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Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2007 9:54 pm
by aldicarb
hey matokah - you have AIM? PM it so we can talk more easily, if you like ;].

Examsoft is the wonderful software that lets you type your exams on your laptop. Its the way 80 percent of people take their exams, including myself. It is completely free and if I recall, you download it half way through Fall semester. The techie people usually send an email out when and how to do so. I wouldn't worry about it much now ;].

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:32 am
by Sejal319
Matokah, thanks :)

I'm actually from Redding, CA, hahah it's about 2.5 hours North of Sacramento so the move shouldn't be too bad. I'm a recent graduate from UC Irvine though, that move was a pain in the ass.

I've been scouring the Internet for some housing options. I will have a car so I don't mind a 10-15 minute commute to campus. The area directly around campus isn't the best but my friend who lives in Sacramento told me that an area called North Natomas is really nice with more or less brand new apartment complexes for a decent rent. That might help. But I definitely am going to make another phone call to the housing office - they are all over decent places to live off campus.

And (though stated earlier) the reg. packets come out mid-July. I'm excited! All that hard work has paid off! Well, sort of, now there's 2x as much hard work to look forward to, hahah :) I'm 99.9% in at McGeorge unless I hear back from Loyola Law or Santa Clara University with an acceptance from the wait list befeore McGeorge starts. But in the mean time I'm definitely getting the ball rolling with housing, etc.

What have you guys been doing in the mean time? Picked up any good books to prepare for law school?

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:44 am
by Sejal319
Also, Matokah (and everyone else who is an incoming 1L) when are you moving to Sacramento? We should def. all meet up before hand if possible!

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:58 am
by aldicarb
I beg of you all - don't buy any books to prep for law school. Enjoy the little free time you have left ;P.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:15 am
by JarrettN
Hey aldicarb does the software still not work for macbooks? I hope thats not the case, I don't want to give up my mac. Guess I might have to do exams the old fashion way, or borrow a friends PC.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:25 am
by aldicarb
Last I heard Macs and examsoft don't work together ;[ and people either had to write the exams out... or of course borrow as you said. I know a few people that did that. Let me tell you... you can type so much more than you can possible write, at least for me. Yes it is true that more is not necessarily better, but in most of these classes you have a TON to get out there and typing is the way to go ;].

Just for reference in my Torts final I typed 23 pages... lol. I got an A btw. ;p

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:53 am
by Matokah
Sejal: My mother and I saw a mile marker for Redding on the way to the Sacramento airport. Does that count? :P

I'm coming in on 1 August (my boyfriend's helping me move out there), so any time after that would be great to meet up. I don't really drink beer, but I'm sure I could find something to my liking. ;)

As for books to prep for law school, I applied 2 years ago and read "Law School Confidential". I think it has a few good tips on what to do before classes started, but I don't really agree on the notes on how to study (not that I even know how to brief a case and such. . .aldi: are they going to teach us that, by any chance? :P).

My friend who's going to be a 3L at Notre Dame next Fall gave me "Getting to Maybe" and I found that really interesting, if only just to see examples of answers to exam questions. I have no idea if they're actually good answers (some seem rather short compared to what aldi said he'd had to write). Otherwise, no, I haven't really been preparing very much. I've been babysitting and figure skating, though. Does that count?

Also, good luck on the SCU and LLS waitlists, but be honest with yourself; you know you want McGeorge deep down in your heart ;) Even *I* turned down LLS (and SCU 2 years ago. . .does that count?) for McGeorge! In all seriousness, good luck, and I hope you get in where you really want to attend!

aldicarb: I'll send you a PM with my AIM on it. Thanks for the offer! Hopefully we can talk a bit that way. I appreciate it!

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 1:16 pm
by dannyk1101
JarrettN

about the macbooks: i contacted the IT guys on campus, the exam software actually does work using bootcamp (or parallels) but the school's administration has decided not to allow it. I'm planning on looking into this more once I arrive on campus. Perhaps you and I can lead a petition and change this policy =) I LOVE MACS!

Sejal

welcome to the group man, congrats on getting in. i'm in seattle right now - i'll be flying in on the 9th to secure an apt, probably in the midtown area and then i'm probably driving down for an aug 1 move-in. so yeah, all of us TLSers should definitely get together before orientation!

aldicarb

seriously? 23 pages? wow. i guess law school IS gonna be tough. i was a bio major as an undergrad and i don't think i ever wrote anything longer than 15 pages, let alone in one sitting. that's pretty amazing... how much time for the 23 pages?????

leaving the hoosier state behind.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:07 pm
by stellenboschmaties
hey guys,

i'm samm and i'll be heading out to sacramento two weeks from now from backwoods indiana.

what ranges are people looking at for their rent/utilities to survive on student loans? i've been in the workforce for almost six years now and i'm just used to having an income! i was estimating rent of around $700-750? does that sound about right or am i just being incredibly naive?

anyway, i'm looking forward to meeting y'all in the coming weeks!

samm

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:22 pm
by OregonGirl07
Matokah, I'm not a beer fan either. However, I have heard of some really great bars down there.

