Torn apart Forum

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Anonymous User
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Torn apart

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:48 am

Hello. This is my first time here. I don't even know if I'm in the right thread.

I am currently in a state of limbo here, being in a typical Asian household stereotype. My parents want me to attend either medical or law school but I want to go to art school. I know this sounds so cilche and I dread the day this would come. However, going to law school is also in the realms of possibility. That is why I am torn between the two schools (art and law).

What advice can you give me, fellow Asians (or even not), that will change my mind from going to art to law school?

Anonymous User
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Re: Torn apart

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Jun 17, 2021 11:03 pm

Only go to law school if you want to become a lawyer. You clearly don't want to become a lawyer, so don't go to law school.

I can't speak to whether you should go to art school.

The Avatar

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Re: Torn apart

Post by The Avatar » Sat Jun 19, 2021 3:05 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:48 am
Hello. This is my first time here. I don't even know if I'm in the right thread.

I am currently in a state of limbo here, being in a typical Asian household stereotype. My parents want me to attend either medical or law school but I want to go to art school. I know this sounds so cilche and I dread the day this would come. However, going to law school is also in the realms of possibility. That is why I am torn between the two schools (art and law).

What advice can you give me, fellow Asians (or even not), that will change my mind from going to art to law school?

A law/medical degree is a LOT of work, time, and money. The day-to-day careers themselves involve a lot of hours. How do you expect to manage 50+ hour work weeks in these fields for the next 40 years of your life if you don't even enjoy it? You're only going to end up very unhappy and bitter if you are pressured into this path by your parents and don't want to do it yourself. Also, at your age, you should be making independent decisions for yourself and not your family. You are an adult now and your life is yours to make it. No one should have to convince you to go to law school or medical school. And don't rely on your parents to financially support you anymore.

Anonymous User
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Re: Torn apart

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:56 pm

You're unsure of what you want to do for a living, so I recommend thinking carefully. Shadow professionals and work in their offices, and picture yourself being in an office like that when you graduate from LS or art school. Then, and only then, choose your profession.

OP, do you like to read dense texts and apply their principles to a ten-page report? Do you enjoy research? Are you able make legal arguments in writing and in speech with little prep time? Are you comfortable with deadlines, assignments and consequently high-stress work environments?

Think about these things. If you can't overcome your parents' pressure, then go to law school. I don't know what country you live in, but if you're in the U.S., be sure to get the best possible LSAT score. A higher score leads to more scholarships from higher-ranked schools.

Godspeed, my friend.

objctnyrhnr

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Re: Torn apart

Post by objctnyrhnr » Sun Jun 20, 2021 8:57 pm

My take is a bit more nuanced.

I mean yeah, don’t go to law school if you don’t want to be a lawyer.

But what if you’re fine-ish with being a lawyer but you have this artistic thing (think acting, fiction writing, playing an instrument etc.) that you love and you’re good enough to hang with the pros but amongst those pros youre maybe average—in other words, you won’t go be the top 1% of pros in that field (think A-list actor, first violin in major metropolitan symphony).

I’m that good at something like this. I did it professionally for a while and still do it all the time. But honestly, and I may be in the minority here, I am so glad I didn’t pursue it full time and instead pursued a more traditional (albeit elite white collar) path.

Anyway just because you’re good at something artsy doesn’t mean you’ll be upset at 45 if you haven’t entirely devoted your life to it when your other option was a very lucrative white collar path and where the stars have to align to get that kind of cash in your artsy gig.

My two cents.

Anonymous User
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Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Torn apart

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:56 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:48 am
Hello. This is my first time here. I don't even know if I'm in the right thread.

I am currently in a state of limbo here, being in a typical Asian household stereotype. My parents want me to attend either medical or law school but I want to go to art school. I know this sounds so cilche and I dread the day this would come. However, going to law school is also in the realms of possibility. That is why I am torn between the two schools (art and law).

What advice can you give me, fellow Asians (or even not), that will change my mind from going to art to law school?
The reality of the matter is unless you're in the top 1%, maybe even like 0.1% (because really, there is maybe 1 first violinist position for like every 10k aspiring violinists), of professional artists, chances are you will end up in some kind of workshop competing with people literally willing to work for free.

My brother was in a similar situation with music. He ended up becoming a tech bro that spends all of his free time making music. He has grudgingly admitted to my mother that he thinks he's actually had more time to compose/make music he actually likes because he's not constantly trying to do side-jobs trying to make ends meet.

All that said, absolutely don't be a lawyer. The work hours and earnings are too bimodal. You won't be making art/music in your spare time because you won't have spare time. You should be looking into other white collar professions where is slightly more work/life balance for decent pay. Finance/accounting in the back/middle office of bulge bracket banks, research analyst, software engineering (be either really good and do things faster than expected or work for SAP type of employer), and assuredly options I am not thinking of now.

PS: My three brothers and I are: 1 FAANG engineer, 1 ER doctor, and 1 ex-lawyer turned investment banker. My mother carried the CPA license. One stop shop for Asian stereotypes.

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