UCLA Law Class of 2011 Forum

[silveri]

yeah no kidding, even north around veteran levering etc they skyrocketed, freakin jewbags

I find this language offensive.

I asked jerry maguire via pm to please edit/delete the offending language. He refused.

I only felt obligated to speak out so that browsers of this forum won't be inclined to think that jerry maguire's speech is representative of the opinions or prejudices of the UCLA class of 2011.

I'm not looking to derail this thread or get into a debate about what is acceptable speech either here or in life.

Looking forward to meeting everyone in August.

[bruinbear]

yeah no kidding, even north around veteran levering etc they skyrocketed, freakin jewbags

I find this language offensive.

I asked jerry maguire via pm to please edit/delete the offending language. He refused.

I only felt obligated to speak out so that browsers of this forum won't be inclined to think that jerry maguire's speech is representative of the opinions or prejudices of the UCLA class of 2011.

I'm not looking to derail this thread or get into a debate about what is acceptable speech either here or in life.

Looking forward to meeting everyone in August.

i ignored it hoping hes actually jewish and it was meant to be a joke or something.

[jerry maguire]

-_-

[silveri]

Back on the subject of housing. My gf and are looking to share a largeish 1 bedroom to keep costs reasonable.

We both love the Echo Park/Silverlake neighborhood but I am worried about the commute (I intend to bike to school). The distance (10 miles/45 minutes) doesn't bother me as it would build my exercise into my daily routine and I've had similar length bike commutes in the past, but I'm kind of worried about LA's less than bike friendly reputation. What are my chances of getting run down by an inattentive/crazed/drunk/bike hating motorist?

I also worry that I might miss out on a lot of social opportunities if I lived so far from campus. Does anyone know if the law school social scene is heavily concentrated in Westwood?

Am I completely insane for considering this?

[bruinbear]

Is there a reason you're looking all the way out in Silverlake? Isn't there a place a bit closer thats affordable? Try looking at some Culver City apartments (craigslists and Westside Rentals are good places to look. you have to pay a fee for westside rentals but it might be worth it).

with that said, i have seen many people bike around Wilshire. I personally am too afraid to do it but i've never used biking as a means of transportation before. there's lots of cars and lots of crazy drivers. but there are people that do it so it can be done. also, if thers a bus to where you live, LA buses all have bike racks in the front so if it gets dark or you get tired or something you can still ride the bus.

im not sure about the social scene... i would assume youd want to stay on campus late or go to someones apartment in westwood to hang out or what not. do you want to be biking home 10 miles at night? can your wife pick you up?

Also something to think about- around westwood, theres some students that bike but I'm not sure about the Silverlake area. you might wanna make sure you can find a good path the whole way.

[ari20dal7]

I have not biked in LA, but biking in traffic is definitely an acquired taste. What I saw of the traffic in LA didn't dissuade me from biking out there, but I would really suggest only doing so if you're experienced. For the guy who lives in Silverlake, it sounds like he is, as he lives there and doesn't see ten miles as a problem.

I would worry that biking a fair distance from UCLA might result in biking through crappy neighborhoods in LA. That's a concern that I'd leave to Los Angelinos who know. But yeah, there's something about a bicycle that brings out the worst in drivers.....

[silveri]

Right. The reason that we are looking at silverlake is that it is one of the few "walking" communities in LA. Farmer's market, nightlife, groceries, coffee shops, etc. are all densely concentrated and mixed with relatively affordable housing. It is also one of the more bohemian neighborhoods. All of this appeals to us.

I've bike commuted in San Francisco, Denver, Portland, and Minneapolis (as well as done some alleycat races), so riding in traffic really isn't an issue for me so long as cars aren't completely ignorant of how to drive around cyclists or deliberately trying to kill them. Unfortunately both states of affairs are more common than you might think.

Anyway, I looked up a bike route (--LinkRemoved--) between Silverlake and UCLA and even when you don't go out of your way to avoid hills and traffic, it looks, well, a little rough. It is actually 12.5 miles, and with traffic and lights I'm worried that this might take over an hour to negotiate. That seems pretty unacceptable to me considering the amount of time I'll be devoting to studying.

