Feeling uncertain about the future Forum

[piccolittle]

I highly recommend taking a year out.
Now.

Ask your UG if you can take a sabbatical and go do something.
Go to india or africa.
Hike the appalachian trail or join a hippy commune
buy a eurorail pass and backpack through europe.
or just work the kind of job you never thought you'd have (become a warehouse operative, do low-level factory work, get a temp job at UPS, etc. just get out of your comfort zone)

Something to give you a little life experience and a new perspective
Seriously, take a year off. It'll help you grow as a person

Edited the below to reflect my poor reading comprehension; didn't realize the suggestion was to take a year out and do this stuff before finishing UG.

If you want to realistically evaluate your life choices, don't do these things after undergrad. Even if you didn't enjoy your undergrad classes, keep taking the ones you do well in and look into paralegal work at major firms after UG. There are plenty of posts here on TLS about the experience, and many of my friends here came to LS after being paralegals for a few years. You'll be older, more mature, have work experience and connections that will help you in the job search during law school, have a credential that will boost your law school applications, hopefully be able to save some money to help with tuition and expenses later, and most importantly get a real sense for what life as a lawyer is like. You won't be doing a lawyer's work, sure, but you will see what they do firsthand as well as being able to talk candidly about your decision whether or not to attend law school.

I really think this would be a much better option for you than going straight to law school from undergrad if you have no idea whether you will like the practice of law.

Good luck with the rest of college, and I sincerely hope you find academic subjects and extracurriculars that you love.

[bk1]

You're 18 (maybe 19). You don't like college classes. You don't like school social events. You don't like hanging out with people...

What is wrong with you?

[Chucky21]

Actually does your family live close by to your school? You may want to think about commuting, this will save you money for law school and you won't have to deal with being stuck on campus all the time if it's not for you.

[MrAnon]

Hey everyone, I apologize upfront for how long and rambling this post will be.

I'm currently a prospective law student at a large public school that I'm sure you can guess. As of now I'm double majoring in psychology and communications. I'm a first year student but a credit junior thanks to AP courses taken in high school, and will only be here for three years barring some sort of extreme circumstance. I don't really enjoy college much, and have little interest to stay here any longer than I have to.

I currently hate college. I have a 4.0 (this should be considered in no way indicative of how my GPA will turn out by the time of graduation) but am finding I don't like psychology, and feel like I am currently settling with it as a major. I've tried taking courses in psychology, communications, philosophy, criminal justice, and english. Nothing has really caught my interest. I go out regularly, am active in a fraternity, and am heavily involved on campus, but I don't really find any of these collegiate staples to be very enjoyable.

In my experiences taking practice LSATs I have done well but these should be considered in no way indicative of how I will actually perform.

I will likely have good options if I choose to go to law school, but I am worried I'm going for the wrong reasons. I feel as if I'm only going because I will have good options and that I just don't know what else to do. I suspect that I will hate law school. I'm very work adverse, I hardly ever study or spend much time on school work and never really have previously. I doubt I will be quite as work adverse when I'm in the working world and being compensated for my work, but I can't stand the jumping through hoops that being a student necessitates.

Did anyone feel like they were just going to law school because it was the easy choice? Because you didn't know what else you could do with your life? Any advice on how I could get a feel for what practicing the law really entails? Would interning at a firm truly grant me much insight as to what life as an attorney is actually like?

Everything I read on here is very negative towards law school and practicing law. For someone in my situation should I get out now? I think being an attorney may be something I enjoy, but I don't want to risk the rest of my life on that gamble. The only thing other than law that sounds even a little interesting as a career is consulting. Unfortunately my undergrad degree will career very little weight, whatever it ends up being in.

I guess I just want some advice, I know this post is fairly vague and I apologize for that. I just feel very lost. Law seemed like a given based on my skill set. Now I'm rethinking everything and am really worried that I'll end up unhappy with my upcoming decisions down the road.

What could I do to possibly assuage my doubts or what other options should I look into? Did anyone else dislike college as much as I do?

Instead of taking a "year off" why don't you just look for a job, take job, and see where it leads you.

[beachbum]

You're 18 (maybe 19). You don't like college classes. You don't like school social events. You don't like hanging out with people...

What is wrong with you?

Yeah dude, OP sounds like a joy to be around

[Davidbentley]

Dude or Dudette, you need to get laid more. Work out, Surf (if possible) read Shakespeare, learn to count cards (it's easy and you'll still probably lose, but you'll feel alpha), and start watching great old films on netflix. Commit to watching every episode of Quantum Leap, or learning to bake bread. Try your hand at the guitar or flugelhorn. Learn to make movie theater popcorn at home. In other words, waste some damn time. School sucks yes. You know what else sucks? Work. Work sucks big hairy balls. Life is the shit you do when you're not doing all the crap you have to do in order to keep living....er... life. Seriously though, decide whether or not you want Law School this summer. If not, then switch majors, perhaps you're not into the Liberal Arts and something in the hard sciences/CS will actually give you a decent chance at a job out of UG. And for the love of lebowski, start listening to the fucking Jam.

[CincinnatusND]

I think you guys are making a lot of assumptions and getting the wrong idea.

