What would be your max commute time? Forum

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ashrice13

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by ashrice13 » Wed Apr 05, 2017 4:36 pm

Rigo wrote:
Stylnator wrote: I will learn to love driving!
Maybe you can teach ferris!
:lol: :lol:

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by Goldie » Wed Apr 05, 2017 5:36 pm

I drove like an hour each way during 1L (not much traffic) because my housing was free and I figured it would be worth it. I then transferred to a new law school and live on campus (<5 minute walk to class). They both have their pros and cons, but I found the commute doable (it admittedly affected some of the social aspects of school, but that wasn't really my priority).

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floatie

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by floatie » Wed Apr 05, 2017 7:37 pm

I commute an hour each way for work and it's not that bad, because it's on the metro and I can read/listen to music/whatever. If your commute is driving, though, that's 80 mins a day you're losing that you can't be productive or take time for yourself.

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Stylnator

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by Stylnator » Wed Apr 05, 2017 7:46 pm

Rigo wrote:
Stylnator wrote: I will learn to love driving!
Maybe you can teach ferris!
I think I'd have an easier time lobbying for public transportation

SalMoney13

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by SalMoney13 » Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:39 pm

I can certainly relate to this. I've heard good and bad things about commuting that many above have already mentioned. Using public transportation would certainly be a more productive use of your time, but public transportation could also result in a longer commute overall. I would argue that listening to good music, podcasts, or audio-books would be a good way to relax and unwind, which implies that time spent driving (not public trans.) wouldn't be entirely unproductive.

Here's my dilemma. Not sure if anyone has any experience with a situation like mine:

Choice #1: T30 school with better scholarship, but ~1-1.5hr commute each way
Choice #2: TTT school with ~20min commute

Difference in employment options in my mid-market area are minimal from what local "big law" attorneys have shared. Will not be relocating as my wife is employed full time in our area and we own a home. Decision essentially boils down to cheaper CoA + better rank vs. more time at home.

Am I crazy? Depending on the day, I feel crazy for considering either option...

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Rigo

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by Rigo » Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:50 pm

^yikes. Is that 1.5 hours car travel or public transit?

SalMoney13

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by SalMoney13 » Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:52 pm

1 hr if I drive, 1.5 hr if I commute via bus. The bus would be a comfy, productive option, but obviously slower. Both options are essentially cost neutral when factoring in gas and parking permits.

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by Moneytrees » Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:56 pm

Any thoughts on commuting an hour each way to your biglaw gig? Is it sustainable?

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ashrice13

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by ashrice13 » Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:49 am

@salmoney I personally don't think my longer commute will keep me away from home that much longer. The way I look at it, I can actually leave school earlier than I normally would and take the time I would have been at school studying and just study in the train (or bus). Not sure if that applies to you but it might be another way to look at it (can you guys tell that I've thought a lot about this commute and how it's going to affect me???)

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ashrice13

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by ashrice13 » Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:51 am

Moneytrees wrote:Any thoughts on commuting an hour each way to your biglaw gig? Is it sustainable?
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this since it's not a law school FAQ

That being said, my 0L understanding of big law is that the hours are long. Tacking two extra hours on your day might be too much but that's really a personal preference thing

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Stylnator

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by Stylnator » Thu Apr 06, 2017 8:23 am

SalMoney13 wrote:I can certainly relate to this. I've heard good and bad things about commuting that many above have already mentioned. Using public transportation would certainly be a more productive use of your time, but public transportation could also result in a longer commute overall. I would argue that listening to good music, podcasts, or audio-books would be a good way to relax and unwind, which implies that time spent driving (not public trans.) wouldn't be entirely unproductive.

Here's my dilemma. Not sure if anyone has any experience with a situation like mine:

Choice #1: T30 school with better scholarship, but ~1-1.5hr commute each way
Choice #2: TTT school with ~20min commute

Difference in employment options in my mid-market area are minimal from what local "big law" attorneys have shared. Will not be relocating as my wife is employed full time in our area and we own a home. Decision essentially boils down to cheaper CoA + better rank vs. more time at home.

Am I crazy? Depending on the day, I feel crazy for considering either option...
Choices like this boil down to personal preference I guess. 1.5 hours/day would drive me absolutely crazy and probably affect my studying time too much. I think in the end it's up to you to decide which law school you as a student will be more successful at.

