Yet Another Introduction.

"VicVinegar" (hughhoney)
12/11/2013 at 23:32 • Filed to: None

My name is Matt, I am 23 years old and live in Rhode Island. I graduated in June with a bachelors in psychology and since it is virtually impossible to get a paying job in that field without further education, I am planning to take a different route and go to law school.

As far as cars are concerned, I currently own the E36 328is pictured above. Past cars include a 1996 Accord in which I taught myself, with the aid of YouTube videos, how to operate a manual transmission, and a 1996 Ford Taurus which I inherited (this is quite possibly the only legitimate reason to own such a car).

DISCUSSION (22)

Manuél Ferrari > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 00:35

Nice ride!!!

BKRM3 > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 07:07

Advice: don't go to law school unless you really, REALLY can't see yourself being anything other than a lawyer. Law school is criminally overpriced and the job market is no better than any other profession. Might even be worse.

VicVinegar > BKRM3
12/12/2013 at 16:58

Thank you for the advice, I can certainly understand the cause for concern, I have seen many people default to careers and end up miserable later on.

That being said, I now realize that my the wording of my initial post may have been somewhat misleading. I was never intending to pursue a graduate degree in psychology, I chose the major because I found it interesting and felt it would be applicable regardless of what field I chose to work in. I debated competitively at various levels throughout high school and took several law classes as electives during my senior year of college. I genuinely enjoy the material and have found the field to be well suited to both my interests and my abilities. Also, I took the LSAT last Saturday and have already collected my other application materials.

Am I correct in assuming that you are a lawyer?

BKRM3 > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 18:46

You are in fact correct - and I'm one of many who have been employed since graduation 5 years ago and are still sending big payments in to salliemae. What a racket that is. Go to the school that will cost you the least unless the alternatives are Harvard or Yale. I could go on all day about law school as an investment (horrible) but if you're genuinely excited about the line of work maybe that will make it overall worthwhile regardless of all the negative aspects.

VicVinegar > BKRM3
12/12/2013 at 20:09

I completely agree about the cost. People assume that since they can theoretically get a high paying job that it's a good idea to accumulate obscene levels of debt (as a related side note, Clarence Thomas was still making payments on his student loans when he was appointed to the Supreme Court). My current plan is to find the best balance of cost and school ranking. Which law school did you go to?

VicVinegar > Manuél Ferrari
12/12/2013 at 20:12

Thanks! I love it, and in all honesty I enjoy it far more than many of the faster and or newer cars I have driven. You have an E46 and a E90 M3 correct?

Manuél Ferrari > BKRM3
12/12/2013 at 20:20

My sister is a lawyer in SF. She passed the bar a couple years ago. I think she makes about $80K a year now. Which is not even a middle class income for someone that lives in the city. A 2bd apartment costs $3500-4000 a month there. And she has law school debt to pay off.

Manuél Ferrari > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 20:21

I just replied to BKRM3. See my reply for info on my sister's income. Being a lawyer hasn't been that great for her so far. Hopefully she'll find a new opportunity soon and get paid more.

Manuél Ferrari > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 20:26

That is correct. The E46 is for sale due to financial constraints. They are both awesome cars.

I have owned two different '94 325is cars in my life. Both were awesome. Your car looks just like what I had. You have a bit more power. The E36 and E46 coupes were special. You didn't have to buy an M3 to get really great handling. The E92 335i is nice, but I don't think it handles well enough when stock. I have EDC in the E90 M3 and still don't think it handles well enough in the stiffest setting. The car is fully stock. BKRM3 gave me a tip on a mod I can make to make it handle better without sacrificing EDC.

I think it all has to do with weight. The E36 was so light that the stock setup was pretty awesome. And while the E46 was heavier it still handled great stock. The E92 may not be that much heavier than the E46 but the added weight was enough to make the stock setup feel a bit off.

VicVinegar > Manuél Ferrari
12/12/2013 at 20:37

The legal profession is certainly not the direct route to wealth and prosperity that people seem to believe it is. Thankfully, I have very little debt from my undergraduate education so as long as I attend a school with a reasonable tuition, I should be in good shape upon graduating, or if not good, at least better than many.

VicVinegar > Manuél Ferrari
12/12/2013 at 20:51

Ah, that is unfortunate, the E46 M3 has, in my opinion at least, one of the greatest engines BMW has ever put in a car.

I was looking for a 325is for a little while, I had a very difficult time finding any in my area that were in anything close to reasonable shape. Virtually all of them were rusted, modified (by individuals with poor taste), or both. I then shifted my search to the E36 M3 but I found this car for a great price with an owner who clearly took good care of it. The only modifications done to it were Bilstein struts and H&R springs, it is about an inch lower than stock and rides nicely with minimal body roll. I feel like the E36 provides a good balance between the "raw" feel of many older cars, and the creature comforts associated with more modern vehicles.

As far as the comparison to the E92 is concerned, I am also amazed at the difference in size. The E36 coupe is a very small car by modern standards and is more engaging and involving because of it.

Manuél Ferrari > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 21:37

And it still has big upside. If you become partner somewhere you can make bank

Manuél Ferrari > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 21:41

Your car sounds so awesome. Similar to my second 325is. Makes me miss it.

I sold it wen I needed money to buy my first condo. Now the E46 has to go cause I bought my first SFR. But that's ok. At least I have garage space for future cars

Enjoy your ride. Drive it till the doors fall off, unless you have to sell it cause you're short on the down payment for a house or condo!

VicVinegar > Manuél Ferrari
12/12/2013 at 22:16

Definitely, there is something about older cars, they so often have a character that is missing from more current models. I am planning to hang on to it for as long as possible and use it as a dedicated autocross car in the future.

Manuél Ferrari > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 22:17

Great plan! It's a great car for AutoX

VicVinegar > Manuél Ferrari
12/12/2013 at 22:23

That it is. Although it is in desperate need of an LSD, I am in the process of looking for one now.

Manuél Ferrari > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 22:58

Good call

I can't wait to see the reviews of the new 2 series. It should feel like the E36 3 Series

VicVinegar > Manuél Ferrari
12/12/2013 at 23:38

Exactly. That is what I am hoping. Coincidentally, they should be available at reasonable prices by the time I am out of school. Something to look forward to.

Manuél Ferrari > VicVinegar
12/12/2013 at 23:50

definitely something to look forward to! save up and get a used M235. that is going to be one sick car. especially in blue with the gray and blue cloth seats :)

BKRM3 > Manuél Ferrari
12/13/2013 at 12:11

That sucks. I hope she's able to transition to a higher paying position when she has a handful of years' experience under her belt.

BKRM3 > VicVinegar
12/13/2013 at 12:15

Look more at employment statistics and less at law school ranking (again, unless it's Harvard or Yale). Go to law school where you want to live/work. A legal education is much more of a geography-oriented sort of thing than other types of grad school and some people don't realize that going in. The alumni network will almost certainly be strongest in the general area of the school (see Harvard/Yale caveat above) and that's how you get job opportunities.

Manuél Ferrari > BKRM3
12/13/2013 at 12:24

I think she'll get a better gig within 5 years. Just funny how long it takes. She'll be 36 by then. She double majored at Cal and that took 5 years. Then she did intern work at law firm for a couple years. Then 3 years of law school. Then 3 attempts to pass the CA bar. The whole process is so time consuming. Would be nice to make good money as soon as you start your career...