Texas Tech v South Texas Forum

[Lucidity]

1) If you want the thriving city life you pay for the thriving city life. I'd like to add that if you're going to be going to SMU, uptown Dallas is a rather nice place to be living. Aside from Austin i don't see how you could do better in Texas.

2) The heat does suck. I guess this is just a personal preference thing. I come from Vietnam, a country smack dab in the middle of the equator. It has Texas heat with about 3x the humidity. And speaking of white Christmases, where are you from? The dfw metroplex just had one this last Christmas. Everyone was freaking out about it.

3) Nothing to say about football. They love it here but i don't see how that affects me to influence me in one way or another.

4) About the religion, this is one of the things that i will completely agree with you on. Like i mentioned earlier, the whole textbook debacle spearheaded by the religious nutjobs is one of the few instances that tarnished my image of my home state. But if you get past all that and look deeper, you realize that as misguided as they are, they really do feel like they are doing the right thing and you often find that the more zelous a person is in their religious convictions, the kinder they tend to be.

Case in point, my best friend from 2nd grade is a devout Babtist. Every time i come over to his house his mom greets me with open arms. She knows im an athiest, and if i ask her about her religious views (which i actually do at times), shes more than happy to cite the bible to me cover to cover. But then after wards she'll bake me some home made cookies. The hospitality and generosity here is unmatched anywhere in comparison to the cities with "bustling city life" in the north. I've been to New York once, and i met a few people through a common friend. I offered to do one a favor and she gave me a strange look ... like why are you being nice to me?! I feel that people here would rather run you over than offer a helping hand.

Thanks for sharing your opinions. I won't claim that you're wrong, since it's all subjective. I will say though that i think the best advice i can give anyone is if you can, stay in Texas. I notice that a lot of my friends from highschool who've lived in texas for the majority of their lives envy the hustle and bustle of places like Chicago and NY. I still check back with some who left the state and instead of bitching about the heat, religion, lack of culture, etc, they bitch about the snow, long wait times to do ANYTHING, and $1000+/month rent just to live in a closet. The grass is always greener.

[Stringer Bell]

People from Texas have some weird need to argue for hours that Texas is perfect and there is absolutely nothing bad about it whatsoever. They will argue incessantly over what is a subjective matter.

I'm with you on this. Texas Pride is somewhat charming to me, but some folks definitely take it too far. You'd be surprised at some other areas that have this attitude though. My dad worked in Columbus, Ohio for awhile and says they have a strange case of this.

I like Texas and imagine I will move back here after I'm done with LS, but I know it's not for everyone and that doesn't really bother me.

[kalvano]

1) If you want the thriving city life you pay for the thriving city life. I'd like to add that if you're going to be going to SMU, uptown Dallas is a rather nice place to be living. Aside from Austin i don't see how you could do better in Texas.

Nothing about Dallas is "thriving city life" though. I know it's a big city with lots of nice amenities, and preferable for some people, but Dallas is basically a whole bunch of suburbs strung together in a field of strip malls and chain stores.

It's like Dallas is trying to imitate other places in the hopes that something clicks. Uptown is nice enough, you're right, but still not for me.

2) The heat does suck. I guess this is just a personal preference thing. I come from Vietnam, a country smack dab in the middle of the equator. It has Texas heat with about 3x the humidity. And speaking of white Christmases, where are you from? The dfw metroplex just had one this last Christmas. Everyone was freaking out about it.

One Christmas every 30 years doesn't really qualify.

3) Nothing to say about football. They love it here but i don't see how that affects me to influence me in one way or another.

Try growing up with it.

The hospitality and generosity here is unmatched anywhere in comparison to the cities with "bustling city life" in the north. I've been to New York once, and i met a few people through a common friend. I offered to do one a favor and she gave me a strange look ... like why are you being nice to me?! I feel that people here would rather run you over than offer a helping hand.

To a fault. I'm pretty sure my grandfather's Yankeness skipped a generation and landed with me. I don't like talking to strangers, I don't want to carry on conversations in elevators, and I don't want people in my business. I'm very much a you leave me alone, I leave you alone person.

I love going up North where people are content with nothing more than a simple "Hi" to be the extent of the conversation. A lot of people mistake it for rudeness, but I find it a breath of fresh air.

