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Saved 2/04/11 to Ask Savvy

School or work?

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I am a recent college grad who has been searching for her dream job (or any job within my major) for months. Since graduation I have moved back home and am working at my parents company. After college I had wanted to either work in my degree field or go on to get my masters. My parents have discouraged me from getting my masters and instead suggested I go for a law degree instead. I was hesitant, but decided to pursue it. Very soon I will be taking the LSAT law school admissions test, and I still don't know if I want to go to law school. As a back up plan, I started sending out my resume to future employers, and I have recieved some responses for an interview. The job requires me to move to another state, but I am scared that if I tell my parents, they will acuse me of being wishy -washy about my life and about law school. I am not sure what to do. I want to follow my dream job, but I don't want to be a disappointment to my family, afterall, they did help me pay for LSAT tutoring and the actual exam.
 

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I'm not sure if it's the same in the US, but in Canada, the LSAT scores are good for 5 years. Why not take the test, and do the interviews? You can still apply to school up to 5 years from now if the job doesn't work out, and that way you won't have to re-do your LSAT studying at a future time.
tarabara1229 tarabara1229
I went through the same thing you did. I thought I wanted to go to law school because that's what my parents wanted. I was accepted into a very good program but at the very last minute I decided to defer my enrollment for a year. It was the best decision I made because it really gave me time to figure out what I wanted to do. I ended up foregoing law school because I realized it wasn't for me. I'm happy where I'm at now and I know that law school (or any other type of graduate program) will always be there if I change my mind. And don't worry about your parents- mine came around eventually, and if they love you, they should respect your decision (even if it takes a little time).
Emily Co Emily Co
I definitely agree with all the comments. Law school is for you if you have passion for the law. Do what makes you happy, because at the end of the day, you're going to be the one working hard to eke out a living, not your parents. I'm sure they will come around when they realize that you are happy with your choice.
bellakaoru bellakaoru
Follow your dream, girl! Law school will always be there later if it doesn't work out.
amytnguyen amytnguyen
I'm in my 3rd year of law school so I've seen it all and done it all. To tell you the truth, the job prospects for lawyers aren't looking too good now and when you have 100K of law school loans to pay off and no job guaranteed at the end, you start asking yourself if it was really worth it. Honestly, if you're already questioning whether or not you should go to law school, that's probably not a good sign. Law school requires intense commitment and a passion to pursue it. Most students who start off just b/c their parents tell them to go, usually drop out. So I think if you have a good job waiting for you, go for that. The legal market is too saturated.
ResponsibleSpender ResponsibleSpender
I agree with the other posters. If you go into law school because its what your parents want you will be unhappy with a mountain of debt on top off it. Why go to law school when the market for lawyers is bad when you already have prospects with employers you really want to work for? Pursuing your dream should never be considered wishy washy. If you want to start being treated like an adult by your parents you should make it clear that you appreciate their help but law school isn't for you, and outline your plan for pursuing your own career. Only when you take charge of your future will you start being treated like an adult. If they don't respect that you have interviews, when many others have been looking for work for years, then that is their problem and not yours.
Legally Blonde Legally Blonde
I totally agree with Happsmjc. I graduated from law school in 2009, and don't regret my decision, however I knew I wanted to go to law school for years. The job market for lawyers is awful! I really strugged to find a job, and I know plenty of other recent grads that are having no success at all. In my opinion, unless you are really driven to pursue a legal education, you should not waste your time and money on law school in this current market.
BabyNorbert BabyNorbert
Try picturing yourself 30 years from now, which of the two would you regret the most if you didn't go after it? This might be a silly question, but bear with me (I'm from Denmark so I dont know much aout how these thing functions in the States - where I assume you are - and I know nothing about law school and LSATs), cant you take the LSATs another time? so if your dream job doesn't work out you could still go to law school? Good luck with everything!
Happsmjc Happsmjc
My advice, which I tell everyone I meet contemplating going to law school, is if you can see yourself doing ANYTHING else other than being a practicing attorney then DON'T DO IT! I regret my decision tremendously. The market is so terrible now that most of my friends and I are hardly making a dent in our enormous loans. Jobs are hard to come by, and because law schools have been flooded with recent grads who can't find jobs then that is unlikely to change anytime soon. I wish I had gotten my masters after college in another field. The time, money, stress, etc. just haven't been worth it, and it seems like you would be happy pursuing something else! GOOD LUCK!
amytnguyen amytnguyen
I'm in my 3rd year of law school so I've seen it all and done it all. To tell you the truth, the job prospects for lawyers aren't looking too good now and when you have 100K of law school loans to pay off and no job guaranteed at the end, you start asking yourself if it was really worth it. Honestly, if you're already questioning whether or not you should go to law school, that's probably not a good sign. Law school requires intense commitment and a passion to pursue it. Most students who start off just b/c their parents tell them to go, usually drop out. So I think if you have a good job waiting for you, go for that. The legal market is too saturated.
lauren lauren
These are really tough questions but always make sure you are living your life for yourself! I think if you are able to get a job in your field that is a great opportunity that your parents will completely respect! I think you are doing the right thing and exploring all of your opportunities!