Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[Blessedassurance]

I'm sorry if this has already been addressed, but what's the printing situation at HLS? If I'm living in Groupius, is it worth bringing my own?

you get an amount of credit to print (library, basement of wasserstein etc). once you hit the credit limit, they start billing what you print to your student account, or you can load up on credit.

https://printing.law.harvard.edu/printinfo/

i don't know anybody who brought his/her own printer so i don't know if it's worth it. Probably not.

I asked about this at ASW and the 2L told me that she's never hit the limit, she doesnt know anyone who's ever hit the limit and isnt sure if its reasonably possible to hit the limit.

...and apparently there's a lot of printing that goes on.

I hit the limit like midway second semester but mostly because not only did i print a lot of stuff unrelated to classes etc., but i insisted on printing one-sided (which is more expensive than double-sided).

Even if you do hit the limit (unlikely), it will probably cost less to print off the account than to buy ink.

if you already have a printer, you can bring it but you probably won't use it that much. The $100 credit is included in your tuition and fees. might as well use it.

note: you scan for free at langdell. 4th floor. that scanner is 180...

[LexLeon]

I'm sorry if this has already been addressed, but what's the printing situation at HLS? If I'm living in Groupius, is it worth bringing my own?

you get an amount of credit to print (library, basement of wasserstein etc). once you hit the credit limit, they start billing what you print to your student account, or you can load up on credit.

https://printing.law.harvard.edu/printinfo/

i don't know anybody who brought his/her own printer so i don't know if it's worth it. Probably not.

I asked about this at ASW and the 2L told me that she's never hit the limit, she doesnt know anyone who's ever hit the limit and isnt sure if its reasonably possible to hit the limit.

...and apparently there's a lot of printing that goes on.

I hit the limit like midway second semester but mostly because not only did i print a lot of stuff unrelated to classes etc., but i insisted on printing one-sided (which is more expensive than double-sided).

Even if you do hit the limit (unlikely), it will probably cost less to print off the account than to buy ink.

if you already have a printer, you can bring it but you probably won't use it that much. The $100 credit is included in your tuition and fees. might as well use it.

note: you scan for free at langdell. 4th floor. that scanner is 180...

Why would you print single-sided?

[Blessedassurance]

Why would you print single-sided?

ocd mostly.

i'm paranoid about missing stuff on the back of pages. i flip through the actual paper copy of outlines come exam time and circle the issues, so it helps to have it on single pages. it's just me though.

[bob loblaw11]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

Generally speaking, I know everyone is different...

[Doorkeeper]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

Generally speaking, I know everyone is different...

1) If you do the readings and have an outline going into the exam, you will not LP. Almost nobody LPs.

2) It's very easy to work hard during the weekdays and take the weekends off. You'll be in class around 3-4 hours per day and readings for each class will take around 1-2 hours for the next class. It's very doable.

[AllTheLawz]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

Generally speaking, I know everyone is different...

1L year I took all Fridays and most of Saturday off and really didn't work incredibly hard during the week until the last month of law school. Honestly, the secret is that law school isn't all that hard and really isn't as much work as you think. Law students are just incredibly inefficient and waste time on ridiculous stuff. I knew a number of people who would read all the cases 3 times, highlighting in a different color each time. Don't waste time trying to memorize all the details of cases. You can get an H or DS with minimal case citation. Just know the general principles, holding(s) and the key points of the reasoning (will allow you to point out things in the fact that distinguish your situation).

Do your reading on time, type up notes as you read (or stay on top of typing up hand written notes), get a good outline and add your own notes, last month of school briefly read supplements (not the whole damn thing) for the stuff you don't completely understand. All this adds up to probably 25-35 hrs of work per week outside of class. Will leave you plenty of time to enjoy weekends until the end of semester.

[gertie]

What's the best phone company to have in Cambridge? I currently have T-mobile but I'm considering changing. What cellphone companies do students have the most problems with?

[AllTheLawz]

What's the best phone company to have in Cambridge? I currently have T-mobile but I'm considering changing. What cellphone companies do students have the most problems with?

