Undergraduate Major Forum

[fburdelliv]

I love Philosophy.
I love Physics.
I want to do IP law.
Statistically, they both score well on LSAT's.
I am weak in math. But do I need to tough it out?

I don't care about getting past admissions, it's then getting into the field that I am worried about which will help me the most?
I know the faq thread in here says go for the GPA, but like I said, I'm not worried about admissions, it's after that. I'll get the GPA whatever it takes.

Thanks in advance. If any of this stuff is redundant or has been said before, link me please, then troll.

[imbored25]

i don't see how you can not care about getting passed admissions since landing a good IP job, or any for that matter (im assuming you want big law) it's really important that you go to really good school. i imagine it's a lot easier getting a high gpa in philosophy and thus this would be the smarter major.

[fburdelliv]

i don't see how you can not care about getting passed admissions since landing a good IP job, or any for that matter (im assuming you want big law) it's really important that you go to really good school. i imagine it's a lot easier getting a high gpa in philosophy and thus this would be the smarter major.

I care trust me, I phrased it wrong. It just wasn't the focus. Sorry for the miscommunication.

[imbored25]

well the thing is if your weak in math physics probably isn't a good idea, it'll be more helpful in IP but to what extent im not sure.

[rayiner]

You will get destroyed in physics/engineering if you are weak in math. Physics/engineering majors at good schools are stacked with people who got 800's on their Math SATs and 5s on their AP Physics exams and half the class still washes out. The people who get GPAs in these majors worthy of top law schools have a natural intuition for the subject.

[tas817]

From what I have heard you want to take a major that is going to make you read and think about what you are reading (philosophy) and write a lot. Law schools don't usually care what major you took (if easy get 4.0) but based on the skills you will need in law school focus on reading and writing. Don't worry about UG preparing you for IP that is what law school is for. Just get the highest GPA you can in something you like and focus on lsat.

Good luck

[sundance95]

TCR is whatever you'll get a better GPA in. HTH.

[whymeohgodno]

If you are weak in math you are weak in physics. I'm sorry but you must have loved basic physics because high level physics (which you will most likely be required to do for a physics major), requires an expert knowledge of calculus.

[nealric]

If you want to do IP law, do either MechE or EE- don't major in physics. Although a physics major will allow you to take the patent bar, IP firms really aren't looking for physics majors to do patent prosecution.

If you are unable to get good grades in science courses, I would be very weary of majoring in science if law school is your goal.

[09042014]

TCR is whatever you'll get a better GPA in. HTH.

If one wants to do IP, a degree in something like EE, is better than a philosophy degree even with a large (~.5) difference in GPA. The job prospect boost is highly significant, compared to the minor difference in school quality.

However, doing a science degree with poor math skills is a horrible choice.

Enjoy Diff Eq OP.

[hipstermafia]

If you want to do IP law, do either MechE or EE- don't major in physics. Although a physics major will allow you to take the patent bar, IP firms really aren't looking for physics majors to do patent prosecution.

If you are unable to get good grades in science courses, I would be very weary of majoring in science if law school is your goal.

As a former physics major I hope this isn't true... oh well, too late now.

OP, if you want to do IP you should check out what the requirements are to sit for the patent bar (you can do some IP without the patent bar, but you will need it if you want to do patent prosecution): http://www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/oed/#heading-5

last bit of advice - if you're just now picking a major it's possible that you may change your mind about going to law school in the next few years, so pick a major you enjoy and wouldn't mind working in, get good grades, and go from there.

[digitalcntrl]

I love Philosophy.
I love Physics.
I want to do IP law.
Statistically, they both score well on LSAT's.
I am weak in math. But do I need to tough it out?

I don't care about getting past admissions, it's then getting into the field that I am worried about which will help me the most?
I know the faq thread in here says go for the GPA, but like I said, I'm not worried about admissions, it's after that. I'll get the GPA whatever it takes.

Thanks in advance. If any of this stuff is redundant or has been said before, link me please, then troll.