Thanks for sharing your opinions. I won't claim that you're wrong, since it's all subjective. I will say though that i think the best advice i can give anyone is if you can, stay in Texas. I notice that a lot of my friends from highschool who've lived in texas for the majority of their lives envy the hustle and bustle of places like Chicago and NY. I still check back with some who left the state and instead of bitching about the heat, religion, lack of culture, etc, they bitch about the snow, long wait times to do ANYTHING, and $1000+/month rent just to live in a closet. The grass is always greener.

I love the snow and cold, don't mind waiting, and would expect to pay higher rents in other cities. I think too many people go somewhere else expecting it to be just like home, only somehow better, without ever really figuring out what "better" is. They want all the good parts of where they came from, with all the good parts of where they move to as a bonus. It doesn't work like that. There are trade-offs to everything. If I want to live in a place like NYC or San Francisco, it's going to cost a ridiculous amount more money and be totally different. I'm fine with that. In the end, no matter where I go to school, I know enough people that I hope to be able to parlay that into a job in New England or the Pacific Northwest.

At least you didn't act personally insulted. That's why I rarely delve in to reasons for disliking it here, because someone almost always acts like I slapped them in the face and insulted their mother. I'm not sure if it's the disliking of Texas, or the fact that I would prefer to live in New England. I have a suspicion that it's both, that disliking Texas is bad enough without having the audacity to prefer the Godforsaken heathen Yankee states.

Anyway, glad you enjoy it here. I know plenty of people do. And if any of those people want to buy a house....

[merichard87]

Kalvano - I'm convinced you are a Yankee reincarnated as a Texan (thats not a sarcastic diss I promise).

And I think people get offended by someone disagreeing with their opinions of their hometown for the same reasons people get offended over not agreeing with their religion - they don't truly know why they believe what they believe, they've just grown up with it and accepted it as true (I hope that made sense to someone other than me). Its not attractive in any debate.

[kalvano]

Kalvano - I'm convinced you are a Yankee reincarnated as a Texan (thats not a sarcastic diss I promise).

And I think people get offended by someone disagreeing with their opinions of their hometown for the same reasons people get offended over not agreeing with their religion - they don't truly know why they believe what they believe, they've just grown up with it and accepted it as true (I hope that made sense to someone other than me). Its not attractive in any debate.

I'll happily admit to that. Everyone I know tells me that and I wholeheartedly agree. I always felt more at home in Maine and New Hampshire than Texas.

And yes, it made sense.

[darknightbegins]

Maine and New Hampshire are beautifiul in the summer. Don't need the winters they got though.

[kalvano]

I'll take a harsher winter in place of wondering how many consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures will this summer bring.

As well as having to remember things like aiming the air conditioning vent at the gear shift so the shift pattern doesn't get burned in to my hand.

[longhornmarine]

Being a Texan is a life style. I used to live in california (where I was stationed) and didn't like it. You know what I did? I moved. If you don't like Texas, there are 49 other states that I am sure would be glad to have you.

[kalvano]

Being a Texan is a life style.

Thank you for proving one of my points.

I moved. If you don't like Texas, there are 49 other states that I am sure would be glad to have you.

Gee, moving? Why didn't I ever think of that?

Stop the presses, let me get right on that.

[darknightbegins]

I'll take a harsher winter in place of wondering how many consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures will this summer bring.

As well as having to remember things like aiming the air conditioning vent at the gear shift so the shift pattern doesn't get burned in to my hand.

Fair enough. I'd rather have warm summers and mild winters. I'll take aiming the air conditioning over shoveling a shit load of snow for a good portion of the year. Enjoy being a popsickle and I'll enjoy cooking in the summer.

[kalvano]

I will.

But then again, I was wandering around in shorts and a t-shirt when it was snowing out, so something tells me I might be better suited to it than other people.

