Fordham Class of 2015 Forum

[JCFindley]

Just found this thread......


Howdy Yall....

[iaiava]

'm beginning my 1L at Fordham this Fall. I've begun the housing search and would like to move to NYC early August. Ideally, will be living with one or two law students. PM me with a bio and we can start talking about NYC housing.

[ned]

I agree that you should stay away from Staten Island--the ferry system makes traveling to and from too complicated for late nights at the library. Aside from those neighborhoods dingbat mentioned I think Williamsburg wouldn't be a bad commute either.

If you are coming from out of town you should plan on taking at least a week to find a place. Getting an apartment in NYC is a truly Kafkaesque experience for the uninitiated.

I thought Williamsburg only connects to the JMZ line. If so, the commute would be impractical.

I will second that Kafkaesque comment, but disagree about one thing.
If you can find a semi-decent place in a week you're really lucky.

start looking on craigslist (and other sites) at least a week before you get here

Nope, Williamsburg has the L line, which runs like every 5 minutes across Manhattan to the A and C. I used to commute from there the the museum of natural history. Just try to avoid AM rush hour. I have memories of having to let 2 or 3 trains pass before one came that had room for me to squeeze into. Now I live in Park Slope.

[ned]

Hmm, has anybody checked out the fitness center at Fordham? Thinking of joining a gym, but maybe it makes sense just to wait a couple months and use the one at Fordham? Mainly want to know if it's a cruddy unpleasant space, because then I know I won't use it and I'll go ahead and join the Y or Equinox or something....

[JCFindley]

Hmm, has anybody checked out the fitness center at Fordham? Thinking of joining a gym, but maybe it makes sense just to wait a couple months and use the one at Fordham? Mainly want to know if it's a cruddy unpleasant space, because then I know I won't use it and I'll go ahead and join the Y or Equinox or something....

I am going to start out with the one there then find a gym myself.... From what I read I think it is mostly machines; I much prefer free weights, but need to get settled and try a few before I pick one anyway....

[dingbat]

Hmm, has anybody checked out the fitness center at Fordham? Thinking of joining a gym, but maybe it makes sense just to wait a couple months and use the one at Fordham? Mainly want to know if it's a cruddy unpleasant space, because then I know I won't use it and I'll go ahead and join the Y or Equinox or something....

I am going to start out with the one there then find a gym myself.... From what I read I think it is mostly machines; I much prefer free weights, but need to get settled and try a few before I pick one anyway....

There's a NYSC on every corner, making them thè most convenient (but not the best)
Equinox tries to be more schmancy while crunch pretends it's more serious
All the major chains are more or less the same

[JCFindley]

Hmm, has anybody checked out the fitness center at Fordham? Thinking of joining a gym, but maybe it makes sense just to wait a couple months and use the one at Fordham? Mainly want to know if it's a cruddy unpleasant space, because then I know I won't use it and I'll go ahead and join the Y or Equinox or something....

I am going to start out with the one there then find a gym myself.... From what I read I think it is mostly machines; I much prefer free weights, but need to get settled and try a few before I pick one anyway....

There's a NYSC on every corner, making them thè most convenient (but not the best)
Equinox tries to be more schmancy while crunch pretends it's more serious
All the major chains are more or less the same

I may just go back to the martial arts too, but haven't decided..... For me at least, fitness level is critical directly effects how I do in academic situations....

[ned]

Hmm, has anybody checked out the fitness center at Fordham? Thinking of joining a gym, but maybe it makes sense just to wait a couple months and use the one at Fordham? Mainly want to know if it's a cruddy unpleasant space, because then I know I won't use it and I'll go ahead and join the Y or Equinox or something....

I am going to start out with the one there then find a gym myself.... From what I read I think it is mostly machines; I much prefer free weights, but need to get settled and try a few before I pick one anyway....

There's a NYSC on every corner, making them thè most convenient (but not the best)
Equinox tries to be more schmancy while crunch pretends it's more serious
All the major chains are more or less the same

I may just go back to the martial arts too, but haven't decided..... For me at least, fitness level is critical directly effects how I do in academic situations....

