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What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
by Deltaforce11
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:19 pm
by sparty99
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
No one cares.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:26 pm
by tyrant_flycatcher
sparty99 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:19 pm
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
No one cares.
Pretty sure I know who you are. I know your life is tough right now but no need to take it out on others.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:40 pm
by ghostoftraynor
Walk the Appalachian trail or something.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:23 pm
by RunnerRunner
If you don’t want to be at the V100 firm forever, you could spend some time researching in detail what you want to do after. Once you start practicing life will be hectic, and it’s harder to spend time mapping out your life plan.

If the firm is your dream job: hell, just spend some time relaxing! You won’t get to do that for a long time after you start.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:25 pm
by papermateflair
Do you need to get a job, or do you have enough money/family support to truly take 6 months to do whatever you want? If you don't have to work, I say go deep on a couple of hobbies - maybe one fitness related, and one that's non-fitness related. If you have friends or family that you can safely quarantine with, go spend time with them.

If you're looking for something more professional, then can you volunteer with a campaign? Do some pro bono work? Get involved with your local bar committee for whatever your specialty will be? If you're going into a field where an LLM is helpful-ish (tax?), do an LLM program in the fall that you can finish up in pieces over the next few years? I personally would just do a hobby, but I'm not a go-getter like that.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:25 pm
by Anonymous User
sparty99 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:19 pm
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
No one cares.
In a broader sense, that is kind of reassuring.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:33 pm
by bob311
Honestly - I would stay away from legal work, just because you are gonna shortly have a punch in the gut once you get to your v100. If you wanted to do something professional, go work on a campaign. If not, go hiking for 6 months. Pacific coast trail If you are west coast or the Appalachian trail in the East. You are never gonna have 6 free months again. Enjoy it.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:42 pm
by 10b5-1
Y'all understand that there are pretty limited timing windows for hiking the AT or the PCT, especially for first-timers, that you need to apply for a start date permit, and that it takes at least a month absolute minimum to prepare? You could feasibly do a southbound beginning in August but I wouldn't recommend for a first timer.

Anyway. Just saying, these are not last minute decisions.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:18 pm
by hdr
Travel the world! Oh, wait...

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:11 pm
by sparty99
tyrant_flycatcher wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:26 pm
sparty99 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 5:19 pm
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
No one cares.
Pretty sure I know who you are. I know your life is tough right now but no need to take it out on others.
Boy, please. My life is quite fine right now. Really not sure what you are talking about.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:36 pm
by Anonymous User
hdr wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:18 pm
Travel the world! Oh, wait...
Lol my bar trip is gonna consist of a trip to Kroger for groceries while quarantined

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 10:13 pm
by Anonymous User
I'd pursue some hobbies (new or old).

I'd make sure you're getting some exercise in.

I'd make sure you're sleeping right and eating well.

I'd make sure that if you're doing any legal work that it's for a cause you care about. I, personally, find the pro bono part of my practice to be one of the most meaningful aspects, and it's never too early to explore causes you care deeply about. I do a lot of work with hospitals and Native American tribes.

Anon due to identifying info re: pro bono work.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:00 pm
by Anonymous User
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
Literally just enjoy it. If you're this stressed out about the prospect of relaxing for 6 months, talk to a therapist, get some anti-anxiety medication, or smoke some weed.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:54 am
by objctnyrhnr
Go live in the UK. That’s still allowed right?

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 9:07 am
by inter-associate
If I could go back with what I now know about this industry, I would use this time to develop a hobby or two that I could feasibly take with me into my career. Nothing crazy time consuming or anything, but I would invest extra time now to make sure I had the foundation to sustain the hobby once I began work. I’ve been doing this seven years and only now am I finally able to occasionally pursue other interests, and getting past the basics in anything is hard with such an unpredictable career.

Understand that how you feel depends largely on other factors as well, but would definitely try to turn this into a time you’ll look back on with good memories.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 9:33 am
by 2013
Learn how to play an instrument. That’s something I wish I had time to do now.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 8:51 am
by JHP
Definitely seconding, thirding the "build a hobby" advice. As someone with limited talents except for drawing and cooking, both of which I often find too exhausting after 18 hour days, I wish I had picked up some other hobbies or talents that were fun, could take the edge off, and just be something else to add to my repertoire. Maybe not everyone feels this way, but for me, biglaw has become my life such that my identity is essentially centered around my job. I wish I had other things that defined me more than my paycheck, and I never took the time to develop that.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:36 pm
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:00 pm
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
Literally just enjoy it. If you're this stressed out about the prospect of relaxing for 6 months, talk to a therapist, get some anti-anxiety medication, or smoke some weed.
Lol I'm not stressed I was just seeing if other people have interesting ideas as to how to use my time

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 2:45 pm
by jimmythecatdied6
Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:36 pm
Anonymous User wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:00 pm
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
Literally just enjoy it. If you're this stressed out about the prospect of relaxing for 6 months, talk to a therapist, get some anti-anxiety medication, or smoke some weed.
Lol I'm not stressed I was just seeing if other people have interesting ideas as to how to use my time
You could also smoke some weed while hiking the AT. That could be fun.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2020 3:22 pm
by decimalsanddollars
Depending on your financial situation, you could live in Mexico for a while. They're still allowing US visitors on the same terms, and the cost of living there is pretty cheap. It'd be a nice break from America, if that's what you want

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:33 am
by Anonymous User
Anonymous User wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:00 pm
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
Literally just enjoy it. If you're this stressed out about the prospect of relaxing for 6 months, talk to a therapist, get some anti-anxiety medication, or smoke some weed.
Another point. We obviously went to law school for different purposes and from different backgrounds. I came from welfare cheese and a one-room home. I've been waiting for my moment to get to work, to get a paycheck, and to begin supporting my people. I do feel like I'm wasting some time right now, because I have those goals in mind. I'd love to put my degree to work. Best of luck.

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:20 am
by nixy
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:33 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:00 pm
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
Literally just enjoy it. If you're this stressed out about the prospect of relaxing for 6 months, talk to a therapist, get some anti-anxiety medication, or smoke some weed.
Another point. We obviously went to law school for different purposes and from different backgrounds. I came from welfare cheese and a one-room home. I've been waiting for my moment to get to work, to get a paycheck, and to begin supporting my people. I do feel like I'm wasting some time right now, because I have those goals in mind. I'd love to put my degree to work. Best of luck.
I’m presuming you’re not the OP? Even if you are, if someone had posted saying “I really want to start working now because I have family I really want to support, how can I make some money before my firm start date?”, people would have responded very differently than to the question asked, “what do I do with my life??”

Re: What do I do with my life??

Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 3:09 pm
by jackshunger
Anonymous User wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 5:33 am
Anonymous User wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:00 pm
Deltaforce11 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:43 pm
My bar exam just got cancelled and I now have diploma privilege in my state. I have a V100 job that is delayed until January 2021. So I have 6 months off and I have nothing to do. What should I do with my life???
Literally just enjoy it. If you're this stressed out about the prospect of relaxing for 6 months, talk to a therapist, get some anti-anxiety medication, or smoke some weed.
Another point. We obviously went to law school for different purposes and from different backgrounds. I came from welfare cheese and a one-room home. I've been waiting for my moment to get to work, to get a paycheck, and to begin supporting my people. I do feel like I'm wasting some time right now, because I have those goals in mind. I'd love to put my degree to work. Best of luck.
If you need cash this badly, there are plenty of temp gigs available depending on your risk tolerance toward the pandemic. Otherwise, relax and enjoy the last major bit of free time you will have for a long time.