I am so confused, advice pleaaaaaase!!

ut0pia

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I can't believe I'm still not decided what I want to do with my life, I am a senior in university, I will graduate in Dec 2010.
I am going to school for history, and I was thinking of applying to law school, but I need to decide RIGHT NOW because I need to start preparing for the LSAT really soon if I'm going to do that.
I am so confused, at times I really want to be a lawyer, and at other times I feel like I'm not so sure.

I am afraid that if I'm a lawyer, I will be so consumed by the job that I'll hardly have time for myself, I have a lot of hobbies- I want to have time to garden, paint, draw, play video games, go to at least 1 fitness type class, read novels and possibly write a novel in my free time. I really want to do all of those things throughout my life, I feel like I am all about my hobbies and not really career oriented enough. Also, one of my big beliefs is that having time to relax inspires creativity, something which I don't think a lot of people in the US agree with, but it's what I've been taught, I come from a different culture in Eastern Europe. I am also okay with taking a pay cut as long as I get to do all of the things I'm passionate about.

Granted, at the moment, history is something I like a lot, and I am very passionate about it, and I feel like I love putting a lot of time and effort into my education- writing papers and doing research for a professor. I feel like law could potentially be something I could be passionate about too- but here is where the big issue comes in- I don't know enough about being a lawyer to say that it's a completely honest/moral profession and I am not exactly sure if it is..If it's not, then I could never be a lawyer..

So, what can I do to learn more about what a law career involves exactly??
If I decide not to do law, then does anyone know what type of options I have with B.S. in history of technology and sociology of science lol ..
I said that I'd be fine in taking a pay cut, I guess I wasn't being totally clear: I would be fine in taking a pay cut, but my parents will be loaning me money for my grad school education, so in order to get the money from them interest free, I'd have to do some kind of graduate program that would result in a pay raise than what I would be making with just a B.S., otherwise in their opinion it isn't worth it
For example, they don't think a master's degree in social work is worth it because the average salary is $35,000 per year, and they think someone with a B.S. can make that much, so going to graduate school for that in their eyes is a waste of money and time. If I wanted to do that, i'd probably have to take private loans with huge interest rates which I don't want to do...
Lol, sorry I'm sooo difficult!!! And sorry if I bored you ...but I would really appreciate any kind of advice!!
 

swampwitch

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The global economy is tanking, jobs are not plentiful and it's just going to get worse. People are always going to need attorneys more than historians. Go for the job that pays the most money and invest your money wisely. In a few years you will have time for hobbies, gardening, painting and writing that novel. You have to earn money while you are young so you can save and invest; otherwise you might find yourself always trying to stay afloat financially and never have time for that fun stuff...

Jump into law and specialize in an area that really appeals to you. Good luck!
 

natalie_ca

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Why wouldn't you have time to do all of those things if you were a lawyer? There are many branches of law.....

Wills and Estates
Real Estate
Corporate
Human Rights
and even family law

Being a lawyer isn't like it's depicted on television.... all time consuming. You pick your hours.

Yes, a criminal lawyer will probably put in some weird hours because of various issues that arise, but every criminal defense lawyer that I know still has a personal life and ample time to go golfing when the weather is nice.

If you don't want to work evenings or weekends, do a branch of law that is less demanding of time such as Wills and Estates or Corporate law or Real Estate.
 

ldg

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Don't forget environmental law!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A friend of ours has a daughter that's pursuing environmental law, and she's spent several semesters in Europe at internships... it's a fascinating area, if you love research, law requires it, and this is such a "new" area of law involving so many different components - your career could involve travel and the cultural sensitivities you have....

There's nothing wrong with earning money, and it doesn't necessarily involve a career that is all-consuming.
 

darkmavis

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I know a guy who went to law school, graduated, passed the bar exam, and then decided he didn't want to be a lawyer so opened a brewery, The Bruery, since he was a pretty darn good homebrewer. A year and a half later he is super successful, his beers are all over California and lots of other states too. Amazing story!

So, I'm not saying you should go through all the work of law school and 'throw it away' or not use it, but it having the experience and degree and the accomplishments wouldn't hurt no matter what you decide to do with your life.

