Graduate or don't graduate?

I’m a bit confused about why you want to go to law school to be a high school english teacher…?

In any case, I think you should stick it out. Time and money will feel like it’s bad, but if you just get out now, and for some reason don’t get into law school, you will beat yourself up about why you left.

Well, I’m a senior getting my high school English certificate. I started working at a law firm and I want to be an attorney now. I have to have a Bachelor’s to get into law school, so I’m finishing either the teaching certificate or switching to straight English.
It is kind of confusing – I started out wanting to teach, but my ultimate goal is law.

@wondersteph, what are your scores like on the LSAT prep tests? Those should be helpful in making the decision. If they’re over 165, then the likelihood of having several law schools accept you is pretty good. Keep in mind that law schools look for the whole package of the student.

Stay in school. Taking time off often interrupts one’s momentum.

@AlfredaPrufrock – That’s one of the main reasons why I’m nervous about it. I haven’t taken the LSAT yet. I missed the last opportunity.

Then I would suggest stay in school as you’ve planned, and start working the prep tests, and maybe take one of the courses like Kaplan or PowerScore to teach you how to take the test. The courses make a big difference, and will help you when you actually take it. PowerScore has a weekend class that’s pretty reasonable. You don’t want to walk into the test cold.

I agree with Alfreda, honestly I would finish what you started. If you change now and decide to go back later, there’s always the chance that a requirement has changed and you’ll end up doing more. That would be my main concern, personally. It’s just one more year and then you’ll have accomplished it, then you can go to law school and if you end up not liking it, well, you’ve already got your education in something you did love.

@AlfredaPrufrock – Thanks. The LSAT is overwhelming, and I think the two courses you suggested would really help.

@asmonet – That was my original plan…I think I’m just getting antsy thinking about going to school for so long.

I think ultimately, I’m afraid I’ll pick the wrong way to go and I’ll regret it later.

@wondersteph: That’s understandable, I would. I’m gonna be in school until I die because I want two PhDs so…I get it. :)

I don’t think you can regret finishing a course, you can regret the opposite however.

If you stay in the English Education program and then go to Law School, you have two possible employment paths. A good idea in this economy.

I used to teach the LSAT for Kaplan. This is a test that makes
almost everyone anxious. I have these recommendations:

1 – the key is practice, practice, practice
2 – get your hands on as many old tests as possible
3 – you will learn techniques/tricks in whatever prep course
you take, which can help with mastery
4 – you can’t cram for this test. think of it like training for a
marathon. you need to build strong test-taking “muscles”
5 – you will significantly improve your score

I’d give yourself at least 2 months, and plan on studying a half hour on weekdays and several hours on weekends.

Good luck!

@mccabe – I REALLY appreciate the tips!!! So do you think if someone studies hard for it, it’s possible to do pretty well? I’m a decent test taker, but the old LSAT tests I’ve seen…wow.

What was that movie, based on a true story of the con-man who passed the Louisiana bar exam by cramming for a weekend?

@Grisson: Catch Me If You Can

The Bar exam is entirely different. And there are people who do well on the LSAT because the reasoning process matches their innate thought processes; my daughter’s ex-boyfriend is one of those. For him to do anything but go to law school would have been so wrong; it’s been so go for him personally. He’s not even planning on practicing, and he’s 5th in his class, Law Review, and took second in oral argument.

I think if you finish what you started, and begin the prepping process for the LSAT, you’ll be in the same place as if you graduated early, then started preparing for the test.

I’d say finish. You can never have too much good stuff on your resume. It just makes you look like a better well rounded person. Plus, it’s always good to have back up.

I’m confused. You said you’re getting antsy about going to school for so long. Why would you then want to extend your schooling by spending three years in law school?

You might want to consider that in today’s economy, you might want to spend more time in school, in hopes things will turn around by the time you finish. I got out of college during the Carter recession, and it took me over a year to get a job. Now, granted, I wasn’t the best job hunter, but still, it’s harder to find a job in a recession, and this one is a doozy!

@asmonet: that sounds like a challenge. ;o)

I believe if you do Teach America for a year, part of your loans are forgiven.

@daloon, me too! That’s how I ended up in marketing with a finance degree—the only job I could get was in the accounting department of an ad agency.

Stay in school. You might have a hard time finding a decent job with decent pay to pay down your school payments now anyways? Plus in a recession/depression schools rarely feel the pain and rarely will they lay school teachers off until people stop paying their property taxes. I would stay in school get your education degree as a backup plan to getting your law degree. Good luck in whatever you do.

Yes, I would say that most people do well if they study enough. The LSAT presents the same types of questions over and over again. So, with enough practice you start to get a metacognitive perspective (i.e., “gamesmanship”). You develop pattern recognition. This is particularly true of the logic games. Very few people do well on those without a lot of practice.

That said, there are some people who can’t do well on the LSAT because of severe test anxiety, learning disability, or lack of motivation. But if you are doing well in college, you should be able to do just fine.

I am a lawschool graduate. I spent 4 yrs as an undergrad and got a double major in east asian studies and political science. That took alot of discipline and hard work. Senior yr added lsat prep. Also worked 2 part-time jobs with a full course load. went to lawschool 3 months after i graduated. I was the youngest person in my class. Follow thru is very important and helps you survive your first year of lawschool. It was very challenging and sleep felt like a luxury. there were quite a few people that didn’t finish the first year of lawschool. i did notice that many of the people in my class had taken a yr or two off before starting lawschool. some even had left other careers. Very diverse group of people.

The lsat is not a measure of your intelligence. It measures whether you know the ins and outs of that particular exam format. so i agree with others- practice, practice!

feel free to send any questions you might have. will your english teaching certificate also qualify as a Bachelors? if so i would finish that. Best of luck to you!

This is a month late but hey maybe it might still help. I basically think you should get what you need to be an English teacher. You may go to law school and realize you made a mistake. Plus I dunno its not really a race to finish college. good luck in what ever you do.