Columbia students taking questions Forum

[Gary]

If we want to room with someone who's not a student at Columbia, we have to find housing on our own correct?

eta: not like an SO or family, but like friends from UG who are also in the city

[lunaraeon]

If we want to room with someone who's not a student at Columbia, we have to find housing on our own correct?

eta: not like an SO or family, but like friends from UG who are also in the city

Yeah.

[girlmonster]

I believe it was established earlier ITT that Columbia's estimated COL is unrealistically low. For those of you who blew past the estimated amount, how did you fund the discrepancy? Are the only resources parents, savings, and private loans? 'Cause I don't have any of those going for me unfortunately. Thanks!

[jbagelboy]

I believe it was established earlier ITT that Columbia's estimated COL is unrealistically low. For those of you who blew past the estimated amount, how did you fund the discrepancy? Are the only resources parents, savings, and private loans? 'Cause I don't have any of those going for me unfortunately. Thanks!

Removing personal expenses that the average person might not bear (I had to buy a new suit & laptop during the course of the semester which may or may not happen to you), I actually will have cut under the estimated budget this year. My yearly total should come to just over $77,000 composed of grants, savings (mostly from selling my car in August), and loans. I don't think I live particularly modestly or extravagantly either. I think the school budget was $82,500 for the year.

If you live in a $2,600/month Lionsgate 1BDR, take cabs every time you leave morning side, order fresh direct every week for groceries and go to puerto rico for spring break, then yes, you'll blow the budget.

[MyopicVisage]

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[MyopicVisage]

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[Theopliske8711]

Morningside heights seems pretty quiet in general.

[KingFish]

Hey guys, I have a couple questions about the three law school only housing: 420 West 116th St, Lenfest and Lionsgate.
In apartment share, do you have to share the bathroom?

Yes

If unfurnished, does it still come with AC/heating, dishwasher, microwave, or oven? Does any of these apartments have AC/heating, dishwasher, microwave, or oven?

Yes heating, microwave. No AC, dishwasher, oven (you have to use the fireplace).

if furnished, can I ask someone to take away the bed and use my own bed instead? Is a queen size too big for the studio?

I think they can put it in the basement for you.

[KingFish]

One more: is any of the three in a relatively quiet neighborhood?

They're all in the same neighborhood.

[MyopicVisage]

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[jbagelboy]

If unfurnished, does it still come with AC/heating, dishwasher, microwave, or oven? Does any of these apartments have AC/heating, dishwasher, microwave, or oven?

Yes heating, microwave. No AC, dishwasher, oven (you have to use the fireplace).

lol.

[Balthy]

Does anyone know how many classes you're allowed to take at the B school?

[MyopicVisage]

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[iamgeorgebush]

Any opinions on Jane Ginsberg? Yeah, she's RBG's daughter, but is she actually an engaging prof? I've heard that she's an incredibly dry lecturer.

[Sgt Pepper]

Any opinions on Jane Ginsberg? Yeah, she's RBG's daughter, but is she actually an engaging prof? I've heard that she's an incredibly dry lecturer.

I had her for legal methods and found her to be quite boring

[iamgeorgebush]

Any opinions on Jane Ginsberg? Yeah, she's RBG's daughter, but is she actually an engaging prof? I've heard that she's an incredibly dry lecturer.

I had her for legal methods and found her to be quite boring

Thanks. That's what I've heard.

Any opinions on Tim Wu? He's obviously a renowned scholar, but what about as a prof? Also, is it common for him not to teach much? I only see him teaching two courses this semester, and he is one among two profs for both of those courses.

[smaug_]

Any opinions on Tim Wu? He's obviously a renowned scholar, but what about as a prof? Also, is it common for him not to teach much? I only see him teaching two courses this semester, and he is one among two profs for both of those courses.

Teaching two classes in one semester is a comparatively heavy load. (Also, I don't think anyone is doing Antitrust with him?)

He's OK as a teacher. He's definitely engaging and interesting, but he's not the most on top of what he wants to cover.

I don't really get the point of these questions. Polling on the quality of a few professors is pointless. You're probably going to dislike your classes no matter where you go. If you're the type who LOVES THE LAW you'll probably find someone to hero-worship no matter where you go.

[jbagelboy]

Any opinions on Jane Ginsberg? Yeah, she's RBG's daughter, but is she actually an engaging prof? I've heard that she's an incredibly dry lecturer.

I had her for legal methods and found her to be quite boring

Thanks. That's what I've heard.

Any opinions on Tim Wu? He's obviously a renowned scholar, but what about as a prof? Also, is it common for him not to teach much? I only see him teaching two courses this semester, and he is one among two profs for both of those courses.

I've only heard good things about Tim Wu.

I also had Ginsburg for legal methods. She wasn't the most exciting professor and she's a bit awkward in person (although very friendly when not cringe-worthy), but she's clearly brilliant, very articulate, and "dryness" aside, I feel better off having sat through a few weeks of her speaking at me. Not the worst professor I've had at CLS, FWIW.

