DLS
02-06-2004, 09:20 PM
Hey all -
I'm new to the board, and really in need of some advice.
First, the background info:
I'm 27 years old. I went to a liberal arts school in the South, and graduated with a BA in Politics and Economics. I spent 2 years after graduation just floating around, working odd jobs, and trying to "find myself." I was sharing an apartment with my girlfriend, who is 3 years younger than me and was finishing up her degree in Accounting.
I decided that Law School was the next step. I wanted to return to the Pacific Northwest (where I'm originally from) so I left my girlfriend down South and started my first year. The first year went fine. I wasn't a star student or anything, but I was solidly in the middle of the pack. At the end of my first year, my girlfriend and I decided we couldn't be apart. So, that summer we married, she quit her job, and she transferred her credits out here. She got her CPA license, and found a job at a small firm out here. We rented a small house, and everything was Norman Rockwell.
Then, in my second year of law school, the wheels fell off. I still haven't completely figured out why. Part of the reason was that I went to law school simply to "be a lawyer" and I still had no idea of what areas of the law I was interested in. My classes were boring me to tears. My wife was working long hours and she was away from her friends and family. Plus, I drifted away from the few friends I made my first year. I was lulled in to a false sense of confidence by my first year grades. I felt like I studied my tail off, but second year I completely bombed my exams both semesters.
For the start of my third year, I was placed on academic probabtion, and had one semester to bring up my grades. Well, I basically gave my self a nervous breakdown, and was not a pleasant person to be around this past Fall. When exams finally rolled around, I was pretty much insane.
I just got my Fall grades back. They were a little better than my first year grades, but still not great. I did pull my cumulative gpa back up above the minimum. However, my "yearly gpa" was still below the requirements. As a result, I was academically dismissed from law school. My school has no appeals process. Once you're out, you're out. And, in order to attend any other ABA approved law school after being academically dismissed, you have to sit out at least 2 years, and then re-apply to start completely over as a first year. Additionally, they hold the fact that you've been previously dismissed against you when re-applying. So, the prospects of trying to finish my law degree somewhere else are simply too daunting.
Needless to say, I'm in a pretty big funk right now. I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that I've spent almost $75K, completed 2.5 years, have a cumulative gpa of over a C, and have never recived an F in any individual class - yet I still managed to fail out of law school. Close only counts in horseshoes, hand-grenades, and bad-breath. The disappointment, anger, and self-loathing are at all-time highs. I feel ashamed that I let everyone down - my wife, my parents, myself.
My wife has a good job as a CPA, so money is fine - but tight. Of course, money will get a lot tighter in 6 months when my loan re-payments start up. I haven't held a real job in over 2.5 years. Of course, I can always fall back on my undergrad degree - but one of the main reasons I went to law school in the first place is that my undergrad wasn't opening up many doors. The saddest thing is that even after 2.5 years in aw school, I'm still no closer to finding a true "life interest" than I was when I graduated high school. Plus I'm horrible at net-working and promoting myself.
I have to get a real job, get my life back on track, start contributing to the household again, and looking ahead for caring for a family. I just don't know what the first step should be in that process. :confused:
If anyone has any advice, similar stories of failure, or insights they could give me, it would be most appreciated.
I'm new to the board, and really in need of some advice.
First, the background info:
I'm 27 years old. I went to a liberal arts school in the South, and graduated with a BA in Politics and Economics. I spent 2 years after graduation just floating around, working odd jobs, and trying to "find myself." I was sharing an apartment with my girlfriend, who is 3 years younger than me and was finishing up her degree in Accounting.
I decided that Law School was the next step. I wanted to return to the Pacific Northwest (where I'm originally from) so I left my girlfriend down South and started my first year. The first year went fine. I wasn't a star student or anything, but I was solidly in the middle of the pack. At the end of my first year, my girlfriend and I decided we couldn't be apart. So, that summer we married, she quit her job, and she transferred her credits out here. She got her CPA license, and found a job at a small firm out here. We rented a small house, and everything was Norman Rockwell.
Then, in my second year of law school, the wheels fell off. I still haven't completely figured out why. Part of the reason was that I went to law school simply to "be a lawyer" and I still had no idea of what areas of the law I was interested in. My classes were boring me to tears. My wife was working long hours and she was away from her friends and family. Plus, I drifted away from the few friends I made my first year. I was lulled in to a false sense of confidence by my first year grades. I felt like I studied my tail off, but second year I completely bombed my exams both semesters.
For the start of my third year, I was placed on academic probabtion, and had one semester to bring up my grades. Well, I basically gave my self a nervous breakdown, and was not a pleasant person to be around this past Fall. When exams finally rolled around, I was pretty much insane.
I just got my Fall grades back. They were a little better than my first year grades, but still not great. I did pull my cumulative gpa back up above the minimum. However, my "yearly gpa" was still below the requirements. As a result, I was academically dismissed from law school. My school has no appeals process. Once you're out, you're out. And, in order to attend any other ABA approved law school after being academically dismissed, you have to sit out at least 2 years, and then re-apply to start completely over as a first year. Additionally, they hold the fact that you've been previously dismissed against you when re-applying. So, the prospects of trying to finish my law degree somewhere else are simply too daunting.
Needless to say, I'm in a pretty big funk right now. I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that I've spent almost $75K, completed 2.5 years, have a cumulative gpa of over a C, and have never recived an F in any individual class - yet I still managed to fail out of law school. Close only counts in horseshoes, hand-grenades, and bad-breath. The disappointment, anger, and self-loathing are at all-time highs. I feel ashamed that I let everyone down - my wife, my parents, myself.
My wife has a good job as a CPA, so money is fine - but tight. Of course, money will get a lot tighter in 6 months when my loan re-payments start up. I haven't held a real job in over 2.5 years. Of course, I can always fall back on my undergrad degree - but one of the main reasons I went to law school in the first place is that my undergrad wasn't opening up many doors. The saddest thing is that even after 2.5 years in aw school, I'm still no closer to finding a true "life interest" than I was when I graduated high school. Plus I'm horrible at net-working and promoting myself.
I have to get a real job, get my life back on track, start contributing to the household again, and looking ahead for caring for a family. I just don't know what the first step should be in that process. :confused:
If anyone has any advice, similar stories of failure, or insights they could give me, it would be most appreciated.