This post has been written by Upasana Pandey. She has recently graduated from Georgetown University Law Center with a Master of Laws degree in International Business and Economic Law.
Should you stay on campus during your LL.M. at Georgetown University Law Center? Or should you rent an apartment outside the law campus?
Advantages of staying in an on-campus accommodation:
- You can wake up 20 mins before class and still reach your class on time in the morning as the classrooms are a stone’s throw away from your room.
- Staying on campus meant that I could access the Georgetown Law Library whenever I wanted.
- On-campus housing at Georgetown University Law Center is fully furnished. I didn’t want to buy/rent furniture. Also, you have to assemble your furniture yourself in the US. If you pay some extra money (read 100 USD-200 USD approximately), other people can assemble them for you.
- I knew little about the different neighborhoods in DC and was concerned about my safety. Most people know about the gun violence problem in the US. It was implied that on-campus housing would have good security.
Advantages of staying in an apartment outside the law campus:
- If you stay on campus, you have to move out in the third week of May and in this same week, you will have your graduation ceremony which is a 3-day event here at Georgetown Law. Generally, people who rent apartments take a 12-month lease term. This means that you do not have to face the hassle of moving out during your graduation week (keep in mind that just before graduation week you will have your final exams). If you take the New York Bar Exam, you have to stay in the US till the end of July. Hence, chalk out your plans with the New York Bar Exam in mind.
- You can take studio apartments and do not have to share it with anyone. There are some options for studio apartments at the on-campus accommodation. However, they are too expensive.
- It will most probably be cheaper for you if you stay outside the campus. Also, I felt that the off-campus apartments are much nicer. There are many apartment options for people who want to stay near the law campus.
Furniture:
Should you rent furniture?
After moving out from my on-campus accommodation, I decided to stay in an unfurnished apartment. At first, I decided to rent furniture. However, after making some calculations, I found out that renting furniture is more expensive than buying in DC (it basically depends on what items you want). I chose IKEA to buy my furniture. IKEA has some kind of collaboration with another company that sends people to assemble them (if you choose that option). Alternatively, you can assemble them yourself.
Important Information:
Right after graduation, when you will move out from your on-campus accommodation, you might not know your job location or might be a bit unsure about your future plans. Hence, you will probably opt for a three or four-month lease term in the US. If the lease term is short you have to pay a very high rent.
Disclaimer: Everything that has been written in this blog is based on my personal experience. I am not being paid by any institution or company to write this blog. Nothing in this blog constitutes legal advice.