Ask an Upper Year!

[AudreyBerry 51]

On 1/6/2018 at 1:09 AM, Abii said:

Can someone please confirm the tuition for Calgary. The calculator is giving me 15,957 for the first year (I've included the cost of books in there). 
https://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/cost-estimator

Does it increase or decrease for the 2nd and 3rd years? 

Thanks. 

I can't confirm the tuition for you, but I know the tuition went down for us in 2L from 1L because of the reduction in course load. Most people I know have some kind of scholarship, the school is generally very good with financial aid.

[bb213 34]

On 01/06/2018 at 3:09 AM, Abii said:

Can someone please confirm the tuition for Calgary. The calculator is giving me 15,957 for the first year (I've included the cost of books in there). 
https://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/cost-estimator

Does it increase or decrease for the 2nd and 3rd years? 

Thanks. 

"Tuition and fees for 1L are approximately $13 600. For full information about tuition and fees, please see our website and the university calendar:" from Malina.

I believe there may be a tuition decrease second and third year.

[bb213 34]

On 06/27/2016 at 2:34 PM, wcbc said:

I remember around this time last year, I had so many questions about law school and what it's actually like to be a law student. Although my knowledge is limited to the University of Calgary, I thought this would be useful for incoming 1L's and prospective law students wanting to come to U of C! 

 

Feel free to ask any questions you have and I'll try to answer them the best I can!

 

(Edit) I know previous upper years have done this, but I thought it'd be useful to start a topic that'll have more updated info (Especially with the new curriculum).

 

Edited January 9, 2018 by bb213
Sorry, didn't see the post was old.

[psigm 8]

Currently trying to decide between University of Calgary and Dal.. coming from Toronto and hope to work back here in the future. Any advice/opinions are welcome in terms of school, lifestyle, difference in living accommodations etc. are welcome! Thanks!

[unsospiro 465]

11 hours ago, psigm said:

Currently trying to decide between University of Calgary and Dal.. coming from Toronto and hope to work back here in the future. Any advice/opinions are welcome in terms of school, lifestyle, difference in living accommodations etc. are welcome! Thanks!

The recruit here is much more focused on the Calgary and Vancouver markets. There was only a small handful of folks who participated in the Toronto recruit.

[aaronl 45]

Can someone please comment on the differences between living in Kensington and living in Mission. I was told those are the best two areas to live for law students. I also will have my own vehicle so transit is not an issue. Just want a lively place that's a good area for students. Any comments and tips on the differences between Mission and Kensington would be greatly appreciated!

[Cmb123 14]

I realize these things are naturally fluid, but would anyone be able to comment on the approximate weekly time commitment of volunteering at the SLA and the Pro Bono clinic? 

I would like to do both but I'm not sure how viable it is with both work and school. 

[ultramegaguy5129 5]

2 hours ago, Cmb123 said:

I realize these things are naturally fluid, but would anyone be able to comment on the approximate weekly time commitment of volunteering at the SLA and the Pro Bono clinic? 

I would like to do both but I'm not sure how viable it is with both work and school. 

Can't speak for Pro Bono.

SLA can take anywhere from as low as 15 minutes per week as high as infinity. You can take less demanding files and take only the number of files that is mandatory (which is two, if I remember correctly). On the flip side, you can take so many files that you are doing more SLA than schoolwork. 

How many hours do you work outside of school? Is it for spending money on the side, or is it for necessary expenses (e.g. rent, family support)? Working part-time and managing school at the same time is possible, but any more than 15 to 20 hours a week you might find that you have no life or no sleep, or both. 

[Cmb123 14]

ultramegaguy5129 , thanks for the reply!

Through school it will hopefully only be around 15-20 hours per week, though I have definitely considered not working at all. Working would be primarily to lessen the draw on my savings caused by rent, school, living, etc.

 

[ultramegaguy5129 5]

14 minutes ago, Cmb123 said:

ultramegaguy5129 , thanks for the reply!

Through school it will hopefully only be around 15-20 hours per week, though I have definitely considered not working at all. Working would be primarily to lessen the draw on my savings caused by rent, school, living, etc.

 

If at all possible, it is likely better to take a financial hit now, during school, than later. You can make up for lost money, but it's more difficult to make up for lost opportunities because of grades.

If your grades suffer because you over-commit to things aside from studying, it might close some doors for your future employment. Of course, money and grades are not the be all and end all.

You can, and probably should, participate in extra-curriculars, but only to the extent they enhance your academic life, not detract from it.

Edited August 27, 2018 by ultramegaguy5129

[unsospiro 465]

If you get really high grades, you get awards.

I treated school like a job for that very reason. Of course, this strategy can't work for everyone. But it's something to consider if you're really academically inclined.

Except for those awards that are book prizes. Lame. I don't think I ever even got my book prizes.

[Law909 0]

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if anyone has housing recommendations ? I am coming from Toronto and will not have a car so living within walking distance to the school, groceries and shopping would be very ideal. Interested in a modern, clean, 1 bedroom apartment. 

Thanks in advance! 

 

 

[bblack 10]

44 minutes ago, Law909 said:

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if anyone has housing recommendations ? I am coming from Toronto and will not have a car so living within walking distance to the school, groceries and shopping would be very ideal. Interested in a modern, clean, 1 bedroom apartment. 

Thanks in advance!

Just my two cents, not sure if you will find it valuable. I moved to Calgary from downtown Toronto several years ago to attend UofC. I had previously completed my undergrad at UofT St. George campus. With that campus in mind, I thought living near UofC would be a good plan. However, to this day I would describe the UofC campus as suburban. There is a grocery store about a 20 minute walk from campus, and some big box/chain-type shopping. If you enjoy that lifestyle, then by all means take a look for housing near campus. Otherwise, I would suggest looking at neighbourhoods with good transit access, that offer a lot more amenities. Kensington/Sunnyside has an LRT stop, which makes access to UofC very convenient. It also has tons of restaurants, shops, a big grocery store, river access, etc. There are other options too, but I won't go on in case you are looking for a more suburban lifestyle. 

