Anybody who is sold on FSU going to ASD on the 26th?

I went to FSU's Scholars Day last month. They did a pretty good job in recruiting potential students; the event solidified my decision to choose FSU over its peer schools.

Have a great time if you decided to attend ASD!

Positive. I'm looking at it now. I was accepted 3/5.

paid my seat deposit. it's official

Im a 1L at FSU right now (and I love it). Southwood is really nice, I went here for undergrad and have lived in Southwood for 5 years. The carriage houses are great, but tiny. The neighborhood is one of the nicest (and newest) in Tallahassee, and it has a great family atmosphere and nice parks/trails for jogging and walking the dog. There is a new Publix shopping center with a Starbucks right across the street, and they are building the new 1st District Court of Appeal literally inside the neighborhood (I could walk there, its glorious). Almost all of the state agencies are also in the neighborhood. It takes me about 15-20 mins to get to the law school and another 5 or so to park and walk to class. That said, you wont find much closer to campus that is nice, clean, and quiet. Another option is renting a townhouse with another law student, I live in a 2 bedroom thats $1200 a month (utilities run around $200)- there are a ton for rent right now, theyre usually posted on Craigslist. My boyfriend rented a carriage house for $600 inclusive, so talk them down, $850 is ridiculous. To me, its worth the extra 5 minute drive to live in a safe, pretty neighborhood and not directly behind Potbelly's.

To everyone else, feel free to ask me any questions you might have about FSU, Tallahassee, or law school in general.

Thanks for taking question, lrw. Do you think living in a place along Thomasville Rd. is a good idea? Do you have recommendations for a place to live besides the places mentioned on COL's website?

I love Thomasville Rd., its definitely one of my favorite areas in Tallahassee. Its more the historic section of Tallahassee (and the further out you go, the bigger the houses get), but the houses are adorable and there is a lot to do in the area. Its part of the "midtown" section that has been rapidly expanding, there are a lot of cute and eclectic bars, restaurants, and shops that have recently opened around there (check out Finnegan's Wake, Kool Beanz, Chez Pierre, The Wine Loft, and an amazing cupcake place). Since it is only a two lane street (as it nears Monroe St.), Ive heard that the traffic can get pretty bad in the morning- luckily there are several alternate routes you can try to take, and its not that far from campus (if youre in midtown). Closer to Capital Circle, its the Killearn area, which is considered the "rich" section of Tallahassee. Also nice and safe, but a bit further out than most students will live. Actually, one of my profs hosted a party last semester and he lived in a cute historic home out there.

As far as other areas, Im not sure what the COL recommends, but Id steer clear of anything off of Tennessee St. or Pensacola St. near campus (as that tends to be undergrad central, with a few exceptions), and definitely stay out of Frenchtown (the opposite side of Tennessee from campus- its the "bad part of town"). The South Monroe area (on the south side of Apalachee) is mainly FAMU's campus, so I dont know of any FSU students who live over there. Im sure the COL recommends Collegewood and Jefferson Arms since they are right across the street from the LS- theyre not terrible, but theyre literally right behind a rowdy bar. That being said, you have 24 hour easy access to the library and dont have to deal with parking and traffic. Personally, I like being able to get away from the law school. Another up and coming area is the All-Saints District, which is off of Gaines St. The city is doing a massive revitalization project there, so there are several loft style apartments and some cool indie bars and coffee shops. Its also pretty close to the law school, although I probably wouldnt walk between the two at night alone (its still in the revitalization process...). Im a huge fan of the downtown area (another city project- to urbanize the downtown and make Tallahassee a more yuppie-friendly city), there are a few high rise condos there (Tennyson, Tallahassee Center, Kleman Plaza, Adams St. Lofts) which are just super cool and really close to the law school. You definitely pay for the location and cool factor though, there are several bars and restaurants in the area and you get to rub elbows with FL congressmen (conveniently located a few blocks from the capitol building). Also, see my post about Southwood- if youre into the Pleasantville/Stepford vibe like I am, you'll love it. If youre looking for more traditional apartments, anything off of Mahan or on that side of town is generally nice and not as undergrad-y as the places closer to campus (Polos on Park, Evergreens at Mahan, Verandas, Delaney Park).

Thats pretty much all I've got on housing. Hope this helps. If you have any more questions on specific complexes, etc., feel free to PM me. Otherwise, let me know if I can answer any other questions you might have!

Do you recommend having a roommate for 1L?

I think thats a matter of personal preference. I lived with my roommate from undergrad for the first semester, and my boyfriend and I moved in together in December, so I guess thats still technically a "roommate." Most of my friends live with other law students or their significant other, but I do know a few people who live alone. Dont be worried about the noise of another personal distracting you, you'll most likely be studying in the library (I know- I said I wouldnt either, but here I am, typing this now, in the library.) and you'll have similar schedules if you live with another 1L. Im not sure how my friends found other law students to live with (facebook?), but Im sure the admissions office can point you in the right direction.

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Wow, a gator glad to go to FSU. Nice

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does everyone already have health insurance? never had one and kinda confused... is it best to purchase it from thagard (school insurance)?

Just paid my seat deposit! Pretty excited..



I'm in the same boat.. Anyone know of some cheap insurance? Also, do you know if it's possible to afford a 1/1(around $700-$800 a month) with only the federal loans?

After being on hold for 3 months, I'm in!

Is there any more ASW? ASD? etc...

I am probably going to end up purchasing from Thagard if I go there .... I went to FSU for part of my undergrad and my friends on the school's insurance had about the same coverage I did on my parents' plan.

I love Thagard. I was sitting in an exam room once and read a poster that said "Did you that if you are having unprotected sex, your chances of getting an STD are better than finding a parking spot on campus?" I believe that is probably accurate.

You should have no trouble with finding a 1/1 at that PR in tally. In fact for 800 a month, you should be able to score urself some pretty sweet digs. As far as the health insurance goes, i'll have to defer that question to a more qualified respondent.

Has anyone else noticed that FSU is changing the course schedule for the 2010 1L year. Instead of 5 three-credit courses in the fall and 5 three-credit courses in the spring, our class will have four classes in the fall for a total of 14 hours and five classes in the spring for a total of 16 hours. I assume this is to make the transition into law school easier on the new students? Thoughts?

I vaguely remember the dean speaking about that at ASD. Don't quote me, but If I remember correctly that was one of the reasons he gave for the change.

Dumb question, is there a class of 2013 FB page yet?

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for people who had to pay the april 1 seat deposit...when is our next seat deposit due?

FSU requires only one deposit of 200.

okay, good. thank you! i was looking through all the paperwork and didn't see anything about a second deposit but wanted to make sure since some other schools have two.

I'm a 1L and one of our professors said that they want to move the curriculum away from the strong common law focus. So I think they will be offering a class that focuses more on the administrative/legislative side and re-arranging everything else to accommodate that.

I'll also take questions if you have them