PinkTiki wrote:
hamilcar wrote:
How's the "big school" atmosphere? Does it feel like there are too many other students with the large class size?
Are the gunners as bad as in the "The Paper Chase"?
I actually feel like the law school is really small - maybe it's because I went to a big college and a big high school, but it seems so tiny. I can't imagine a class size of only 200 or 300 people - that would be way too small for me, but I guess it depends on what you like. Besides, it's not like you're in class with 550 people at once - you're in class with the same 80 people all the time.
There aren't really too many gunners here. Things are more relaxed than I thought they'd be - a lot of people skip certain classes.
jrs12 wrote:
I'm most interested in the "lived experience." How do you spend your time throughout the week? When do you get up? How many hours do you study in a given day? Is most of it done at the library, or at home? What's your living situation? How do people socialize? How old are most of the students? Have you noticed many around my age (26)?
Is there anything you wish you'd known before you matriculated?
Finally, what would be one good question to ask on the phone interview?
Thanks for helping us out.
I get up about 7:30 or so everyday. I try to get most of my studying done in between classes, which usually works. Maybe like 2-3 hours a day, not counting things like memos for LRW, but some days I don't study at all. I'm not really a library person, I'd rather study at home with my dog, but sometimes if I'm at school I'll study outside or whatever.
I live off campus in a house. I like it a lot. A lot of people live in the dorms but I don't think I could do that again. People socialize here pretty much like they do everywhere else. Bars, parties, etc.
There'd be a lot of people around your age here. I'm 21 and I think I'm the youngest person in my section. A lot of people seem to be a couple years out of college, so I don't think you'd feel out of place being 26.
My question for the phone interview was what was it like living in Boston/Cambridge. I'd suggest not to ask about the new grading system because probably everyone is going to be doing it. If you have a particular interest in something I'd ask about that, but if not, try to think of something relaxed and conversational that will let you just talk rather than seem nervous. 
I will weigh in to agree with (nearly) all of this.
I guess if I looked around, I could find more work to do. I get everything finished that I need to do with the 2-3 hour break that I have every day. It is normally about 50 pages of reading a day, which isn't unreasonable at all. I have not felt stressed out yet at all. I have all night free pretty much every night in order to work on journals, join student organizations, eat and drink all of the free food and beer Harvard provides, hang out with my classmates (I have watched all of weeds and arrested development since I got here), etc.
I live in the dorms and I love it. To be honest, they are not physically beautiful places. It took me a minute to warm up to them, but the rooms are big enough and the kitchens and big HD flatscreen TVs on every floor are nice. It has also been a great way to meet people that I probably never would have met if I lived off campus. If you're at all interested in being social and saving some money, I would say it is a good option.
Being 26 will not be noticeable in any kind of negative way. Most people spent a year or two out, but we all seem to mix together without age being an issue. As long as you're old enough to go to a bar and don't look like my grandfather, I think you will be as accepted as anyone.
I love the large class size. To be honest, I would be happy if it were even bigger. I do not know everyone yet, but I feel like I am already starting to recognize most people. This is especially true for the people who are socially oriented. I think I would feel trapped if the school were to be smaller than it is.
And finally - gunners... They are not at all what I expected. I do not have anyone in my section who will argue with teachers or try to insult other students. I have a few people who come across as know-it-alls, but that is to be expected. Overall, the classroom environment is great. The teachers are incredibly friendly - they don't get super-angry Socratic if you miss something. They mostly just coach you toward what they believe the answer to be. I am pretty sure this contributes to the anti-gunner environment.
Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:04 pm 
That's what happened to me last year. So my advice is to relax, but maybe try to wake up early that week especially if you live in the Pacific time zone.
