Should I go to law school?

• I am a 22 year old college student that is attending a small school out in East Texas. I have decided to major in sociology, for my love of social trends and people. I have tried majoring in a vast array of majors, starting from IT, business, premed, education (math teaching), nursing, English, history, CIS, kinesiology, just to name a few. I’ve always heard “do something you love”. Well, I love working with people, learning and hearing about their stories, researching a huge range of topics through different mediums, continuous learning, conversing over all different ideas, a small amount of writing, reading. I’ve been trying to navigate a certain approach to a career that will lead me to a sense of meaning (through the use of helping people and finding internal satisfaction). I’ve never aspired to be wealthy, only well off enough to provide for a small family with under-modest living expenses. I’m an extremely frugal person, and I have to have the logical boundary before I spend something. A close friend of mine suggested law school (she herself a 56 year old real estate attorney). Another friend suggested social work, or maybe counseling. I don’t know which career is right for me. I also don’t understand how to pinpoint a passion/pathway that lead to those characteristics. I work for a restaurant (Chili’s) that I can’t stand. The people aspect of the company is what drives me. I love talking to all the different types of people and helping them with their needs. I just want a better quality of life than that avenue (I don’t particularly enjoy jumping hoops for my boss’s boss, just for the sake of doing so, instead of doing things in for a more efficient outcome). My parents aren’t that great of help. My mother never went to college, and my step father is a coach who has never gone above the bachelor’s level. My real father was a CEO of a computer software company where he integrated systems for the healthcare profession. He died of an aneurysm. Both of them, along with my sister (Who teaches kindergarten) say that I need to stay with Chili’s instead of leading a path of discovery. How do I pick what I want out of my life? The meaning is what I am after, the monetary gains are not that important to me aside from necessities. I want a small home, an old Jeep Wrangler, enough budget to buy books for my person, and enough to provide for one child and my wife. I don’t mind the idea of graduate studies or professional schooling, but I want something that I can find a drive and passion in. So many of the people I run into have notified a passion, and here I am with nothing but good work experience and a liberal arts degree in progress, albeit no real direction. HELP!

• Answer:

  From what you describe as your interests (working with people, understanding social trends, and a broad array of interests) Social work is certainly something you should look at. Social work is the broadest of all professions in the human services. As a social worker you can work in many different contexts (and you can change contexts easily). You can work at many levels (individuals, families, groups, communities, administration, policy, research, etc.). You might see if your school as an intro to social work course. If not you might see if your local community college does. Alternately go out and talk to social workers (this is what I did because the college I was initially at did not have social work - I ended up transferring schools for social work). DA