and gone. Just hustle, or drop out and be a barrista, or something.

[Zazelmaf]

Thank you for the insightful replies. I am thinking of teaching English outside the US once I graduate. It's decent money, housing is paid, and I love to travel. Been all over the world and I crave more travel. However, as far as the Barista thing. No thanks. Already applied to Starbucks for the summer, just for some extra money (I imagine i'll probably only work there about a month or two if I get the job). Other than that, I don't think I'd want to do that forever. I used to work at a burger place that's well known in California and that was hell enough for me.

Biglaw. Not really my cup of tea. To be honest, not sure if law is, so it would not destroy me if, you know, I don't get a law job. As for dropping out. I kind of rely on the loans to survive right now, so that's what is mainly keeping me from that. I figure that I might as well ride law school and do as best as I can (pretty sure I can get A's, did it the first year) from here on out.

[sunynp]

How much are you going to owe? Staying in school because you have loans to live on is very foolish. Why do you think you will do better next semester? This new school doesn't sound as if it is working out for you. Also, if you don't want to be a lawyer, going to law school is an even more ridiculous waste of your time and money.

[Zazelmaf]

How much are you going to owe? Staying in school because you have loans to live on is very foolish. Why do you think you will do better next semester? This new school doesn't sound as if it is working out for you.

I think I will owe around $200k when I am done. I plan on the income based repayment plan. As far as school, I don't really have any other choice right now. No job, and a pretty expensive apartment in NYC (even though I have a room mate). I think I will do better next semester because 1. my financial aid was not messed up. Last semester it took over 2 months for my loans to come in. I had no books for the first few weeks of classes, thus missed a lot. Also, had no apartment yet due to no loans, so was staying in long island in cheap accommodations which was a 30 minute bus ride to the Flushing train station and then 2 subways to school. Then, when I got my loans, I had to find a place, which without a co-signer and as a student, took about a month. I had to meet with Brokers instead of go to class to be shown apartments that were only open during the week. Generally the landlord said they did not consider student loans income, so I had to start over in the process. When I found a place, I had to move, which took a couple of days. Thus, these events interfered with my studies.

Also, when it came time to take the final, I knew barely anything of the classes I took. However, I studied outlines frantically and still did better than a few members of the class. I know I will do better this semester, because those issues no longer exist and because I am fully committed to doing well, as I was during my first year of law school. The study of law itself does not come hard to me, and I know how to answer a law school exam, provided I have had adequate time to study the material and at least made it to 90% of the classes.

[LSATNightmares]

Wow, that sounds like a really tough semester. I just wanted to say I'm sorry that had to happen. Don't listen to everyone else's chorus of "drop out." As long as you have a viable plan for how you want to use your law degree, keep plowing through. It sounds like you're a pretty resilient person, and you'll do better next semester. If people ask about your grades, at least you have good reasons. If your other grades are stellar, I'm sure they'll see how it's an aberration. Best of luck to you.

[kwais]

4 hour commute + applied to Starbucks + nonchalant 200k at tier 3/4 --> 2 schools = flame-ola

[Extension_Cord]

Your insane if you finish law school just to teach English overseas. You will have to pay that 200k back and while your making, best case scenario 36k teaching in Korea you wont make it. You will live a desolate life if you do that. 200k is a ridiculous amount of money. Think about it, thats three houses right now in most areas of the US. It takes most Americans 30 years to pay a 150k mortgage making more than 36k a year. Plus you have to consider if you stick with it, thats 2 additional years that your not working.

You don't want to live your life with that burden, either drop out now and cut your loses or stick it out if you know you will be happier being a poorer lawyer.

I'm sorry.

[I.P. Daly]

Your insane if you finish law school just to teach English overseas. You will have to pay that 200k back and while your making, best case scenario 36k teaching in Korea you wont make it. You will live a desolate life if you do that. 200k is a ridiculous amount of money. Think about it, thats three houses right now in most areas of the US. It takes most Americans 30 years to pay a 150k mortgage making more than 36k a year. Plus you have to consider if you stick with it, thats 2 additional years that your not working.