T-mobile actually works fine in Cambridge but you might have problems if you travel to middle of nowhere New England a lot. My gf has AT&T and has had really bad reception on multiple phones.

[Stinson]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

Generally speaking, I know everyone is different...

Every LP related story I have heard has to do with test day related stuff - sickness right before test, family tragedy in proximity to test, crazy nervousness/breaking down during test, that kind of stuff - rather than study related stuff. And even many stories like that don't end in LP's. Moreover, the high proportion of all-day takehome exams means that there is a lot less premium on knowing the law cold and remembering every single case and a lot more on being good at writing exams, constructing answers, etc.

[094320]

..

[facile princeps]

Hey guys. So I'm looking at HUH at 10 Akron St. If I end up there, is it in my best interest to pay the arm/leg for the annual surface/garage parking permit? Or will I be able to park on the street once my vehicle is registered there? That $275/month for parking is steep. I'm honestly thinking about selling my car if there isn't a viable alternative.

[DoubleChecks]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

Generally speaking, I know everyone is different...

Every LP related story I have heard has to do with test day related stuff - sickness right before test, family tragedy in proximity to test, crazy nervousness/breaking down during test, that kind of stuff - rather than study related stuff. And even many stories like that don't end in LP's. Moreover, the high proportion of all-day takehome exams means that there is a lot less premium on knowing the law cold and remembering every single case and a lot more on being good at writing exams, constructing answers, etc.

The worry should be more whether it's a recipe for straight P's, rather than straight LPs. It's really a know yourself thing. Were you able to focus like that before law school? Then probably. Do you have attention span issues? Probably not.

I agree with this. Know yourself. If you worked x before, you'll probably work x + 5 at law school or something. It isn't some life changer where you go to x + 100 lol. It is so hard to generalize because I have seen the whole spectrum. Some work a lot of hrs, freak out over details and pull all nighters. Others barely do the reading and study a day or two before the final, casually. And of course, everything in between. 1L first semester you will do more than you need to -- at least that is what I tend to see -- and then you'll know how to scale back. For the first 2 weeks I used to BRIEF every case. omg. I mean, I'm sure that works for some people, but wow was that a time suck. I moved onto just highlighting after awhile, and by 2L yr, just reading it only.

Stuff people have already posted are helpful. I imagine making your own outlines would be super useful for exams. I tend to just use ones I find in free outline banks, then study it alongside my class notes (or integrate my class notes into it). I never re-read cases before the exam, though I do at least skim read all the cases once throughout the semester (normal before day of class kind of stuff).

For my 1L yr, I never worked past 7:30 pm, though I did have class + reading M-F for all the hours before then. Finals weren't much different (1Ls get a decent reading period. 3Ls get like 1 weekend if you're unlucky :X). Busiest semester for me was 2L yr when I did a bunch of journal/extracurricular stuff. Class was nothing, but clinic + journal + organization = most work and stress ever for me lol. That happens for a lot of non-1L students, so keep that in mind as well as you go through the years.

[toothbrush]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

For my 1L yr, I never worked past 7:30 pm, though I did have class + reading M-F for all the hours before then. Finals weren't much different (1Ls get a decent reading period. 3Ls get like 1 weekend if you're unlucky :X). Busiest semester for me was 2L yr when I did a bunch of journal/extracurricular stuff. Class was nothing, but clinic + journal + organization = most work and stress ever for me lol. That happens for a lot of non-1L students, so keep that in mind as well as you go through the years.

Would you say that the difficulty lies in time management as opposed to the work itself being intellectually challenging ? Or is there work in law school, journals, clinics, etc that is genuinely hard to wrap your mind around?

[ph14]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

For my 1L yr, I never worked past 7:30 pm, though I did have class + reading M-F for all the hours before then. Finals weren't much different (1Ls get a decent reading period. 3Ls get like 1 weekend if you're unlucky :X). Busiest semester for me was 2L yr when I did a bunch of journal/extracurricular stuff. Class was nothing, but clinic + journal + organization = most work and stress ever for me lol. That happens for a lot of non-1L students, so keep that in mind as well as you go through the years.