[longhornmarine]

So the verdict is in and here is my report of both:

Lubbock is not THAT bad. (the drive from Austin is though) Yes, there is not alot to do over there, but there is enough to do at night in the town. In austin I end up going to the same 4 of 5 bars anyway, and there are some good bars there. The living is cheap, and the people are real friendly. The facilities were pretty old, but the Law school was easily accessible on Campus, and parking is convenient. I went to a bar with some law students who ended their 1L, and they seemed to stress to me how close they were in the Law school and how important that was for them in getting through 1L. My initial impressions of the school were pretty good. I did have a few of the law students make some pretty outlandish statements though: one told me that Tech was the 2nd best law school in the state, while another told me he never goes to class but makes straight B's. One told me Texas Tech was going to win the National championship this year..... Clearly I don't think its a representative statement but I found it interesting, maybe its just Pride?


South Texas has great facilities, but Its hard to find parking (cheap) and I was told the neighborhood isn't the best at night. Obviously cost of living is something to consider, and the price of the law school is about 2x as much. I also have a 100lb dog that could make finding a place to live in Houston challenging to say the least. Everyone seemed nice enough and I didn't have a tour guide tell me that South Texas was the nicest facility in the country (see previous law school), or that its the ONLY law school with an open door policy (this seems hard to prove..the ONLY law school with an open door policy is Texas Tech?). Anyway, I liked South Texas alot.


In the end, I eliminated Lubbock from my decision, and now I am contemplating taking a year off and trying to make myself more of an attractive applicant to UT/U of H/SMU, maybe even Tulane or Pepperdine. This might include taking some online classes (maybe spanish) from a community college and getting some A's, while also retaking the LSAT. Im not sure if the admissions office would see through me taking some classes after I graduate, but I figure it couldnt hurt. Maybe I can take some masters classes online through Texas A&M. Considering I scored 10 points lower on my LSAT then my practice tests (I took over 15), South Texas was not where I expected to be, especially without any $$. I don't know If I can just go in the Fall and bank on getting top 10-20%, as I am sure most people have that exact plan going into law school, or if I can even go part time and get a job in Houston.


Thoughts?

[mpasi]

I think kalvano is confusing Dallas County with the actual city itself. Carrollton, Richardson, Rowlett, Farmers Branch, Las Colinas et al. are not Dallas. Dallas County is full of suburbs and the much-maligned strip malls. Dallas proper (Uptown, Oak Cliff, East Dallas, West Dallas, Highland Park, Vickery Meadows, et al.) is a huge metropolis, and getting more urban every second. It's where the good clubs and good eats are. Yeah, it's behind when compared to NYC or DC, but it's making up for it without losing its slight Southern charm. I practically grew up downtown. That is where life is interesting. My family lives in Suburbia thirty minutes away, and I hate it. It's boring as shit out here. And whoever suggested Uptown needs to point out how pricey Uptown is.

Anyway, to answer the OP...Texas Tech. Watch out for the Shit Wind...pig farms surround the Tech campus and you're reminded of it far more often than you'd probably like. That, and dust storms. And tumbleweeds the size of a Jeep Wrangler that roll up next to you at stop lights.

[mpasi]

So the verdict is in and here is my report of both:


In the end, I eliminated Lubbock from my decision, and now I am contemplating taking a year off and trying to make myself more of an attractive applicant to UT/U of H/SMU, maybe even Tulane or Pepperdine. This might include taking some online classes (maybe spanish) from a community college and getting some A's, while also retaking the LSAT. Im not sure if the admissions office would see through me taking some classes after I graduate, but I figure it couldnt hurt. Maybe I can take some masters classes online through Texas A&M. Considering I scored 10 points lower on my LSAT then my practice tests (I took over 15), South Texas was not where I expected to be, especially without any $$. I don't know If I can just go in the Fall and bank on getting top 10-20%, as I am sure most people have that exact plan going into law school, or if I can even go part time and get a job in Houston.


Thoughts?

A friend of mine is at Tech Law now, and we met in my first year of undergrad there (I transferred later). She's been there for the past six years, and loves it. Then again, Lubbock is the biggest city she's ever lived in, having been born and raised in Tahoka. I personally didn't like it very much, as I'm not used to May blizzards and rednecks on every corner. My dorm shared a parking lot with the law school, and most of the kids who went there were very, VERY Southern, very Christian, and very backward. I don't know you personally, of course, but judging from you've said here, I think you'd be better off using Tech as a safety if UT doesn't take you in a year. Austin > Lubbock.

