Clueless: Senior Undergraduate Considering Law School, B-School, Employment

Graduate School Law School
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I’m writing because I’m clueless about what to do with my future, especially with respect to graduate school. First things first: I’m a rising Senior at Pepperdine; I’m majoring in Business and minoring in Marketing. My GPA is a 3.42. </p>

<p>For awhile, it seems as if I was just on cruise-control in that I never really experienced significant existential moments like so many others: during my senior year in high school, I decided that I’d apply to colleges/universities as a business major, and never really looked back. Until now. For the past year or so, I’ve been experiencing a lot of inner turmoil about my impending graduation (I entered as the class of 2007, but took a semester off) and have been second-guessing everything, particularly my major and graduate school options. </p>

<p>My problem: I’m not really sure whether to take a look at law school or MBA school, consider entering the military, or just take a cookie-cutter job after graduation. </p>

<p>Law school doesn’t seem particularly appealing, but I do like the idea that my academic strengths (writing, analytical skills, anything related to liberal arts or social studies) match up well with the skills necessary for law school. I like business well enough and am fairly decent at it – if it wasn’t for my quantitative business classes, I’d probably have a 3.9 in college. </p>

<p>I’m kind of paralyzed by the fact that my academic strengths and interests do not match up: I’m good at X (liberal arts classes) but not particularly interested in it, and interested in Y (business classes) and halfway decent at it (but not particularly strong at heavy-duty quantitative stuff like calculus and accounting). It’s not so much that I’m bad at math, it’s just that over the years, I’ve become averse to it because I’ve developed a weird case of avoidance/phobia – I dig my own grave in a math-intensive course before it’s even begun by shying away from it and basically refusing to do the work, probably for fear of not doing well. What’s stupid is that in the classes that I need to work the hardest, I do the least. Something I’ve been doing for years, and something that I need to change. </p>

<p>I kind of wish I could use a mulligan on college. Probably wouldn’t even major in Business – maybe Advertising and Economics, or something like that. Definitely would have planned my four years out better (I never really did; just kind of winged it) and so forth. But the past is over with, so I’m going to try to forget about my numerous screw-ups and wasted opportunities (both academic and non-academic) and do the best I can with what I have now. </p>

<p>Anyways, this post has been kind of aimless, but I was just looking for some general guidance with respect to graduate school (law school, MBA). Nothing really seems like the right answer; everything that comes my way – whether it is a major, a graduate school degree, an industry, or anything else – seems like a good but not great option. Nothing really makes sense. </p>

<p>Any advice, insight, or commentary would be awesome. </p>

<p>Thanks to everyone and best of luck.</p>

2

<p>I advise you to get a job. That should give you more insight into your likes and dislikes and make you more focuses should you go to grad school down the road.</p>

3

<p>Socal- I don’t know if this is going to make you feel better or not–</p>

<p>but my d is also a rising senior. It seems that many (if not most) of her friends (our neighbors and family friends kids too ) seem less certain with their lives the closer they get to college graduation.
I know numerous kids who take LSAT-MCAT and other graduate level exams because they are not quite sure what direction they are going in.</p>

<p>My own d has already taken LSAT, but she too talks about Teach America program as well as taking advantage of on campus recruiting in the fall.</p>

<p>I think it is just natural that kids who were so sure what they wanted to be or do when they were 18 years old are less sure when they turn 20.</p>

<p>Actually- it’s a good thing. You’ve grown- you’ve changed. You really don’t want to be the same person you were at 17. It’s all apart of growing up.
Most of you guys will figure life out (sorta) within the next couple of years!!
Then again there are still a bunch of 50 year olds, who still don’t know what they want to do.
Good luck.</p>

4

<p>Here’s what I’d suggest. Go to your career services center IMMEDIATELY. At many schools, those services end as soon as you graduate. Please do not tell me it’s a waste of time, etc. GO. Take every test they offer for personality types, interests, whatever. Have a mock interview and have it taped, if they offer that. Write up a resume and have someone help you revise it. Look through the lists of alumni in different fields who are willing to talk to students, if your school offers that service. In other words, utilize every
service you can.</p>

<p>Talk to your favorite profs and ask them to write a recommendation for you NOW. If your career services center lets you “store” them there, do that. If it doesn’t, explain to your profs that you aren’t sure what you want to do, that you may be applying to grad/professional school in a few years, and you’d appreciate it if they write something up now and save it 'til then. </p>

<p>Then go work for a couple of years. Try to get the kind of job with a training program where you rotate through different departments. If that’s not possible, still get a job. </p>

<p>If you get any feedback from the tests you’ve taken, try to get some experience in fields that look good for you based on the results. Volunteer if you need to…or even if you don’t. </p>

<p>In about two years, think about whether you want to go on to some sort of school. You’ll have better options with a bit of work experience.</p>

5

<p>Become a firefighter or a policeman - those are two really cool jobs.</p>

6

<p>I think that one of the very worst reasons to go to law school is because you have no idea what else to do with yourself after graduation. That path has disaster written all over it.</p>

<p>If you decide you want to go to business school, you will need a miminum of 2 years, and most likely 5-6 years of full time work experience after graduation before you apply.</p>

<p>I would suggest that you get a job and get some real world experience before you jump into more years of education that is going to cost you a fortune and perhaps limit your opportunities going foward due to student loan debt, particularly if you decide that you also made a mistake going to law school. You need to take a few years to figure out who you are and what is important to you.</p>