Your 1L year: roommate or not? Forum

[dudley12]

Long time lurker and incoming 1L at a T2.

This question is difficult to search for but I did try and had some success but not much.


I'm seeking advice primarily from older students/graduates who had a successful 1L year. Did you have a roommate or roommates? Why or why not?

I understand it's based mainly on personal preference, but with the goal in mind of doing your best when it counts, I want to know whether you think one route could be advantageous over the other.

Note: I like to go out once a week or so and I drink quite a bit but I'm also introverted.

Also, other 0L's can definitely talk about their experience with the topic and if someone wants to refer me to an actual thread on the topic (I honestly couldn't find one) that would be cool.

[nmcdgt]

I almost decided on a one-bedroom but instead chose to live in a 2-bedroom apartment with another 1L this past year -- I am extremely glad I decided to do so, for several reasons. First (assuming you are living with another law student) it helps to have someone you know as you start school; it gives you someone to go out with, and to hang with as you get acclimated to everything. Second of all, it is nice to have someone you can study with or bounce ideas off of, especially if you are like me and work a lot at home. Also, since 1L year can be so draining, it helps to have someone who is going through everything with you that you can vent and/or talk things through with (people outside of law school generally don't understand/care too much what you are dealing with). Personally, my roommate became a close friend of mine and it was nice to have someone to go out for a drink, or just hang out and watch a game on TV. I know there were several times during the school year, especially during the really tough stretches, where I would have been depressed coming home to an empty apartment.

TL;DR - yes, I would recommend having a roommate for 1L year

[dudley12]

All good points so far. I've never really had a bad experience with roommates but I remember my very first ugrad roommate and I ended up not being good friends (though we got along fine). Sometimes it was a lil awkward when for instance his friends would come over and I was just sort of there. The other kind of weird situation was when I was living with three other dudes but I was the only one trying my ass off in school so they thought it was weird when I was just in my room studying all the time.

[dudley12]

I found a couple other good posts by searching but bumping this for more responses.

[FeelTheHeat]

Live near the school and try to save cash. Other than that, you're over-thinking it.

[eandy]

I've had horrible experiences with roommates in the past, but having a roommate as a 1L is great. It forces you to be social and gives you someone to vent to that is sort of built in. Trust me, you'll need it.

[dudley12]

Makes sense.

I'm overthinking it because I've never gone into debt before. Anyone who lived alone care to comment? Were you prone to depression? Were you a loner?

[FeelTheHeat]

Makes sense.

I'm overthinking it because I've never gone into debt before. Anyone who lived alone care to comment? Were you prone to depression? Were you a loner?

For sure.

[Hippononymous]

I'd recommend against it, unless you can get to know the person before agreeing to live with them. A large number of law students are giant d-bags (myself included) that you wouldn't want to live with. People have different sleep patterns. People have different study habits. People have different personal habits.

Also, there is no guarantee that you and your roommate will be in the same classes together, unless you already have your fall schedule.

Having said all of that, make sure you go out and meet people during orientation. You ARE going to need moral support from someone who actually understands what you're going through. But you can find a best friend without having to live with them. Living with someone will sort of force you to be friends with that person, even if it's not the right fit.

Just my 2 cents.

[Ehudbarak15]

I almost decided on a one-bedroom but instead chose to live in a 2-bedroom apartment with another 1L this past year -- I am extremely glad I decided to do so, for several reasons. First (assuming you are living with another law student) it helps to have someone you know as you start school; it gives you someone to go out with, and to hang with as you get acclimated to everything. Second of all, it is nice to have someone you can study with or bounce ideas off of, especially if you are like me and work a lot at home. Also, since 1L year can be so draining, it helps to have someone who is going through everything with you that you can vent and/or talk things through with (people outside of law school generally don't understand/care too much what you are dealing with). Personally, my roommate became a close friend of mine and it was nice to have someone to go out for a drink, or just hang out and watch a game on TV. I know there were several times during the school year, especially during the really tough stretches, where I would have been depressed coming home to an empty apartment.

TL;DR - yes, I would recommend having a roommate for 1L year

I agree! Roommates are best in a dorm though.