You don't want to live your life with that burden, either drop out now and cut your loses or stick it out if you know you will be happier being a poorer lawyer.

I'm sorry.

IDK, depends if he/she goes (and stays) where the banks can't reach him/her...

Seriously though, I'm not sure that teaching English as a second language immediately out of law school is the best resume booster/career option. It might be a serious red flag for employers (in any industry other than education).

[MTal]

I don't think you, (or most other 0/1L's) understand how crippling 200k in debt can be. It's literally mortgage sized debt except you have no tangible assets to show for it. Drop out.

[MTal]

Wow, that sounds like a really tough semester. I just wanted to say I'm sorry that had to happen. Don't listen to everyone else's chorus of "drop out." As long as you have a viable plan for how you want to use your law degree, keep plowing through. It sounds like you're a pretty resilient person, and you'll do better next semester. If people ask about your grades, at least you have good reasons.

I don't understand how you arrived at this advice. Have YOU actually gone on to incur 200k in debt from a 2nd tier school (in NYC no less), then gotten a decent job with the ability to pay it off? If not, then you have no standing to dispense such utter drivel.

[MrKappus]

[Zazelmaf]

Nope, not a flame. In fact, a rather true story. I am going to stick this out, I think, and not listen to the negativity any longer.

[taxguy]

OK, listen up. You still have a chance to get a decent job. However, now you really, really need to hustle. You should seek internships, coops, use friends for networking etc. Needless to say that if you do get some type of internship, you should be among the first to arrive at the office each day and among the last to leave. You need to work your butt off. In addition, write an article for your law review or even some other law review. Lawyers are, for some inexplicable reason, impressed with applicants that write published articles. Also, your interviewing skills can make or break you. I have known a number of kids, with mediocre grades, get jobs because they had great personalities and interviewing skills. Hiring partners are human, despite rumors to the contrary. They can be impressed with the right approach.

I don't want to lie to to you or give you false hope. This will be an uphill battle,but I think it is doable. I don't think you will be as automatically doomed as some have suggested.

[sunynp]

OP: what other markets are you interested in besides New York? I'm concerned that you will have no money to live on once you finish school. As you know now, New York is insanely expensive, with no resources you will be in trouble. Moving to New York in this situation was not a smart plan; you won't be able to stay here after you finish school. How will you pay rent, study for the bar, pay for bar review and licensing fees? Where else could you live? Do you have a backup plan?

[3|ink]

Wow, that sounds like a really tough semester. I just wanted to say I'm sorry that had to happen. Don't listen to everyone else's chorus of "drop out." As long as you have a viable plan for how you want to use your law degree, keep plowing through. It sounds like you're a pretty resilient person, and you'll do better next semester. If people ask about your grades, at least you have good reasons.

I don't understand how you arrived at this advice. Have YOU actually gone on to incur 200k in debt from a 2nd tier school (in NYC no less), then gotten a decent job with the ability to pay it off? If not, then you have no standing to dispense such utter drivel.

Wait. Are you challenging someone for making baseless assumptions?

[IrwinM.Fletcher]

Nope, not a flame. In fact, a rather true story. I am going to stick this out, I think, and not listen to the negativity any longer.

lol that's the spirit. I miss your transfer threads. You know, the ones where the whole board told you how moronic your decisions were. But you trudged ahead toward homelessness and a 2.5 in spite of it. Good for you, bro, good for you.

[Wholigan]

Nope, not a flame. In fact, a rather true story. I am going to stick this out, I think, and not listen to the negativity any longer.

lol that's the spirit. I miss your transfer threads. You know, the ones where the whole board told you how moronic your decisions were. But you trudged ahead toward homelessness and a 2.5 in spite of it. Good for you, bro, good for you.

Isn't this the guy who decided to transfer and then didn't do OCI because it was too expensive to move to the city a couple of weeks early?

[unmotivatedjunkie]

I'm in a somewhat similar situation to OP. I too would like to work in the finance industry. How possible is it?

[3|ink]

I really love this thread title.