[mpasi]

Triple D Triple D Dallas Texas thats my city bro! (not sure why Dallas is called Triple D though)

Actually I'm from Houston and would love to move back after law school but would settle for Dallas. And although I loooove Texas I'm sure there are thousands of native Texans who don't enjoy it. Everything ain't for everybody. Get used to it.

I don't. I've been trying to leave for the past five years, but I keep getting sucked right back for one reason or another. It's fine for other people, but Oklahoma+Texas = asscrack of America. Well, maybe just Oklahoma. It's got some strong points, and deep down, I love Dallas, but I'm just tired of it and would like to quit this bitch as soon as possible.

[longhornmarine]

Why

[merichard87]

Triple D Triple D Dallas Texas thats my city bro! (not sure why Dallas is called Triple D though)

Actually I'm from Houston and would love to move back after law school but would settle for Dallas. And although I loooove Texas I'm sure there are thousands of native Texans who don't enjoy it. Everything ain't for everybody. Get used to it.

I don't. I've been trying to leave for the past five years, but I keep getting sucked right back for one reason or another. It's fine for other people, but Oklahoma+Texas = asscrack of America. Well, maybe just Oklahoma. It's got some strong points, and deep down, I love Dallas, but I'm just tired of it and would like to quit this bitch as soon as possible.

How dare you lump Oklahoma and Texas in the same category? lol Maybe the Panhandle and north texas but definitely not all of Texas. Oklahoma is a shithole God covered in dirt. Texas is just Texas.

And I would love to get out of Texas for a few years but I do want to end up back home in Houston.

[Stringer Bell]

and now I am contemplating taking a year off and trying to make myself more of an attractive applicant to UT/U of H/SMU, maybe even Tulane or Pepperdine.

Thoughts?

Have you received a degree yet? If so, any classes you take will not raise you LSDAS GPA.

[vanwinkle]

I think kalvano is confusing Dallas County with the actual city itself. Carrollton, Richardson, Rowlett, Farmers Branch, Las Colinas et al. are not Dallas. Dallas County is full of suburbs and the much-maligned strip malls. Dallas proper (Uptown, Oak Cliff, East Dallas, West Dallas, Highland Park, Vickery Meadows, et al.) is a huge metropolis, and getting more urban every second. It's where the good clubs and good eats are. Yeah, it's behind when compared to NYC or DC, but it's making up for it without losing its slight Southern charm. I practically grew up downtown. That is where life is interesting. My family lives in Suburbia thirty minutes away, and I hate it. It's boring as shit out here. And whoever suggested Uptown needs to point out how pricey Uptown is.

Honestly, in all my time living in Dallas (and I lived a stone's throw from SMU for a long time), my impression has always been that it's a great place to live if you have a lot of money, but not otherwise. It lacks that "full of culture at any price point" feel that people often look for in a big metropolis. Just look at Victory Park for an example; they said they were trying to recreate Times Square, but left out one of the most critical crowd-drawing things that Times Square has: Affordable shopping and dining. They just went completely ultra-high-end, people showed up and walked around, noticed there was nothing to do that they could afford, and left.

That's part of the Dallas mentality. It's also why downtown Dallas is such a joke. It's the most boring sleepy downtown in the entire country at night. Everyone leaves and goes back to the suburbs from whence they came, except those who are so wealthy they live in places like Uptown or Highland Park, or so poor they live in places like Oak Cliff. The entire middle class of the Dallas area lives in the suburbs.

I am exaggerating, but not by much. A huge metropolis like Dallas should not be "getting more urban every day". It should already be a real urban environment. The fact that it's not says a hell of a lot about the place.

[kalvano]

In the end, I eliminated Lubbock from my decision, and now I am contemplating taking a year off and trying to make myself more of an attractive applicant to UT/U of H/SMU, maybe even Tulane or Pepperdine. This might include taking some online classes (maybe spanish) from a community college and getting some A's, while also retaking the LSAT. Im not sure if the admissions office would see through me taking some classes after I graduate, but I figure it couldnt hurt. Maybe I can take some masters classes online through Texas A&M. Considering I scored 10 points lower on my LSAT then my practice tests (I took over 15), South Texas was not where I expected to be, especially without any $$. I don't know If I can just go in the Fall and bank on getting top 10-20%, as I am sure most people have that exact plan going into law school, or if I can even go part time and get a job in Houston.

