Would you recommend going back to school?

[Lillyth]

A higher education means you can achieve a higher potential income, which heightens your living standards.

So, yes, go back to school, especially if you have a lifetime goal you'd love to see come true.

[Omega10]

The other question would be whether to be a full time student or continue to work also. After the 70+ hour weeks I've worked I firmly believe being a full time student would be a cake walk. However one of my jobs is union, and its possible they may pay for much of if not all the schooling I believe if I were to major in something relevant, like mechanical engineering like I planned.

With the current economic situation in the US, I would recommend going with the union and getting a degree in something relevant to them. One thing to research into would be: are there majors that would be "relevant to your union" that would also be useful in getting into law school at a later time?

It sounds like the other choice would be to research various law schools, find out which majors maximize your odds of being admitted and getting financial aid, and go the full blown lawyer route.

Your post implies that either path would make you happy. The first choice would be a bit safer, while the second one seems to be your true dream. Do your due diligence, and then at some point you just need to dig deep, make your decision, and then implement whichever one it is.

Good luck

[Jessicka]

Something I would always recommend is improving your education.

[Deleted]

maybe you should get some more english lessons on how to start a post/thread/letter.
im not sure starting with 'sup guys' would get marked terribly highly.

[belfpala]

Something I would always recommend is improving your education.

At what cost? He's already making a decent income.

[Tommy T]

Do it dude.

Doing some distance learning myself. Massively looking forward to it.

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maybe you should get some more english lessons on how to start a post/thread/letter.
im not sure starting with 'sup guys' would get marked terribly highly.

Because MMO Champ is the same as a resume.

[Deleted]

If you're happy with your current job and you just want to expand your mind I'd go to night school, take community college, join some reading groups or discussion groups or some sort of intellectual club. Look into jobs you can already switch to that would challenge you more - or think about starting a business in your spare time - just something to push yourself that doesn't come with crippling tuition. I wouldn't recommend going for a degree unless you specifically know what you want to do and are sure it will lead to a job. Too many people spend half their lives in debt because the jobs they end up with didn't need the degree they did.

[Jessicka]

At what cost? He's already making a decent income.

70 hour weeks aren't sustainable for any kind of life. I can assure you of that from personal experience. At some point you just have to cut back, either for family, sanity, or physical health. You either lose income or look for a better job to make up for it, education will never hurt that.

[belfpala]

70 hour weeks aren't sustainable for any kind of life. I can assure you of that from personal experience. At some point you just have to cut back, either for family, sanity, or physical health. You either lose income or look for a better job to make up for it, education will never hurt that.

Bleh, I'll do it to myself, and do. 70 hour weeks, I mean. Won't impose it on others.

Edit: Bold part. Depends how much debt it causes.

[Jessicka]

Bleh, I'll do it to myself, and do. 70 hour weeks, I mean. Won't impose it on others.

Edit: Bold part. Depends how much debt it causes.

I've done 70 hour weeks, the money was fine, and at the time I was okay with it. In retrospect though, its probably my biggest regret. You miss out on too much stuff money doesn't get you and by the time you can stop its too late to go back.

If an opportunity comes up to get out of that, fucking take it.

As for the debt, its probably better to do the extra hours for a couple of years to clear it, if it means you don't have to keep doing them the rest of your life just to stay afloat.

[DrStiglit]

do mechanical engineering. Then if you still want to go to law school go for it.. You have to get a degree prior to going to law school (as long as US) anyhow might as well be something you like. Then since you did a STEM degree you always have the choice of taking the patent bar and getting involved in intellectual property law.

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maybe you should get some more english lessons on how to start a post/thread/letter.
im not sure starting with 'sup guys' would get marked terribly highly.

It's a post in the general section of an Internet gaming forum... I'm positive "sup guys" is fine. Pretty sure you don't need to start a post with "to whom it may concern" or "dear sir/ma'am"...

[Deleted]

The thing is, its not even about the money. I'm totally happy with what I do now and what I earn. The fact is my hunger for knowledge is insatiable. My mind wants to prosper, and I want to reach my potential.

This is a VERY powerful drive! This can fuel you all the way through the coming years of hard work if you decide to go for it!

Might I suggest some books from Brian Tracy to help you decide how to proceed? He also has a lot of video's on Youtube and you can even watch some of his seminars there in full length. (He offers very practical, hands-on and no-nonsense advise to get the best out of your life and career).

I hope you get where you want to be!

[shadowmouse]

However, my true passion would be continue to a law school

Retired lawyer here. Disclaimer, I am retired and a long term expat. Things *may* have changed, but I have seen no sign of it. With that said.

Don't. Consider that to be written in the largest letters this site will support, in bold face, screaming hot pink font, with a strobe that will trigger epilepsy. I would consider that underwhelmingly mild.

Increasingly, degrees are a lottery ticket. As the cost of education soars, the amount of time that it takes for your investment to pay off increases. As that happens, the number of years that it takes for your degree to pay off increases. This is the same for law, but worse.

There was a time when law offices needed young associates to handle all of the research and writing. Today, much of that can be handled by a paralegal with Westlaw and boilerplate. What keeps law hiring new faces is simply the burn out rate. I loved law, and made it to be partner in a small, boutique practice. Some will have the right connections and get the right breaks. It isn't all bad, but a hell of a lot of it wasn't (and as far as I can tell, isn't) good. I watched young guys trying to get their break grabbing what cases they could get, and baking pizza in another town on the side.

I'm not going to write an essay on the profession here. PM me if you have questions. For anyone else considering the same path, research your chances and your ROI carefully. It is a profession with many challenges, many rewards, and a hell of a lot of burn out. When things go well, it can be wonderful, but the jokes about billable hours are not entirely unfounded. I watched too many of my older peers go over the edge on gambling, alcohol, drugs or just plain stress. I cannot stress enough, it may have gotten better. I left practice while computer assisted legal research was still new, and we were still working the kinks out of billing software.

In your situation, I'd follow up on union connections and build up desirable certifications. Knowledge is always out there, you don't have to turn a blind eye to it. You can study, read and do any number of things to exercise your intellect.

[Deleted]

It's a post in the general section of an Internet gaming forum... I'm positive "sup guys" is fine. Pretty sure you don't need to start a post with "to whom it may concern" or "dear sir/ma'am"...

i think thats a perfect way to start any post/thread/letter.
well done you. 10/10.

[belfpala]

It is a profession with many challenges, many rewards, and a hell of a lot of burn out.

If I recall something correctly, I think lawyers have the highest rate of drug and alcohol addiction of any professional field. Hours, stress, and so on.