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Glystopher t1_j6o4fyj wrote

Reply to comment by Cobey1 in Temple University Graduate Students Go on Strike after Year of Unsuccessful Negotiations by BigxMac

So it doesn’t help to go right from undergrad to masters or above? What do they want to see instead? Work experience?

The one thing that I hate getting is certifications though..

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Cobey1 t1_j6o9ap2 wrote

I think there’s gotta be a balance between education and a person’s finances, and it comes down to making a really tough decision. Ideally, I would have loved to go to law school right out of undergrad, but I just had/still have bills to pay and I can’t afford to leave my current career to study full time as a law student. It sucks that life is like this but I had to choose work experience over academia and my pockets and living situation are a lot better now, but now I’m missing out on grad programs/law school. It’s not too late to go back but I would have to give up my pay check. It’s a really tough decision to make for low income and middle class folks — being confined by class barriers

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SpauldingSmails18 t1_j6oga57 wrote

If you want to be a lawyer, you have to go to law school. Costs won’t go down and getting a job as an attorney isn’t easy. Many law jobs don’t pay enough to justify the cost so be really sure that is what you want in life.

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Cobey1 t1_j6oixiv wrote

Costs ain’t the issue, quitting my job to study full time is lol public service work covers legal costs and stops the payments but you have to invest 10 years of your life to get student loans forgiven. It’s something I’m contemplating. Haven’t decided to commit to anything yet

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Glystopher t1_j6oxg26 wrote

I’m investing 10 years as IT database support for brain research. 3 years to go. Lucked into this job and trying to keep it because I didn’t pay much at all on my undergrad, kept kicking the can…

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Legitimate_Onion_653 t1_j6p0kyu wrote

Law student here. Best advice I can give is that you should only go if 1. you have enough money saved to not go into substantial debt or 2. you get significant scholarship money. I know kids with between $150k and $200k in just law school debt. The jobs pay really well but its really just not worth it to take on all of that debt. Also, I generally advise people not to go until they have experience in a professional legal environment of some sort. There is no way to know you won't hate it any other way.

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Cobey1 t1_j6p7ehp wrote

Thanks for the tips. I have worked for a legal firm for 1.5 years and gained experience in civil law as a paralegal and I really enjoyed the convos/relations with lawyers, clients, etc. it’s something I would love to continue to do as an attorney, but I’m also a big believer in financial freedom and I have obtained that currently. Went to community college first and transferred to an accepted 4 yr uni. Graduated undergrad with virtually zero debt and I have a lot of financial freedom as a result and idk if I am okay with being broke again for 4-6 years as I try to get through law school. It’s really hard to put yourself back into the trenches once you have moved up, you know? That’s where my conflict lies :/

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Legitimate_Onion_653 t1_j6p99sm wrote

I was a paralegal for two years before I went to law school. taking the time was totally worth it. Had a head start on a lot of the language and procedural stuff you learn in law school especially at the beginning. Its good you have that experience.

I get your point, though. Being broke is hard, and law students are mostly broke. Its been tough living off loans for three whole years. It has not gone by quick, but I have a job lined up that I really enjoy and I have learned a lot. No matter what you do, it will work out if you make measured and reasonable decisions like it seems as though you have thus far. good luck, whichever way you decide to go.

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SpauldingSmails18 t1_j6olzvn wrote

Your indecisiveness is the primary issue. You have to really want to be an attorney and it doesn’t sound like your heart is into it. It’s OK.

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Cobey1 t1_j6omen4 wrote

Nah you misread my post. You sound like every other white attorney trying to dissuade a young Black man from breaking barriers lol it’s a take from white lawyers that I HATE

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SpauldingSmails18 t1_j6on7w0 wrote

I think you know as much about me as I know about you. Do you know what I hate? Prejudice and stereotyping. Good luck YB.

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Cobey1 t1_j6oonuo wrote

Oh yeah, you’re definitely white 😂 it’s alright, no hard feelings. Just try to learn how to share your opinions without coming across as condescending or talking down to POC. Let people tell you how they feel, vs you trying to tell people what their issues are. A lot of our dreams and aspirations have constantly been put down by folks in the spaces we are trying to enter. 4.5% of all lawyers in the US are Black.

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