<p>Lol I have a flare for melodramatics. Here is the situation. I am a pretty well-rounded fellow. My interests cover a variety of topics; however, most of them fall into the social science/humanities category. There are a myriad of college majors I would drool over: political science, history, comparative literature, religion, anthropology, international relations, economics, and foreign language. My parents are hell bent on their only son to someday ascertain the accolade of M.D. What could be more glorious?? ha I feel like I would LOVE actually being a doctor and the cliche "helping" people on a daily basis. I know I could sleep well at night! It's a shame I am not interested in the the actual material required to study for medicine. I get the feeling that I would be infatuated with college and law school if I took that route. I just wonder, would I be happy as a lawyer?? Is the actual profession as exhilarating as the material? Just because I get that special itch from my CNN update or the latest John Grisham novel doesn't mean I have the chops for the job. I worry that it is a decision of weighing my quality of life college/grad school versus my life post graduate school. I don't want to come off as the naive, pretentious high schooler, even though that title probably suits me well. tehe I just have lofty aspirations for my future career and I do NOT want to be swallowed into mediocrity. Can I convince myself (and mi familia) that I can make a positive difference as a.....dare I say it... lawyer!? Please, be a kind soul and mitigate my anxiety. I just need a slap on the back and an affirmation to boost my morale. :) Thank y'all verrrrrry much!</p>
<p>i think it may be time to bring up this thread again – <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/78046-career-advice-practicing-attorneys.html?[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/78046-career-advice-practicing-attorneys.html?</a></p>
<p>it was in the parents forum – many practicing and former attorneys weighing in on the profession. you’ll probably get a good feel for what some people like about being lawyers and what other people hate about being lawyers. only you can judge which you are more likely to be. when reading thru this thread, don’t just keep count of the number of happy vs. the number of unhappy – really think about what factors people are describing and how you would likely feel about them.</p>
<p>the other thing in general you just really have to understand – being a lawyer is being a hired gun – it is your job to do what your client hires you to do (as long as its not illegal or unethical). your clients dictate the nature of your work, the nature of your hours. i think too many prospective law students get caught up in the appeal of the theoretical side of law without understanding the reality of a client driven life. which is not to say this is a negative – working on behalf of a client whose interests you care about, or a client whose needs push you in new or exciting directions can be a big reason some people are very happy in the profession. you just need to understand the reality of the client driven nature of the job. (and even if you work for the government, a corporation, or a not-for-profit, there is still typically a “client” – ie someone other than the attorney setting the agenda for the attorney’s work)</p>
<p>Please don’t write this on college apps, and don’t talk like this once you get there.</p>
<p>The great thing I hear in your post is how enthusiastic you are about learning and studying and that means college is going to be really great for you. I’m excited for you, as a student. That said, why not just go to school, study what you love, let your interests lead you and get the best grades you possibly can? In that way you will not eliminate ANY possibilities from your future and can make those decisions and choices when you have a better idea of what you are good at and what you actually love to do. It might be that you love most of all to study, and that might lead you to become a professor? Who knows. The best thing a college student can do for him/herself is simply to follow the passion and the learning. Nothing is out of the question with the best grades and the deepest learning. You’re young. Give it time. When it is “right” you really will know and probably won’t need to ask anyone else.</p>
<p>
not taking premed curriculum pretty much eliminates the possibility of medschool from your future. Taking it if you are not interested in the subject matter or in medschool is a major pain.</p>