Going off to College

[Lettow77]

 Its weird, I first came here in freshman year of high school. I'll be heading off to a tinyguts town (and the Kentucky border, caliga) for college this week.

I'll major in history, and go to law school afterwords. My schedule, still tenative, is

marksmanship
intermediate german
latin american history
world civilisations II (what a dinky class)
british literary tradition

A schedule conflict by 15 minutes conspired to keep me out of antebellum history, but that and civil war/reconstruction classes, as well as the other juicy history classes, can only avoid me so long. I start out at the rock bottom in terms of history, but i'll work my way up to things that are relevent. I am thinking about taking constitutional law and christian scripture as well.

Aaah, college!

[Tamas]

marksmanship? 

[PDH]

marksmanship? 

In Hungary the class is listed as "Gypsy Hunting"

[Faeelin]

History is a poor choice for law school, IMO.

[PDH]

History is a poor choice for any career except one that has short sleeved button shirts and the saying "would you like fries with that?"

[Lettow77]

 I am aware that history cannot pay bills. However, law really needs no particular path. Business, english or philosophy, probably in that order, would al lbe better candidates than prelaw to go to law school.

I grew up in a law office, though, and slept on a wood floor answering phone calls rather than have a normal home. I have dealt with court extensively, and feel fine regarding law school. I have no anxieties about being a sufficient lawyer.

Tamas: Marksmanship is just a generic easy class to ward off against bad grades. Next semester, it will be archery.

[Strix]

No VMI or Citadel? You are a disgrace to your Southern ancestry.

[Barrister]

History is a poor choice for law school, IMO.

With hindsight, I wish I had studied history as my undergrad instead of geology.

[Ed Anger]

History is a poor choice for any career except one that has short sleeved button shirts and the saying "would you like fries with that?"

Barnes and Nobles always needs clerks.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Law school is a poor choice if one wishes to preserve one's eternal soul 

[Lettow77]

 BB, you took geology? In that instance, I am even less worried about taking history.

I initially viewed it as a selfish decision, as I love history but it does not necesarily pay bills, but I am not too worried. In senior year i'll dabble in a few law oriented classes regardless.

[Faeelin]

Law schools see your entire transcript, BTW, not just the GPA. I don't know how they'd feel about taking a series of classes on archery and marksmanship if the rest of your GPA is weak.

[Strix]

Law schools see your entire transcript, BTW, not just the GPA. I don't know how they'd feel about taking a series of classes on archery and marksmanship if the rest of your GPA is weak.

Some colleges require a number of PE courses, so I doubt the Law School would say much.

[Josquius]

If you need nothing special to study law under the American system then surely history is a good choice?
Its easy so you'll get decent grades and they certainly do count with law school.

And I second- marksmanship, wtf?

[Barrister]

BB, you took geology? In that instance, I am even less worried about taking history.

I initially viewed it as a selfish decision, as I love history but it does not necesarily pay bills, but I am not too worried. In senior year i'll dabble in a few law oriented classes regardless.

Well, Faeelin is right to question it though.

Ideally you want something that will tie in and help you in the practice of law, and something that shows some academic rigour.  Business undergrads can be helpful for lawschool.  Many science programs can be helpful (sadly, geology not so much).

Depending on the law school they will look at what kind of courses you took, and not just your GPA.  So you want to take courses that show you are a serious student, and not just studying basket-weaving.

I said that with hindsight I wish I'd taken history, because my geology has been of no use to me so I wish I'd studied something that I found more interesting.  That doesn't mean that history would be a good undergrad for law school.