UC Hastings Students Taking Questions Forum

[ilovesf]

I'm living in East Bay so I want to try and maximize my social time otherwise I'm worried I'll become that hermit that goes straight home after class and never talks to anyone =[

Lots of people live in the east bay, don't worry.

[apollo2015]

but there really is more to life than grades.

true except during 1L.

put your life on hold for a year and destroy 1L...

I did not notice a correlation between effort put in and the resulting grade. I mean, for sure participate a lot in class when class participation is a chunk of one's grade, do all of the readings before class, and do a couple of practice exams in Fall Semester so one knows what to expect. Beyond that though, people should be socializing.

[Lasers]

but there really is more to life than grades.

true except during 1L.

put your life on hold for a year and destroy 1L...

I did not notice a correlation between effort put in and the resulting grade. I mean, for sure participate a lot in class when class participation is a chunk of one's grade, do all of the readings before class, and do a couple of practice exams in Fall Semester so one knows what to expect. Beyond that though, people should be socializing.

Class participation and reading before class???

[kapital98]

but there really is more to life than grades.

true except during 1L.

put your life on hold for a year and destroy 1L...

I did not notice a correlation between effort put in and the resulting grade. I mean, for sure participate a lot in class when class participation is a chunk of one's grade, do all of the readings before class, and do a couple of practice exams in Fall Semester so one knows what to expect. Beyond that though, people should be socializing.

Class participation and reading before class???

Stellar Trolling

[apollo2015]

Most of my professors had ~10% of the grade be based on class participation.

Reading the cases before class was the approach I took. (Depending on when I had time to read, I did the readings between one day before to a couple of weeks before class.) Of course, everyone has their own learning styles.

[shazi]

Most of my professors had ~10% of the grade be based on class participation.

Reading the cases before class was the approach I took. (Depending on when I had time to read, I did the readings between one day before to a couple of weeks before class.) Of course, everyone has their own learning styles.

How does a class participation grade work? Just need to participate a certain number of times to get full credit or is it more subjective; based on the professors opinion of you?

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

Most of my professors had ~10% of the grade be based on class participation.

Reading the cases before class was the approach I took. (Depending on when I had time to read, I did the readings between one day before to a couple of weeks before class.) Of course, everyone has their own learning styles.

How does a class participation grade work? Just need to participate a certain number of times to get full credit or is it more subjective; based on the professors opinion of you?

It's usually about quality more than quantity. The professors hate people who talk for the sake of talking just as much as other students do.

However, that's not quite the same as "based on their opinion of you," as you can fully disagree with the professor and still get full points.

[ilovesf]

I don't know how it works, but all I know is that in one of my classes my prof bumped up so many people he had to bump some of us down because he gave too many A-s. I was one of the people bumped down. It blew.

[SFSpartan]

Have to fly out of town for a family wedding over Labor Day weekend, but don't want to miss class. Wondering how many of you had classes on Friday during 1L, and if any of those classes were in the afternoon.

[jump_man]

Have to fly out of town for a family wedding over Labor Day weekend, but don't want to miss class. Wondering how many of you had classes on Friday during 1L, and if any of those classes were in the afternoon.

Last year, 3/4 sections had Friday classes first semester. Classes usually finished 2:00-4:00 PM depending on the section. You DEFINITELY don't want to miss class that early in the semester (or ever, to be honest). I'd get a flight leaving at 7:00 PM at the earliest, just to be safe.

[lisavj]

Have to fly out of town for a family wedding over Labor Day weekend, but don't want to miss class. Wondering how many of you had classes on Friday during 1L, and if any of those classes were in the afternoon.

Last year, 3/4 sections had Friday classes first semester. Classes usually finished 2:00-4:00 PM depending on the section. You DEFINITELY don't want to miss class that early in the semester (or ever, to be honest). I'd get a flight leaving at 7:00 PM at the earliest, just to be safe.

Really? I wouldn't make it a habit, but missing one class doesn't seem that big unless it's LWR. I found people were generally willing to give me notes.

