Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[fatduck]

Would it be appropriate to ask H for a student's contact information? My UG rarely sends anyone to the T14 but I recently noticed it on the list of schools represented by last year's incoming class. My prelaw advisor did not know the student(s) .

I'd just like to speak with them, see how I measure up, etc. Do or don't do?

I'm a 0L and I asked the admissions office to have someone from my UG contact me. This was after I was already accepted, but they were very helpful. I ended up having a great conversation with the woman who called me. If they aren't willing to do this for you, try searching LinkedIn.

Also the standard e-mail format is

first.last@jd##.law.harvard.edu
##= expected grad year when you started.
so this person is probably first.last@jd14.law.harvard.edu

Meh? When did they start doing first.last instead of last initial appended to first name?

mine is first initial + last name, fwiw (like fduck@jd14)

[lastMinuteGuy]

so took a look at the grocery stores near HLS and all of them appear to have mixed reviews (people complaining about high prices etc)...wheres a good place to get groceries...like a major chain preferably so they wont jack up prices

wouldnt mind going a bit farther out as long as its near a t stop

If you buy a lot of groceries at a time the answer is grocery delivery. There are many options better than Peapod that a lot of people use and it usually has a fair amount of coupons for free delivery.

what are these companies?

There's a full size Shaw's (large regional chain) in Porter that's about a 15 min walk from campus and also on a bus route and one stop from Harvard Sq on the red line. The closest Whole Foods (if that's your thing) is near Central Sq and also about a 15-20 min walk and one stop the other way on the red line. There are also small little stores around Harvard Sq and the law school where you can get some basic things to hold you over between full trips to the grocery store. If you'll have a car there are also some larger Whole Foods and other stores in easy driving distance that you can get to, and the Shaw's in Porter does have a parking lot.

Peapod is a delivery service that Stop and Shop (the other large regional chain) runs. Never used it so I can't comment on the prices, but I know some people that do and have been very happy with it.

If anyone's interested in local sourced food options (farm shares, co-ops, farmer's markets, etc.), I can also put up some information on those.

[fatduck]

If anyone's interested in local sourced food options (farm shares, co-ops, farmer's markets, etc.), I can also put up some information on those.

yes please

[094320]

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[arez]

Out of curiousity, are all 1L exams totally closed book? I noticed the various levels of "closed" on the exam website.

[delusional]

Out of curiousity, are all 1L exams totally closed book? I noticed the various levels of "closed" on the exam website.

Not at all. It depends on the professor. I have not had one closed book exam. The variety I have had has been assigned textbook + personal work product + hard drive on the low end, to whatever the hell you want on the high end.

[AllTheLawz]

so took a look at the grocery stores near HLS and all of them appear to have mixed reviews (people complaining about high prices etc)...wheres a good place to get groceries...like a major chain preferably so they wont jack up prices

wouldnt mind going a bit farther out as long as its near a t stop

If you buy a lot of groceries at a time the answer is grocery delivery. There are many options better than Peapod that a lot of people use and it usually has a fair amount of coupons for free delivery.

what are these companies?

Roche Bros. is a place that I know a few people use.

[AllTheLawz]

Out of curiousity, are all 1L exams totally closed book? I noticed the various levels of "closed" on the exam website.

Very few are actually closed book but a lot of 3-hour exams (especially those without word limits) are de facto closed book. Which brings up another important point: There is a very good chance that you will absolutely despise word limits by the end of 1L year.

[sharktankdean]

Never taken an exam on a computer before. Is there anything I should know about these type of exams or will i just 'get it' when the exam comes?

[ph14]

Never taken an exam on a computer before. Is there anything I should know about these type of exams or will i just 'get it' when the exam comes?

Is your question technical or substantive? If technical, it's not too different than what you probably did in undergrad, except you're in ExamSoft, which makes it look like you're typing an exam in 1993. If substantive, it's worth it to read about law school exams (in the TLS forums and the standard book recommendations).

[arez]

Out of curiousity, are all 1L exams totally closed book? I noticed the various levels of "closed" on the exam website.

Very few are actually closed book but a lot of 3-hour exams (especially those without word limits) are de facto closed book. Which brings up another important point: There is a very good chance that you will absolutely despise word limits by the end of 1L year.

Could you clarify? Do you mean since the time was so little and there was no word limit you were best off if you memorized the material? Thanks for your answer!

[ph14]

Out of curiousity, are all 1L exams totally closed book? I noticed the various levels of "closed" on the exam website.

Very few are actually closed book but a lot of 3-hour exams (especially those without word limits) are de facto closed book. Which brings up another important point: There is a very good chance that you will absolutely despise word limits by the end of 1L year.

Could you clarify? Do you mean since the time was so little and there was no word limit you were best off if you memorized the material? Thanks for your answer!

Basically.

[sharktankdean]

Never taken an exam on a computer before. Is there anything I should know about these type of exams or will i just 'get it' when the exam comes?

Is your question technical or substantive? If technical, it's not too different than what you probably did in undergrad, except you're in ExamSoft, which makes it look like you're typing an exam in 1993. If substantive, it's worth it to read about law school exams (in the TLS forums and the standard book recommendations).

thanks!

[094320]

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[JDflowergirl]

Regarding LRW, does this class really screw people over? TLS makes it seem like its one of the hardest things in Law School. Since its graded at Harvard (curses!!!), how do employers use this in making their their decisions? Also any tips on how to do well?

