1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do? Forum

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fortissimo

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by fortissimo » Sun Jan 31, 2010 9:27 am

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Last edited by fortissimo on Sat Mar 20, 2010 1:29 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Scrutinizer

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by Scrutinizer » Sun Jan 31, 2010 10:06 am

nitr0x99 wrote:3.) I'm surprised so many people have said that this is an average commute. I actually went to an undergrad that was 80% commuters, but most of them were within 45 minutes or so. As soon as I told anyone where my suburb is, they all say "forget commuting, thats way too far"
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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by presh » Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:41 pm

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fl0w

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by fl0w » Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:51 pm

just get a freakin' studio apt for 700-800 a month. if you get any kind of job during the summer you'll more than pay for the rent while you are in law school.

saving money is great, but being MISERABLE because of it is not.
Getting an apartment you will:

1) have a better social life because you'll actually be able to go out with your law school friends in the city
2) have a chance to do something like work out because you didn't spend that 2 hours commuting
3) be able to network in the city instead of being stuck at home. This is even more important when going to a local market school like the ones you mentioned.
4) grow up. I'm not sure if this is the first time you'll be living on your own (aside from undergrad which doesn't count) but if so this is something that will help you mature as a person.
5) get to have more of your OWN life outside your family.
6) be able to have friends (or if you are lucky, lovers) over. nobody is gonna go back to the burbs with you.

Again, it's my opinion, but I don't see how people think this is "worth" saving the money. It's less than 10k a year total to rent the apartment. If people think living at home is so worth it to save money, why does anyone ever leave home at all?

You're getting a better life and all you have to do is pay rent like every other self-sufficient adult does.

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James Bond

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by James Bond » Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:06 pm

fl0w wrote:just get a freakin' studio apt for 700-800 a month. if you get any kind of job during the summer you'll more than pay for the rent while you are in law school.

saving money is great, but being MISERABLE because of it is not.
Getting an apartment you will:

1) have a better social life because you'll actually be able to go out with your law school friends in the city
2) have a chance to do something like work out because you didn't spend that 2 hours commuting
3) be able to network in the city instead of being stuck at home. This is even more important when going to a local market school like the ones you mentioned.
4) grow up. I'm not sure if this is the first time you'll be living on your own (aside from undergrad which doesn't count) but if so this is something that will help you mature as a person.
5) get to have more of your OWN life outside your family.
6) be able to have friends (or if you are lucky, lovers) over. nobody is gonna go back to the burbs with you.

Again, it's my opinion, but I don't see how people think this is "worth" saving the money. It's less than 10k a year total to rent the apartment. If people think living at home is so worth it to save money, why does anyone ever leave home at all?

You're getting a better life and all you have to do is pay rent like every other self-sufficient adult does.
*applauds*

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nitr0x99

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by nitr0x99 » Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:17 pm

Kohinoor wrote:Get up off my feet and stop making tired excuses.
I'm not quite sure how you inferred from my post that I am lazy, unmotivated, or making excuses. I was simply trying to get some opinions on the issue. I will be working hard in either scenario



Anyways, thanks everyone for the support.

BobSacamano

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by BobSacamano » Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:25 pm

Pretty sure he was quoting City High and their classic hit, "What Would You Do?"

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by nitr0x99 » Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:47 pm

BobSacamano wrote:Pretty sure he was quoting City High and their classic hit, "What Would You Do?"

Oh, lol :oops:

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jks289

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by jks289 » Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:52 pm

Get a really cheapy crash pad near campus. Just a room in a quiet apartment, or a super cheap studio, one of those bachelors without the kitchen. You just need a bed and a desk and it can be you study lair during the week. Then on weekends or when you have time you can go home to your nice place in the 'burbs.

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Maven

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by Maven » Sun Jan 31, 2010 2:03 pm

Live near school for the first year, then if you want to save money live at home for the second. First year will obviously be more stressful. During your second year it will just be a hassle to commute and you won't (presumably) have all of the angst associated with worrying about succeeding.

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by aad » Sun Jan 31, 2010 2:17 pm

It depends.

On the practical side of things, all that time commuting is time you could be studying. Even if you don't sacrifice your studies, you will then definetly have very little time for a social life.

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by luckyjd » Sun Jan 31, 2010 5:12 pm

nitr0x99 wrote:Heres my situation. I live in a suburb outside of Chicago. I plan on attending DePaul or Chicago Kent. If I were to live at home during law school and commute this is what I would be dealing with

20 minute drive to the train station
1 hour and 15 minutes on the train (assuming no delays)
5-15 minute walk from train station to law school

Has anyone had an experience like this? I know it would be the responsible thing to do so I can save some money but damn its so depressing. Thats about 4 hours out of my day spent commuting total.

