Cornell 1L taking questions

[kn6542]

so why do you guys think that Cornell Law was found to be the school where people studied the most hours?

super competitive or people just SAYING they're super competitive?

I found it interesting that 3 upstate schools (Cornell, Syracuse, and Albany) were all top 10 for most hours spent studying. I think it speaks to the boredom factor in upstate more than anything.

I'm pretty sure cornell 1Ls wouldn't be doing something else even if there was something very enticing to do. The course load is higher than most schools, hence the more studying.

[jxk]

so why do you guys think that Cornell Law was found to be the school where people studied the most hours?

super competitive or people just SAYING they're super competitive?

I found it interesting that 3 upstate schools (Cornell, Syracuse, and Albany) were all top 10 for most hours spent studying. I think it speaks to the boredom factor in upstate more than anything.

I'm pretty sure cornell 1Ls wouldn't be doing something else even if there was something very enticing to do. The course load is higher than most schools, hence the more studying.

i think it's a combination of both factors. ithaca is boring and cold, so it's very conducive to holing up in your room or the library and studying. but, cornell is also notorious for its heavy workload, even in its undergraduate schools.

i lived next to a cornell law student for a year. i'd see him walking to and from his studio apartment and he always looked exhausted and disheveled. nice guy though.

[LeahNic]

so why do you guys think that Cornell Law was found to be the school where people studied the most hours?

super competitive or people just SAYING they're super competitive?

I think it's more people just saying that they are. I havent seen anything that I would consider cut throat or really competitive at all. And I think a lot of ppl once you are here tend to exaggerate either one way or the other.

e.g. "Oh my gosh, I do NO work. I literally do nothing. I am going to fail." (lying because everyone does some work but carefully hedging their bets in case they do poorly people wont think they are dumb but rather just a slacker)

or the opposite.

e.g. "Oh my gosh I study like 9 hours a day and this is so overwhelming. STRESS. STRESS. I cant wait for this summer in order to recover, this is killing me." (also lying because sitting in the reading room chatting with friends for 2 hours, dinner, then surfing the internet and facebook for 2 hours and then studying for 3 hours does not count as 9 hours of studying or a stressful life)

It comes down to whether you know yourself and what works for you. Personally, I perform better under pressure, so I can honestly say that first half the semester I coast along-- read as much as I need to in order to not sound like a total idiot (sometimes I still fail at that) and enjoy myself thoroughly. Then the last few weeks of the semester I start trying to focus more and then during finals I really make sure I have it down. Other ppl are better at a more steady pace.

[tooklsatscold]

NEW QUESTION!!!

So just curious, going to Cornell nextyr. My friend said she took conlaw/property first semester, and crim law/torts second, with Civ pro, contracts and lawyering all year. Do all 1Ls follow this sequence, or do 1/2 do conlaw/prop first and half second??? thanks

[neskerdoo]

NEW QUESTION!!!

So just curious, going to Cornell nextyr. My friend said she took conlaw/property first semester, and crim law/torts second, with Civ pro, contracts and lawyering all year. Do all 1Ls follow this sequence, or do 1/2 do conlaw/prop first and half second??? thanks

everyone does the above

[markakis]

i think if you are pursuing a jd/llm the semester away restrictions are different.

but as someone already said, if you do 2 or more semesters away, the question is, are you really earning a Cornell degree? it made sense to me when they discussed it during ASW. oh, and i don't think people want to do 2 semesters away because cornell sucks, but rather because they had the opportunity to.

but yeah, call the admissions office for the official reponse.

I really hope this is the case. i'll definitely present my case to whom it may concern when the time comes. I love Cornell, but I'm all about pursuing my dreams.

Question for Cornell students: how far is Myron Taylor from the main undergrad campus? Is there ever any occasion for undergrad students to intermingle with grad students?

[woeisme]

Question for Cornell students: how far is Myron Taylor from the main undergrad campus? Is there ever any occasion for undergrad students to intermingle with grad students?

The law school is on the edge of the campus. If you head inward (towards the campus) you'd cross a street and then you're at the UG. Maybe that didn't make sense. All the schools are relatively close together, though. Probably the perfect distance away. Easy to avoid, but also easy to intermingle.