ETA: also re: what smaug said, yea.. no matter how much you love your prof, after a certain point, fuck class.

[iamgeorgebush]

Any opinions on Tim Wu? He's obviously a renowned scholar, but what about as a prof? Also, is it common for him not to teach much? I only see him teaching two courses this semester, and he is one among two profs for both of those courses.

Teaching two classes in one semester is a comparatively heavy load. (Also, I don't think anyone is doing Antitrust with him?)

He's OK as a teacher. He's definitely engaging and interesting, but he's not the most on top of what he wants to cover.

I don't really get the point of these questions. Polling on the quality of a few professors is pointless. You're probably going to dislike your classes no matter where you go. If you're the type who LOVES THE LAW you'll probably find someone to hero-worship no matter where you go.

The point of these questions is to collect information that can help me decide between NYU and CLS. Given my interest in soft IP, I don't think the quality of the professors in that area is irrelevant to my decision. Looking back to undergrad, the quality of my profs had a material impact on my performance in those classes, and granted that law school is graded on a curve, I see little reason to believe that this trend wouldn't continue in law school. Plus, I think I'd just be happier/get more out of law school having better profs! That has got to count for something, right?

[smaug_]

The point of these questions is to collect information that can help me decide between NYU and CLS. Given my interest in soft IP, I don't think the quality of the professors in that area is irrelevant to my decision. Looking back to undergrad, the quality of my profs had a material impact on my performance in those classes, and granted that law school is graded on a curve, I see little reason to believe that this trend wouldn't continue in law school. Plus, I think I'd just be happier/get more out of law school having better profs! That has got to count for something, right?

…what?

[jbagelboy]

The point of these questions is to collect information that can help me decide between NYU and CLS. Given my interest in soft IP, I don't think the quality of the professors in that area is irrelevant to my decision. Looking back to undergrad, the quality of my profs had a material impact on my performance in those classes, and granted that law school is graded on a curve, I see little reason to believe that this trend wouldn't continue in law school. Plus, I think I'd just be happier/get more out of law school having better profs! That has got to count for something, right?

…what?

Everyone in the class has the same profs, so it follows that everyone would receive equal "material" benefit, and thus the curve would remain unaffected.

Moreover, there are terrific profs at both schools in intellectual property. I haven't taken Ginsburg's copyright or trademarks classes, but they are probably good if you are interested in that material. I will say that she has a pretty specific philosophy wrt digital media that many don't happen to share... but I have no dog in that fight.

[iamgeorgebush]

jdbagelboy: Thanks for your comments. You're right that for performance in one class, you'd expect everyone to be equally affected by the quality of the professor, since it's graded on a curve. My thinking was more that having a high quality prof in one class might make me a happier, more engaged student in general, thus affecting my performance in other classes. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but perhaps not.

Anyway, my real reasons for preferring goods profs aren't really related to getting good grades. I imagine most people don't get to take anything with Wu or Ginsburg until 2L or 3L anyway, and at which point grades are less important. I'm more concerned with having good profs for the sake of my learning and possibly for the sake of recommendations, should I choose to pursue a clerkship. Judging from undergrad, my engagement with a prof might affect my ability to get a good recommendation from him/her.

Or is this all just small beans, considering that NYU is looking to be about $65k cheaper than CLS?

[jbagelboy]

jdbagelboy: Thanks for your comments. You're right that for performance in one class, you'd expect everyone to be equally affected by the quality of the professor, since it's graded on a curve. My thinking was more that having a high quality prof in one class might make me a happier, more engaged student in general, thus affecting my performance in other classes. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but perhaps not.

Anyway, my real reasons for preferring goods profs aren't really related to getting good grades. I imagine most people don't get to take anything with Wu or Ginsburg until 2L or 3L anyway, and at which point grades are less important. I'm more concerned with having good profs for the sake of my learning and possibly for the sake of recommendations, should I choose to pursue a clerkship. Judging from undergrad, my engagement with a prof might affect my ability to get a good recommendation from him/her.

I don't know, I found student-professor contact to be pretty different than it was in college. Most are friendly with some glaring exceptions, but definitely less accessible and less involved in the day to day happiness/future of individual students. Maybe this comes with the territory of 90+ person classes and 1L year; I went to a small private college where my average class size was ~12 and I knew most of my professors very well and vise versa, maybe there are more similarities with large undergraduate universities and law school classes.

Maybe some 2L's could comment on their experience getting closer to specific professors as RA's or through the note-writing process. I know it happens, but I'm not there yet (and since I don't really care about clerking I'm not sure I'll ever be).

Or is this all just small beans, considering that NYU is looking to be about $65k cheaper than CLS?

I think most people would tell you to take NYU over CLS if you would incur sixty thousand more debt at CLS. I would have gone to NYU at that cost difference.

[iamgeorgebush]

Cool, thanks for all your thoughts, jdbagelboy. I think I'm going to choose NYU b/c of the cost difference. Alas, CLS would've been nice, but who am I to throw away that $$!

[MyopicVisage]

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