Chicago Class of 2012 Forum

[Mr. T6]

I didn't think GTM was very helpful, but to each his own.

Typing speed is important. Issue spotters are often glorified typing contests. See generally, Baird.

"I, too, dislike it: there are things that are important beyond
all this fiddle.
Reading it, however, with a perfect contempt for it, one
discovers in
it after all, a place for the genuine.
Hands that can grasp, eyes
that can dilate, hair that can rise
if it must,"

[Yointer]

What's everyone doing until school starts? All my friends have started already and I'm stuck here waiting for another month, so I'm looking for things to entertain me...

For those of you already in Chicago, I strongly recommend you use the precious time between now and the start of classes to explore the city and the surrounding area, as you won't have very much free time once classes start. If you're into nature, take a trip to Door County, WI. If you like history, go see all the Lincoln stuff in Springfield, IL. (Etc., etc.) Spend some time in different Chicago neighborhoods. Check out the Magnificent Mile, the Navy Pier, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, South Loop, etc. Go to some ethic restaurants on the north side...

You get the drift: go exploring and have fun while you still have copious free time. If you're looking for specific recommendations/reviews, I'm happy to oblige, here or via PM.

[jaen78]

My letter from AccessGroup says the disbursement dates for each quarter are 9/21/09; 12/29/09, and 03/22/10.

Wait...we're getting our first bill at the end of August but no loan money until late September? How are we supposed to pay that first bill? Is the due date not until much later?

[Mr. T6]

Hermit or French Foreign Legion? Hermits have better hours and more independence, but the French Foreign Legion would allow me to travel.

Sincerely,

Man without a callback.

[vealoscar]

My letter from AccessGroup says the disbursement dates for each quarter are 9/21/09; 12/29/09, and 03/22/10.

Wait...we're getting our first bill at the end of August but no loan money until late September? How are we supposed to pay that first bill? Is the due date not until much later?

I'm pretty sure the due date is much later. My understanding is that the checks go to the University first and then, once our tuition is paid, we get the refund. I don't think we get this money until the first week of classes. At the cMore website, I can already see my bill and my loans set up and I was also able to set up direct deposit so I get the money, presumably, as soon as its available.

[Dead Ringer]

What's everyone doing until school starts? All my friends have started already and I'm stuck here waiting for another month, so I'm looking for things to entertain me...

I'm thinking I'll work on increasing my typing speed and read Getting to Maybe.... thrilling!

Also, anyone else living in grad housing at 6022 Drexel? I'm excited to be living so close to the law school, especially for when I have to walk in the freezing cold!

I was a horrible typist and I still need to improve but this game called word challenge on Facebook really helped. For one thing I had to not look at the keys any longer...

[justme123]

What's everyone doing until school starts? All my friends have started already and I'm stuck here waiting for another month, so I'm looking for things to entertain me...

I'm thinking I'll work on increasing my typing speed and read Getting to Maybe.... thrilling!

Also, anyone else living in grad housing at 6022 Drexel? I'm excited to be living so close to the law school, especially for when I have to walk in the freezing cold!

I was a horrible typist and I still need to improve but this game called word challenge on Facebook really helped. For one thing I had to not look at the keys any longer...

I've been playing this game called Typer Shark... I've def improved a little, but I was a terrible typist so I still have a long way to go. Good thing we have a whole month!

[sealrsqr]

Just a word of warning to anyone who might be signing up with Comcast. Be sure to add yourself to their do not call list right away. I have been getting 2 calls a day - auto dial, no one even answers - and I'm told it will take 30 days to remove me from the system. Um, yeah, why do I need a call from a salesperson when I just signed up for the service I want?

Anyway, thanks for all the helpful tips about auto deposit and where to get our ids and such. Does anyone have an idea where I might park a 22' moving truck after I unload it late at night? Looks like the proper thing to do is get there 2 days early and request no parking signs from the city to carve myself out a street spot. I'm thinking I'll just look for street parking down by school or check with the Ramada to see if it will fit in their lot / garage.

[cnola]

Question for rising 2L/3L or anyone who has spent some time in Hyde Park...

Which grocery stores seem to be the most convenient? Pharmacies? Etc?

[Mr. T6]

Question for rising 2L/3L or anyone who has spent some time in Hyde Park...

Which grocery stores seem to be the most convenient? Pharmacies? Etc?

CVS is on 53rd. Walgreen's is on 55th. I think that's it.

[keylimelove]

Just a word of warning to anyone who might be signing up with Comcast. Be sure to add yourself to their do not call list right away. I have been getting 2 calls a day - auto dial, no one even answers - and I'm told it will take 30 days to remove me from the system. Um, yeah, why do I need a call from a salesperson when I just signed up for the service I want?

Anyway, thanks for all the helpful tips about auto deposit and where to get our ids and such. Does anyone have an idea where I might park a 22' moving truck after I unload it late at night? Looks like the proper thing to do is get there 2 days early and request no parking signs from the city to carve myself out a street spot. I'm thinking I'll just look for street parking down by school or check with the Ramada to see if it will fit in their lot / garage.

Are you living in Regents? I thought they had a DirecTV contract...

[pehaigllleises]

I've found that the Treasure Island (Lake Park before 55th) takes about 10-15 minutes to walk to from Regents, and it's really nice. Compared to food prices in New York it's not expensive, but I don't know how it compares around here. Since it's nice outside I mainly walk to there. The Village Foods (Lake Park & Hyde Park Blvd) is a little more touch and go, but has basics for a quick shopping trip for only a few items.

I also take the bus and go to the Trader Joes downtown (Ontario Street) and stock up every week or two. It's really super cheap (again, compared to NYC) and none of my cold stuff has ever melted by the time I got back.