If you want a change of pace, there is a weapons expert in manhattan who teaches various traditional forms of "dueling". Not just fencing, but like Scottish broadsword, Japanese, etc. I plan on trying it out at some point. Oh, and for the ladies, there's the art of the dagger.

[JCFindley]

If you want a change of pace, there is a weapons expert in manhattan who teaches various traditional forms of "dueling". Not just fencing, but like Scottish broadsword, Japanese, etc. I plan on trying it out at some point. Oh, and for the ladies, there's the art of the dagger.

Stuff like this always interests me.....

[dgb87]

Hey Everyone!

I'm a current 3L at Cardozo, and working as a part time real estate agent this summer! I'd be happy to answer any questions about housing you guys might have as I know the market very well! Feel free to PM me with any questions! Also if you need help with the hunt and want to use an agent, I'd be happy to offer a discounted fee!

Dani

[SDPalmTree]

If you want a change of pace, there is a weapons expert in manhattan who teaches various traditional forms of "dueling". Not just fencing, but like Scottish broadsword, Japanese, etc. I plan on trying it out at some point. Oh, and for the ladies, there's the art of the dagger.

Stuff like this always interests me.....

At one point a friend of mine and I wanted to see which style of swordplay was better - he had done Japanese style and I had done Fencing. We developed a point system and everything. Since he lives in New York I'm looking forward to utterly wiping the floor with him yet again. We have tentative plans for continuing on throughout the year - although I don't think Central Park would be the ideal location for such bouts in the Winter. But who knows, maybe the snow, rain, and cold will make it more exciting...

[ned]

If any current students are lurking about, I have a question about course material. When do we find out what we need, and is it available locally or do we need to order it? Is any of it available in digital format? I hate lugging books around. Thinking of digitizing at least some of the reading material so I can go over stuff via iPad during my commute, or wherever, should the opportunity arise....

[OperaSoprano]

If any current students are lurking about, I have a question about course material. When do we find out what we need, and is it available locally or do we need to order it? Is any of it available in digital format? I hate lugging books around. Thinking of digitizing at least some of the reading material so I can go over stuff via iPad during my commute, or wherever, should the opportunity arise....

You can find out most of what you need ahead of time on the website, if you do a search for first assignments. You can buy most of the materials used in the bookstore or on Amazon, though by my 2L year, I had discovered Chegg and was doing it that way. Also, old outlines will be invaluable to you. Your 2L and 3L friends can get them through their journal outline banks, but most of the student affinity groups also post theirs on TWEN if you join. You can download any you need, or get them from friends, so there is no reason to buy them. Some will disagree with me, but the best use of your time is to tweak and rework old outlines, reserving the bulk of your studying for taking and analyzing old practice exams. You can do this with your classmates, and/or with friends on TLS if you need a respite.

As an aside, since you hate lugging books, most profs let you bring a laptop to class, but there are exceptions (and they'll tell you that in the first week of class.) Unless you are supremely disciplined, you should disable your internet access, or you could take notes by hand and type them later. The other thing you can do is determine whether you are likely to be cold called in a given class, and if not, leave your casebook in your locker (or at home.) Nearly everyone brings casebooks to class; I did not, unless I knew I would be called on for something I couldn't reference from my notes.

I hope this helps!

[dingbat]

If any current students are lurking about, I have a question about course material. When do we find out what we need, and is it available locally or do we need to order it? Is any of it available in digital format? I hate lugging books around. Thinking of digitizing at least some of the reading material so I can go over stuff via iPad during my commute, or wherever, should the opportunity arise....

