Sunday, March 4, 2007

I Should Have Listened to My College Guidance Counselor.

When I told my Guidance Counselor I was considering Law School she gave me a sheet which listed reasons not to go to law school, like:

  1. I'm a liberal arts major, and I don't know what else to do with my degree.
  2. My parents want me to go.
  3. I like to argue/debate.
  4. I want to change the world.
  5. I did well on the LSAT, so why not?
  6. I want to make a lot of money.
At the time every reason on that list was one of the reasons I gave for going to law school. And I knew it. But I told myself the same thing all stubborn college students tell themselves, "What does my guidance counselor know? If they could have gotten a real job they wouldn't be working as a guidance counselor." Plus I figured #6 would make up for it.

The sick thing is a part of me knew back then it was a mistake. But I didn't know what else to do, and my parents seemed so proud I wanted to go. I thought I would grow into law school like a pair of shoes your mom got you when you were 6 that was 1/2 a size too big.

Now I realize I don't really like to debate that much, and law really has nothing to do with debate; very few people actually change the world; and I'm probably not going to make a lot of money. I did do very well on my LSAT, a pointless test that has nothing to do with success in law school or life, I suppose I have that going for me.

5 comments:

Paragon2Pieces said...

if you're up for teaching LSAT classes, a 99th % score can get you $60/hr. so it's good for something... but i realize a lot of people would rather shoot themselves in the foot than teach LSAT classes.

Elle Woods said...

You also cannot teach the LSAT full time.

The Bearded Professor said...

Now you tell me all this...after I've sold my soul to a law school and have burned all my other bridges. So this 176 on the LSAT is worth nothing? But I thought that meant I was smarter than the rest of the world. Oh, what the hell...I'm still smarter, it's just that they'll have jobs in three years and I'll have $100K in loans that I can't pay off.

If you need me, I'll be in the bathroom...throwing up.

Paragon2Pieces said...

Most LSAT teachers work part-time, but I worked full time as a LSAT teacher before law school.

Nicky said...

They are the only reasons I took law and the only reasons that could possibly exist, to take law.