[markakis]

Question for Cornell students: how far is Myron Taylor from the main undergrad campus? Is there ever any occasion for undergrad students to intermingle with grad students?

The law school is on the edge of the campus. If you head inward (towards the campus) you'd cross a street and then you're at the UG. Maybe that didn't make sense. All the schools are relatively close together, though. Probably the perfect distance away. Easy to avoid, but also easy to intermingle.

Good to know. Thanks woe

[fsohn]

NEW QUESTION!!!

So just curious, going to Cornell nextyr. My friend said she took conlaw/property first semester, and crim law/torts second, with Civ pro, contracts and lawyering all year. Do all 1Ls follow this sequence, or do 1/2 do conlaw/prop first and half second??? thanks

Torts and property are switching places next year. Torts will be in the fall, and property in the spring.

[18488]

NEW QUESTION!!!

So just curious, going to Cornell nextyr. My friend said she took conlaw/property first semester, and crim law/torts second, with Civ pro, contracts and lawyering all year. Do all 1Ls follow this sequence, or do 1/2 do conlaw/prop first and half second??? thanks

Torts and property are switching places next year. Torts will be in the fall, and property in the spring.

I think that makes a lot more sense actually, since tort issues came up in property, contracts, and civil procedure on occasion, while property pretty much keeps to itself.

[neskerdoo]

NEW QUESTION!!!

So just curious, going to Cornell nextyr. My friend said she took conlaw/property first semester, and crim law/torts second, with Civ pro, contracts and lawyering all year. Do all 1Ls follow this sequence, or do 1/2 do conlaw/prop first and half second??? thanks

Torts and property are switching places next year. Torts will be in the fall, and property in the spring.

wait, really? where did you hear that? They just changed it to the current setup last year!

[fsohn]

Look at the 2009-2010 course listing, nesker.

[Adele]

Hello All! I was put on reserve and will be visiting in the 2 weeks. What hotels can/should i stay in? Does Cornell have a hotel/conference center associated with the school? If not what is the closest? Thanks! I will be trying my darnest to get off this list!! ( along with a few hundred others )

[jxk]

Hello All! I was put on reserve and will be visiting in the 2 weeks. What hotels can/should i stay in? Does Cornell have a hotel/conference center associated with the school? If not what is the closest? Thanks! I will be trying my darnest to get off this list!! ( along with a few hundred others )

the closest hotel is the statler hotel on central campus. it's attached to the hotel school which is about one long block away from the law school. rates vary depending on when you go but it will probably not be cheap. due to its convenient location, most people traveling to cornell for business or to visit the school are willing to pay a premium for proximity to the central campus buildings. however, the service is great and the rooms are nicely appointed (cornell hotelie alum here, so i had to throw in a shameless plug for the statler!) you can check rates here: http://www.statlerhotel.cornell.edu/

the next closest one is probably the hilton garden inn in the commons. it's a very short bus ride away from campus and will probably be more affordable. let me know if you have any more questions!

[thesouthside]

Which supplements do you guys recommend using for our 1L classes?

+1

[fsohn]

Which supplements do you guys recommend using for our 1L classes?

+1

Hillman's Concise Hornbook for Contracts is a must. I think there's a new edition coming out next year, so you'll be able to get the old one for cheap. Dressler's Understanding Criminal Law is a good companion if you are using his textbook for Criminal Law. Gilberts Property is great for, you guessed it, property. I find Epstein's Torts to be a great hornbook, even if you don't use the casebook he authors, though my professor also recommended the Forms and Functions of Tort Law by Kenneth Abraham. The Example and Explanations book for Civil Procedure is OK, but professor Clermont's BLO and Concise Hornbook are really only marginally so--I've only used them where there were glaring deficiencies in my notes, and it would probably be better to go straight to the man himself in that situation. I bought Chemerinsky's treatise for Consitutional Law just because, and never cracked it. Maybe I shouldve--Constitutional Law was my worst grade. I hear great things about it, and if you're looking for a like-new copy on the cheap, you know where to get it .

[kn6542]

Which supplements do you guys recommend using for our 1L classes?

