Drop-out Question Forum

[yntzoid]

Alright TLS,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I was hesitant to attend LS last year as a senior in college. With two liberal arts degrees and a bunch of undergraduate debt and no prior real life work experience I chose to attend LS in NY. I go to a TT in the metro-NYC area. I did a vast amount of research about LS and made my decision based on location/expenses/reputation. Currently locked in for $10,500 in tuition this semester.

I am going to drop out. The coursework is too difficult (I received an A on my first LRW assignment but have had no real exam obviously because it is too early). I just do not find the work interesting and I simply do not want to be a lawyer (terrible economy aside). I am at the point where I have determined my happiness is not contingent on the "prestige" of having a law degree.

To my question: I am applying to a ton of jobs so I can have a 'soft-landing' once I drop out. Since it is so early in the semester, what should I put on my resumes? I am applying to both research labs in my field and basic sales jobs at insurance companies and internet start ups. I know the pay is miserable but I would like to have SOMETHING as I try and re-orient myself. What do I put on my resume? I do not want to lie, but since I only graduated in May is that a large 'gap' on my resume? I feel as if I can own up to the mistake of attending LS and try to spin it in a positive way, I just don't know what to write under the education section.

Disclaimer: To those who will say "just finish the semester and see how you do," I will remain this semester until I find outside work. The decision has already been made after deliberation, research, and discussions with the people important in my life. Once the semester is over if I have not found a job yet I will just leave and continue to hustle.

EDIT: School started the second week of August, next week will have been two months so I have given school a decent amount of time to grow on me.

Thanks for the help.

[gothamm]

why would you put in the time and effort to finish out the semester if you are going to leave inevitably?

You don't HAVE to practice law with a JD. Brooklyn/Cardozo are decent schools and a JD could be fruitful. But seems like you have already made up your mind.

[rdcws000]

As for the gap, it is unattractive to a hiring company no matter what you spent doing, unless it was working.

In my opinion (with some experience in recruiting) there is little to no difference between spending 3 months in law school and not taking finals, and spending 3 months "looking for the right job opportunity".

Your best bet would be to spin the way you have spent the time a bit. A gap is slightly understandable if you just finished your undergrad. Use your imagination without flat-out fabricating.

[okinawa]

.

[rayiner]

why would you put in the time and effort to finish out the semester if you are going to leave inevitably?

You don't HAVE to practice law with a JD. Brooklyn/Cardozo are decent schools and a JD could be fruitful. But seems like you have already made up your mind.

No they're not, and no it won't be.

[I.P. Daly]

Alright TLS,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I was hesitant to attend LS last year as a senior in college. With two liberal arts degrees and a bunch of undergraduate debt and no prior real life work experience I chose to attend LS in NY. I go to a TT in the metro-NYC area. I did a vast amount of research about LS and made my decision based on location/expenses/reputation. Currently locked in for $10,500 in tuition this semester.

I am going to drop out. The coursework is too difficult (I received an A on my first LRW assignment but have had no real exam obviously because it is too early). I just do not find the work interesting and I simply do not want to be a lawyer (terrible economy aside). I am at the point where I have determined my happiness is not contingent on the "prestige" of having a law degree.

To my question: I am applying to a ton of jobs so I can have a 'soft-landing' once I drop out. Since it is so early in the semester, what should I put on my resumes? I am applying to both research labs in my field and basic sales jobs at insurance companies and internet start ups. I know the pay is miserable but I would like to have SOMETHING as I try and re-orient myself. What do I put on my resume? I do not want to lie, but since I only graduated in May is that a large 'gap' on my resume? I feel as if I can own up to the mistake of attending LS and try to spin it in a positive way, I just don't know what to write under the education section.

Disclaimer: To those who will say "just finish the semester and see how you do," I will remain this semester until I find outside work. The decision has already been made after deliberation, research, and discussions with the people important in my life. Once the semester is over if I have not found a job yet I will just leave and continue to hustle.

EDIT: School started the second week of August, next week will have been two months so I have given school a decent amount of time to grow on me.

Thanks for the help.

Will you get any of your money refunded?

If not, you may want to stick out the semester. If you do well, you can post your GPA on your resume. Additionally, you can explain to employers that you decided against becoming a lawyer.

If you decide to drop now, I'd probably leave LS off the resume. I'm guessing not too many employers will really notice the gap unless you have minimal work experience.

Be prepared for the interview question: "what have you been doing since May" though.

Good luck.

[mpj_3050]

So you pay 10k per semester, correct? Not the worst thing I've heard but NYC ain't cheap. I'd be lying if I said I haven't contemplated dropping out as well. The work isn't terrible and some of it is kind of interesting, but I have the horrible feeling that I'm wasting my time and could be doing something, anything really, more productive than law school. I'm lucky though in that my tuition is 6k a year guaranteed at Ole Miss (since it is easy to find out where I go anyway).

Best of luck to you. Personally, I think you should at least finish out the semester.

[Renzo]

why would you put in the time and effort to finish out the semester if you are going to leave inevitably?

You don't HAVE to practice law with a JD. Brooklyn/Cardozo are decent schools and a JD could be fruitful. But seems like you have already made up your mind.

No they're not, and no it won't be.

Seconded. Get out now. One of the biggest differences between people who do well in life and those who don't is knowing when to quit something that isn't going to pay off, and not being tricked in the fallacy of sunk costs. Get out, find something you do want to do, and good luck. As for the resume, I would be honest. I would say, "I'm in law school and I hate it and I don't want to be a lawyer, what I really want to do is [what this job I'm applying for is]"

[Void]

Just wanted to say congrats on what sounds like a good decision. No reason to do something you hate. Continue on through life with an open mind and you'll find something that speaks to you. (Sort of ironically, this is how I ended up going to law school!) Anyway, good luck.

[koalatriste]

if you're hitting your hand with a hammer, it's not called quitting, it's stopping. stopping something that's causing damage is a smart thing, not a humiliating one.

[de5igual]

why would you put in the time and effort to finish out the semester if you are going to leave inevitably?

You don't HAVE to practice law with a JD. Brooklyn/Cardozo are decent schools and a JD could be fruitful. But seems like you have already made up your mind.

No they're not, and no it won't be.

Seconded. Get out now. One of the biggest differences between people who do well in life and those who don't is knowing when to quit something that isn't going to pay off, and not being tricked in the fallacy of sunk costs. Get out, find something you do want to do, and good luck. As for the resume, I would be honest. I would say, "I'm in law school and I hate it and I don't want to be a lawyer, what I really want to do is [what this job I'm applying for is]"

+1, and if you leave now, you get the added benefit of credibility. if you wait till after you get your grades, people would instead assume that you left because of poor grades.