Would you say that the difficulty lies in time management as opposed to the work itself being intellectually challenging ? Or is there work in law school, journals, clinics, etc that is genuinely hard to wrap your mind around?

Both.

[DoubleChecks]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

For my 1L yr, I never worked past 7:30 pm, though I did have class + reading M-F for all the hours before then. Finals weren't much different (1Ls get a decent reading period. 3Ls get like 1 weekend if you're unlucky :X). Busiest semester for me was 2L yr when I did a bunch of journal/extracurricular stuff. Class was nothing, but clinic + journal + organization = most work and stress ever for me lol. That happens for a lot of non-1L students, so keep that in mind as well as you go through the years.

Would you say that the difficulty lies in time management as opposed to the work itself being intellectually challenging ? Or is there work in law school, journals, clinics, etc that is genuinely hard to wrap your mind around?

There exist courses that require more intellectual rigor, and there are some where you realize the professor is just not communicating the information as clearly as he should/could. And then of course, a lot of it lies in time management as well. Most classes aren't difficult to "grasp" if your professor is good.

[BlakcMajikc]

Hey guys. So I'm looking at HUH at 10 Akron St. If I end up there, is it in my best interest to pay the arm/leg for the annual surface/garage parking permit? Or will I be able to park on the street once my vehicle is registered there? That $275/month for parking is steep. I'm honestly thinking about selling my car if there isn't a viable alternative.

Not sure if you can get a residential street parking permit with HUH housing as your address. Call and ask Harvard housing. If you can, then it's very easy and cheap to change your plates and get the residential street parking permit and well worth it (you get in-state insurance and get new plates with the dmv and get the permit in the Cambridge town hall).

Another option is renting a parking spot (see craigslist). 100-150/month.

[Stinson]

Kind of jumping on Worm's point a bit, but how feasible is it to work really hard on weekdays while significant others are away and to then cut way back on weekends? Is that a recipe for straight LPs?

For my 1L yr, I never worked past 7:30 pm, though I did have class + reading M-F for all the hours before then. Finals weren't much different (1Ls get a decent reading period. 3Ls get like 1 weekend if you're unlucky :X). Busiest semester for me was 2L yr when I did a bunch of journal/extracurricular stuff. Class was nothing, but clinic + journal + organization = most work and stress ever for me lol. That happens for a lot of non-1L students, so keep that in mind as well as you go through the years.

Would you say that the difficulty lies in time management as opposed to the work itself being intellectually challenging ? Or is there work in law school, journals, clinics, etc that is genuinely hard to wrap your mind around?

There exist courses that require more intellectual rigor, and there are some where you realize the professor is just not communicating the information as clearly as he should/could. And then of course, a lot of it lies in time management as well. Most classes aren't difficult to "grasp" if your professor is good.

It's important for new students to note the professor aspect of an HLS education; there are some great professors who are really dedicated to teaching. Then there are others... well... not so much. Remember that famous =/= great teacher. And at least a few of the evidence professors just don't take it seriously.

[Mr. Elshal]

Any advice on extra-curriculars during 1L year? There are a lot of activities/groups that I'd like to get involved with but obviously not at the expense of my grades. Any observational or anecdotal advice would be great.

[Doorkeeper]

Any advice on extra-curriculars during 1L year? There are a lot of activities/groups that I'd like to get involved with but obviously not at the expense of my grades. Any observational or anecdotal advice would be great.

Actually spend time doing maybe 2 activities outside of class (whatever form they take). Don't overextend yourself 1L year, especially not in the first semester. Aside from journals, you can always join later without harm.

[wert3813]

As long as we are calming fears here is mine:

I have a strong ability to remember information given orally, but I write slow (I type just fine). When I sat in on a class people were borderline transcribing the professor's words and it kinda freaked me out. Is my section going to be so friendly that I could basically type up someone else's notes all the time? Is writing that much not necessary? Or is this an area where I need to get better?

