Drop out or... drop out? Forum

[Zazelmaf]

I am wondering what to do. I go to a T4 in the northeast which seems to have a strong regional grasp on the area, but it's not an area I want to stay in. I want to move to NYC and have applied to a few of the schools there, and am in review at one, but I doubt I will get in. At the same time, I mentioned dropping out to my wife and she was like "wtf?" I was horrified to see that I was only top 18% when finals ended. At midterms I was probably top 5% and upset then. Now I feel like I failed. Also, to make matters worse, I was unable to find work for the summer. I was told a week or two ago I would get a call about an assistant to a judge position, and I may call back next week, but part of me is like "why?" Top 20% from a T4 cannot be good enough. It just can't be! It is absurd.

So, should I drop out? I, as sick as it is, enjoy law school, but at the same time, the debt sucks. I am scared I won't get a school in NYC, but have no idea what to do with an econ. degree either. I came from fast food and I am wondering if that's where I am going to end up again. I'm scared.

[somewhatwayward]

i'm not sure what you should do, but i'm sorry. that sucks.

[bdubs]

Are you on a full ride?

[Rock-N-Roll]

It was my understanding that paying 1L summer positions were tough to get for everybody and so I wouldn't think you should be too discouraged over that.

Was wondering if you were able to get actual employment statistics from your school to better gauge your prospects at top 18%? Also, would you be terribly unhappy if you only ended up getting a regional job offer?

Best of luck with the transfer.

[FeelTheHeat]

Are you paying full tuition?

[ElvisAaron]

First, you should look in the mirror and see if you can honestly say you're trying your hardest and doing your best.

[Rock-N-Roll]

First, you should look in the mirror and see if you can honestly say you're trying your hardest and doing your best.

What are you implying, that OP should try harder in order to improve his or her class ranking during 2L? If so, I'm not sure that that is actually the most practical advice. OP's grades are what they are right now and he or she is trying to make a decision based on those grades.

[lawgod]

First, you should look in the mirror and see if you can honestly say you're trying your hardest and doing your best.

What are you implying, that OP should try harder in order to improve his or her class ranking during 2L? If so, I'm not sure that that is actually the most practical advice. OP's grades are what they are right now and he or she is trying to make a decision based on those grades.

And besides, top 18% is pretty good. 82% are dying for that.

[FeelTheHeat]

First, you should look in the mirror and see if you can honestly say you're trying your hardest and doing your best.

--ImageRemoved--

[xyzbca]

And besides, top 18% is pretty good. 78% are dying for that.

[JamMasterJ]

First, you should look in the mirror and see if you can honestly say you're trying your hardest and doing your best.

What are you implying, that OP should try harder in order to improve his or her class ranking during 2L? If so, I'm not sure that that is actually the most practical advice. OP's grades are what they are right now and he or she is trying to make a decision based on those grades.

And besides, top 18% is pretty good. 78% are dying for that.

mathfail

[lawgod]

You people can't change my quote when you quote it. What is the point of that?

[23402385985]

And besides, top 18% is pretty good. 78% are dying for that.

I love how the picture is of an Asian kid, too.

[ElvisAaron]

First, you should look in the mirror and see if you can honestly say you're trying your hardest and doing your best.

What are you implying, that OP should try harder in order to improve his or her class ranking during 2L? If so, I'm not sure that that is actually the most practical advice. OP's grades are what they are right now and he or she is trying to make a decision based on those grades.

Point is if he's coasting, then he should quit whining and put some work in. If hes doing his best then the question is legit.

[lawgod]

You people can't change my quote when you quote it. What is the point of that?

Oh, I didn't realize the post was going to say "edited"

[FeelTheHeat]

You people can't change my quote when you quote it. What is the point of that?

Oh, I didn't realize the post was going to say "edited"

[Zazelmaf]

Nope, wasn't coasting. I was pretty much the first one there every day, and often one of the last to leave the library. I did commute by bus for an hour and a half each way to school to do this, which was not optimal, but I did use the time on the bus to study as well. I could have put in more time, and I will next semester if I stay. It is my goal to be in the 10%, and higher even if I transfer. I know I can do it, but I am scared that I might not have the chance, and I am not going to stay here. I'll drop out before it comes to that. Not because the school is bad, but because I feel my chances of living in NYC or even SF (where I moved from) are very low and those are the only two cities I really care to live in.

What annoyed me the most though, was I put in an insane amount of extra studying 2nd semester and my grades fell by a lot. First semester I didn't exactly coast, but wasn't as hard core as during the spring.

I, however, keep reading about employment prospects and all that, and I am scared to take out an extra $100,000 in loans, especially if the job market is that bad. On the flip side, though, I would not be devastated if I started out with $30,000 after loan repayments to start out.

[gbpackerbacker]

You people can't change my quote when you quote it. What is the point of that?

Oh, I didn't realize the post was going to say "edited"

Wowww.

[duckmoney]

What's your alternate plan?

If you have a useless liberal arts degree and no connections, then you might be better off trying to get a legal job, even if it pays crap, and get on IBR to manage your loan payments. Bankruptcy isn't that bad when you have 25 years to prep for it.

If you have any other legit career options available, drop out and go do that. Unfortunately, from your school and with your grades (not that they're bad, this is just ITE), you're probably never going to make more than 50-60k as a lawyer, and will probably start out at half that.

[de5igual]

What's your alternate plan?

If you have a useless liberal arts degree and no connections, then you might be better off trying to get a legal job, even if it pays crap, and get on IBR to manage your loan payments. Bankruptcy isn't that bad when you have 25 years to prep for it.

If you have any other legit career options available, drop out and go do that. Unfortunately, from your school and with your grades (not that they're bad, this is just ITE), you're probably never going to make more than 50-60k as a lawyer, and will probably start out at half that.

+1, if you don't really have a back up plan, you might as well just stick it out and find some small government position somewhere. You probably won't get NYC or SF (unless you do some small scale nonprofit), but at the least you'll have manageable payments for 10 years under IBR and after that, the remainder gets discharged.

[Geist13]

wait. You knowingly attended a school where you would be horrified to be top 20% and upset to be top 5%?

[gwuorbust]

if you have no other options(as it sounds) then you might as well keep going. biglaw is out. maybe mid or small law is possible, but probably unlikely without any 1L summer work. 10 year IBR and discharged debt is probably your best option. you should focus your efforts away from transferring and instead on finding work with a nonprofit.

[Grad_Student]

<---Graduated Top 20% from a T4 and have a job....hold tight my friend.

[Black-Blue]

wait. You knowingly attended a school where you would be horrified to be top 20% and upset to be top 5%?

Not unreasonable. Isn't it true that 90% of 1Ls believe they will be top 50%, and something like 40% believe they will be top 10%? Or something like that.

[lawgod]

And besides, top 18% is pretty good. 78% are dying for that.

Besides, if I could do math, I wouldn't be in law school. (For example, what is 150k with compounded interest of 8% after 10 years; what % of students at my school get good jobs.)