I read OneL by Scott Turrow and it was alright. Other than that if you really want a prep book I was told Law School Confidential and Law School Without Fear are good.

I am still looking for an apartment/roommate too. I think I am taking a trip down to Sac town pretty quick though.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:41 pm
by JarrettN
Yes Danny we should a pro macbook group. Its really an issue over personal freedom here. Just because they don't use macs doesn't mean we shouldn't have the right too. :lol:

Oregon and Matokah, as a soon to be former bartender, I feel that I could def. recommend something other than beer that would still be delightful.

Stellan depending upon what type of housing your looking for 700-750 should be fine.

also for anyone out there that likes a little hip hop Rock the Bells is in SF in the beginning of August, its the Lalapolooza of the hip hop world.

and finally don't forget Transformers the movie is out this week. It is a good week to be a cartoon nerd.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:51 pm
by Sejal319
Hi everyone :)

Ok so JarrettN not sure if you are an incoming 1L but I saw somewhere on the McGeorge website that they recommend users get computers with Windows OS rather than Macs. I think the new MacBooks are compatible with both though? When I was up there for Dean's Scholar Day, I counted out of 60 or so laptops in a class room, only 3 were MacBooks.

And Matokah yes that totally counts! Hahaha when I flew up from Irvine for Legal Scholar Day, I saw that sign and got all excited because it reminded me of home. And now I am here and bored out of my mind, hahah :)

And thanks for the good luck wishes with the wait lists - honestly the only reason I want to go to Loyola is because I fell in love with the campus and I just love Southern California so much. But my family is from here and my boyfriend is from the Bay Area so it would be nice to be closer to him rather than a plane right away. But to me, I'm just excited to go to law school (for now, I'm sure that will change once we get our text books, etc).

We should all definitely get together - I'm not a beer drinker myself but it will help ease the pain of finding someone to sit next to in class, etc :) If all goes to plan with moving to Sacramento, I should be there around August 1st.

For those of you who have housing - what are the names of the places/how much is the rent?

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:11 pm
by acurde
Hey everyone,

I just finished my first year at McGeorge. I graduated from UCLA in 2005, and I came upon this thread on my break at work. I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys might have about the school, social life, workloads, etc. Just let me know.

Best,

Andrew

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:14 pm
by stellenboschmaties
jarrett

thanks for the info! i know it IS a wonderful summer for the cartoon nerds! i can't believe that transformers is coming out AND they've optioned a live action thundercats movie to be developed!?!?! i think i'm gonna have to stop studying for that one night and see that movie on opening day!

i'm still on the hunt for an apartment in the area and would love some recommendations. (i know you guys have probably already covered this a billion times, but a real quick rundown of the acceptable places to hunt for on craigslist or rent.com would be wonderful)

i would most certainly like to be included on a pre-classes pub night to meet some of you guys! i don't think i'll be settled enough in time for the rafting trip, so i doubt i'll be able to partake of that fun-ness, but would love a chance to meet you guys face to face.

samm

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:42 pm
by Sejal319
acurde, tell us everything haha :)

No but in all seriousness - looking back, what advice could you give us as far as preparing before we get there, things to look for, etc?

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:10 pm
by acurde
As far as preparation goes, there's really nothing much you can do. I suppose you could try and read a complex novel for an exercise in organization and logic - let's say, a Thomas Pynchon Novel. But seriously, just prepare mentally (example: get used to the fact that you will be working 90+ hours a week - do the math and recognize just how much time that is...)

Most likely, it's going to be the hardest and most difficult experience of your life. So preparing mentally is key. Seriously, set aside all the ambitions of finishing in the top % of your class. I was one of those students, and it just added unnecessary stress to my life.

First recommendation is finding a comfortable place to live. You'll be spending most of your first year in either the library or your room to study, and having a nice place to live can be a great refuge from the legal madness.

Second, do everything the administration/faculty recommends, especially the beginning. That means: briefing, a tutor, workshops, practice tests, all that crap. At least for the beginning. None of your previous academic success translates to success in law school, so there isn't one first year student who should believe they're too smart to seek additional help.

