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I'm 99% sure I'll be attending Cornell in the fall. Living in Hughes as a 1L seems like a good idea, because I can spend less time going between classes/the library/home and less trouble buying groceries for myself and cooking. Also, I won't have to go through the trouble of looking for an apartment and possibly paying a lease through the summer (I doubt that I'll stay in Ithaca for the summer).

Sound like a good idea? Has anyone lived in Hughes? What are your experiences?

I'm surprised they haven't closed down Hughes Hall yet (I thought they were supposed to turn the residence areas into part of the library or something?)

benefit of living in hughes:
- you can get to class without ever having to go outside. great for the ithaca winters.

downside of living in hughes:
- you're living in a dorm again. that means, a twin XL bed, crappy furniture, and a tiny room.
- it's back to the dorm-style bathrooms again
- you could, conceivably, not go outside for a month. that's kinda scary.
- i think it's kinda expensive for what you actually get, in terms of space.

I'm not sure how you'd have less trouble buying groceries, unless you planned on eating in the dining hall all the time? Most people will buy groceries at the Wegmans.

Cornell undergrad here, and strongly considering applying there for Law School. My fifth year, my good friend was a 1L at Cornell and we lived off-campus together. She said it was the best decision she ever made. She said repeatedly that the benefits of having a "home" to come home to at the end of the day far outweighed the benefits of living in a dorm again - tiny, noisy, small, dirty.

Now, there are some really excellent benefits to Hughes, such as the proximity to college town (literally a block away) and never having to leave the dorms to go to class (Ithaca winters are cooooold). But going on my friend's advice, I'd never stay in Hughes as a 1L. But I've been out of undergrad 4 years, so the idea of living in a dorm again, period, just gives me shivers. Besides, housing in Ithaca is muuuuch cheaper than living on campus - and you can still get a meal plan, rent a studio and not have to worry about needing to cook.

butternose wrote:I'm 99% sure I'll be attending Cornell in the fall. Living in Hughes as a 1L seems like a good idea, because I can spend less time going between classes/the library/home and less trouble buying groceries for myself and cooking. Also, I won't have to go through the trouble of looking for an apartment and possibly paying a lease through the summer (I doubt that I'll stay in Ithaca for the summer).

Sound like a good idea? Has anyone lived in Hughes? What are your experiences?

This sounds great to me. I dont mind getting groceries and cooking tho...

But I am fresh out of undergrad and lived in a dorm 3 years out of 3.5 so I dont mind a small room or shared bathrooms (and I think people are a little childish in their whining about it..)
Ive been to hughes and checked it out and considered it a definite + for cornell

studymaster wrote:

butternose wrote:I'm 99% sure I'll be attending Cornell in the fall. Living in Hughes as a 1L seems like a good idea, because I can spend less time going between classes/the library/home and less trouble buying groceries for myself and cooking. Also, I won't have to go through the trouble of looking for an apartment and possibly paying a lease through the summer (I doubt that I'll stay in Ithaca for the summer).

Sound like a good idea? Has anyone lived in Hughes? What are your experiences?

This sounds great to me. I dont mind getting groceries and cooking tho...

But I am fresh out of undergrad and lived in a dorm 3 years out of 3.5 so I dont mind a small room or shared bathrooms (and I think people are a little childish in their whining about it..)
Ive been to hughes and checked it out and considered it a definite + for cornell

What did the bathrooms look like? Was it just like a single private bathroom to be shared by multiple people or public-style with stalls and multiple sinks/showers? Thanks!

studymaster wrote:But I am fresh out of undergrad and lived in a dorm 3 years out of 3.5 so I dont mind a small room or shared bathrooms (and I think people are a little childish in their whining about it..)

I don't think it's entirely fair to say that people are being childish about small rooms or shared bathrooms when they've been out of undergrad for a few years and in a house/apartment. There's just something about having common space, like a living room, where you can relax, instead of having all of your world in a single small room.

butternose wrote:What did the bathrooms look like? Was it just like a single private bathroom to be shared by multiple people or public-style with stalls and multiple sinks/showers? Thanks!

public style with multiple sink/showers. not sure how the other floors were, but the ground floor bathroom had 1 shower and two bathroom stalls for 5 people.

zay wrote:

studymaster wrote:But I am fresh out of undergrad and lived in a dorm 3 years out of 3.5 so I dont mind a small room or shared bathrooms (and I think people are a little childish in their whining about it..)

I don't think it's entirely fair to say that people are being childish about small rooms or shared bathrooms when they've been out of undergrad for a few years and in a house/apartment. There's just something about having common space, like a living room, where you can relax, instead of having all of your world in a single small room.

You misunderstood what I said slightly. I was saying the way and magnitude of whining is childishly disproportionate to the actual inconvenience (thus I believe some complaining might be acceptable/appropriate).

Currently a 3L at Cornell. Lived in Hughes my 1L year.
I think one of the first few posters got it right -
Benefits:
Close to the law school.
You have other law students living with you and can thus talk to them about like, the law.

Cons:
Close to the law school.
You have other law students constantly reminded that they are in law school because they all live with law students.
Shitty rooms for what you're paying.
Harder to get out and enjoy Ithaca.

I'll check back this thread soon if anyone has any questions about Cornell Law or life in Ithaca. I really do LOVE cornell law, but recommend you not live in Hughes.

I came across this thread when I was looking for info on housing options for 1Ls. What are the popular housing options off campus for the law students? Are there some apartments that are more populated by law students than others and is there ever a problem with undergrads there?

Thanks!

Does anyone have photos of Hughes, especially the rooms?

And just to clear up some confusion, each suite or 3 - 4 bedrooms has its own bathroom and shower?

Hughes is way overpriced for what you're getting. I also cannot imagine why anyone would want to be around law students all the time.

However, it's probably not a terrible idea if you 1) don't own anything (bed, couch, life) and 2) are unable to get to Ithaca prior to moving there to hunt down a decent apt. In that case, it's not a bad way to procure housing with very little trouble and without risking the possibility of signing onto a really shitty landord/apt.

rebelyelle wrote: housing in Ithaca is muuuuch cheaper than living on campus - and you can still get a meal plan, rent a studio and not have to worry about needing to cook.

That's great news. I just got in from the WL so Hughes is already full, so I'll have to apply for other graduate dorms or rent a studio.

This thread has been helpful (albeit a couple years old). Thanks guys! Maybe I'll see some of you in the fall..

After finishing my first year of law school, I can say with 100% certainty that there is no way in hell I could have stomached living with so many other law students all the time. There just needs to be some relief from the stress, the drama, etc. I needed to be able to "leave", both physically and mentally, from the law school. Perhaps the convenience outweighs the negatives to some people, but it would have never worked for me.