[rad lulz]

Oh cool this thread again

[tstyler98]

I started law school at 28 and just finished my 2L year. I had lived alone for several years before law school so living with a roommate wasn't something I really wanted. I was glad to not have a law school roommate. You are around law school people all day, every day so it was nice to come home and get away from that. If the roommate is in your section, you'll be around them basically 24/7 because you'll have all of your classes together. I didn't have a problem meeting people at school. Plus, depending on how much older you are, you'd likely end up with a roommate who is several years younger than you, which could be a problem if maturity levels don't correspond. Most of the older students at my school either live alone or with their significant others.

My boyfriend lived with students that were in other graduate programs. He liked coming home and having something non-law school to talk about. So, that might be a possibility for you as well. I think he found his apartment/roommate through Craigslist when he first started law school. That would help you save money and give you someone to hang out with, but help get you away from the law school bubble.

[TomahawkChopper]

"Oh cool this thread again"

Dude what is your problem? If you aren't interested in a topic just let it pass. Why are you obligated to read through every thread and give your 2 cents, no matter how trivial?

[rad lulz]

"Oh cool this thread again"

Dude what is your problem? If you aren't interested in a topic just let it pass. Why are you obligated to read through every thread and give your 2 cents, no matter how trivial?

Hey lil breh you just gave your 2 cents just now with that post, no matter how trivial. Feels good, right?

[semantic]

well hello

[Icculus]

"Oh cool this thread again"

Dude what is your problem? If you aren't interested in a topic just let it pass. Why are you obligated to read through every thread and give your 2 cents, no matter how trivial?

I believe rad's point is a good one, the roommate thread and the "what computer" thread have been done a million times on this board and a simple forum search would get you the results you were looking for.

On topic answer: it's a personal preference. Why do people think law school is so much different than anything you've done before? If you like living alone, live alone. If you want to save money get a roommate. I mean you are an adult, aren't you? You should know your personality by now.

[dudley12]

i ended up liking it...lonely at times but whatev

[rad lulz]

Worthwhile 1 yr bump

[Bronck]

Worthwhile 1 yr bump

I was on the edge of my seat wondering how OP felt all this time.

OP definitely delivered.

[dr123]

T35? lolwut. that's a thing now?

[dudley12]

Worthwhile 1 yr bump

I was on the edge of my seat wondering how OP felt all this time.

OP definitely delivered.

really? cool i didn't think anyone would care. I'll tell a story about my classes and apartment experience.

So it was the beginning of classes and I went down to the book store to get some books. I saw this person I knew from high school and he told me he worked at the fire department. I started working for my civil procedure assignment and was feeling somewhat tired. Besides, if he hadn't gone to State Tech he would have never met Milly, and he didn't need any damny psychology to tell him he would really be sick, really be in trouble, if he ever caught himself regretting that again. Maybe their backgrounds were different; maybe he'd married her for reasons that were hard to remember and maybe it wasn't the most sexy marriage ever, but she was the girl for him, no doubt. Two things about her had become a source of amazement: she had stuck right by him through all that shit in Arizona--he vowed he would never forget it--and that she had taken so well to his new way of life (mainly smoking weed). What does that mean, honey?” Laura said. And then we went out drinking and got real fucked up. At the end of the night I was just sitting there. I could hear my heart beating. I could hear everyone's heart. I could hear the human noise we sat there making, not one of us moving, not even when the room went dark. And then i got a low grade in legal writing & research....So I shot the bull for a while. I told him I was a real moron, and all that stuff. I told him I would've done exactly the same thing if I'd been in his place, and how most people didn't appreciate how tough it is being a teacher. That kind of stuff. The old bull.

[HankBashir]

Does that story have a coherent narrative? If so, I definitely missed it.

[dudley12]

Does that story have a coherent narrative? If so, I definitely missed it.

ya the story got a little out of control but basically my friend gave me some stuff and then we went out, and then we were all back after closing and this guy was like dude, check this out...and so apparently they had this basement and we went down there. so then we're just sitting down there and i guess they were in a band. I was just hanging out or whatever pretty drunk and a lil weird off the stuff...so dude was like getting his guitar out and then he started on about all this umbrella surfing nonsense and how he also didn't like legal writing classes. He wiped his glasses and adjusted them, the frame making a deep pink "V" on his nose. He laid a hand on the end of the zipper and let the guitar scream. Then there was this girl half-drunk on the floor doing the dance and her soaked dress was stuck to her back and we heard the buzz and clip of the snare drum.

[Bronck]

I don't even know what's going on right now

[billiris321]

I'm a guy and I'm considering moving in with a girl for the first year. Here's why:

Girls are cleaner.

Most know how to cook.

They study harder.