[094320]

..

[delusional]

Regarding LRW, does this class really screw people over? TLS makes it seem like its one of the hardest things in Law School. Since its graded at Harvard (curses!!!), how do employers use this in making their their decisions? Also any tips on how to do well?

It counts like another class. It's not a big deal if you get a P in it. I mean, it's annoying, but whatever. An LP looks pretty bad, though, and I only know one person who ever admitted to getting one.

As hard as it is to get an LP in anything, it must be even harder to get one in LRW. You meet with the instructor and the BSA ten times before you hand anything in. If LRW LPs are not discretionary, that's pure evil.

[GeePee]

Regarding LRW, does this class really screw people over? TLS makes it seem like its one of the hardest things in Law School. Since its graded at Harvard (curses!!!), how do employers use this in making their their decisions? Also any tips on how to do well?

Put the time in and get an H in LRW. Really. If you try hard enough, you will get an H. Try to see if you can schedule a check in appointment or two with your Climenko and make sure you're giving them what they want.

There are few classes where putting additional time in is nearly guaranteed to pay dividends in your grade. In fact, I would argue that spending too much time getting bogged down in the details is objectively bad for some classes and some professors. I'd say 98% of the people at Harvard are good enough writers to get an H in LRW, yet only 35% do. If you really spend time refining your prose, you're probably going to get an H -- it's just kind of the reality of the situation.

[PMan99]

Regarding LRW, does this class really screw people over? TLS makes it seem like its one of the hardest things in Law School. Since its graded at Harvard (curses!!!), how do employers use this in making their their decisions? Also any tips on how to do well?

How can it screw you over? I don't think LPing is possible as long as you just do all of the edits your prof tells you to. Employers will obviously use it in their decisions but I've never heard of it having an outsized influence on hiring decisions outside of TLS. One of the first things my 1L SA firm told me to do was to ditch the shitty LRW writing style for something that actually reads well and gets to the point.

I would agree with GP that sinking time (and spaced out over days, not just more time in one day) is the way to give you a better shot at an H, but I don't think it's as deterministic as he says. A lot will still come down to professor preferences (biases to some).

[ajaxconstructions]

Any housing recommendations?

[PMan99]

Any housing recommendations?

not gropius, not hastings

(if you can afford to not live in gropius)

[Curious1]

Any housing recommendations?

not gropius, not hastings

(if you can afford to not live in gropius)

How bad is Hastings really? Living there next month and a tiny bit apprehensive.

[Keeper1125]

hastings is fine, and the rooms are pretty nice and reasonably spacious (particularly the common areas). i lived there last year and mostly liked it. the only annoying things are the kitchen and laundry facilities. 1 kitchen and 3 washers/dryers (some of which tend not to work well) in the basement for 100+ people is a nightmare.

don't expect hastings to be very social, not that it really matters.

[AllTheLawz]

Regarding LRW, does this class really screw people over? TLS makes it seem like its one of the hardest things in Law School. Since its graded at Harvard (curses!!!), how do employers use this in making their their decisions? Also any tips on how to do well?

Put the time in and get an H in LRW. Really. If you try hard enough, you will get an H. Try to see if you can schedule a check in appointment or two with your Climenko and make sure you're giving them what they want.

There are few classes where putting additional time in is nearly guaranteed to pay dividends in your grade. In fact, I would argue that spending too much time getting bogged down in the details is objectively bad for some classes and some professors. I'd say 98% of the people at Harvard are good enough writers to get an H in LRW, yet only 35% do. If you really spend time refining your prose, you're probably going to get an H -- it's just kind of the reality of the situation.

Out of curiosity.. does anyone know definitively whether there is a special curve for LRW?? Ive heard conflicting things.. some people swear that the percentage of people who get an H in LRW is far less than doctrinal classes.

[delusional]

Regarding LRW, does this class really screw people over? TLS makes it seem like its one of the hardest things in Law School. Since its graded at Harvard (curses!!!), how do employers use this in making their their decisions? Also any tips on how to do well?

Put the time in and get an H in LRW. Really. If you try hard enough, you will get an H. Try to see if you can schedule a check in appointment or two with your Climenko and make sure you're giving them what they want.

There are few classes where putting additional time in is nearly guaranteed to pay dividends in your grade. In fact, I would argue that spending too much time getting bogged down in the details is objectively bad for some classes and some professors. I'd say 98% of the people at Harvard are good enough writers to get an H in LRW, yet only 35% do. If you really spend time refining your prose, you're probably going to get an H -- it's just kind of the reality of the situation.

Out of curiosity.. does anyone know definitively whether there is a special curve for LRW?? Ive heard conflicting things.. some people swear that the percentage of people who get an H in LRW is far less than doctrinal classes.

I heard that a couple days ago for the first time, based on something an LRW teacher said. I dunno if I buy it. It could be that it feels that way because the classes are smaller, so it ends up feeling harder. Also, since everyone works on the memos with the same teacher and the same BSAs, the curve can be even more choking than another class, since the end result is 35 essentially identical memos, with two or three at the top or bottom.

I did not have Geepee's experience, although I had that philosophy going in. If I were advising a 1L I would say the opposite - expect to suck, but put in the effort as though there's a correlation. I was so bummed when I got a P on my first memo, but when I look back at it, it was worth that. But still, putting in the work is what makes you better.