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azaleafire

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by azaleafire » Fri Apr 07, 2017 12:44 am

Walking - ~20/25 minutes
Bus or Bike- 20/25 minutes
Train - up to an hour
Driving - 25/30 minutes

I like walking, because it clears my head. Biking for the same reason. I dont like buses. I love trains and since I am not in charge of moving I can study without getting car/bus sick. I don't like driving so a shorter commute would be better (but not so short that I could walk/bike)

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MediocreAtBest

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by MediocreAtBest » Fri Apr 07, 2017 10:31 am

If I had to drive I would do 30 minutes. If it was public transport I'd be ok with double that.

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dbalkaran

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by dbalkaran » Fri Apr 07, 2017 10:39 am

Rigo wrote:
Stylnator wrote: I will learn to love driving!
Maybe you can teach ferris!
LOLOLOL.

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Mr_Chukes

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by Mr_Chukes » Mon Apr 10, 2017 2:26 am

20 minutes tops for me.

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34iplaw

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by 34iplaw » Mon Apr 10, 2017 5:35 pm

ashrice13 wrote:
Moneytrees wrote:Any thoughts on commuting an hour each way to your biglaw gig? Is it sustainable?
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this since it's not a law school FAQ

That being said, my 0L understanding of big law is that the hours are long. Tacking two extra hours on your day might be too much but that's really a personal preference thing
I think part of the problem with big law hours is that they are unpredictable. I think the long commute makes it that much worse. Let's say you're in the city and you live on Long Island. All of a sudden, the 40-minute train ride becomes considerably longer when you miss a train and have to wait 20-30 minutes or longer for the next.

Personally, I find it hard to work on trains. I get somewhat queasy feeling, and I find it hard to focus when I know I'll only be on a train for 30 minutes.

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practical cat

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by practical cat » Wed Apr 12, 2017 8:19 pm

34iplaw wrote:
ashrice13 wrote:
Moneytrees wrote:Any thoughts on commuting an hour each way to your biglaw gig? Is it sustainable?
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this since it's not a law school FAQ

That being said, my 0L understanding of big law is that the hours are long. Tacking two extra hours on your day might be too much but that's really a personal preference thing
I think part of the problem with big law hours is that they are unpredictable. I think the long commute makes it that much worse. Let's say you're in the city and you live on Long Island. All of a sudden, the 40-minute train ride becomes considerably longer when you miss a train and have to wait 20-30 minutes or longer for the next.

Personally, I find it hard to work on trains. I get somewhat queasy feeling, and I find it hard to focus when I know I'll only be on a train for 30 minutes.
So much this.

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oopsu812

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by oopsu812 » Wed Apr 12, 2017 8:27 pm

I've always been used to a 1hr+ commute on a bus. Recently had a 10 minute commute and it was glorious. Now I'm back to 1hr+ and it sucks. I'd say 20-30 minutes would be my max for work. Less for LS.

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brinicolec

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by brinicolec » Thu Apr 13, 2017 1:42 am

For me, 30 mins., and that's even pushing it. But that's because I know myself and would definitely be late all the time if it took any longer lol.

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brinicolec

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Re: What would be your max commute time?

Post by brinicolec » Thu Apr 13, 2017 1:43 am

practical cat wrote:
34iplaw wrote:
ashrice13 wrote:
Moneytrees wrote:Any thoughts on commuting an hour each way to your biglaw gig? Is it sustainable?
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this since it's not a law school FAQ

That being said, my 0L understanding of big law is that the hours are long. Tacking two extra hours on your day might be too much but that's really a personal preference thing
I think part of the problem with big law hours is that they are unpredictable. I think the long commute makes it that much worse. Let's say you're in the city and you live on Long Island. All of a sudden, the 40-minute train ride becomes considerably longer when you miss a train and have to wait 20-30 minutes or longer for the next.

Personally, I find it hard to work on trains. I get somewhat queasy feeling, and I find it hard to focus when I know I'll only be on a train for 30 minutes.
So much this.
For the queasy thing, you could try taking a pill that helps with motion sickness. I feel sick a lot on planes/in the car but the pills helped 10000% lol. I could even read in the car!

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