What do you guys think?
I had a friend who did this for an entire summer for her work. Some town near Wisconsin border down to Evanston. She managed to do it, but I would definitely not recommend it for 3 years of law school. Why don't you rent a place in Lakeview? The apartments are like 1000 for a 2br. Split it with a roommate.

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by NotMyRealName09 » Mon Feb 01, 2010 1:53 am

I actually had a one hour commute (one way) during all years of law school, and first semester I was number 1 in my class. Maybe its a fluke, but I actually found that the long commute after a long day of class allows my brain to subconciously file all of the information I have thought about that day, or learned in class. I can't explain it, but I could ***feel*** it happening.

So I did it with a two hour a day commute. Anything longer, move closer. If you don't get great grades first year, you might as well drop out, so do what you can to ensure great grades happen. Good luck.

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Ignatius J. Reilly

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by Ignatius J. Reilly » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:54 pm

jks289 wrote:Get a really cheapy crash pad near campus. Just a room in a quiet apartment, or a super cheap studio, one of those bachelors without the kitchen. You just need a bed and a desk and it can be you study lair during the week. Then on weekends or when you have time you can go home to your nice place in the 'burbs.
I think this is actually really good advice, if it were not meant for someone who will be attending law school in Chicago. The law schools in Chicago are all downtown (except for UC, correct me if I am wrong anyone out there), and there is no such thing as a cheap crash pad near campus. Even if you just wanted to find a little studio for less than $700/month, you're looking at at least a 30 minute commute on the CTA. This is just how it is in Chicago. There are many, many pluses to going to law school in Chicago, but it is not cheap and it is not convenient.

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Gunz353

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by Gunz353 » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:01 am

I'm not in law school yet, but my current commute into NYC is an hour and 15 mins. door to door, and that is more than enough to deal with. The plus is that I get a decent amount of reading done, but that's about it. You should really try to move a bit closer.

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kazu

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by kazu » Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:11 am

Personally, I would never, ever be able to do that. I also get motion sickness when reading, and having to spend 3+ hours a day just getting to school / coming back would be way too stressful.
I guess some people could make it work, but it wouldn't be worth it for me.

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by Cupidity » Fri Feb 05, 2010 2:12 am

Buy a helicopter.

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Zeph

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by Zeph » Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:03 pm

nitr0x99 wrote:Heres my situation. I live in a suburb outside of Chicago. I plan on attending DePaul or Chicago Kent. If I were to live at home during law school and commute this is what I would be dealing with

20 minute drive to the train station
1 hour and 15 minutes on the train (assuming no delays)
5-15 minute walk from train station to law school

Has anyone had an experience like this? I know it would be the responsible thing to do so I can save some money but damn its so depressing. Thats about 4 hours out of my day spent commuting total.

What do you guys think?

Didnt read the rest of the posts but from my experience the commute stinks but its not make or break on your study schedule etc...

Depending on traffic it takes me about 1h 15m-2 hours to get to school and I still did well in my first semester.

However keep in mind, while you are traveling all those people who are closer are probably unwinding or getting work done whereas you will not have that luxury...its an endurance thing. You know yourself better than we do haha.

Good luck to you!

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by Corsair » Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:01 pm

..

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lt0826

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by lt0826 » Tue Feb 23, 2010 8:34 pm

I may have a 2 hr commute if I go to the closest schools I applied to and I have a spouse at home with a job. We've talked about the options if I attend one of those schools. A likely option is to rent a room M-F and commute home for the weekend or do the reverse of that and rent a bigger place by the school and have my hubby rent a studio or room M-F and come to me on the weekends.

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macattaq

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by macattaq » Wed Feb 24, 2010 1:59 am

Cupidity wrote:Buy a helicopter.
This is hands down the best alternative to moving.

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Re: 1hr 15min minute commute to law school: What would you do?

Post by Kobe_Teeth » Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:06 am

nitr0x99 wrote:
Gurnee :(

All things considered the Metra is a pretty smooth ride. But, all the f'in way out in Gurnee? Ouch. I still vote for the commute. If it was NW and job prospects were better I'd say move. However, with a T2 in your future, tough it out.

I'll be in one of those same schools and I'm letting my s/o move in with me. She has a full time job and we'll probably be engaged soon. However, if I was going to NW, I'd make her wait a year to move in. P & Q can't suck during 1L.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
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