By the way, I just turned 29 and I finally get the stupid joke that 'old' people say when they say they still don't know what they want to be when they grow up. I certainly don't. It bugs me, sure, but I'm making my way. I want to get back in school (i only have an associates degree) but I don't know what I want to study. I'll figure it out someday..

Good luck with any decisions you make. And we all wish you lots of success!!
 

carolina

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ut0pia - do what you LOVE. The economy will turn around, and it is what it is... IMO you need to do what makes you happy... What you are passionate about... And yes, I share with you the concern of not having the time for yourself.
So make absolutely sure, if you go for law, that you have plenty of passion and love for it... Don't do it for the money alone - that will make your life hell, especially a profession that takes so much like this.
Do some soul searching, talk to people from different areas... Have you thought about an academic career? Going to work in the University, taking your master, then your PhD, then teaching and researching?
I know you are not the social butterfly, but now is the time for socializing! Talk talk talk - there is nothing better than asking around for some personal experience.
 
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ut0pia

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Thanks for the advice and good luck wishes.I've been reading more and more and I feel like it may not be for me, which scares the heck out of me really. I don't have a plan B, I chose to study history because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, I knew history was interesting but impractical when it comes to finding a job, but I thought "I'll go to grad school for sure so it won't matter then"..And I really can't think of anything to go to grad school for besides law!!
Here a list of characteristics of contented lawyers I found online and I feel like I don't match enough of them..
Display a love of learning- yes
Pay attention to details-yes
Respect the rules- big no, I believe that if a rule isn't justified by my own beliefs then I need to do everything I can to change it or disobey it
Understand how to change the rules-yes
Possess strong analytical abilities-dunno
Achievement oriented-no, I care more about enjoying my work while I'm working, as far as achieving anything, I feel like others will appreciate my work if I am diligent enough and achievement will come if I deserve it, or if it's meant to be
Competitive- definitely no, I am not competitive at all
Steady and Stable- I change my mind a lot so I guess no
Patient and Persistent- yes
More realistic than idealistic- no
More conventional than innovative- no
More dispassionate than emotional- no
Thick-skinned -no
Originally Posted by LDG

BTW - you can apply for law school and take the LSATs and then not go, correct?
Yes, but I feel like it's a lot of time spent, and if I am unsure of whether I want to go or not I doubt I'll be able to put all of my energy into studying and getting a good score anyway...
Thanks for letting me know about environmental law that sounds really interesting btw!!

Originally Posted by carolinalima

ut0pia - do what you LOVE. The economy will turn around, and it is what it is... IMO you need to do what makes you happy... What you are passionate about... And yes, I share with you the concern of not having the time for yourself.
So make absolutely sure, if you go for law, that you have plenty of passion and love for it... Don't do it for the money alone - that will make your life hell, especially a profession that takes so much like this.
Do some soul searching, talk to people from different areas... Have you thought about an academic career? Going to work in the University, taking your master, then your PhD, then teaching and researching?
I know you are not the social butterfly, but now is the time for socializing! Talk talk talk - there is nothing better than asking around for some personal experience.
I have been trying to figure out what I want to do since I was 17
I have also been talking to my parents and asking them for advice and they are so tired of me doing that..I was always discouraged from getting into arts or literature because it was something that is a hit or miss when it comes to realization as far as career. That makes me mad in a sens, because I feel like,well it's not a hit or miss anyone who is passionate about it will make it. If someone cares about their work and puts all their effort into it, there is no way it won't be recognized, and even if it's not, well it's not about recognition anyway. I wish I knew this when I was in high school, maybe I would have gone to an art school for illustration or do interior decorating, or something like that..But I know it's too late for that, mostly because although I didn't take out loans and my parents pay for my tuition and I plan to pay them back. I feel like my options are just soo limited.
I did look into a career in academia but I think it will be even more time consuming than a law career. There is so much pressure to publish a lot, get tenure and if they don't get tenure within a certain time they get fired. I definitely don't want to have so much stress in my life lol..
 