[keylimelove]

I've found that the Treasure Island takes about 10-15 minutes to walk to, and it's really nice. Compared to food prices in New York it's not expensive, but I don't know how it compares around here. Since it's nice outside I mainly walk to there. The Village Foods is a little more touch and go, but has basics for a quick shopping trip for only a few items.

I also take the bus and go to the Trader Joes downtown and stock up every week or two. It's really super cheap (again, compared to NYC) and none of my cold stuff has ever melted by the time I got back.

Good to know. Have you tried peapod? And if you have, is it more expensive than it's worth?

[Yointer]

Question for rising 2L/3L or anyone who has spent some time in Hyde Park...

Which grocery stores seem to be the most convenient? Pharmacies? Etc?

As for grocery stores, there are two popular options in Hyde Park. One is Hyde Park Produce, which is on 53rd and Kimbark. As the name implies, their produce department is very strong - lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Most of their other departments are very small and, shall we say... less than comprehensive. The other HP grocery store is Treasure Island, on 55th and Lake Park. This is your average grocery store, in every respect except price. The selection is generally acceptable, but the prices are considerably higher than what I was used to paying as a non-big-city resident. In fact, many items in Treasure Island are more expensive than they are at Whole Foods. Last year, I found myself shopping at Treasure Island roughly 80% of the time. It is superior to Hyde Park Produce in every respect except quality of vegetables, which is far from my first priority in a grocery store. The other 20% of the time, I drove up to Roosevelt to go to Whole Foods. It's five or six miles to get there from HP. It would be fairly difficult to get there via public transportation.

[vealoscar]

Regarding grocery stores, check out the bottom of this thread:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=300

hmlee made this great map of Hyde Park grocery stores:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8& ... 5b0d30d436

Also, I have a CostCo membership and a car so feel free to get to know me.

[pehaigllleises]

Good to know. Have you tried peapod? And if you have, is it more expensive than it's worth?

Nope. I'm an incoming 1L. I'm saving Peapod for the dead of winter.

Yointer, I can't believe you think Treasure Island is expensive. On my first few trips there, I walked around exclaiming how cheap everything was. This just reaffirms how happy I am to get the f*** out of NYC.

[sealrsqr]

Are you living in Regents? I thought they had a DirecTV contract...

Too many cats for Regents. I'm on my own around 53rd & Drexel.

[etwake]

Did anyone hear how many firms showed up to OCI this year? How's OCI going?

[curiouser]

hi everyone-

just as an FYI, on cMore there's no indication that I owe anything by the first due date, and all my loans are already listed as "pending" transactions. there's even a little thing saying how much refund I can expect...

(btw, thanks for the info re: direct deposit of refunds. awesome in that nerdy, loan-dependent, sad, law school way.)

[hmlee]

My letter from AccessGroup says the disbursement dates for each quarter are 9/21/09; 12/29/09, and 03/22/10.

Wait...we're getting our first bill at the end of August but no loan money until late September? How are we supposed to pay that first bill? Is the due date not until much later?

The billing system for the law school is the same as the undergrad - you'll get your bill about a month or two before it's actually due (depending on which quarter the bill is for). As long as you have your loan paperwork all completed, the loans will come in automatically and be applied to your tuition automatically. Any remaining balance will be issued to you in a check around the end of the first week of classes (sometimes before, but it's usually ready by then). You'll be able to pick up your check at the bursar's office or have it mailed to you. I'm not sure if they have a direct deposit option or not...

[vealoscar]

My letter from AccessGroup says the disbursement dates for each quarter are 9/21/09; 12/29/09, and 03/22/10.

Wait...we're getting our first bill at the end of August but no loan money until late September? How are we supposed to pay that first bill? Is the due date not until much later?

The billing system for the law school is the same as the undergrad - you'll get your bill about a month or two before it's actually due (depending on which quarter the bill is for). As long as you have your loan paperwork all completed, the loans will come in automatically and be applied to your tuition automatically. Any remaining balance will be issued to you in a check around the end of the first week of classes (sometimes before, but it's usually ready by then). You'll be able to pick up your check at the bursar's office or have it mailed to you. I'm not sure if they have a direct deposit option or not...

They do, and it says "New Service!" next to it.

[Mr. T6]

In case anyone thought I was lying:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/busin ... r=2&ref=us

"School officials are pushing students to look beyond the white-shoe firms, to delve deep into alumni networks and to start mass letter-writing campaigns to potential employers. Like Ms. Figurelli, many students say that for the first time, they are considering and seeking work with government and public-interest groups."

[Mr. T6]

I hope that the tuition bubble bursts. In fact, I wouldn't mind a Robespierre-style overhauling of Law School. If you bought a house at the height of the housing bubble, you're now stuck with an overpriced POS. The same is true of law degrees, only they're even more worthless as assets.

[M2008]

To the incoming 1L's I guess the only thing I'd add is that the gloomy mood at OCI, while it might make you rethink your decision to go to law school generally, it shouldn't make you feel like you made the wrong decision coming to Chicago. Though callback and offer numbers remain to be seen, from what I can tell we've done no worse on the number of firm offices and interview slots than CLS or NYU, or perhaps Harvard as well. Many schools ranked only slightly lower, however, are doing far worse.

[RussianGirl]

T6, that's depressing, man

Would anyone care to comment on this thread: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =3&t=83802 in the context of UChicago? What's the deal with the seating charts in general?

On a completely unrelated note, my boyfriend just moved into his Harvard dorm, and it sounds like he's having so much fun meeting all kinds of diverse new people, which is making me that much more excited to move. I cannot wait to meet all of you guys!!!