USC Class of 2013 Forum

[usc278]

Anyone considering terrace? I don't know if I'm ok with dorm life all over again, if any 1L+ are on here, could you shed some light on what it's like living in terrace?

I'm a 2L. Didn't live in terrace.

I didn't feel like going back to that twin extra long bed, standard issue particle board desk, cinder block walls thing. I did that in undergrad and wasn't too keen on doing it again at this point in my life.

On one hand, yes, you meet people outside of your section and if you're not comfortable doing that at say, bar review, if might be a good option.

On the other, it's not in a great location, it's pricey and it's not actually that close to the law building (most people have bikes). I also feel like it was probably a hotbed of panic around exam time.

anything more specific, let me know.

Yeah I'm not really looking for dorm life all over again. do you have any suggestions for where to live and how to search? I'm thinking a studio somewhere close by would work fine, but I'm realizing people from LA's idea of what's "close" is a lot different than mine.

I am a 1L here at USC that is currently living in Terrace and I'd have to disagree with Papercranes. I personally don't mind living in terrace at all. It can be pretty social if you want it to be which is nice. During the early parts of the semester there was a big group of us that would go play basketball on friday afternoons since we were so close to the gym. It's also nice to be only a 5 minute bike ride from the law school building because you don't waste an hour of your day in the car instead.

Although the furniture is dorm furniture, its not that bad, and the rooms are very big. One of the bedrooms in each apartment has an enourmous walk in closet. Additionally, I know someone who brought his own bed in and dismantled the twin bed so he has either a full or queen size bed.

Finally, I did not find it at all to be a "hot bed" of panic around exams. Everyone kind of just did their own thing. Personally I think this is a much better choice than just getting a studio apartment in the area.

[afghan007]

info on the USC area? safety? grocery shopping? nightlife? do i need a car?

[david?]

info on the USC area? safety? grocery shopping? nightlife? do i need a car?

As a former USC undergrad and native Angelino, if you live close to campus you can get around just fine with a bike. But if you ever want to leave the area of USC yes you need a car or you can always become good friends with someone who has a car. Unfortunately, LA living is not conducive to those who do not have some means of personal transportation.

As far as safety, the campus itself is safe. At least I was never concern over safety when I was on campus walking to/from the library at 2-4AM. But having parked a few blocks off campus at 2 AM and walking to campus might pucker your hole up a little bit. But thats generally not an issue as you can park on campus for free from 10PM? until 6AM at which point you'll have a to buy a permit ($8) or move your car.

Grocery shopping- I didn't live on campus or near campus so I'm not totally sure but from what I remember there are two grocery stores near campus. One right across the street from campus in "University Village" its a small no-name store. I wouldn't know but I assume its more expensive than the Vons/Ralphs? thats 3 or 4 blocks away.

[papercranes]

Anyone considering terrace? I don't know if I'm ok with dorm life all over again, if any 1L+ are on here, could you shed some light on what it's like living in terrace?

I'm a 2L. Didn't live in terrace.

I didn't feel like going back to that twin extra long bed, standard issue particle board desk, cinder block walls thing. I did that in undergrad and wasn't too keen on doing it again at this point in my life.

On one hand, yes, you meet people outside of your section and if you're not comfortable doing that at say, bar review, if might be a good option.

On the other, it's not in a great location, it's pricey and it's not actually that close to the law building (most people have bikes). I also feel like it was probably a hotbed of panic around exam time.

anything more specific, let me know.

Yeah I'm not really looking for dorm life all over again. do you have any suggestions for where to live and how to search? I'm thinking a studio somewhere close by would work fine, but I'm realizing people from LA's idea of what's "close" is a lot different than mine.

I am a 1L here at USC that is currently living in Terrace and I'd have to disagree with Papercranes. I personally don't mind living in terrace at all. It can be pretty social if you want it to be which is nice. During the early parts of the semester there was a big group of us that would go play basketball on friday afternoons since we were so close to the gym. It's also nice to be only a 5 minute bike ride from the law school building because you don't waste an hour of your day in the car instead.

Although the furniture is dorm furniture, its not that bad, and the rooms are very big. One of the bedrooms in each apartment has an enourmous walk in closet. Additionally, I know someone who brought his own bed in and dismantled the twin bed so he has either a full or queen size bed.