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

I have been trying to figure out what I want to do since I was 17
I have also been talking to my parents and asking them for advice and they are so tired of me doing that..I was always discouraged from getting into arts or literature because it was something that is a hit or miss when it comes to realization as far as career. That makes me mad in a sens, because I feel like,well it's not a hit or miss anyone who is passionate about it will make it. If someone cares about their work and puts all their effort into it, there is no way it won't be recognized, and even if it's not, well it's not about recognition anyway. I wish I knew this when I was in high school, maybe I would have gone to an art school for illustration or do interior decorating, or something like that..But I know it's too late for that, mostly because although I didn't take out loans and my parents pay for my tuition and I plan to pay them back. I feel like my options are just soo limited.
I did look into a career in academia but I think it will be even more time consuming than a law career. There is so much pressure to publish a lot, get tenure and if they don't get tenure within a certain time they get fired. I definitely don't want to have so much stress in my life lol..
Sweetie, I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to do since I graduated...I'm now 40 and I STILL don't have a clue
. I majored in English which is pretty much in the same catagory as History. Either teach, become a journalist, go into law, or be a waitress. I became a waitress to begin with. Haven't done a darn thing with my degree (yet), but I've had so many interesting jobs that had nothing to do with english that I got to explore and see what was right and not right for me. You don't have to make this decision right now.

One thing you may want to try is to get cert as a paralegal and try out different aspects of law. That is basically a 9-5 job (SIL is one so at least those are her hours), and I agree there are different aspects of law. Not all are like "Law and Order".

Follow your heart. A great paying job is good, but if you can't enjoy life and are working from morning to night then is that living? Decide what you want...you can always go to law school in a few years if that is what you decide.

Good luck in your choice.
 

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If you like the idea of doing Law and keeping your hobbies and having a life have you thought about doing the law class and then going into teaching law you would get best of both worlds then

my brother is currently studying law he wanted to be a barraster but then like you decided he wanted to live his life so has settled on the idea of teaching it instead
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

I have been trying to figure out what I want to do since I was 17
I have also been talking to my parents and asking them for advice and they are so tired of me doing that..
I am not talking about talking to your parents for advice... yes, that is great, but I know you have had plenty of that already... The university is a great place for you to do your research... Visit with the students of different graduate schools, ask them why, what is their passion, why did they choose that, what they are going to work with, and so on... Interview them, per se.... Do that all over, with all sorts of people, and you will start having ideas... Talk to different professors... Now is the time you need to be a "wood face" type of girl - take advantage of the fact that you are inside of the university. Talk to people during lunch, walking somewhere... whatever - just do it.
Do you have a career counselor in there? Make an appointment. I know you don't like going out... But if you do, strike a conversation with someone, and ask why they work in what they do... Take mental notes...
About the academic career - yes, there is the pressure to publish, but that doesn't make it a high pressure job by any means! My mom, dad, and brother are all professors - mom and dad retired, Geography, Chemistry and Anthropology respectively. There are research groups with their university students, and the few they mentor for masters or PhDs, and that is generally where the papers to be published come from - hardly an individual venture, you see? They loved it! It has its perks too... They all went to study abroad with full scholarship for their PhDs and post docs, in my moms case, even her masters was out of the country, and fully paid... Not a dime out of their pockets. My brother is currently in Mexico City (one of the biggest centers for Anthropology) for a year for his post doc while his wife takes her PhD... that is the beauty of Academia
.
Also, something else to think about: You are very young... There is nothing wrong in waiting a bit to make this decision... Just having a degree will help you tremendously. Generally speaking, when applying for a job, they ask if you have a degree, and not in what - and you do; that is the bottom line. So, Give time to the time..... IMO don't do something for the $$$; do something onl,y when you are sure that is where your heart is. And whatever it is, think about yourself only... everything else will fall into place.
 

fifi1puss

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You said you like doing research and you majored in history. I am sure there are many ways to turn that into a career. I think you need to research what careers you can turn your passion into. As long as you can make a "living" you don't need to make big time $$. The majority of us are making a "living" doing what we love and we are happy and saving for our financial goals etc.

