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I may have the option of going to law school in the same city as home (DC) - so living at home, although not socially and mentally ideal, would probably be the responsible thing to do (financially speaking).

Is anyone living with the parents during law school? If so, how goes it?

oberlin08 wrote:I may have the option of going to law school in the same city as home (DC) - so living at home, although not socially and mentally ideal, would probably be the responsible thing to do (financially speaking).

Is anyone living with the parents during law school? If so, how goes it?

I'm currently living with my parents..I lived on my own in undergrad and moved back in May (when I graduated) and started law school in August. I recently got engaged and my fiance and I are house shopping, but probably won't buy anything for another few months. I'm very happy with my decision to live at home- I'm about 20 min from my school, and I'm able to devote all of my time to studying...versus cooking/cleaning/grocery shopping, etc. There are definitely moments when it's annoying...but overall I'm glad I chose to save the $$.

It would have been an option for me if I'd ended up deciding to go to law school in my home city - but I couldn't have done it.

I need to feel like going back to school is a true split from what I'm doing right now (living at home and working).

I think if I came back home each day after law school/library I'd be more likely to kill myself than do well in my classes, but you may be different.

I lived with my parents for the year before law school to save money, and then made the financially irresponsible decision to go to school far far away. I couldn't do it...but I'm older and had been living on my own for 9 yrs, so that may have had something to do with it. We also have a very small house, and there was pretty much constant contact. I say try it, you'll be happy later if you keep your debt down. And if it doesn't work, you get your own place, more expensive but not the end of the world. Good luck.

Debt sucks. Be smart.

nycparalegal wrote:Debt sucks. Be smart.

Yea thats what i'm thinking. Perhaps with the little free time I will have during law school, I can find something outside of my parents house to do should I decide to go this route.

live at home for 1L and avoid 15-20k in debt. if it turns out to be a bad fit, move out for 2 and 3L

You know, you should probably add up the cost of commute and then see how much living in an apt would cost you with roomates and see if its close.

nycparalegal wrote:Debt sucks. Be smart.

I'm with that guy.

I live with my parents.

Essentially, it is terrible. I live off campus, it is difficult to do on campus activities and to socialize. It is extremely perturbing, very frequently. However, I must concede, it is much better than going into a boatload of debt.

I am all about minimizing debt, since I am extremely skeptical about the job market, but, if you are more optimistic, I wouldn't recommend it; living with your parents is incessant, but it is definitely feasible to do it (and do well in LS).

mistergoft wrote:I live with my parents.

Essentially, it is terrible. I live off campus, it is difficult to do on campus activities and to socialize. It is extremely perturbing, very frequently. However, I must concede, it is much better than going into a boatload of debt.

I am all about minimizing debt, since I am extremely skeptical about the job market, but, if you are more optimistic, I wouldn't recommend it; living with your parents is incessant, but it is definitely feasible to do it (and do well in LS).

Are you kidding? Living at home is great. Socially frowned upon, sure, but the perks are amazing.

However, I must confess, my Italian Mom cooks awesomely, so I am quite biased.

sanpiero wrote:live at home for 1L and avoid 15-20k in debt. if it turns out to be a bad fit, move out for 2 and 3L

This sounds like a good option.

nycparalegal wrote:You know, you should probably add up the cost of commute and then see how much living in an apt would cost you with roomates and see if its close.

My mom lives about .5 miles from the law school in question. So I can either take a 1.40 bus ride, a 2 stop subway ride for around the same price, take the 5-10 minute drive depending on traffic, or invest in a bike and be super fit.

I would live with my folks if I could no question.

If you get along with your folks okay and the commute is not too terrible , I think saving yourself $60 k in living expenses over three years would more than make up for the inconveniences of not living on your own. Especially in DC! living on your own can be very expensive there.
That's a lot of money that you won't have to be re-paying at the rate of $2k a month. You're basically taking 30 months- two and a half years- off of your student loans. That's $60 k you can save for retirement, put towards a down payment, use to travel around the world. Whatever. You'll thank yourself when it's all over, even if it isn't the the most enjoyable way to live in the moment. Law school isn't supposed to be that enjoyable anyway, I don't think.

Let's be honest, everyone's social life takes a hit in law school anyhow. If that's the only negative to the situation, do it.

And when you land a decent gig, be sure to buy your parents a nice thank-you gift for putting up with your stressed-out antics for three years.

It's weird how so many people on here condone living with one's parents during their adult lives. I just went home for break and it was...comedic. Not recommended if you're a single male.

prezidentv8 wrote:

mistergoft wrote:I live with my parents.