Hello, speaking as a patent agent going to law school in the evening I would say you need to have clearer career goals to find your way. You say you want to do IP law? What kind of IP law (IP is often a substitute for Patent Law)? If you are looking for market exclusivity and generally higher pay this would be patents (other forms of IP such as copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, etc. are not exclusive and thus are just as competitive as other general practice fields).

If it is Patent Law, then your UG degree and GPA matter alot (a technical degree is virtually mandatory), especially in patent prosecution (where you file applications with the patent office). The gold standard for Patent Law degrees is one in Electrical Engineering. Physics is ok but not great. Philosphy is worthless in this area.

[digitalcntrl]

If you want to do IP law, do either MechE or EE- don't major in physics. Although a physics major will allow you to take the patent bar, IP firms really aren't looking for physics majors to do patent prosecution.

If you are unable to get good grades in science courses, I would be very weary of majoring in science if law school is your goal.

I think you are presuming he wants to: 1) Do patent law and 2) Do patent prosecution (patent litigation I don't think requires a technical degree).

[fburdelliv]

I love Philosophy.
I love Physics.
I want to do IP law.
Statistically, they both score well on LSAT's.
I am weak in math. But do I need to tough it out?

I don't care about getting past admissions, it's then getting into the field that I am worried about which will help me the most?
I know the faq thread in here says go for the GPA, but like I said, I'm not worried about admissions, it's after that. I'll get the GPA whatever it takes.

Thanks in advance. If any of this stuff is redundant or has been said before, link me please, then troll.

Hello, speaking as a patent agent going to law school in the evening I would say you need to have clearer career goals to find your way. You say you want to do IP law? What kind of IP law (IP is often a substitute for Patent Law)? If you are looking for market exclusivity and generally higher pay this would be patents (other forms of IP such as copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, etc. are not exclusive and thus are just as competitive as other general practice fields).

If it is Patent Law, then your UG degree and GPA matter alot (a technical degree is virtually mandatory), especially in patent prosecution (where you file applications with the patent office). The gold standard for Patent Law degrees is one in Electrical Engineering. Physics is ok but not great. Philosphy is worthless in this area.

Alright fair enough. This is based off the assumption I want to do patent though. Not necessarily. Trademark/copyright/trade secret are still really interesting to me. What about that UG then?

[nealric]

I think you are presuming he wants to: 1) Do patent law and 2) Do patent prosecution (patent litigation I don't think requires a technical degree).

Well, yes. But usually when people ask about IP law and have a science major in mind they are not talking soft IP.

[digitalcntrl]

Alright fair enough. This is based off the assumption I want to do patent though. Not necessarily. Trademark/copyright/trade secret are still really interesting to me. What about that UG then?

For soft IP your UG degree/institution largely does not matter at all (except maybe to a small degree when trying to get into very elite schools). Your goal then should be to maximize your UG GPA to get into the best/highest rank school you can. Your entrance into a good firm will entirely be based upon your class rank in law school multiplied by the prestige of the law school.

[Bosque]

If you want to do hard IP, you really should get an engineering degree. Physics will be ok, but philosophy will pretty much guarantee you won't be getting a patent job.

If you want to do soft IP, know first that it is much harder to get a job doing that (or at least only that) out of law school. That is because anyone can do it, and there just is not as much high paying work out there in the field. But in that instance, philosophy, or any other major, will be fine.

[merichard87]

Just to echo some of the other posters, the best way into patents is an engineering degree with EE being the most in demand. If you are interested in soft IP it doesn't really matter. But if you are going to go into engineering and you are weak in math you may need to rethink some things. Some people can study an hour and ace high level math/engineering exams and some people can study a month and barely pass. You need to figure out which one you are and act accordingly. As another poster said there is a certain amount of innate ability one must have to be more than mediocre in Engineering/Math. The shit is hard. I'm an EE/CE double and I doubt regret my choice of major but I definitely can't see myself being an engineer or dealing strictly in patents. Its alot more boring that you would think. HTH.

[09042014]

Why do you like IP so much anyway?

[fburdelliv]

Why do you like IP so much anyway?