I also think looking into teaching may be a thing to see about. Working for a historical society? Write a book about something historical you have researched? Work for a museum? I am sure there are many avenues. I had no idea the job I am working at now even existed!!
No one I knew knew it existed either, so there are things out there....just gotta now where to look I suppose. Google it.
 

swampwitch

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Originally Posted by carolinalima

...Don't do it for the money alone - that will make your life hell, especially a profession that takes so much like this....
Originally Posted by calico2222

...Follow your heart. A great paying job is good, but if you can't enjoy life and are working from morning to night then is that living?....
Originally Posted by carolinalima

...IMO don't do something for the $$$; do something onl,y when you are sure that is where your heart is....
I agree with all of this. Nobody said pick a career for the money. The OP had said she was passionate about both options in which case I would definitely go for the career that has a much higher income potential.
 

swampwitch

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p.s. This is a bit off-topic, but the flood of baby boomers are going to start retiring (or trying to) in a year. Both U.S. and Canadian governments are going to be hard pressed to provide heath care for all of them (Medicare in the U.S). Worse yet, only about 60% of this huge group have any kind of savings or retirement savings and are going to be relying on the government for pensions and social security payments.

Neither government is going to be able to cover all of this! Look at the massive debts they have racked up. The consequence is going to be cuts in services and payments, cuts in retirement accounts, and higher & higher taxes.

It's vitally important that those of us after the boomers have some kind of savings and retirement plan - we can't rely on our governments. Also this is the time to look into tax shelters and to educate ourselves.

*lecture over*
 

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If I was younger, I would definitely go into environmental law. It's simply an outstanding field right now and the need for such people will only continue to grow. I have a B.A. in Geography with a concentration in Environmental Planning. If I had it to do over again, I would have gone back to school when I was much younger.

OK, back on topic (sorry!
). I hope you find the answer you need. And I wish you only the best. If you decide to go for the law, the best of luck to you!
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by calico2222

Sweetie, I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to do since I graduated...I'm now 40 and I STILL don't have a clue
. I majored in English which is pretty much in the same catagory as History. Either teach, become a journalist, go into law, or be a waitress. I became a waitress to begin with. Haven't done a darn thing with my degree (yet), but I've had so many interesting jobs that had nothing to do with english that I got to explore and see what was right and not right for me. You don't have to make this decision right now.

One thing you may want to try is to get cert as a paralegal and try out different aspects of law. That is basically a 9-5 job (SIL is one so at least those are her hours), and I agree there are different aspects of law. Not all are like "Law and Order".

Follow your heart. A great paying job is good, but if you can't enjoy life and are working from morning to night then is that living? Decide what you want...you can always go to law school in a few years if that is what you decide.

Good luck in your choice.
Oh any job that pays enough to survive on my own sounds amazing to me right now, since I don't work!! Your life sounds fun and I'd love to do all of that, just explore different jobs until I figure it out and when I do, go to grad school for what I decide.
I don't know why but I got really, really anxious yesterday before I posted this thread, I just kept thinking to myself "you haven't done anything with your life, etc, etc"..I guess I'm at a stage where I haven't had a job since I started college, I had to quit the part time job I had all throughout high school because of scheduling conflicts with my classes, and the fact that I don't work is really contributing to my fear of the future and being anxious about what I want to do in the future, there is this sort of urgency that i'm feeling...I mean, I have friends who are in the same situation and don't really worry all that much about it, but I guess it's part of who I am to always think ahead and worry. Today I feel less paranoid and I see what you're saying. Thanks for the wishes and the suggestions!