Of course, I'm a hypocrite and freaked out about missing class to the point of taking a redeye home to not miss class...but in retrospect I think it would have been fine...IMHO

[hiima3L]

Have to fly out of town for a family wedding over Labor Day weekend, but don't want to miss class. Wondering how many of you had classes on Friday during 1L, and if any of those classes were in the afternoon.

Last year, 3/4 sections had Friday classes first semester. Classes usually finished 2:00-4:00 PM depending on the section. You DEFINITELY don't want to miss class that early in the semester (or ever, to be honest). I'd get a flight leaving at 7:00 PM at the earliest, just to be safe.

This is silly. Classes early on in the semester are absolutely ones you can miss without it being a problem whatsoever. Do you really think you need to go to class to learn what consideration is? Or to discuss a few cases in torts that you can summarize in a few sentences?

I digress.

To the OP: You will almost certainly have a class on Friday. I had 9AM classes on Fridays my 1L year.

[shazi]

Is it true the bookstore is permanently closed and you have to buy all your books online?

[OneMoreLawHopeful]

The bookstore is permanently closed, but there's supposed to be some kind of replacement for it (they've been sketchy with details).

Books were always so much cheaper online though, so you're probably better off just ordering them.

[ilovesf]

Yep. Just amazon.

[jenchoXD]

I'm starting at Hastings this fall and looking to buy a new laptop for school and have a few questions. Do students usually take notes on their computers? How important is portability? I'm trying to decide between a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Also, do muggings on the streets near school/the Tenderloin happen often? I'm going to be living 2 blocks away in the bad side of the Tenderloin and I'm scared I'll spend a grand+ on a Mac only to have it stolen when I carry it to and from school -_-. When I was there last week my car was broken into so I've been a little paranoid . If I was a big, tall guy I wouldn't be worried but I'm a small Asian girl =_= sighh.

[apollo2015]

I'm starting at Hastings this fall and looking to buy a new laptop for school and have a few questions. Do students usually take notes on their computers? How important is portability? I'm trying to decide between a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Also, do muggings on the streets near school/the Tenderloin happen often? I'm going to be living 2 blocks away in the bad side of the Tenderloin and I'm scared I'll spend a grand+ on a Mac only to have it stolen when I carry it to and from school -_-. When I was there last week my car was broken into so I've been a little paranoid .

Virtually everyone uses their laptops to take notes in class, and to take exams on. My recommendation is to get a cheap PC laptop. You will carry it around whenever you are on campus or are studying.

I'm only aware of one mugging of a 1L having happened last year. The block between the Hastings library and the Tower is entirely safe. I go back and forth between the two at 11pm on a regular basis. Just don't talk to strangers, and you'll be fine.

I recommend not bringing a car to San Francisco. Public Transportation is great here. The City is slowly transitioning into being a car-free space.

[kapital98]

I'm starting at Hastings this fall and looking to buy a new laptop for school and have a few questions. Do students usually take notes on their computers? How important is portability? I'm trying to decide between a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Also, do muggings on the streets near school/the Tenderloin happen often? I'm going to be living 2 blocks away in the bad side of the Tenderloin and I'm scared I'll spend a grand+ on a Mac only to have it stolen when I carry it to and from school -_-. When I was there last week my car was broken into so I've been a little paranoid .

I recommend not bringing a car to San Francisco. Public Transportation is great here. The City is slowly transitioning into being a car-free space.

If you do bring a car never leave anything valuable within eyesight. People will break your window just to steal a jacket. At orientation Hastings has a police officer go over ways to decrease theft.

Another thing people like to steal are smartphones. Students will take their smartphone out without paying attention to their surroundings. Then someone comes up to them, snatches the phone, and runs away. Just be careful and nothing will happen.

[jenchoXD]

I'm starting at Hastings this fall and looking to buy a new laptop for school and have a few questions. Do students usually take notes on their computers? How important is portability? I'm trying to decide between a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Also, do muggings on the streets near school/the Tenderloin happen often? I'm going to be living 2 blocks away in the bad side of the Tenderloin and I'm scared I'll spend a grand+ on a Mac only to have it stolen when I carry it to and from school -_-. When I was there last week my car was broken into so I've been a little paranoid .