I have good friends, I have an incredible significant other, and a loving family that is very supportive. I very much enjoy hanging out with my friends, and actually one of my interests is film. We quite often get together and watch films off of the Criterion Collection. Outside of college responsibilities and anxiety about career uncertainty, I have a great life.

It's not that weird that I don't enjoy going out and partying, I'm an introvert and don't particularly like large social settings in which I know a minority of the people present. I'm not trying to meet women and my family has a history of alcoholism, so large parties that center around heavy drinking do very little for me.

I have things I enjoy, but none of them are dependent with being in college, and the things that are largely dependent on being in college don't appeal to me.

I think one of the issues I've had was not being able to say no- I think I came on to campus and got over involved, stretching myself too thin. It seems like all the things I pour my time into for various student organizations or class work are just not all that worthwhile.

[dingbat]

I came on to campus and got over involved, stretching myself too thin.

If that's a problem for you now, then good luck with law school->biglaw

[vpintz]

You're 18 (maybe 19). You don't like college classes. You don't like school social events. You don't like hanging out with people...

What is wrong with you?

Yeah dude, OP sounds like a joy to be around

this.

[presh]

.

[Odd Future Wolf Gang]

In this thread: people dole out the most trite advice found in any popular self-help book.

*just go travel to India/Europe, bro*

*just get laid, bro*

*just go find yourself, bro*

*JUST EAT, PRAY, LOVE, BRO*

lol, FUAAAAAARRRRRRRRKKK.

[vpintz]

In this thread: people dole out the most trite advice found in any popular self-help book.

*just go travel to India/Europe, bro*

*just get laid, bro*

*just go find yourself, bro*

*JUST EAT, PRAY, LOVE, BRO*

lol, FUAAAAAARRRRRRRRKKK.

u mad?

[dingbat]

In this thread: people dole out the most trite advice found in any popular self-help book.

*just go travel to India/Europe, bro*

*just get laid, bro*

*just go find yourself, bro*

*JUST EAT, PRAY, LOVE, BRO*

lol, FUAAAAAARRRRRRRRKKK.

With the exception of the laid comment, those are pretty much all the same thing.
Maybe if it was spelled Lei'd?

[Odd Future Wolf Gang]

In this thread: people dole out the most trite advice found in any popular self-help book.

*just go travel to India/Europe, bro*

*just get laid, bro*

*just go find yourself, bro*

*JUST EAT, PRAY, LOVE, BRO*

lol, FUAAAAAARRRRRRRRKKK.

u mad?

oh, i mad.

i real mad.

[FlanAl]

Dude or Dudette, you need to get laid more. Work out, Surf (if possible) read Shakespeare, learn to count cards (it's easy and you'll still probably lose, but you'll feel alpha), and start watching great old films on netflix. Commit to watching every episode of Quantum Leap, or learning to bake bread. Try your hand at the guitar or flugelhorn. Learn to make movie theater popcorn at home. In other words, waste some damn time. School sucks yes. You know what else sucks? Work. Work sucks big hairy balls. Life is the shit you do when you're not doing all the crap you have to do in order to keep living....er... life. Seriously though, decide whether or not you want Law School this summer. If not, then switch majors, perhaps you're not into the Liberal Arts and something in the hard sciences/CS will actually give you a decent chance at a job out of UG. And for the love of lebowski, start listening to the fucking Jam.

hadn't put on "away from the numbers" in a while, thanks for reminding me

[bankruptedcasino]

I think you guys are making a lot of assumptions and getting the wrong idea.

I have good friends, I have an incredible significant other, and a loving family that is very supportive. I very much enjoy hanging out with my friends, and actually one of my interests is film. We quite often get together and watch films off of the Criterion Collection. Outside of college responsibilities and anxiety about career uncertainty, I have a great life.

It's not that weird that I don't enjoy going out and partying, I'm an introvert and don't particularly like large social settings in which I know a minority of the people present. I'm not trying to meet women and my family has a history of alcoholism, so large parties that center around heavy drinking do very little for me.

I have things I enjoy, but none of them are dependent with being in college, and the things that are largely dependent on being in college don't appeal to me.

I think one of the issues I've had was not being able to say no- I think I came on to campus and got over involved, stretching myself too thin. It seems like all the things I pour my time into for various student organizations or class work are just not all that worthwhile.

Would you like to trade places with two-years-ago-me when I was literally wasting away at the soul-sucking bank job I was working at? Or today-me, who is having the time of his life in LS but still goes to school full-time, works 20 hours a week, and has finals around the corner? Because I'd trade places with YOU to be a college freshman again.

Dude, college is a four year vacation. I don't care that you don't drink or party. Do something. You're wasting the best four years of your life because your classwork isn't "worthwhile."

[solotee]

I find it pretentious that you think you can get into elite schools after one year of college and having never taken the LSAT.

You sound like a douche. You are correct though. You are going to law school for all the wrong reasons. You should go live your life first and find out about who you really are. Going to law school as a 21yr old is a huge mistake.

Personal mistake? For me, yes. I have no life.

Financial mistake? For me, nope, not at all.

But like OP, I didn't know what else I'd be doing. Should have explored more options.