Originally Posted by carolinalima

I am not talking about talking to your parents for advice... yes, that is great, but I know you have had plenty of that already... The university is a great place for you to do your research... Visit with the students of different graduate schools, ask them why, what is their passion, why did they choose that, what they are going to work with, and so on... Interview them, per se.... Do that all over, with all sorts of people, and you will start having ideas... Talk to different professors... Now is the time you need to be a "wood face" type of girl - take advantage of the fact that you are inside of the university. Talk to people during lunch, walking somewhere... whatever - just do it.
Do you have a career counselor in there? Make an appointment. I know you don't like going out... But if you do, strike a conversation with someone, and ask why they work in what they do... Take mental notes...
About the academic career - yes, there is the pressure to publish, but that doesn't make it a high pressure job by any means! My mom, dad, and brother are all professors - mom and dad retired, Geography, Chemistry and Anthropology respectively. There are research groups with their university students, and the few they mentor for masters or PhDs, and that is generally where the papers to be published come from - hardly an individual venture, you see? They loved it! It has its perks too... They all went to study abroad with full scholarship for their PhDs and post docs, in my moms case, even her masters was out of the country, and fully paid... Not a dime out of their pockets. My brother is currently in Mexico City (one of the biggest centers for Anthropology) for a year for his post doc while his wife takes her PhD... that is the beauty of Academia
.
Also, something else to think about: You are very young... There is nothing wrong in waiting a bit to make this decision... Just having a degree will help you tremendously. Generally speaking, when applying for a job, they ask if you have a degree, and not in what - and you do; that is the bottom line. So, Give time to the time..... IMO don't do something for the $$$; do something onl,y when you are sure that is where your heart is. And whatever it is, think about yourself only... everything else will fall into place.
I am horrible at talking to people about their lives
I mean, if someone is willing to share I'm all ears but it's like I never ask because I'm afraid of being nosy or that I'm bugging people...
So that could be a problem when it comes to asking around..but I have been reading about real lawyers' lives on the internet and it's been reassuring me that it isn't the way I imagine it to be. It has made me feel like I can always put my own twist into anything, like the things I am interested in can hopefully be applied into the kind of lawyer I can be as well. Although you're right only someone I talk to can answer my main questions, so I will try to do that. My main concern was I was just afraid of losing my personality and all the things I care about, especially since I was kinda feeling depressed and then recently found a few things that really made me feel amazing and I don't want to lose being able to do any of those things- gardening is one thing. In the past month or so I started to really read about nutrition, well I've always been interested in it- but the things I've been reading have convinced me that gardening and picking my food out of the garden is the best way to eat healthy (not exclusively from the garden, but still)..And it's like I have all these little standards that my life has to meet in order to feel like I am leading a happy and fulfilled life, this eating foods from the garden was just one small example. But they all require time for one thing, and I'm scared of say, working for someone who believes in something completely opposite of what I believe in, and even the case I have to work on contradicts my own beliefs. I'm afraid I won't be able to handle that. I was talking to my boyfriend and he was like "well you can't pick and choose only the kind of cases you agree with, you have to remove yourself from that"..
I guess the only person who can tell me about that would be an actual lawyer that I find and talk to...
And as far as working in academia, I worked as an undergrad assistant for a professor's research group in biology, and there I met and became close to a lot of the grad students and the professor..So I've talked to them about it and considered it before I decided to do think about applying to law school..Honestly I find law more appealing to me than working as a professor, but it isn't a bad alternative.

And Ashley teaching law may be interesting, thanks for bringing it up..

Sorry if I bored anyone with my super long post
 

rahma

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I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but after I graduated from college, I didn't have the $$$ to go to law school. So, I became a paralegal instead. I thought I'd work in a law office, see what lawyers really do, and then decide if I want to drop $100,000 on a 3 year degree.

4 years later, and I know for sure I do NOT want to be a lawyer
And, I've met so many lawyers along the way who also don't want to be lawyers, but have to, because they're up to their eyeballs in debt from law school.

So, my advice - work in a law firm, even if as a file clerk, paralegal or secretary, and see if it's what you want to do. And if you decide it is what you want to do, hopefully what you've learned will give you a leg up in law school. If I ever did decide to go, I already know as much as a second year (as has been demonstrated by the summer associates [ie 1st and 2nd year law students who intern at our firm] looking lost when I know just what's going on
)

Also, seeing as how you haven't worked for a very long time, a stint in the working world before law school would probably do you good. Baby lawyers (ie people right out of law school) are lost enough as it is when they first start here, ha. You can work and try to balance your passions with a less demanding job, and if that works, try law school.

And honestly, lawyers who were first paralegals or secretaries are better to work with
They know the pain of their underlings and are nicer to us
 
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