Westwood/Brentwood are nice as well even though they are more expensive. After some more reflection, living close to campus will be worth it.

[Phoenix Wright]

Anyway, I looked up a bike route (--LinkRemoved--) between Silverlake and UCLA and even when you don't go out of your way to avoid hills and traffic, it looks, well, a little rough. It is actually 12.5 miles, and with traffic and lights I'm worried that this might take over an hour to negotiate. That seems pretty unacceptable to me considering the amount of time I'll be devoting to studying.

At least you'll be in great shape! Better than spending an hour in traffic...in a car. Unless it's raining of course.

But yeah, that does sound a bit rough. In this case I think about half of that distance would be manageable without driving one crazy/getting tiresome after a while...

Oh and FWIW I love cycling... but I currently live over 60 miles from UCLA so not an option for me.

[silveri]

At least you'll be in great shape! Better than spending an hour in traffic...in a car.

My thoughts exactly.

Anyway, I'm gllad to hear there will be some fellow cyclists joining me at UCLA law. It seems like there should be some good riding in the hills just west/north of campus, and I imagine the PCH is decent as well.

You aren't planning on staying in your current housing are you? I think 120 miles/day in a car would kill me.

[Juliet]

On thing to consider if you plan on biking is that you will also have about 20 pounds of text books, plus your laptop etc. You can either haul that weight with you every day, or you can do all your studying at school and bike home in the dark. Some people end of scanning their text books to avoid this problem but this can be time consuming.

Also, on Tuesday I took a 7 hour in-class final in Torts. Are you guys sure you want to go to law school?

[silveri]

7 hour tests don't scare me! Right....

Anyway, congrats on getting it done. It must feel good to have that over with.

[tamtam]

On thing to consider if you plan on biking is that you will also have about 20 pounds of text books, plus your laptop etc. You can either haul that weight with you every day, or you can do all your studying at school and bike home in the dark. Some people end of scanning their text books to avoid this problem but this can be time consuming.

Also, on Tuesday I took a 7 hour in-class final in Torts. Are you guys sure you want to go to law school?

Hope you get a grade you wanted.
I went to CAL for undg. I used to have take home final (12-15 pages) and given less than 24 hours. AND it was not during final week, so we still have to go to other classes and have other work. And it was soo close to final week that if one skip the other classes, one will lose the whole review section.

Edit: So I used to pull all nighter and the exams are normally 10-12 hours (one seating). I see a 7 hrs exam as writing my paper the night before, only that it's 100% of the grade.

[jerry maguire]

holy mole 7 hour tests??? what the hell...

whats the curve like on one of those bad boys?

[Phoenix Wright]

Are you guys sure you want to go to law school?

Yes, I am - for great justice!

[martin55]

Curve is generous, up to 29% A+ through A- in 1L classes, bottom 5-7% get C+ or below, rest in between are B's.

[mhiest02]

speaking of grades, i have to maintain a 2.5 to renew my scholarship... do you know how hard that is to achieve or what percentage of the class has above that with the curve? thankss!!

[ari20dal7]

speaking of grades, i have to maintain a 2.5 to renew my scholarship... do you know how hard that is to achieve or what percentage of the class has above that with the curve? thankss!!

If what Martin says is right, it would be pretty tough to lose.......

[bruinbear]

Curve is generous, up to 29% A+ through A- in 1L classes, bottom 5-7% get C+ or below, rest in between are B's.

almost 30 percent A's? that seems like a REALLY generous curve.

[redux]

i emailed dean schwartz regarding weyburn and i haven't received a response. has anyone else emailed him? if so, did he write back?

[Chem_PhD]

The reason that we are looking at silverlake is that it is one of the few "walking" communities in LA. Farmer's market, nightlife, groceries, coffee shops, etc. are all densely concentrated and mixed with relatively affordable housing. It is also one of the more bohemian neighborhoods. All of this appeals to us.