+1

Hillman's Concise Hornbook for Contracts is a must. I think there's a new edition coming out next year, so you'll be able to get the old one for cheap. Dressler's Understanding Criminal Law is a good companion if you are using his textbook for Criminal Law. Gilberts Property is great for, you guessed it, property. I find Epstein's Torts to be a great hornbook, even if you don't use the casebook he authors, though my professor also recommended the Forms and Functions of Tort Law by Kenneth Abraham. The Example and Explanations book for Civil Procedure is OK, but professor Clermont's BLO and Concise Hornbook are really only marginally so--I've only used them where there were glaring deficiencies in my notes, and it would probably be better to go straight to the man himself in that situation. I bought Chemerinsky's treatise for Consitutional Law just because, and never cracked it. Maybe I shouldve--Constitutional Law was my worst grade. I hear great things about it, and if you're looking for a like-new copy on the cheap, you know where to get it .

If anyone wants any of the above supplements at a good price next fall, check with one of us (i.e., me).

[como]

Thanks a lot, fsohn and kn5462!

[thesouthside]

Thanks guys. Will be pming you if como hasn't beat me too it, lol.

[sheltron5000]

I just found this thread and it stole my brain.

So I have a somewhat random question, do current students find themselves eating out a lot? I have a really hard time sticking to a food budget, mostly because I'm a snob, so if I'm going to be eating out a lot I'm gonna have to figure out how to deal with that.

i think if you are pursuing a jd/llm the semester away restrictions are different.

but as someone already said, if you do 2 or more semesters away, the question is, are you really earning a Cornell degree? it made sense to me when they discussed it during ASW. oh, and i don't think people want to do 2 semesters away because cornell sucks, but rather because they had the opportunity to.

but yeah, call the admissions office for the official reponse.

I really hope this is the case. i'll definitely present my case to whom it may concern when the time comes. I love Cornell, but I'm all about pursuing my dreams.

Question for Cornell students: how far is Myron Taylor from the main undergrad campus? Is there ever any occasion for undergrad students to intermingle with grad students?

At the ASW they said the change they made for JD/LLM folks was to allow them to take more credits on their semester away, not to let them spend more time away, and only because they have take more credits.

My sense on the 1 semester limit was something like the ABA was getting all hung up on people spending an entire year not actually at the school... but I don't know why I thought that so....

[schlam]

question about housing: i sent in my enrollment deposit today, but am riding out a couple of waitlists. at what point do you think i'll have to commit to off-campus housing (e.g., sign a lease)? i'd like to have housing options, but want to wait a few months before signing if possible. any advice would be much appreciated!

[kn6542]

question about housing: i sent in my enrollment deposit today, but am riding out a couple of waitlists. at what point do you think i'll have to commit to off-campus housing (e.g., sign a lease)? i'd like to have housing options, but want to wait a few months before signing if possible. any advice would be much appreciated!

You can still find housing in a few months, but good housing is pretty limited. People sign leases for fall in December and January and by summer almost all the good stuff is gone. If you can avoid waiting, definitely do so. There is some pretty shitty housing in Ithaca you'd want to avoid getting stuck with.
If you're looking for a place with roommates, though, you might be able to find some people who already have a place but are looking for another person. That's probably your best bet if you really need to wait until summer to secure housing. .

[narfkarta]

.

[kn6542]

How can i get off the reserve?!?!?! i want in!!! i already sent an extra letter of rec, several statements of continued interest, and i cant afford to fly out to visit...i know the reserve pool is big, do you know of a lot of people who got off it? i dont want to get my hopes up for nthing

You could call the school and ask if they anticipate anything happening at this point with the reserve ppl. I'm sure they would have more info than a student would have. Movement would happen after the last deposit is due, whenever that is.

[missv463]

question about housing: i sent in my enrollment deposit today, but am riding out a couple of waitlists. at what point do you think i'll have to commit to off-campus housing (e.g., sign a lease)? i'd like to have housing options, but want to wait a few months before signing if possible. any advice would be much appreciated!

You can still find housing in a few months, but good housing is pretty limited. People sign leases for fall in December and January and by summer almost all the good stuff is gone. If you can avoid waiting, definitely do so. There is some pretty shitty housing in Ithaca you'd want to avoid getting stuck with.
If you're looking for a place with roommates, though, you might be able to find some people who already have a place but are looking for another person. That's probably your best bet if you really need to wait until summer to secure housing. .

+1

so true! in the process of finding housing now, and it's a bitch! lol