I grew up as an artist in an artists family. I feel strongly about plagiarism and the rights to our minds. That may sound text book to some but it's genuine. I love the sciences [hard and soft], I think there endlessly interesting, my math just blows**. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge, and the sciences are infinitesimal as far as that is concerned. Hell, I even like engineering and architecture, I don't have a problem with it. It's great stuff. Someone said something about mechanical engineering earlier in this thread, that and industrial engineering are the two coolest things in engineering . I took a few engineering courses in high school, and it was neat for me.

**I've never really put time into getting a tutor etc. And as a student-athlete now, I can get this without limitation for free so I feel I would put it. I like to work, I hate being bored, and making a product excites me, so the extra work I would have to do wouldn't bother me much.

P.S. Does EE = electrical engineering?

[09042014]

Why do you like IP so much anyway?

I grew up as an artist in an artists family. I feel strongly about plagiarism and the rights to our minds. That may sound text book to some but it's genuine. I love the sciences [hard and soft], I think there endlessly interesting, my math just blows**. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge, and the sciences are infinitesimal as far as that is concerned. Hell, I even like engineering and architecture, I don't have a problem with it. It's great stuff. Someone said something about mechanical engineering earlier in this thread, that and industrial engineering are the two coolest things in engineering . I took a few engineering courses in high school, and it was neat for me.

**I've never really put time into getting a tutor etc. And as a student-athlete now, I can get this without limitation for free so I feel I would put it. I like to work, I hate being bored, and making a product excites me, so the extra work I would have to do wouldn't bother me much.

P.S. Does EE = electrical engineering?

Yea EE is Electrical Engineering.

I'd stay away from the sciences if you suck at math.

You don't need any kind of engineering background for Soft IP, so do the Philosophy degree.

[OrdinarilySkilled]

Why do you like IP so much anyway?

I grew up as an artist in an artists family. I feel strongly about plagiarism and the rights to our minds. That may sound text book to some but it's genuine. I love the sciences [hard and soft], I think there endlessly interesting, my math just blows**. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge, and the sciences are infinitesimal as far as that is concerned. Hell, I even like engineering and architecture, I don't have a problem with it. It's great stuff. Someone said something about mechanical engineering earlier in this thread, that and industrial engineering are the two coolest things in engineering . I took a few engineering courses in high school, and it was neat for me.

**I've never really put time into getting a tutor etc. And as a student-athlete now, I can get this without limitation for free so I feel I would put it. I like to work, I hate being bored, and making a product excites me, so the extra work I would have to do wouldn't bother me much.

P.S. Does EE = electrical engineering?

Yes EE is electrical engineering. Sounds like you should do engineering and be an engineer. Patent law = describing something in words and then arguing what is meant by those words. The rest of IP also boringish.

[fburdelliv]

Why do you like IP so much anyway?

Yes EE is electrical engineering. Sounds like you should do engineering and be an engineer. Patent law = describing something in words and then arguing what is meant by those words. The rest of IP also boringish.

Read the rest of the thread bud, I'm good at the describing part and arguing it. It's this thing called math that I got problems with. Haha

Heres another question I'm interested in.
Why is the market so drastically different between 'hard IP' and 'soft IP', I feel that because they are in the same category and deal with the same thing the market/economy/pay would be equal to it. But many people have mentioned a drastic difference. Is there? And if so how large? I'm looking at soft IP and it looks really interesting still.
PS I'm worried about the pay check. But because I want to pay off my loans, not because I want a Mercedes.

[OrdinarilySkilled]

Why do you like IP so much anyway?

Yes EE is electrical engineering. Sounds like you should do engineering and be an engineer. Patent law = describing something in words and then arguing what is meant by those words. The rest of IP also boringish.

Read the rest of the thread bud, I'm good at the describing part and arguing it. It's this thing called math that I got problems with. Haha

I read it. You get calculators in college.

[fburdelliv]

[Why do you like IP so much anyway?

I read it. You get calculators in college.

[/quote][/quote]

Still not sure what you meant by your OP, sorry. Don't worry about it though.