Finally, I did not find it at all to be a "hot bed" of panic around exams. Everyone kind of just did their own thing. Personally I think this is a much better choice than just getting a studio apartment in the area.

Not to worry. I'm sure some people had a great time in terrace. I lived downtown in an apartment with a gym, pool and hot tub. It was about the same price as terrace.
It was a six minute drive to school, which was nice considering I was stuck with the early schedule 1L year.

It's definitely good to be close to school first year. I moved to santa Monica this year and love it but, the 20-30 minute commute would have been rough on me last year

[papercranes]

Also, fwiw, last year I lived in a 2 bed with another 1L I met at the ASD, not a studio.

[49erjo]

Can anybody tell me whether or not its a good idea to live in the Silver Lake area during the first year? Would I have a treacherous commute w/ the 1L 9-5 schedule, or is it close enough nearby? Sigh.... I don't know much about the LA area. Guess its time to learn

[papercranes]

Can anybody tell me whether or not its a good idea to live in the Silver Lake area during the first year? Would I have a treacherous commute w/ the 1L 9-5 schedule, or is it close enough nearby? Sigh.... I don't know much about the LA area. Guess its time to learn

Depends on where in silverlake. What you want is easy access to the freeways. I have friends who lived there last year and friends who live there this year. One lived only a few blocks from a freeway entrance and I know his commute was only a few minutes longer than mine was, so about 10-12 minutes in the morning.

If you want, feel free to PM like, major cross streets you're looking at living near. (not trying to be creepy or anything here, I just might be able to tell you how long a commute you'd be facing).

[Stupendous_Man]

Can anybody tell me whether or not its a good idea to live in the Silver Lake area during the first year? Would I have a treacherous commute w/ the 1L 9-5 schedule, or is it close enough nearby? Sigh.... I don't know much about the LA area. Guess its time to learn

The student tour guide from the tour day i went to lives in silverlake, and he seemed totally happy and sane, if that helps. I'm really not used to the LA definition of "close" so I'm trying to stay REALLY close my first year, then move out to somewhere nicer my second year.

[david?]

.

[musicfor18]

I received an email with a link to my 2010-2011 Financial Aid award last night. When I visited the site, it listed only my scholarship, and no loans. I submitted a FAFSA and all other required documents and my FAFSA lists my estimates family contribution at $700. This must be a mistake, as every other school has qualified me for the max Stafford loans and tentatively for Grad PLUS loans, as well.

Did anyone else get an email like this and see no loans in their package?

[Stupendous_Man]

The email came out before the site was up. When I checked it last night, the site didn't work at all. Right now it's all up and running.

Anyone know why I was offered a Grad PLUS loan from every other school but USC? Is that an institutional loan?

On another note, I've not actually SIRed, but every piece of correspondence since I accepted the scholarship has implied that I did?

[smacroon]

The email came out before the site was up. When I checked it last night, the site didn't work at all. Right now it's all up and running.

Anyone know why I was offered a Grad PLUS loan from every other school but USC? Is that an institutional loan?

On another note, I've not actually SIRed, but every piece of correspondence since I accepted the scholarship has implied that I did?

From what I can tell you can automatically apply for the Grad PLUS loans up to the total cost of attendance minus schol and other loans. Some schools show it as an "offer" but USC just explains the steps to apply for those loans.

[legalease9]

Withdrew, putting 60k back into the pot. Good Luck!

[papercranes]

How did everyone like the ASD? I wasn't there this year, but last year and the year before were pretty great.

[bigchris1313]

From another thread:

I did not attend UCLA's ASD--because I'm not an admitted student (yet?)--but I did attend USC's Law Day on Friday.

Enlightening but awkward. The professors were relatively fun, and the presenting 2Ls and 3Ls relieved a good deal of my anxiety about what to expect as a 1L and about law school in general; however, I still felt a bit uneasy. I can't put my finger on why. It could have been the "new" environment. It could have been whispers of unpleasant memories from my one year of USC undergrad. It could have been my future classmates, more than a few of which seemed like somewhat passive-aggressive Type As (a bizarre combination).