You can find out most of what you need ahead of time on the website, if you do a search for first assignments. You can buy most of the materials used in the bookstore or on Amazon, though by my 2L year, I had discovered Chegg and was doing it that way. Also, old outlines will be invaluable to you. Your 2L and 3L friends can get them through their journal outline banks, but most of the student affinity groups also post theirs on TWEN if you join. You can download any you need, or get them from friends, so there is no reason to buy them. Some will disagree with me, but the best use of your time is to tweak and rework old outlines, reserving the bulk of your studying for taking and analyzing old practice exams. You can do this with your classmates, and/or with friends on TLS if you need a respite.

As an aside, since you hate lugging books, most profs let you bring a laptop to class, but there are exceptions (and they'll tell you that in the first week of class.) Unless you are supremely disciplined, you should disable your internet access, or you could take notes by hand and type them later. The other thing you can do is determine whether you are likely to be cold called in a given class, and if not, leave your casebook in your locker (or at home.) Nearly everyone brings casebooks to class; I did not, unless I knew I would be called on for something I couldn't reference from my notes.

I hope this helps!

I have a bad prior experience buying textbooks elsewhere only to find the professor changed the books at the last minute.
Do you have any experience with that?

[OperaSoprano]

If any current students are lurking about, I have a question about course material. When do we find out what we need, and is it available locally or do we need to order it? Is any of it available in digital format? I hate lugging books around. Thinking of digitizing at least some of the reading material so I can go over stuff via iPad during my commute, or wherever, should the opportunity arise....

You can find out most of what you need ahead of time on the website, if you do a search for first assignments. You can buy most of the materials used in the bookstore or on Amazon, though by my 2L year, I had discovered Chegg and was doing it that way. Also, old outlines will be invaluable to you. Your 2L and 3L friends can get them through their journal outline banks, but most of the student affinity groups also post theirs on TWEN if you join. You can download any you need, or get them from friends, so there is no reason to buy them. Some will disagree with me, but the best use of your time is to tweak and rework old outlines, reserving the bulk of your studying for taking and analyzing old practice exams. You can do this with your classmates, and/or with friends on TLS if you need a respite.

As an aside, since you hate lugging books, most profs let you bring a laptop to class, but there are exceptions (and they'll tell you that in the first week of class.) Unless you are supremely disciplined, you should disable your internet access, or you could take notes by hand and type them later. The other thing you can do is determine whether you are likely to be cold called in a given class, and if not, leave your casebook in your locker (or at home.) Nearly everyone brings casebooks to class; I did not, unless I knew I would be called on for something I couldn't reference from my notes.

I hope this helps!

I have a bad prior experience buying textbooks elsewhere only to find the professor changed the books at the last minute.
Do you have any experience with that?

It's never happened to me, but I know Chegg (and some other sellers) let you return them. I don't think an LS professor would do it (at least not without VERY good reason) due to the high expense of the books. I have to say I do think renting is better and cheaper, not only for this reason, as long as you won't trash the books too much.

[ned]

If any current students are lurking about, I have a question about course material. When do we find out what we need, and is it available locally or do we need to order it? Is any of it available in digital format? I hate lugging books around. Thinking of digitizing at least some of the reading material so I can go over stuff via iPad during my commute, or wherever, should the opportunity arise....

You can find out most of what you need ahead of time on the website, if you do a search for first assignments. You can buy most of the materials used in the bookstore or on Amazon, though by my 2L year, I had discovered Chegg and was doing it that way. Also, old outlines will be invaluable to you. Your 2L and 3L friends can get them through their journal outline banks, but most of the student affinity groups also post theirs on TWEN if you join. You can download any you need, or get them from friends, so there is no reason to buy them. Some will disagree with me, but the best use of your time is to tweak and rework old outlines, reserving the bulk of your studying for taking and analyzing old practice exams. You can do this with your classmates, and/or with friends on TLS if you need a respite.

As an aside, since you hate lugging books, most profs let you bring a laptop to class, but there are exceptions (and they'll tell you that in the first week of class.) Unless you are supremely disciplined, you should disable your internet access, or you could take notes by hand and type them later. The other thing you can do is determine whether you are likely to be cold called in a given class, and if not, leave your casebook in your locker (or at home.) Nearly everyone brings casebooks to class; I did not, unless I knew I would be called on for something I couldn't reference from my notes.