Let me know if that was insufficient,

Andrew

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:17 pm
by Sejal319
Thanks :D Not only was that helpful but depressing as well.. hahaha jk

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:17 pm
by saleen
wow I am really really busy at work but I wanted to say grats to those who recently got in.

We definitely need to have a gathering now, we have like 15 people!

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:37 pm
by JarrettN
Andrew thanks for the advice everything is appreciated. Think I'm going to have to go with the shut up stop thinking about it and relax way of prepping for law school :D I've mainly just been trying to get all the leisure reading I want out of the way because I figure that I won't get a chance to read anything for pleasure for quite a while.

I have been brushing up on some of my formal logic and phil. of law notes from undergrad. I'm thinkin my degree in philosophy might actually be of some use now.

To whoever was asking about areas in sac when searching on craigslist try arden/pocket/greenhaven/midtown/and landpark. Also to whoever was asking about North Natomas it is a newer area. I know a lot of people that have lived in that area for quite a while now they all like it alot. there are plenty of places to eat and stuff. It is a little close to del paso heights so there is a hood nearby but nothing to worry about except when you go to the movies or the walmart, things can be a little thuggish.

And yes the new macbooks are compatible with windows, but I bought the macbook to get away from windows and the protocols for the software used on campus proably still won't work, I've heard of many issues with the windows ran macbooks.

After I got this macbook and fell in love I swore I would never own another pc laptop again, alas, I will have to betray my feelings. lol

Oh and my friend saw Transformers last night, two thumbs up. ( By friend I mean bastard cause I didn't get a ticket)

Since I'm already in midtown Sac I will organize a pub night if you guys are down. How does sometimes around August 4th or 5th sound? nothing major just a quite fun place we can all chill at for an hour or two. At the very least it would be real nice to know a few faces when school starts. It will help with the first few weeks after that I assume people will start warmin up to one another. If people don't like bar atmospheres I could always have folks over to my place. Anyway let me know whats ya'll think.

I'm actually gonna go scout out some bars tonight, got a private tequila tasting to go to, wish me luck and good hunting.






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Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:07 pm
by aldicarb
to dannyk - the 23 page exam was done in 2 hours. My crim law turned out to be about 20 pages.. my first semester tests were in the 10ish range though. The printed out font for the laptop answers is arial about size 13-14 so it would probably be a bit shorter if in times new roman. By the way, don't worry about your background. My undergrad major was biochemistry and I did very well my first year here. Studies show that science/engineering majors often perform better on law school exams because of the way you have to deconstruct and analyze them.


I agree with my fellow McG student. Expect the unexpected, lol! I think the best piece of advice is get comfortable with uncertainty. This is probably the most important thing. Many people coming straight out of undergrad will expect yes or no, xyz is the answer type things. This is absolutely not the way law works and it can be quite unsettling the first semester. But go with the flow. Eventually you will just know what the prof means without having to ask a bunch of questions ;].

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:21 pm
by Sejal319
JarrettN it's all on you :)

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:38 pm
by OregonGirl07
The 5th of August sounds great! I think I am leaving up here on like the 3rd of August because my birthday is the 1st. The bar that I have heard a lot about is in Old Town Sac. It's called Fannie Ann's. Not sure about spelling on that. It's supposedly pretty cool.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 11:06 pm
by Matokah
That date sounds fine to me, too (as long as it's not too late, because I signed up for the rafting trip that starts the next morning. :P). Can we bring boyfriends, by any chance? Mine will be in town. Ooh, and roommates, too? I've got a roommate who'll be a 1L at McGeorge this fall, too, who might want to meet some people.

Now I'm all giddy. This took away from the massive panic attack I almost had due to how crappy my financial situation's going to be until my loans come in. Ack!

a-freaking-men

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:09 am
by stellenboschmaties
i COMPLETELY feel you on the "crappy" financial situation until loans come in! i have no idea how that's going to work out, but we all just gotta trust in (insert your deity of choice) that it will all work out. we got this far and there's no way we won't make it to the end! just keep our eyes on the prize.

i think a pub night would be fantastic. i'm down for anything. (ps...they have private tequila tastings there?!?! holy crap, i'm gonna LOVE this place...)

does anyone think i have a shot in hell of finishing harry potter 7 before classes start? i'm seriously going to have to pull some all nighters cause i gotta find out what happens.

next question, does anyone know if we get access to the pacific gym or do we need to find a private gym? i know sometime grad students are exempt from some of those kind of perks.

matokah, i hear you on the whole "this takes some sting out of the panic attack." i was feelin it too.

have a great night guys, it's bedtime here in indiana...

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:42 am
by Sejal319
Hahah stellenboschmaties I'm totally with you: Reading Harry Potter before law school is a complete must.