But I suppose they could have judged me similarly. I'm sure they were nervous, just as I was. It would't surprise me if we all had defense mechanisms in place that might not be in use by the time December rolls around. For all I know, I could have an unconscious defense mechanism that ascribes those labels to strangers without justification. I wish I knew. Regardless of what felt out of place--either in my head or in reality--the meat and potatoes of Law Day were practical and useful.

I had been running a sleep deficit all week--and I'd all but made my decision to attend in the Fall--so I ducked out after lunch and went home to crush some much-needed slumber. I am glad that I stayed for lunch. Town and Gown's quality of food was the biggest surprise of the day. They served a chocolate mouse (derivative?) that was remarkably good.

It's unlikely that any TLSer failed to notice me. I was likely the largest individual present by at least 50 lbs.

[GoNU]

Can some1 who currently goes to USC Law please give a list of the best places to live OFF CAMPUS..

Do people live in pasadena, culver city, or west hollywood? Mainly interested in living off campus..dont mind the commute..but dont want to be isolated! Where do most of the students live assuming you arent going the terrace-college dorm route. Any info much appreciated!

[papercranes]

Can some1 who currently goes to USC Law please give a list of the best places to live OFF CAMPUS..

Do people live in pasadena, culver city, or west hollywood? Mainly interested in living off campus..dont mind the commute..but dont want to be isolated! Where do most of the students live assuming you arent going the terrace-college dorm route. Any info much appreciated!

Depends on what you're looking for. I lived downtown last year and didn't like it, would not live in Pasadena for anything. Live in SM now and love it. Tons of my classmates live here and in culver city/mar vista/palms. See my post in the thread on where to live in LA for SC.

[papercranes]

Can some1 who currently goes to USC Law please give a list of the best places to live OFF CAMPUS..

Do people live in pasadena, culver city, or west hollywood? Mainly interested in living off campus..dont mind the commute..but dont want to be isolated! Where do most of the students live assuming you arent going the terrace-college dorm route. Any info much appreciated!

Depends on what you're looking for. I lived downtown last year and didn't like it, would not live in Pasadena for anything. Live in SM now and love it. Tons of my classmates live here and in culver city/mar vista/palms. See my post in the thread on where to live in LA for SC.

[Stupendous_Man]

Can some1 who currently goes to USC Law please give a list of the best places to live OFF CAMPUS..

Do people live in pasadena, culver city, or west hollywood? Mainly interested in living off campus..dont mind the commute..but dont want to be isolated! Where do most of the students live assuming you arent going the terrace-college dorm route. Any info much appreciated!

Depends on what you're looking for. I lived downtown last year and didn't like it, would not live in Pasadena for anything. Live in SM now and love it. Tons of my classmates live here and in culver city/mar vista/palms. See my post in the thread on where to live in LA for SC.

What didn't you like about downtown, if you don't mind me asking?

[GoNU]

Can some1 who currently goes to USC Law please give a list of the best places to live OFF CAMPUS..

Do people live in pasadena, culver city, or west hollywood? Mainly interested in living off campus..dont mind the commute..but dont want to be isolated! Where do most of the students live assuming you arent going the terrace-college dorm route. Any info much appreciated!

Depends on what you're looking for. I lived downtown last year and didn't like it, would not live in Pasadena for anything. Live in SM now and love it. Tons of my classmates live here and in culver city/mar vista/palms. See my post in the thread on where to live in LA for SC.

If you had to pick btwn SM and Culver which would you choose? Where do more SC students live? Could a 1L handle the SM or culver commute without schedule flexibility..or would it be like an hour both ways. Do 1Ls have schedule flexibility!? lol any information on these subjects would help. I would be so down with SM assuming lots of students lived there and I had class that started at..10AM

[papercranes]

Can some1 who currently goes to USC Law please give a list of the best places to live OFF CAMPUS..

Do people live in pasadena, culver city, or west hollywood? Mainly interested in living off campus..dont mind the commute..but dont want to be isolated! Where do most of the students live assuming you arent going the terrace-college dorm route. Any info much appreciated!

Depends on what you're looking for. I lived downtown last year and didn't like it, would not live in Pasadena for anything. Live in SM now and love it. Tons of my classmates live here and in culver city/mar vista/palms. See my post in the thread on where to live in LA for SC.