[Law909 0]

17 hours ago, bblack said:

Just my two cents, not sure if you will find it valuable. I moved to Calgary from downtown Toronto several years ago to attend UofC. I had previously completed my undergrad at UofT St. George campus. With that campus in mind, I thought living near UofC would be a good plan. However, to this day I would describe the UofC campus as suburban. There is a grocery store about a 20 minute walk from campus, and some big box/chain-type shopping. If you enjoy that lifestyle, then by all means take a look for housing near campus. Otherwise, I would suggest looking at neighbourhoods with good transit access, that offer a lot more amenities. Kensington/Sunnyside has an LRT stop, which makes access to UofC very convenient. It also has tons of restaurants, shops, a big grocery store, river access, etc. There are other options too, but I won't go on in case you are looking for a more suburban lifestyle. 

Thanks so much for your response. Zooming in on Google Maps kind of gave me that impression, I was just secretly hoping some newer things had been built. In that case, my preference would be to live in a more popular area and then commute to school - I would love to hear of other options that aren't the "suburban lifestyle". 

Also, would you know about availability and cost of campus parking (if I were to get a car)? 

[ImposterSyndrome 121]

On 3/19/2019 at 10:53 AM, Law909 said:

Thanks so much for your response. Zooming in on Google Maps kind of gave me that impression, I was just secretly hoping some newer things had been built. In that case, my preference would be to live in a more popular area and then commute to school - I would love to hear of other options that aren't the "suburban lifestyle". 

Also, would you know about availability and cost of campus parking (if I were to get a car)? 

I would also suggest checking out this thread about living in Calgary while at UofC Law.

[wcbc 21]

On 3/18/2019 at 6:24 PM, Law909 said:

Hi Everyone,

Just wondering if anyone has housing recommendations ? I am coming from Toronto and will not have a car so living within walking distance to the school, groceries and shopping would be very ideal. Interested in a modern, clean, 1 bedroom apartment. 

Thanks in advance! 

 

 

I lived on campus during 1L and 2L and lived in downtown during my 3L. I would say I enjoyed my time in downtown a bit more just because I lived across the street from a grocery store and a lot of my friends either lived in downtown or would hang out in downtown primarily. If you're currently a 0L I would say living on campus is not a bad idea for your first year. That way you get to meet everyone else who lives on campus and it's a good way to network with others new to the city! Hope this helps.

[JJBittenbinder 29]

I have a couple questions about the course load and classes we've to take in 1L. I was wondering what people's experiences were with these introductory classes, and if there were any tips on studying, managing time and what not. I managed to get through my undergrad with pretty poor studying techniques (not proud of them at all). I was also wondering what people had to say about devoting time to Clinics, the SLA and other organizations in their first year. I was pretty involved in my university (mostly in my last two years) and I want to continue that here. Is it possible, or am I better off to wait till my second year to get more involved?

[ImposterSyndrome 121]

On 4/23/2019 at 9:25 PM, JJBittenbinder said:

I have a couple questions about the course load and classes we've to take in 1L. I was wondering what people's experiences were with these introductory classes, and if there were any tips on studying, managing time and what not. I managed to get through my undergrad with pretty poor studying techniques (not proud of them at all). I was also wondering what people had to say about devoting time to Clinics, the SLA and other organizations in their first year. I was pretty involved in my university (mostly in my last two years) and I want to continue that here. Is it possible, or am I better off to wait till my second year to get more involved?

So the course load goes like this. There's a two-and-a-half week-long block course at the start of each semester. After which you will start you regular courses of which there's six in the first semester and five the following. Despite one less course, I did not feel any less busy though.

Now, experiences vary by course and by professor so its hard to tell you what it will be like. Feel free to DM me if you want to know what my experience was.

As far as extra-curriculurs go, you can definitely be very involved and doing so helps to set you apart when the recruit comes around. That being said, it can be quite the time commitment.

As for studying tips. I would recomend that you keep up with your readings and, when able, review your notes and try to compile them into something workable to bring into your midterms and finals (nearly all of them are open-book).

Edited April 25, 2019 by ImposterSyndrome

[wcbc 21]

On 4/23/2019 at 11:25 PM, JJBittenbinder said:

I have a couple questions about the course load and classes we've to take in 1L. I was wondering what people's experiences were with these introductory classes, and if there were any tips on studying, managing time and what not. I managed to get through my undergrad with pretty poor studying techniques (not proud of them at all). I was also wondering what people had to say about devoting time to Clinics, the SLA and other organizations in their first year. I was pretty involved in my university (mostly in my last two years) and I want to continue that here. Is it possible, or am I better off to wait till my second year to get more involved?

Tbh I found 1L to be less intense than 2L and 3L so I would suggest that you get involved in extracurricular activities during your first year and see how it goes. As for studying, I would make sure that every week, at least once a day, you dedicate some time to catching up and summarizing your notes so you aren't slammed come exam time. Unlike undergrad, where I could start studying a few days before, during law school I started preparing for finals at least a month in advance and I still felt like I was running out of time (may have been my own fault though). You will find that law school exams are less about memorizing the law (which is how we were tested during undergrad) and more about issue spotting and how you can apply the law to the facts given to you. I've already completed my degree at the U of C so DM me if you have any further questions!

[lawclassof24 2]

What was the experience like this year? From what I've read, I know classes were all online, at least in the fall, but did everything move online (i.e. SLA, clinics, moots, etc.)?