Taking additional classes won't mean anything. Your GPA is set once you graduated.


Take a year off and raise your LSAT.

[kalvano]

I think kalvano is confusing Dallas County with the actual city itself. Carrollton, Richardson, Rowlett, Farmers Branch, Las Colinas et al. are not Dallas. Dallas County is full of suburbs and the much-maligned strip malls. Dallas proper (Uptown, Oak Cliff, East Dallas, West Dallas, Highland Park, Vickery Meadows, et al.) is a huge metropolis, and getting more urban every second. It's where the good clubs and good eats are. Yeah, it's behind when compared to NYC or DC, but it's making up for it without losing its slight Southern charm. I practically grew up downtown. That is where life is interesting. My family lives in Suburbia thirty minutes away, and I hate it. It's boring as shit out here. And whoever suggested Uptown needs to point out how pricey Uptown is.

I'm not confusing anything.

I grew up in Lakewood / UP. I've lived all over the city and outskirts.

[longhornmarine]

Good to know about the GPA, I didnt know that before. Maybe I can take some masters courses and get good grades, surely that would help some?

[kalvano]

Good to know about the GPA, I didnt know that before. Maybe I can take some masters courses and get good grades, surely that would help some?

No. Your GPA is your GPA.

[TCScrutinizer]

Oklahoma is a shithole God covered in dirt.

Red dirt.

180 tho.

[mpasi]

I think kalvano is confusing Dallas County with the actual city itself. Carrollton, Richardson, Rowlett, Farmers Branch, Las Colinas et al. are not Dallas. Dallas County is full of suburbs and the much-maligned strip malls. Dallas proper (Uptown, Oak Cliff, East Dallas, West Dallas, Highland Park, Vickery Meadows, et al.) is a huge metropolis, and getting more urban every second. It's where the good clubs and good eats are. Yeah, it's behind when compared to NYC or DC, but it's making up for it without losing its slight Southern charm. I practically grew up downtown. That is where life is interesting. My family lives in Suburbia thirty minutes away, and I hate it. It's boring as shit out here. And whoever suggested Uptown needs to point out how pricey Uptown is.

Honestly, in all my time living in Dallas (and I lived a stone's throw from SMU for a long time), my impression has always been that it's a great place to live if you have a lot of money, but not otherwise. It lacks that "full of culture at any price point" feel that people often look for in a big metropolis. Just look at Victory Park for an example; they said they were trying to recreate Times Square, but left out one of the most critical crowd-drawing things that Times Square has: Affordable shopping and dining. They just went completely ultra-high-end, people showed up and walked around, noticed there was nothing to do that they could afford, and left.

That's part of the Dallas mentality. It's also why downtown Dallas is such a joke. It's the most boring sleepy downtown in the entire country at night. Everyone leaves and goes back to the suburbs from whence they came, except those who are so wealthy they live in places like Uptown or Highland Park, or so poor they live in places like Oak Cliff. The entire middle class of the Dallas area lives in the suburbs.

I am exaggerating, but not by much. A huge metropolis like Dallas should not be "getting more urban every day". It should already be a real urban environment. The fact that it's not says a hell of a lot about the place.

You're exaggerating more than you think you are.

The cost of living is pretty low here, but you're right about the haves and the have nots, to a point. All large cities are like that, not just Dallas. Businesses go where the money is. And, I don't know what your definition of "urban" is, but downtown is very much so. It's "sleepy" in the business and government districts, but hop on over to the arts district or Deep Ellum, and it's really happening. I wish they'd build the West End up again. There are over a million people living in Dallas proper, so I don't know how much more urban it can get. It's not Chicago, Detroit, or the East Coast, but it's fairly urban. It's getting more so in the University Park/Highland Park area. There used to be a mall and two movie theaters over there, now it's just restaurants. I haven't been to Victory Park yet, so I can't speak as to what kind of crowd it draws, but it's not the only spot in Dallas. I do know that you can go to a Mavs or Stars game for less than $20. I don't see how that's not affordable. You focus on the money venues and completely ignore the more affordable venues. People of all income brackets find a way to keep themselves entertained. And, Oak Cliff is a historic neighborhood, with property values ranging in the mid-six figures. We lived there for a few years, and our neighborhood was hardly "poor".