Have a liberal arts degree in saving the world for little to no money? Law school won't help your cause

When I chose to go to a prestigious big city liberal arts college I was not worried about the loans I had to take out. I knew I'd have a fancy degree from a fancy college that could get me a fancy job making fancy money. But then I chose my major...gender and sexuality studies aka women's studies with an LGBT twist. And even then knowing I was at a fancy liberal arts college working toward a degree that would land me in a non-profit job I was convinced with such a unique degree I'd be able to defy the liberal arts curse and actually earn a decent living in a non-profit job all while working toward ending discrimination against gays.

But that plan didn't work...

Time and time again I was told, seriously there is no money in helping people. And I eventually came to discover what I had known all along. A LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE WILL NOT BRING HOME THE BUCKS, no matter how fabulous you may think you are or your degree from your fancy school is.

So I was faced with $150,000 worth of loans ($300,000 after the interest kicks in and I pay $1000 a month over 30 years) and the prospects of jobs that would earn me a salary less than I was a making as a New York City nanny....

And so the natural choice was to go to law school. The title of my law school admissions essay was "What do you do with a B.A. in gender and sexuality studies" inspired by "What do you do with a B.A. in english" from the Broadway play Avenue Q. And I ended that essay by saying you still save the world like you initially planned, only better because surely a law degree will boost any degree....even one in gender and sexuality studies.

Of course I didn't put it in my essay, but my real reason for going to law school was because I was convinced people with law degrees make good money no matter what, even if you plan to use that law degree for good aka working in non-profit...or in the fancy term law school dubs it..."Public Interest"

Once again I was wrong....everyone I've met working in public interest with a law degree still makes no money. Most make no more than if they had gone right to work with their liberal arts degrees.

I could still sell my soul and work at a large firm, assuming someone would hire me with my terrible grades and entirely public interest based resume (see my blog entry 2 years from now for how that turns out) but the truth is i have absolutely no interest in law.

Everyone said don't go to a fancy liberal arts college that'll cost you a fortune, don't choose a major that will earn you no money, don't go to law school if you're not interested in law, don't become a lawyer working in public interest because you'll still earn no money....and each time I've ignored the valuable advice from everyone I've come in contact with ever.

The one bit of advice I am finally taking and I encourage all of you to take is, do what you love. For me its gay people....well gay rights...read in to that what you will. And I still plan to finish law school and work in public interest and take a billion years to pay off my loans and while the loans suck, at least I'll be doing what I love.

But this could have all been avoided. So if you're yet to enter college don't make the same mistake as me. Go where you get a scholarship, or in state or to community college for two years. And if you're already in that fancy liberal arts college racking up loans change your major quickly to something useful, I presume business or science would be a better choice than mine. And if you've already graduated with your liberal arts major and can't get a job that will earn you any money and you really do love your major then suck it up and start working. Do not waste your time with graduate school unless you're ready to admit your mistake and forget you ever had a liberal arts degree and do something fancy like earn a business law degree instead.

If after all this you still want to save the world like me, then quit your bitching and go do it.