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by graeme 4322 days ago
Oh, you're in Canada. Your situation is far less dire. Though articling adds to the time required to pass the bar.

But lack of financial pressure is an illusion. Unless you've got family support that will end with school, you're running up debt, not getting income, and not learning a skill that will be of any use to you.

If you're truly certain law is not for you, the only thing finishing really gets you is an ability to not look silly to others when you describe what you're doing with your life.

You'll value that now, but feel silly about it later.

1 comments

I completely agree with you. But when every single person in your life is telling you to just finish and article, it is really hard not to. I feel silly about it already, I only wish I had the balls to disregard the opinion of everyone in my life, but I really don't have it in me.

That's also why I want to move to the US, so I can get away from these risk-averse people who have my "best interest" at heart. Because they end up living my life for me, and enough is enough.

I also think people are more open to entrepreneurship in US, whereas people in Canada feel pretty comfortable with their situation.

It's tough. I still remember calling my dad to tell him I didn't want to go to law school anymore. "Oh shit" was his reaction.

For the first few months, everyone thought I was nuts. For the first two years, I still heard constant doubts.

But then the doubts ceased, and people started to say "hey, that's pretty cool what you're doing" and they asked how I did it.

There's no getting around that discomfort. Right now you're prioritizing present comfort over future regret. Would you be comfortable sending this discussion thread to yourself five years from now?

What got me around that block was reading the Four Hour Workweek, especially the first couple chapters. I'd check it out – buy it right away.

(I do LSAT prep, incidently, http://lsathacks.com is my site, and I run the LSAT subreddit. You may have seen my stuff.

Also, Canada is supportive of entrepreneurs too, you just need to find the right neighborhood and social group. I live in the Plateau in Montreal, where a good quarter of the neighborhood is a student or self employed. I don't feel out of place.)