I hope this helps!

Thanks for the info. I finished grad school in 2002 so laptops in class is a bit foreign to me. I'll give it a try though. My handwriting often leaves me baffled.

I don't mind lugging books from a locker to a classroom that much. I do mind lugging books around off campus though. That's where scanned copies might come in handy, or maybe just old fashioned photocopies.

As for selling used books, how much might I expect to recoup for my pristine used books? Does condition factor into price?

[lakers3peat]

h

[tinydancer11]

Hi Everyone!
I am new to this board, but have been reading up and it seems like some of you are still looking for roommates! I am moving into my sister's Astoria apartment and am looking for a roommate still! Astoria is a really lovely neighborhood and so much more affordable than Manhattan, and the commute takes 30-45 minutes to Fordham.

The apartment is a 2 bedroom with a living room and large eat-in kitchen 4 blocks from the N/Q/R trains to Manhattan. It's already furnished except for the extra bedroom. I'll be in one bedroom, you'll be in the other! I have one small, very friendly house rabbit

I'm looking for a female roommate, rent would be $865 a month plus half of the utilities (internet and electricity). Please let me know if you're interested, I am moving in August 15th (I am moving from Argentina), but my sister and her roommate could show you around before that if you're in the area, otherwise I can send you photos and info.

Thanks, and nice to meet you all!

[SDPalmTree]

I will be in Manhattan between the 11th and the 15th looking for apartments. So real I can almost taste it.

Of course, I do not look forward to the 3hrs of airplane-sleep I'll be getting tonight. Ah well, I'm sure it'll get me in the mood to sign a lease really fast...

Also, if there's anyone able to hang out for a couple hours, I'd love to be able to meet a few of my peers.

[halflink123]

Hey Guys

Fordham alum here - DO NOT go to law school UNLESS the school picks up a significant (>75%) of the sticker price. Just DO NOT do it.

All those articles about brutal employment for lawyers...ARE TRUE. 55% employed (and even that is overstating it). Do you want $150K of nondischargeable debt + 3 years of lost income (or more) and at the end of all that a lottery ticket for finding a job (a job that might even pay you less than you're making now?)

This is what happenned to me and a lot of people. Don't go to law school, law school exists to serve the professors and administration at Fordham (stroke their ego, pay their salaries etc) NOT the students.

You have been forewarned, my conscience was especially active today.

[Gemini]

Am looking to get rid of the LEEWS Audio system. Will sell for $50. Everything is there but the handouts, which you can either find online, or just not use. Apart from the audio CDs, the system comes with a book, which explains basically everything from the CDs on paper.

Please message if interested!

[JCFindley]

Hey Guys

Fordham alum here - DO NOT go to law school UNLESS the school picks up a significant (>75%) of the sticker price. Just DO NOT do it.

All those articles about brutal employment for lawyers...ARE TRUE. 55% employed (and even that is overstating it). Do you want $150K of nondischargeable debt + 3 years of lost income (or more) and at the end of all that a lottery ticket for finding a job (a job that might even pay you less than you're making now?)

This is what happenned to me and a lot of people. Don't go to law school, law school exists to serve the professors and administration at Fordham (stroke their ego, pay their salaries etc) NOT the students.

You have been forewarned, my conscience was especially active today.

a little late on this since we have already started. Thanks for the heads up and all but you do know the odds of winning the lotto are a lot worse than 55%, right?

[halflink123]

@JCFindley - lucky for me, I've found that dbags don't absorb my views all too well.

I'll stop replying though because it's exhausting coming up with these pearls of wisdom

[JCFindley]

I'm a touch to busy being a d-bag gunner myself to spend a lot of time here now that school has started.

[lakers3peat]

@JCFindley - lucky for me, I've found that dbags don't absorb my views all too well.

I'll stop replying though because it's exhausting coming up with these pearls of wisdom

hows funemployment treating ya???