Try West LA (south of Santa Monica / north of Olympic / west of the 405). There is a farmers market at the corner of Santa Monica and Purdue every Sunday. You can walk to two movie theaters, a couple of coffee shops, a couple of grocery stores (Vons & Ralphs), and several dozen restaurants. There is also an AWESOME, independent $1 video store. You can bus from there to school or down to Santa Monica or Venice easily. If you want to bike, most people go across on Ohio Ave and then up Westwood Blvd, where there is a bike lane. It is all uphill to school, but all downhill on your way home. It's more expensive than Palms, but less than Westwood.

You really, really aren't going to want to commute from Silverlake. Ick.

[harshdadude]

i emailed dean schwartz regarding weyburn and i haven't received a response. has anyone else emailed him? if so, did he write back?
i emailed dean schwartz regarding weyburn and i haven't received a response. has anyone else emailed him? if so, did he write back?

Your best bet is to talk to someone from housing (http://www.housing.ucla.edu). The law school has almost zero control over the university housing.

Westwood/Brentwood are nice as well even though they are more expensive. After some more reflection, living close to campus will be worth it.

What about university housing for families? I've heard its cheap, close + really convenient.

[Chem_PhD]

What about university housing for families? I've heard its cheap, close + really convenient.

"Married Family Housing" is an excellent choice. (At Rose and Sepulveda - in Palms) It's cheaper than anything else around, is nearly brand new, and is very quiet. There are lots of children around, so don't plan on having wild parties or anything. The laundry can also be a little walk since its central to a set of buildings, rather than in each building. You can bus in on the Culver City #6 or the BBB #12. It's about a 30 minute commute in the mornings, and can vary in the evening depending on the time. (After 9, it will probably only be 20 minutes, but at 5 PM it could take an hour or more if it is raining or there is construction.) There isn't really anything within walking distance for culture, but you are walking distance to three (or more depending on how far you're willing to walk) supermarkets. There is generally a long waiting list, so get on it early and don't be afraid to call frequently to see if any spots have opened up.

[bruinbear]

Just made a call to weyburn housing people to ask about when we might hear about it and was told that since the deadline to apply was yesterday- we should hear something in the next couple of weeks. apparently what happens is that some grad students are guaranteed housing (im guessing med students? or maybe out of towners can work something out with admissions offices) so they get first dibs. then the rest of us commoners are throw into a lottery thing. i asked if they knew when they will start making offers and the girl answering the phone wasnt sure but said its somewhat rolling and sort of depends on your move in date...

[ari20dal7]

Just made a call to weyburn housing people to ask about when we might hear about it and was told that since the deadline to apply was yesterday- we should hear something in the next couple of weeks. apparently what happens is that some grad students are guaranteed housing (im guessing med students? or maybe out of towners can work something out with admissions offices) so they get first dibs. then the rest of us commoners are throw into a lottery thing. i asked if they knew when they will start making offers and the girl answering the phone wasnt sure but said its somewhat rolling and sort of depends on your move in date...

I was offered guaranteed housing before I committed to UCLA - so it can definitely happen for law applicants. I know I expressed some concern about making the transition from OK to LA at the ASD, so they may have thought "here's something we can offer him that doesn't cost any money"

Sounds great, though - I'd love to know details by the end of the month!

[bruinbear]

Just made a call to weyburn housing people to ask about when we might hear about it and was told that since the deadline to apply was yesterday- we should hear something in the next couple of weeks. apparently what happens is that some grad students are guaranteed housing (im guessing med students? or maybe out of towners can work something out with admissions offices) so they get first dibs. then the rest of us commoners are throw into a lottery thing. i asked if they knew when they will start making offers and the girl answering the phone wasnt sure but said its somewhat rolling and sort of depends on your move in date...

I was offered guaranteed housing before I committed to UCLA - so it can definitely happen for law applicants. I know I expressed some concern about making the transition from OK to LA at the ASD, so they may have thought "here's something we can offer him that doesn't cost any money"

Sounds great, though - I'd love to know details by the end of the month!

haha. yea i thought they might be do that for some people. well i'm from the area so i guess i'll just have to brave the lottery!