What didn't you like about downtown, if you don't mind me asking?

I really like to walk places, and frankly as a girl at night, I didn't feel totally comfortable walking around downtown by myself (and I've traveled to Cambodia on my own, so this isn't paranoia). Many places downtown just become very empty and unnerving at night.

There are a few fun bars and a couple restaurants but in SM, I can walk to the grocery stores, bars, cafes, the beach... Downtown I didn't really see anyone like, going for a run in the morning, walking their dogs etc and I missed that. My place now also has a lot more character. The downtown places are all newer and nicely landscaped outside, but frequently kind of uninspiring once you're inside the apartments themselves. It was all so.... beige.

Also, none of my friends lived downtown. 1L year, I didn't want to live in Terrace, so I just found a place close to school, that was semi-reasonably priced and figured I could move later.

Can some1 who currently goes to USC Law please give a list of the best places to live OFF CAMPUS..

Do people live in pasadena, culver city, or west hollywood? Mainly interested in living off campus..dont mind the commute..but dont want to be isolated! Where do most of the students live assuming you arent going the terrace-college dorm route. Any info much appreciated!

Depends on what you're looking for. I lived downtown last year and didn't like it, would not live in Pasadena for anything. Live in SM now and love it. Tons of my classmates live here and in culver city/mar vista/palms. See my post in the thread on where to live in LA for SC.

If you had to pick btwn SM and Culver which would you choose? Where do more SC students live? Could a 1L handle the SM or culver commute without schedule flexibility..or would it be like an hour both ways. Do 1Ls have schedule flexibility!? lol any information on these subjects would help. I would be so down with SM assuming lots of students lived there and I had class that started at..10AM

1Ls have no schedule flexibility. None.

Students live everywhere. I would say the majority of my friends live in SM/Culver City/Brentwood area. That's partly because a lot of people have less than ideal, or temporary first year living situations (terrace, a roommate you didn't end up liking, price going up or down...) and people move for second year. Obviously you know what areas your friends are looking at and decide if it's important to you to be around people. A lot of 3Ls live in Echo Park/Silverlake and I'd imagine the same thing happened: people wanted to move, but also live close to one another.

Between the two, I really love SM, but Culver is very similar and closer to school. Neither one is a bad choice.

[Mroberts3]

Papercranes, thanks for helping us LA n00bs out with this.

I've got a dog, so that really limits many of the places I can live (many places don't allow pets, but also he needs easy access to parks which further limits where I can go). Do you think the Park La Brea area is about a similar commute as Culver city? It looks a bit closer, but farther away from the freeway.

I feel like google maps just isnt accurate for LA. I mean, it says 20 min but who really knows?

[GoNU]

So there are 1L's living in Culver and SM?

[ihaftagetinsomewhere]

So there are 1L's living in Culver and SM?

I know a lot of 1Ls living in Santa Monica, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Venice, etc. There are some really nice places to live out there. They seem fine with the commute but it can take them anywhere from 30min to an hour depending on the traffic to get to and from school. The drive kind of sucks when I go visit my friends who live out there, but I hate commuting.

I'm a 1L living in Terrace. Terrace is fine if you're not from the area (like me) because you don't have to worry about getting around on top of worrying about homework. You are close to the campus gym and there's lots of places to get food and a Ralphs is a block away.

[papercranes]

Papercranes, thanks for helping us LA n00bs out with this.

I've got a dog, so that really limits many of the places I can live (many places don't allow pets, but also he needs easy access to parks which further limits where I can go). Do you think the Park La Brea area is about a similar commute as Culver city? It looks a bit closer, but farther away from the freeway.

I feel like google maps just isnt accurate for LA. I mean, it says 20 min but who really knows?

I'd say that anywhere closer to the 10 is "closer" to school than Park la Brea. I find PLB a bitch to get to personally, even though I technically live further away.

Last year I had friends living near the beverly center and it took them longer to get to school than it does now from the SM area.

SM is great for dogs, btw. Lots of parks. Also, lots of places seem to be okay with dogs, so long as you put down a slightly larger security deposit.

So there are 1L's living in Culver and SM?

There were a bunch last year. I'm a 2L, so I can't confirm that the CURRENT 1Ls live there. But yeah, lots of people live in Culver/SM.