[Doorkeeper]

As long as we are calming fears here is mine:

I have a strong ability to remember information given orally, but I write slow (I type just fine). When I sat in on a class people were borderline transcribing the professor's words and it kinda freaked me out. Is my section going to be so friendly that I could basically type up someone else's notes all the time? Is writing that much not necessary? Or is this an area where I need to get better?

You will improve over the year, and you will figure out what information is really important.

Try writing yourself, and if that fails ask a friend to look at their notes after class.

[facile princeps]

Hey guys. So I'm looking at HUH at 10 Akron St. If I end up there, is it in my best interest to pay the arm/leg for the annual surface/garage parking permit? Or will I be able to park on the street once my vehicle is registered there? That $275/month for parking is steep. I'm honestly thinking about selling my car if there isn't a viable alternative.

Not sure if you can get a residential street parking permit with HUH housing as your address. Call and ask Harvard housing. If you can, then it's very easy and cheap to change your plates and get the residential street parking permit and well worth it (you get in-state insurance and get new plates with the dmv and get the permit in the Cambridge town hall).

Another option is renting a parking spot (see craigslist). 100-150/month.

Thanks.

I called and they said I could get the residential street parking with an HUH address, but that building is in a zone where street parking isn't permitted. Just my luck. I'll check out craigslist.

[Blessedassurance]

As long as we are calming fears here is mine:

I have a strong ability to remember information given orally, but I write slow (I type just fine). When I sat in on a class people were borderline transcribing the professor's words and it kinda freaked me out. Is my section going to be so friendly that I could basically type up someone else's notes all the time? Is writing that much not necessary? Or is this an area where I need to get better?

the first point is to figure out what the exam mode is going to be.

if you have a password, you can access that.

your whole strategy with regards to everything associated with the class should be devised against the backdrop of the particular mode of exams. There are 3-hour in-class exams. all day take-home (8 hours on a given day), any day take-home (8-hour take-home but you get to pick the day within a given period), and last class take-home (you pick it on the last day of class and have a bunch of days to work on it - pretty sweet deal, really)

the second step is to look at the professor's past exam questions so you get the format.

etc.

[BelugaWhale]

my personal experience is that people who transcribe notes get worse grades than those who don't. I think it has to do with how you process and select information. Personally, I know people who write sparingly but get all the important points down whereas those who transcribe notes can't separate important stuff from non-important stuff and this carries over to the exam.

[GertrudePerkins]

As long as we are calming fears here is mine:

I have a strong ability to remember information given orally, but I write slow (I type just fine). When I sat in on a class people were borderline transcribing the professor's words and it kinda freaked me out. Is my section going to be so friendly that I could basically type up someone else's notes all the time? Is writing that much not necessary? Or is this an area where I need to get better?

It's my personal belief that this kind of stenographic classroom note-taking is an actively bad thing, for two reasons. First, if you're so focused on transcribing class, then you're not actively thinking about the material while it's being discussed. I infer this because I've seen many people copy down things professors have said that couldn't possibly be relevant to the exam -- which makes me think they're not actually paying attention to the content of what's being said. Second, you wind up with a massive ream of notes, much of which will not be crucial (or even relevant) and you'll have to separate the wheat from the chaff when studying. On this latter point, recognize that a good chunk of classroom discussion is recapitulating (through Socratic dialogue) the cases you read. I have no idea why people take class notes on this; why would you take notes on your classmate's (possibly terrible) recitation of the facts and analysis of Case X when Case X itself is right there in the casebook?! The key is to learn when the professor (or sometimes it's a classmate) is saying something that adds value beyond what you can gather simply from reading the cases. As the other posters suggest, making this determination depends in part on the nature of the professor's exams. In some classes, given the combination of the professor, the exam, and the casebook, there's very little "value added" classroom discussion and I take very minimal notes. In others, there's a lot of value added and I take significant notes. But I'm convinced that the stenography approach is almost never the right one.