Duke Class of 2013 Forum

[Jericwithers]

Hmm gosh I didn't know Durham had such cheap COL. Looks like a 2 bed/bath with walk-in closets and a washer and dryer included at Pinnacle Ridge can be had for 955/mo on a 9 month lease or 855 on a 12 month lease. What is typical for law students? Obviously its hard to predict what you'll be doing your 1L summer, but I'm assuming most people work out of the immediate area so do they sign 9 month leases?

The COL is what makes it so attractive to me lol. Nine months would be more practical, but you would have to get a storage unit and a friend with a truck to keep the stuff there over the summer. Not sure which I would do, but I'm interested in hearing what current students do also.

[someones alt]

Hmm gosh I didn't know Durham had such cheap COL. Looks like a 2 bed/bath with walk-in closets and a washer and dryer included at Pinnacle Ridge can be had for 955/mo on a 9 month lease or 855 on a 12 month lease. What is typical for law students? Obviously its hard to predict what you'll be doing your 1L summer, but I'm assuming most people work out of the immediate area so do they sign 9 month leases?

The COL is what makes it so attractive to me lol. Nine months would be more practical, but you would have to get a storage unit and a friend with a truck to keep the stuff there over the summer. Not sure which I would do, but I'm interested in hearing what current students do also.

Yeah well the prospect of having to do 12 month lease and pay rent in Durham while living and working elsewhere in the summer (and likely not getting paid) seems pretty frightening.

[DallasCowboy]

Didn't catch that before. The pool looks nicer. Both have tennis courts which is awesome. Racquetball/Volleyball court? Wow.

I looked up the walk to class from the lofts and that is still 20 minutes, so not really any advantage distance-wise.

Pro/Cons everywhere. Need to visit.

It would be nice to get a 1L job in the triangle and enjoy that pool in the summer.

[Jericwithers]

Hmm gosh I didn't know Durham had such cheap COL. Looks like a 2 bed/bath with walk-in closets and a washer and dryer included at Pinnacle Ridge can be had for 955/mo on a 9 month lease or 855 on a 12 month lease. What is typical for law students? Obviously its hard to predict what you'll be doing your 1L summer, but I'm assuming most people work out of the immediate area so do they sign 9 month leases?

The COL is what makes it so attractive to me lol. Nine months would be more practical, but you would have to get a storage unit and a friend with a truck to keep the stuff there over the summer. Not sure which I would do, but I'm interested in hearing what current students do also.

Yeah well the prospect of having to do 12 month lease and pay rent in Durham while living and working elsewhere in the summer (and likely not getting paid) seems pretty frightening.

Some places do 9 month leases for like $40 more a month. Not too bad. I wouldn't plan to stay at the apt during the summer, as probably 90% of all summer internships would be somewhere else. Am I wrong; are there any good firm/PI internships in the area?

[DallasCowboy]

nalpdirectory.com pulled up 19 firms in Raleigh-Durham. I haven't really looked too deeply into them yet.

I just read all of last year's thread and it looks like Pinnacle is the place to be.

[someones alt]

Yeah I think I'm going to do Pinnacle as well

[insidethetwenty]

nalpdirectory.com pulled up 19 firms in Raleigh-Durham. I haven't really looked too deeply into them yet.

I just read all of last year's thread and it looks like Pinnacle is the place to be.

I've done a lot of looking for summer work in the Triangle and I'm not sure what to think. On one hand, I think: 1L's never get paying summer jobs anymore ITE. On the other hand, I think: LOTS of Duke kids try to go to NYC/DC/LA/SF/Home for their summer jobs, so maybe a Duke kid who wanted to stay in the Triangle would be in a good position to get one of the Triangle's good firm jobs.

[Jericwithers]

nalpdirectory.com pulled up 19 firms in Raleigh-Durham. I haven't really looked too deeply into them yet.

I just read all of last year's thread and it looks like Pinnacle is the place to be.

I've done a lot of looking for summer work in the Triangle and I'm not sure what to think. On one hand, I think: 1L's never get paying summer jobs anymore ITE. On the other hand, I think: LOTS of Duke kids try to go to NYC/DC/LA/SF/Home for their summer jobs, so maybe a Duke kid who wanted to stay in the Triangle would be in a good position to get one of the Triangle's good firm jobs.

NALP shows some paid 1L internships in Raleigh if I am understanding the directory correctly (doesn't look like it has solid '09 data though). I would think there would be a number of people wanting to stay at Duke and work for the summer, and the firms don't appear to take a lot of interns. I'm sure a determined and bright candidate could find a job, but would is it worth the risk to take a 12 month lease and hope for the job?

[DallasCowboy]

Storage of your furniture would be a problem with a 9 month.

[Jericwithers]

Storage of your furniture would be a problem with a 9 month.

Cheaper to get a Ustore unit or something similar than rent for 3 more months. The real problem is getting a truck to move it all (unless you drive a truck--then you can help me move too!). I guess you can rent a truck too.

I'm thinking I will rent for the 1L summer and hope for a job there in Durham, and then only do 9 months for 2L year. Am I right in assuming where you work 2L summer is the place you try to get a job at when you grad (assuming you get a good 2L internship)?

[toolshed]

Any current Durham-ites want to point me in the right direction/neighborhoods for off-campus housing a little further away from the school? I have a Great Dane and most of those complexes near the school have 25 lb weight limits on dogs. (Oh yeah, and a SO that is coming and would like to live a little further from the school if possible).