Essentially, it is terrible. I live off campus, it is difficult to do on campus activities and to socialize. It is extremely perturbing, very frequently. However, I must concede, it is much better than going into a boatload of debt.

I am all about minimizing debt, since I am extremely skeptical about the job market, but, if you are more optimistic, I wouldn't recommend it; living with your parents is incessant, but it is definitely feasible to do it (and do well in LS).

Are you kidding? Living at home is great. Socially frowned upon, sure, but the perks are amazing.

However, I must confess, my Italian Mom cooks awesomely, so I am quite biased.

THE MEATLOAF!!!! MOM!!!!!

Had I gone to school in the city where my parents live, I would have lived at home. This decesion was easier in light of the fact that I hadn't lived at home for 10+ years (undergrad + work) and saving $35,000 or so over 3 years was well worth any inconveinances

.

I'm going to propose a theory, and I'm not sure how old most of you are. I'm married and way past these considerations but I do have something to offer....

I believe any monetary savings realized by living with your folks during law school is FAR less than the other things you'd lose in the process - having friends/associates over, networking, pride, not being trapped in a quasi-infantilized state of support, etc. Don't do it, take the debt. It doesn't sound smart from a strictly accounting point of view but neither does your mom washing your underwear while you pretend to be an adult.

fonzerelli wrote:I'm going to propose a theory, and I'm not sure how old most of you are. I'm married and way past these considerations but I do have something to offer....

I believe any monetary savings realized by living with your folks during law school is FAR less than the other things you'd lose in the process - having friends/associates over, networking, pride, not being trapped in a quasi-infantilized state of support, etc. Don't do it, take the debt. It doesn't sound smart from a strictly accounting point of view but neither does your mom washing your underwear while you pretend to be an adult.

When I lived at home briefly between undergrad and grad school, my parents definitely wouldn't pick up my laundry and they expected me to contribute, but I second what this guy says. Like I said, I moved in with my parents briefly as a college grad, and after it while it took a HUGE toll on me. Everyone's parents are different, but I wouldn't risk things going sour during your 1L year. 1L is SO important and you need to be set up for success. Even if your parents are supportive, unless they've been through it, they will not understand the amount of stress you are under. But I also had a much younger sibling, so my parents expected me to babysit and help out occasionally. It was totally reasonable considering that I was living in their home, but they just didn't get how stressful deadlines and papers and exams were.

You need a haven during 1L. You don't want to have to move mid-year or, worse, mid-semester. I would find somewhere inexpensive but quiet to live. It will be worth whatever you pay in terms of your sanity and your grades.

oberlin08 wrote:My mom lives about .5 miles from the law school in question. So I can either take a 1.40 bus ride, a 2 stop subway ride for around the same price, take the 5-10 minute drive depending on traffic, or invest in a bike and be super fit.

There's this thing called "walking." I hear it takes about 6 or 7 minutes to go a half mile... pretty cool if you ask me.

fonzerelli wrote:I'm going to propose a theory, and I'm not sure how old most of you are. I'm married and way past these considerations but I do have something to offer....

I believe any monetary savings realized by living with your folks during law school is FAR less than the other things you'd lose in the process - having friends/associates over, networking, pride, not being trapped in a quasi-infantilized state of support, etc. Don't do it, take the debt. It doesn't sound smart from a strictly accounting point of view but neither does your mom washing your underwear while you pretend to be an adult.

+1

I'm living on my own with roommates right now during my year off even though my folks live about a 1/2 mile away. Sure, I have to pay for things and I'll have less saved up when I go to LS, but the independence and pride are worth it. I have several friends from high school in the area who are out of school too and living at home -- they all end up hanging out here because of that fact.

GeePee wrote:

oberlin08 wrote:My mom lives about .5 miles from the law school in question. So I can either take a 1.40 bus ride, a 2 stop subway ride for around the same price, take the 5-10 minute drive depending on traffic, or invest in a bike and be super fit.

There's this thing called "walking." I hear it takes about 6 or 7 minutes to go a half mile... pretty cool if you ask me.

lol @ buying a bike for a 0.5 mile commute.

parental support+free food+awesome living space+saving money=amazing

You can still have a life and live with your parents. I don't know why everyone get's so pent up. But then again, my parents are pretty chill. For undergrad I lived at home (DC area=gtown). I would pretty much live at home and commute in the mornings. If it got that hectic I would just crash the night at a friend's place (this really happened twice each semester during finals week). I would be out the house at like 7am and come home at anytime during the night. I saved a ton of money. I still went out where I wanted too. It was the best decision in my life. I wish I could do this in ls (i'm not going to be in the dc area)... I am jealous of people who can