Virtually everyone uses their laptops to take notes in class, and to take exams on. My recommendation is to get a cheap PC laptop. You will carry it around whenever you are on campus or are studying.

I'm only aware of one mugging of a 1L having happened last year. The block between the Hastings library and the Tower is entirely safe. I go back and forth between the two at 11pm on a regular basis. Just don't talk to strangers, and you'll be fine.

I recommend not bringing a car to San Francisco. Public Transportation is great here. The City is slowly transitioning into being a car-free space.

I went through 3 PC laptops during undergrad and I'm sick of laptops breaking on me and having to recover files and move them over/install all the programs again which is why I'm opting for a mac this time since they seem to last longer.

I'm not going to be living in the tower and have to walk deeper into the Tenderloin which is why I'm worried. My car was broken into when there was nothing inside which is why I think its stupid and doesn't have to do with whether things or visible in your car or not =/.

[Mick Haller]

Mac air was great for law school. For work I need something with a bigger screen and a disk drive.

[jump_man]

I went through 3 PC laptops during undergrad and I'm sick of laptops breaking on me and having to recover files and move them over/install all the programs again which is why I'm opting for a mac this time since they seem to last longer.

I would definitely recommend getting a macbook air. If you talk to financial aid, they can increase your loans to pay for the cost of the computer (but you might have to buy it after classes start) - I would definitely look at that option if you don't have 1K to drop on a new mac.

The crime reports from our campus security suggest that 90% of muggings in the area are snatch-and-grabs involving smartphones. As long as you are aware of your surroundings while walking around the neighborhood, you'll be fine. From what I remember, I think campus security also offers escorts to locations in the immediate area.

I would also recommend that you definitely NOT take a car. There is simply no need for one - the public transit here is awesome, and given how long it takes to find parking, public transit will probably get you to your destination in half the time.

[Civic Duty]

Do any of you know about parking your car in the garage? Is your car safe in there? Also is the monthly fee still $200.00?

[kapital98]

Do any of you know about parking your car in the garage? Is your car safe in there? Also is the monthly fee still $200.00?

The car is as safe as you can get. The police monitor Mcallister, Hyde, and Leavenworth street around the clock for suspicious activity. They make an effort to make Mcallister street as safe as possible.

I had friends who stored their car there and I've never heard of a single incident. I don't know about the costs though.

[Mick Haller]

One of my friends had his car keyed in the Hastings garage. It was in one of those Hastings police emails too. This was probably in fall 2011. I think they caught the vandal when he came back to strike again.

[hiima3L]

I'm starting at Hastings this fall and looking to buy a new laptop for school and have a few questions. Do students usually take notes on their computers? How important is portability? I'm trying to decide between a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. Also, do muggings on the streets near school/the Tenderloin happen often? I'm going to be living 2 blocks away in the bad side of the Tenderloin and I'm scared I'll spend a grand+ on a Mac only to have it stolen when I carry it to and from school -_-. When I was there last week my car was broken into so I've been a little paranoid . If I was a big, tall guy I wouldn't be worried but I'm a small Asian girl =_= sighh.

Which cross streets are you living at?

The TL is bizarre because one or two blocks can be completely different from another. For instance, McAllister is fine, but Golden Gate is not; Polk is fine, but Hyde is not; Leavenworth is horrendous until about Geary. So you learn how to get around these crappy parts. A 2 block walk from UCH should be fine unless it's directly up Leavenworth, which my friends and I referred to as "The Gauntlet." Also, you can always take the shuttle, one of the least-utilized best things about UCH.

Edit to actually answer your question: Yes, muggings and robberies do occur in the area, but they are very rare. I think I only heard of maybe a couple of UCH students getting mugged. You will absolutely get hassled, panhandled, hollered at, etc. I think the TL is more depressing and disgusting than it is dangerous, but I also wouldn't want my girlfriend living there. Getting pepper spray isn't an overreaction, but I think being smart and observant is the most important thing.