[DallasCowboy]

Yeah, I'm thinking of doing the same thing wrt the rental time. It will be convenient to renew an apartment for 2L then live wherever I want to work permanently 2L summer.

[Jericwithers]

Yeah, I'm thinking of doing the same thing wrt the rental time. It will be convenient to renew an apartment for 2L then live wherever I want to work permanently 2L summer.

Try to get a 21 month lease and get them to lower the rate (or atleast not increase it when you would be renewing after the 12 months).

[someones alt]

Sigh. Moving cross country is so complicated. I hope we are graced by more current Duke students who can give us a better perspective on the leasing situation

[Jericwithers]

Sigh. Moving cross country is so complicated. I hope we are graced by more current Duke students who can give us a better perspective on the leasing situation

I find it exciting. I just hope I get my scholarship offer soon so I can start making more concrete plans.

[ranovr32]

Sigh. Moving cross country is so complicated. I hope we are graced by more current Duke students who can give us a better perspective on the leasing situation

I find it exciting. I just hope I get my scholarship offer soon so I can start making more concrete plans.

YUP..... If I end up at Duke, I think I am just gonna go for the absolute nicest place regardless of cost. The extra 5k of debt is negligible to me considering my comfort and peace of mind, which is pretty important when it comes to getting grades.

[Jericwithers]

YUP..... If I end up at Duke, I think I am just gonna go for the absolute nicest place regardless of cost. The extra 5k of debt is negligible to me considering my comfort and peace of mind, which is pretty important when it comes to getting grades.

I've been thinking the same thing (those Addington apartments are so nice and temping), but I've realized I'm much too cheap to take on more debt just so I can stay in a baller apartment lol. My main concern is convenience and being able to walk to class is my #1 priority. I'm shooting for the cheapest and closest apartment to the law school, so I'm hoping one of the GSC apartment complexes is nice enough. Anyone have a review of an apartment there?

[DallasCowboy]

It's starting to feel real now. I am not really waiting to hear back from anywhere except Vandy $, which will likely not be significantly better than Duke's offer. I cannot get myself to root for Duke sports yet, though. Go Gators!

WRT walkable apartments, once I realized that the nightlife is going to be in Chapel Hill, I didn't really care about walking to class. Driving to class in the early morning and back in the evening after studying isn't really that bad. I do hope there are lockers so I can go to the gym while on campus.

[Jericwithers]

It's starting to feel real now. I am not really waiting to hear back from anywhere except Vandy $, which will likely not be significantly better than Duke's offer. I cannot get myself to root for Duke sports yet, though. Go Gators!

WRT walkable apartments, once I realized that the nightlife is going to be in Chapel Hill, I didn't really care about walking to class. Driving to class in the early morning and back in the evening after studying isn't really that bad. I do hope there are lockers so I can go to the gym while on campus.

My thinking is I will have to drive to find entertainment no matter where I live, so might as well make class within walking distance. I think living in Austin has made me adverse to driving and finding parking lol.

[ranovr32]

It's starting to feel real now. I am not really waiting to hear back from anywhere except Vandy $, which will likely not be significantly better than Duke's offer. I cannot get myself to root for Duke sports yet, though. Go Gators!

WRT walkable apartments, once I realized that the nightlife is going to be in Chapel Hill, I didn't really care about walking to class. Driving to class in the early morning and back in the evening after studying isn't really that bad. I do hope there are lockers so I can go to the gym while on campus.

Yeah pretty much everyone has said that a car is pretty much required unless you live uber close. Also I'm feeling you on the locker thing, I'm a gym fiend and if I don't get to work out before I go home and study/read I can't concentrate long enough to read 10 pages.

[prezidentv8]

It's starting to feel real now. I am not really waiting to hear back from anywhere except Vandy $, which will likely not be significantly better than Duke's offer. I cannot get myself to root for Duke sports yet, though. Go Gators!

WRT walkable apartments, once I realized that the nightlife is going to be in Chapel Hill, I didn't really care about walking to class. Driving to class in the early morning and back in the evening after studying isn't really that bad. I do hope there are lockers so I can go to the gym while on campus.

Yeah pretty much everyone has said that a car is pretty much required unless you live uber close. Also I'm feeling you on the locker thing, I'm a gym fiend and if I don't get to work out before I go home and study/read I can't concentrate long enough to read 10 pages.

Get a car. I'm going nuts lately without one. Just do it.

[insidethetwenty]

Get a car. I'm going nuts lately without one. Just do it.

There are currently six ZipCars in Chapel Hill. I mean, if you wanted one...

[wildbillkj]

yeah I'm trying to research housing from japan now, Im thinking I'll end up in Pinnacle in a single. I wish I could go to the ASW just to meet some people and then I could at least contemplate having a roommate to save some cash and sometimes its nice to have someone to chill with, but looks like I'll just do a single there and since it seems like half the school lives there I'm sure meeting people shouldn't be too bad.

[ranovr32]

Anyone planning on studying abroad, the Geneva and Hong Kong programs are supposed to be pretty good.

[Jericwithers]

Anyone planning on studying abroad, the Geneva and Hong Kong programs are supposed to be pretty good.

I'm interested, but I don't think anything would fit into my plans besides the Duke in DC program. I kind of feel like an idiot for wanting to do DC, since that seems like something you do in your free time or in undergrad.