Contemplation of future career paths...

The majority of last week I was engaged in self-debate about my post-graduate plans. I'm no longer certain I've the passion to get a PhD in English. I know I could definitely do it; that isn't the issue. I'm just not sure if that's the only career path I would want to follow. This past year I was so certain that all I wanted to do was go to graduate school right after graduation in order to get a PhD so I could remain in school as a professor. As much as that seems appealing to me, I'm just not sure if it's because I'm comfortable in school and hesitant to enter the real world. I don't want to run away from something without first trying it. I've always been a very interdisciplinary person as well, and I'm not overly thrilled with the idea of specializing in one minute area of literature. I love learning about the history, social, and political contexts of the novels I'm reading, and I know that's obviously part of the study of English, but I tend to find myself more interested in the philosophies of movements than in the actual written texts. Moreover I feel as if I want a more active role in society than that of a teacher and scholar. Obviously teachers have an invaluable role, that of imparting knowledge, but I want to help people actively, and feel as if I'm accomplishing other goals besides making others understand my knowledge. Upon thinking about the study of English, I caught myself wondering about its actual meaning. Besides my shared interest with colleagues, and perhaps, eventually students and scholars, what does it matter or mean? How will writing scholarly articles on long-dead authors and literary movements advance contemporary society? (I mean not to bash academia at all in this entry, as I regard it highly and still hope to someday enter the field; I only wish to log my personal questions and hesitancy about this career option.)
This brings me to my current debate. Would going to law school allow me more of an active societal role? Upholding the standards of the justice system, maintaining civil rights, reforming education, ameliorating immigration policies, perhaps I could have a hand in all of these if I were to obtain a J.D. instead of a PhD. Here is where the logic comes in to play, as it must in the field of law: only 1 in 5 new English PhD holders are offered full-time positions, and in order to get one of these positions, it is said that one must attend a top 5-10 school. Obviously going to a prestigious law school also aids in obtaining a highly-sought position as well, but law seems to open up more doors; I could be a lawyer, judge, government official, and, if it turns out I actually did want to be a professor or university administrator, even work in academia as well.

Clearly it isn't enough to debate this with myself and reach a decision based solely on my initial feelings and internet articles I read entitled, "Why you Shouldn't Go to Law School;" (yes, most of the articles I've found are in the negative.) I'm taking two courses that will not only prepare me for the LSAT and law school, but, more importantly, help me to figure out if I would love the field. I'm taking an honors political science workshop course, Constitutional Law: Civil Rights, and Logic, in the philosophy department. Besides these two courses, I'm taking Latin102, Advanced Poetry Workshop, Post Colonial Literature and The 20th Century Novel. It's definitely going to be a hefty course load, but that's not a bad thing! I'll only have 2 courses left in my English major after this semester, and will hopefully be able to double major in American Studies. I also have big breaks in my schedule, which will allow me to have an internship, if I am hired for one of the four I've applied for, and toil away, tutoring in the mathematics lab. Let's not forget working for the theater as well! Even though ushering and tutoring don't pay very well, I love those two jobs and it'll be very difficult to give them up if necessary. It's good that ushering is so open; I can work whenever convenient for my schedule, and the tutoring center obviously knows we are students and they work around your classes. The four internships I've applied for are as follows: Part-time proof reader for a law firm a block away from my apartment building, editorial intern through the NY Historical Society for the Encyclopedia of NYC, editorial intern for Columbia University Press, and curatorial/ research intern for the Brooklyn Museum of Art. I'm not betting highly on any of the positions, as they will most likely be going to graduate students, but I'd really like to work in the law firm because
a) I would see what being a lawyer really is like
b) it would take me two minutes to walk to work and
c) it pays $14/hour
Nevertheless, I don't want to jinx any thing. I'll have two jobs waiting for me at Pace if no internships workout. I'm leaving for Milan tomorrow night and wish I knew how to say more in Italian besides 'shut up chatter-box,' 'thank you,' 'how are you, ' and 'hello.' Oh Marrone.. (There's another!) I need to remember to look up, 'Can I use your bathroom...' Too bad Romans don't speak Latin anymore!