This is fine as long as you’re willing to accept the possible financial trade-off. Of course, some people make a lot of money doing what they love, which is the best of both worlds.

I tried to be a good premed, but I wound up failing my science classes. For someone who had excelled at science, this was unusual. Later on, I recognized that I did it subconsciously to show my parents that I wasn’t cut out for it. In retrospect, it wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done, because it hurt my GPA. But it was effective. When I went home and told my parents that I was done with pre-med, I felt so much lighter. So they actually naturally thought I would be pre-law, and I acquiesced because you don’t have a set courseload for pre-law. (I don’t think Cary’s advice is necessarily much different than what I did, except that he did write it in a patronizing fashion.)

Years later, I still leave the option open, but in my heart of hearts, I’m pretty sure I would be miserable as a lawyer. It’s just that the path to financial success and personal misery on that road is shorter – 3 years of training versus 7+ for med school. My friends who are residents, who did it because they were too afraid to stand up to their parents and do what they really wanted to, they work 80 hours a week. Medicine is a long slow haul, and you have to really want it. Same with law, as Anna said. And life is too short to be living for someone else’s benefit, even if they guilt trip you by saying that they gave you life. You really don’t want to be 33 and living someone else’s life.

I’m happy and successful because I followed my own path, and I am proud that whatever mistakes I made are mine. But one of the greatest decisions I ever made was not going to medical school. Cut your GPA losses here, and switch to doing things that make you happy and keep you interested. I’m sure your GPA will improve, and this will probably make your parents happy as well. Plus, you are going to have a hard time getting into better law schools with increasing numbers of D’s and F’s.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the ability to write well stretches across professions and will get you a lot farther in most fields than the ability to dissect human tissue. You shouldn’t be having panic attacks over this issue. I think you know what you need to do, and you just feel conflicted about hurting your parents. But your parents are, as Anna pointed out, highly resourceful people who had to overcome great obstacles to come here. They will be able to get over your choice in time, and even come to tell you that they are proud of you. Mine did.

Good luck, LW. I think you have a bright future ahead.

I had no idea about what I wanted to do for years. I was good at Math and I loved it so I wound up with a Masters degree in Statistics and Math. But I was so afraid of computers (had some pathological fear of technology which I have only recently conquered) so I ended up working in an art gallery for a while (which I enjoyed). Then I worked for a TV company because I wanted to earn some money to go back to college and get a teaching degree. Then I volunteered at a special education school and realised I loved my work,so I switched to working in special education. It’s taken me so long to figure out what I want to do. My parents always said, “Do what makes you happy” to any of my career/life questions…I appreciate their lack of pushyness but I do feel they were so laid-back that I couldn’t look to them for any direction. My mom says parents can never win!

On the way to earning a Bachelor’s (undergraduate) degree in four years, freshmen = 1st year in college (mostly called school in the US) in India sophomore = 2nd junior = 3rd senior = 4th and final

There’s a similar concept in high schools too, but I’ll let an ABD explain that.

and don’t listen to muralimannered – i’ve completed three degrees after college (incl. 2 in law) so you can have your eyeliner, sex and good GPA simultanously! seriously, don’t stress about what’s happened – just look at your classes strategically and how to change things in the future. e-mail me if you need any tips – it took me a while how to get back into study mode, but thinking though it logically really helped get me interested in classes again, which is really what boosted my GPA…

basically in the same situation as nala, studying the prope desi track of science(though biology isn’t regarded very highly by most desis and I get the question all the time whether I’m going to be a doctor) and I’m in several clubs/fraternities and did some activities as well, but it’s really a killing to juggle studies, clubs and hobbies. Although in my country grades are not regarded that highly they are elsewhere in the world and I always was an overachiever(the ‘good girl’ everyone got compared to during highschool). I’m even considering seeing a study counselor…

PS could someone please explain the concepts of freshman/senior/sophomore? I’m not American so I don’t quite get it…

i don’t know anything about you, MM, so i do not (nor did i) make any assumptions about you or anybody else. and i am the last person to judge anybody based on their education, career, or lifestyle. nor do i put much stock into my academic history – i am the first one to make fun of it, and that’s the truth. apparently, i should stop making humorous comments on SM, since even the exclamation point at the end of that sentence didn’t clue you into my kidding. clearly, you didn’t read that comment as i intended it.

yes because i’ve made such a mess of my life so far, that I do whatever I please, talk however I wish at work and get to debate the finer points of chinese-mfg sex-toy product liability vs. the merits of premises and liqour liability for a 100+ chain strip clubs. It’s really bad–I mean I never had to piss in a cup and that’s the true mark of real jobbo–you know you’ve made it when your employer can’t trust you with illicit drugs!

but…what the hell do I know. I’m not a lawyer, doctor or scientist. I didn’t collect post-grad degrees by the bushel and I don’t have ulcers, panic attacks or take Klonopin so I can sleep without grinding my teeth. Oh well, I guess i’m missing out on so much.

and don’t listen to muralimannered – i’ve completed three degrees after college (incl. 2 in law) so you can have your eyeliner, sex and good GPA simultanously! seriously, don’t stress about what’s happened – just look at your classes strategically and how to change things in the future. e-mail me if you need any tips – it took me a while how to get back into study mode, but thinking though it logically really helped get me interested in classes again, which is really what boosted my GPA…