Too late/not worth it?

amother

Thu, Dec 31 2020, 2:17 am

Is it ever too late or just plain not worth it?

My oldest is about to graduate HS and I thought enough is enough and maybe I should continue where I left off 10+ yrs ago. Applying to Law school* that is.

My DH is extremely supportive of me and is willing to support whatever decision I make - be it law school, home with kids or working.

To make it more difficult, I’ve only had 1 job for 2 yrs all this time and have no letters of recommendation from employers/college professors to use (required of all schools).

For me, Law School is my pathway to contributing to the family finances. My dh feels that if that's the only reason, then it's not worth doing and I should just get a similar job to what I had before.

*it was never a dream, merely a career path. I figured since had the brains & grades, doing something that makes $.

voiceofreason

Thu, Dec 31 2020, 4:36 am

If it's a time that makes sense for you, it's not too late. Everyone's life takes a different rhythm. There is no rule.

amother

Cobalt

Thu, Dec 31 2020, 5:19 am

Your husband is wrong.

3 years will pass gd willing now matter what

You can decide

Do you want to be 3 years closer to your goal? Or do you want to be exactly where you are now.

In 3 years from now you could be nearly a law school graduate. Or you can wish you took that chance, but didn’t

amother

cornflower

Thu, Dec 31 2020, 6:23 am

A relative of mine went to law school in her 40s, then took a low pressure legal job and loved it. She'd wanted to go when she was younger, but it wasn't considered appropriate for a religious woman back then. Twenty something years later, it was a great choice.

amother

Jetblack

Thu, Dec 31 2020, 6:39 am

I had a classmate at CLS in her mid forties (post-entertainment industry no less) who has a high profile career now. Someone started the year I graduated who had taught in Bais Yaakov for 20 years. I don’t know where she landed. It’s not too late.

amother

Royalblue

Thu, Dec 31 2020, 7:20 am

No
It’s never too late
Not having outside job does not matter in your position- talk to any career and resume counselor- you can write about all your strengths and skills managing family, community, volunteer work
Reference letters can be from your rov from communit leaders etc- this is common and done often by women in your position
Hatzlocha!

zaq

Thu, Dec 31 2020, 9:28 am

Never too late! You may (or may not) find that you have to work twice as hard to retain half as much as you did when you were 20, but people go back to school all the time. Some people go back in their 60s and 70s, after they retire, possibly to embark on another career, but sometimes just to exercise their minds or to fulfill a dream.

Three years ago a 27-y/o man and his 66-y/o father got smicha on the same day, seven years after the father retired. https://www.northjersey.com/st.....6520/

https://www.insideedition.com/.....duate

https://www.wistv.com/story/38.....lege/

https://www.insider.com/96-yea.....sign.

As far as whether or not it's worth it, that's something only you can determine. Speak to a career counselor--preferably one who has no vested interest in getting you to enroll.

amother

Seagreen

Tue, Jan 05 2021, 8:49 pm

My biggest question would be about the finances. I’m not going back for more schooling because I’m doubtful I would earn back the money it would take to go through school.

The tuition is inflated, we Bh are middle class so no scholarships (go tell them how much Jewish life costs...), and I don’t think I’d want to go the big law path so I think it might be a losing proposition. I may be better off financially working those three years and sticking with my lower paying job than taking a big financial risk and either ending up with lots of debt or working a lot harder than I want to.

amother

Saddlebrown

Tue, Jan 05 2021, 8:54 pm

You can apply and then see what your options are before making a final decision. You don't have to be 100% confident or committed to apply. Score as high as possible on the LSAT to maximize your odds of merit scholarships.

amother

Sapphire

Sun, Jan 10 2021, 12:02 am

I went back to school (I already had had a master’s but decided to switch careers completely) when my kids were all in school. It was rough. There’s a lot of work and pressure and your schedule is set by other people, not by you. I did enjoy the work but it was hard juggling everything. I guess it depends what kind of community you’re in, but if I were you, I would want to be fully available for my kids as they’re navigating college, shidduchim, chasunas, careers, babies. I would want to have a flexible schedule and be able to be fully involved in helping launch my kids.

On the other hand, a nice second salary would come in awfully handy!! How are your finances? What kind of salary could you realistically earn if you want an attorney job with a decent work-life balance? How bad would your student loans be?

amother

Maroon

Sun, Jan 10 2021, 3:53 am

Totally worthwhile to do it if you can graduate with very little student debt. Maximize your lsat score and apply to a lot of schools (there isn't a whole lot of financial aid that's income based anyway, it's mostly academic based, which is mostly based off your LSAT score).