<p>I had hoped that by the time my oldest was a Senior in college, life's path would be clearer. HA! As he heads back to school, he is totally confused about whether he will be applying to law school (at his nickel, the money has run out), or whether to accept a job at the company where he did an internship, or whether to consider a Master's in his field....one day his passion is for one choice, and the next day he's committed to a different path. The job is a good one, but there would be no schools to obtain a MS or JD in the evenings and the job would be on the other side of the country. The MS wouldn't add much value in his major, but he could get it nearly for free due to a particular program. The JD is something that he's wanted forever, but his first LSAT score might only get him into a 4th or possibly 3rd tier school (he doesn't test well - never has -- despite a very good GPA, and will be taking the LSAT again in October). Each choice has pros and cons. The choice must be made in the first semester. I watch, worry and try to encourage.</p>
<p>I thought it would be a breeze by now. Hah! The process is agonizing even though these choices may be preferable to coming up on graduation without knowing what comes next.</p>
<p>Yes, I know many posters on CC have kids who are going to Yale or Harvard law/medical or to Wharton business school, who have been offered CEO positions already, who will be accepted into doctoral programs on a full ride, who will be traveling the world for a year or two while they decide what to do ( or who simply are so wonderful that their CC parent can't wait to brag that their own childs' lives are without bumps in the road.) Yes, you're fortunate. Please don't rub it in.</p>
<p>Well, for what it’s worth, my kid is in pretty much the same position, except without the law school option, the master’s option, or the job offer. I’m not panicked yet. Life is a loooong haul.</p>
<p>At this juncture, we are just part of the gallery, no? We cross our fingers that they’ll have good options come May. Anyone whose kid already has the job offer is sitting in a cat-bird seat, imho. Not that it means we don’t still experience parental nerves.</p>
<p>Want to know the wonderful thing? It’s not your problem anymore! :-)</p>
<p>He’s a grown man, and I bet he’ll make a great decision without you worrying about it all of the time. If I were him, I would take the job and study for the LSAT and apply for law school a year later.</p>
<p>OP, your story sound familiar to me too. Our ds didn’t start making any plans until the end of first semester sr year to take the GRE’s. Decided to apply to grad school, accepted to USC, moved to SoCal taking a summer job(internship) for the company he interned with the summer before.</p>
<p>No he likes the salary he was offerred to become full time employee and has told USC, thanks for the acceptance but plans have changed. </p>
<p>Personally I think he probably made the correct decision because in his field of computer game development more is learned on the job in most instances than a two year grad study stint would do. Plus it would be very difficult to make up the $150,000+/- in lost wages.</p>
<p>But yes, the sudden change in plans is somewhat hard to take.</p>
<p>I think it’s normal for graduating seniors not to be sure about what they want to do after graduation. After all, most people in this country change careers at least 5 times.</p>
<p>I also think that people do better in graduate and professional school when they take a few years off after college so they can learn more about the world, including the work world, and about their own interests.</p>
DD was going to take the GRE’s this summer, but can’t get motivated to study since she in not sure what she wants to do in grad school (or if she wants to go to law school or ???). She heads off to Turkey for two semesters of study in whatever classes she signs up for (not on my dime) and is hoping to figure out what she wants to do. If I recall from my life, I had NO clue what I was going to do out of college and ended up cashiering at a health food store. It worked out for me, so I am assuming it will work out for her. Life is a journey not a destination - :)</p>
<p>Neonzeus, I don’t know how common this is, but in St Paul we have a law school where students may choose to go F/T during the day, or P/T in the evening. I know several very successful grads from their program. So perhaps it need not be a “this or that” decision but rather a “this and that”. </p>
<p>If your son takes the job it is not written in stone that he can’t work, study and retake the LSAT with the plan of positioning himself to go to law school full time in a year or two. If he loves the work he could stay with the initial company, no harm no foul. </p>
<p>My daughter has mentioned a number of friends who have worked as paralegals post-grad as they prepared for a retake or a first try at the LSAT. It is not the most high paying of jobs but it puts a little money in the bank, has benefits and would give your son exposure to the profession for an extended period of time. It might help your son know for certain if a JD is something that he really wants. I felt better knowing that, though my daughter has said that she wanted to go to medical school forever, she spent a ton of time in a number of medical environments before applying. Just a thought.</p>
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<p>I can guarantee that there is no parent here who hasn’t seen their child thrown a curve ball or two…even parents of the Golden Ones. My D - the apple of my eye but certainly not golden - is currently applying to medical school. The saga begins as a first year in college. It just goes on and on and on. As a worry-wort parent you think, what if it doesn’t work out after so much time invested? Do they have a Plan B? I think you put it best when you wrote, “I watch, worry and try to encourage.” </p>
<p>Your son has choices and that is a good thing. While I know that there is stress associated with watching your child make these decisions I am slowly finding my way to the belief that it is kind of exciting to watch the next generation figure their lives out.</p>
<p>All the best to your son. Come to Philly, the drinks are on me.</p>
<p>You are not alone. S’s misery at his new job is so painful. Four years ago, he flew across country for college and found a peer group, seemed content. The job search meant flying around the company, spending a few hours being interviewed, then wined and dined. How easily a young person can err or shift their focus in 8 months.
Oringinaloog–Your S had 2 very good choices. You’ve said before how happy he is with his position, so why leave?
CS–I agree with you that OP’s son has the option of working and maturing to know what career path to follow. Still, when my child hurts, I want to ease the pain and be part of a solution.</p>
<p>This was SOOOO our situation, as recently as last June’s graduation. By July, she had a job and was gone. So just hang on…the fun is just beginning.</p>
<p>One of his friends just got engaged and plans to get married following graduation. I can’t imagine that!</p>
<p>We should have a graduation ceremony for parents, to acknowledge the fact that we’re moving on to a new phase of our lives and relationship with our kids. We should probably post a thread on how parents choose to celebrate such a milestone.</p>
<p>Neo- I think senior year is a bit more trying on our kids than we imagine. My d was really so unsure of herself and her future plans. I did not sense any of this worry or insecurity until she reached her senior year at college.
I think alot of our kids are really feeling unsettled about their future plans and it may not show itself until it is close to graduation time.</p>
<p>As my d was not planning to go into the corporate world, she wasn’t doing any fall on- campus corporate interviews.<br>
I think seeing her friends and fellow classmates getting suited up and start interviewing for jobs in Sept/October can make some kids feel “left out” and maybe a bit anxious as they’re not yet looking for post grad employment.<br>
Kids who are going the grad school route may not feel the same pressure as their post grad plans have been made. </p>
<p>For my d, it all worked out in the end. She really didn’t start looking for employment until the spring of her senior year. And she has been working for about a month.</p>
<p>But I did see her uneasiness during her senior year. I learned quickly to shut my mouth- didn’t ask too many questions about her plans- and hoped it all worked out. </p>