Turn Five

A K-12 Education Blog

Archive for December, 2011

Preparing for Law School

Law careers are extremely diverse in genres and popular with ambitious youths. Meanwhile, they are also enormously competitive and a partnership with a major firm is nearly impossible to come by. That is, not impossible, just outrageously difficult considering the level of competition that exists for most of them. And if you are a young person who is deciding early to pursue a career in law, there are some standard skills to develop, as well as further decisions to make. If you’re the parent of a young person who is looking into law, there are a number of ways in which you can support their interest and continued development. Logic games are a great in-home tool. And these will benefit your child whether they choose law or eventually decide on something else. However, strong logical mindsets are an essential component of developing solid litigation skills, and this should not be overlooked by the student, or those who are assisting with their development.

It will also be extremely important to choose a specialty, or specific area in which you’d like to practice. In addition, some areas, such as criminal law have more than one perspectives, well don’t all legal studies? You can become a prosecutor or defense lawyer, and both of these will fall under criminal law. As is true for all professional career fields, you will want to focus early on your grades and academic achievements. And joining associated academic associations and being involved in the community can also enhance your resume.

In addition to some of the necessary academic background requirements, choosing a law school can be a difficult and cumbersome project. In addition to deciding which school would be best for you and future, the reality is that you must also consider those in a spectrum for which you are eligible. Just as the career choice itself is enormously competitive, law schools too are extremely selective and difficult to get into. Achieving a high grade on the LSAT is just the beginning of your entrance into law school. You will also need to have strong, well lets say outstanding, reference letters and support from your undergraduate professors. This brings us to another consideration you’ll need to make well in advance of your law school years, which undergraduate degree should you pursue? Interestingly enough, there is no single bachelor degree that is essential or required for law school admission, however many great litigators recommend English. This might come as a surprise for those of you who assume that political science is the obvious choice. And to further boost your chances, there are some great LSAT prep resources, including classes, books and software, as well as online sources.

posted by Aisha in Education and have No Comments

Understanding Cultures Through Language Development

Would you like a key to better understanding someone from a different culture? Or perhaps even, would you like clue into someone in your own life, from your own or similar demographic background? Well, it’s extremely possible, and no, this is not going to contain the recipe to a special potion that will let you read minds or have some kind of mystic and sudden comprehension. However, and beyond the idea of though next exclusive to, the further opening of one’s mind, there is a great way to progress your understanding of others, which of course is also the gateway toward acceptance and camaraderie. And before we go any further, we should acknowledge that yes, this will require a bit of commitment and investment on your part. The extent to which this is investment is necessary depends on your level of interest and commitment.

Before we get too involved in what all it’s going to cost us to become more enriched, open minded and consciously expanded, let’s explore the tools that will help get us there. First, it’s a great idea to learn the language of the culture you wish to understand. It’s been said, but some multi-lingual wise person I’m sure, that to truly walk in another person’s shoes you must rob them while sleeping. Okay, the real ending to that legend is that you should learn their language. And while that might seem like a daunting task, in fact, for many people it’s difficult enough to master their language of origin, it’s actually easier than you might imagine.

In fact, first of all, it’s a great idea to go ahead and master your own. For an English speaking person, and there are plenty of those, there are some great English games and grammar tools that will help you along. In addition, it’s easy to learn a second language by associating it with the first. This too will allow for identifying with a person from the culture associated with the language. Flashcard games, Internet tools and computer programs are excellent tools for learning new languages. And this is one of the surest means of expanding your own mind, broadening your horizons and allowing for empathy with others. With all of these things to gain from it, the small cost of personal time investment and mental commitments seems a small price to pay. In fact, it immediately puts a new spin on the idea of investment. It really doesn’t cost us anything at all when learning a new language benefits us from the moment we begin. Gracias por tu tiempo.

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posted by Aisha in Education and have Comment (1)