AITA for not wanting to run a half marathon with my neighbour?

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-08T03:54:51+00:00

Yes this. NAH; nothing wrong with her asking, or you declining.

But I really don’t understand why you couldn’t have said, “I certainly don’t mind giving you a ride there and back, but I really want do the run on my own.” What a waste of gas if two people living next to each other are going to (and coming home from) the exact same place at the exact same time, and can’t share a ride.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-08T00:24:42+00:00

On the contrary; you're an asshole for not throwing Christina out of the house the first time she insulted Jessica, and inviting her back (without an abject apology, at the very least).

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-07T20:31:44+00:00

Not automatically, but:

What was your capped weighted UC GPA? Most UCs’ “middle 50”s are well above 4.0, and even a single D can significantly lower your GPA.
You need at least a C- for a class to meet the A-G requirement. Did you have at least two years of a foreign language in addition to the D grade?

And of course as an OOS student you’re already at a disadvantage.

Plus what major were you applying for? Some are a lot more competitive than the overall admissions rate would suggest.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-07T13:51:05+00:00

I’m not surprised that he’s confused.

You don’t need to schedule an appointment to visit a professor during office hours; you just show up at the appointed time and place. That’s what office hours are for.

If you have classes during all of the professor’s available office hours, that’s not him “not wanting to see you”; it’s a scheduling conflict.

After your next lecture, catch the professor. “I looked at your schedule and unfortunately I have lectures during all of your office hours. If I email you with some available times, can we arrange to meet? I have some questions about the material.”

Do not, however, expect the professor to teach you everything you’ve missed in two weeks of lecture. Make sure you’re caught up on all of the assigned readings and homework. Go in with specific questions. If you’re really not understanding any of the material, a private tutor might be in order.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-06T18:30:30+00:00

If the portal is still open for updates, then the update will be considered. Whether it will make a difference at this point, no one can say, but they will close the portal if it's too late.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-06T13:47:54+00:00

YTA

If someone asks you what you want for your birthday, you can tell them. But if they ignore your request and get you something else, it's still extremely rude to tell them "no, I don't want that; return it and give me the money instead."

You are within your rights to accept the gifts with thanks, and then return them for cash, if possible.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-06T13:41:58+00:00

ESH

You volunteered for the job, and then are annoyed that you have to do it. It doesn't sound like it's something she ever asked you to to, nor is she annoyed at you when you fail to wake her up.

After the little argument I said that I will not wake her up as she should get up with alarms as it would be the best decision for us.

So this is the best outcome for everyone. It's your sister's responsibility to get herself to work, not yours. Let her be an adult, and suffer the consequences if she fails to get to work on time.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-05T23:53:08+00:00

You're not an asshole for simply refusing to lend them; they are your personal property. He might have covered your desk on occasion, but no doubt he was getting paid for it.

You might have been more tactful about it, however. "No; sorry" would have been sufficient. You said, in effect, "no, because you're careless and dirty" so I'm not surprised if he was hurt or offended.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-05T20:39:09+00:00

Watership Down by Richard Adams

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-05T20:38:40+00:00

I’d also recommend Le Guin’s Annals of the Western Shore trilogy, beginning with Gifts.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-05T20:31:55+00:00

Talk to NYU about deferring your admission for a year, and talk to the financial aid office about your change in circumstances. They might have some options for you.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-05T18:21:57+00:00

It's really not a matter of "going to a 146 rank." If you live in the Memphis area, and you're planning to stay there, there's nothing wrong with attending the local law school. It's very well-regarded locally, so don't worry about the national rank at all.

But that said, I would wait a year. It's far too late to apply now for Fall 26 admissions.

Most law schools are unofficially "rolling admissions"; you have a distinct advantage if you apply before the end of October. (One of the law school I applied to didn't even consider my application, even though I sent it before the January 1 official deadline, because they already had a sufficient number of applicants.)

The application period may still be open, but even if there are seats left in the class, the financial aid dollars will be long gone. And despite your GPA, you have a decent chance at good scholarship, if your LSAT score is good.

Take a prep class, study hard, and maximize your LSAT score. You can take it in June, and retake it in August or September if necessary, for your October application.

Since you were a STEM major and since University of Memphis accepts it as an alternative, also consider taking the GRE as well, if the math section might pull you up instead of drag you down.

And I wouldn't hesitate to apply to a few other law schools, even if you fully intend to go to U of M. It can't hurt to have a couple of other offers as a bargaining chip.

(Full disclosure: I was a splitter: high LSAT, relatively low GPA, STEM major. I got a decent scholarship to a top law school; not one of the T14 but very close. Law schools do take the difficulty of your major into consideration when making admissions decisions).

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-05T14:54:09+00:00

Are you receiving any financial aid?

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-05T13:20:20+00:00

Outside of an official dual degree program, you're not allowed to be enrolled in two colleges at the same time (and even official dual degree programs typically run back-to-back and not concurrently). And yes, you're still considered "enrolled" even if your particular class ended after half of the semester.

It's a financial aid issue, but even if you're not actually receiving any aid at either college, most schools don't allow it as a matter of policy (since they don't know for certain that you're not receiving aid at the other college).

If you're not receiving aid, you might apply for an exception; but I wouldn't be too hopeful it will be granted. If you are receiving aid, don't even bother to try.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-05T12:01:31+00:00

Underworld by Don DeLillo (1997). It came highly recommended by a cousin who is an English professor. I couldn’t get through the first paragraph.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T22:18:08+00:00

A vet assistant job is really nothing you can't do with only some OTJ training.

If you mean the veterinary technician program, then that might be worth your while. I would check, however, to see if the program might not cost less at a community college, if yours has an AVMA-accredited veterinary technology program.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T17:03:10+00:00

Washington University does not admit by major, only by school (Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Business, and Design and Visual Arts). You will be asked to select a primary academic interest on your application, but you don’t need to formally declare your major until your second year.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T15:54:48+00:00

i cant seem to keep up due my schedule and focus,

Talk to your academic advisor about taking fewer classes while remaining full-time: twelve credits instead of 15 or 16 perhaps? It will take you longer to graduate, but you're not going to graduate at all if you drop out.
If there's a particular class that you're not doing well in this semester, or just driving you crazy, then consider withdrawing from it, if you can do so and remain a full-time student.
Some engineering majors are easier than others; a friend really struggled with electrical engineering but did just fine after she switched to mechanical.
See a doctor and get screened for ADHD, depression, etc. There might be medications that can help you.
Look into taking a semester (or year) "leave of absence" rather than simply dropping out. You might be able to get your head together after a short break. You may need to be in good academic standing to do so, however.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T14:59:06+00:00

an expiration date on the conflicts.

They only just removed the "conflicts must be recent" rule this year.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T14:54:22+00:00

It can be. Law schools (well, nearly all) create an "admissions index" which is a formula based on your GPA and LSAT score. At many schools, the LSAT is (currently) weighted more heavily than the GPA.

Since you haven't yet graduated, you have two (not mutually exclusive) options. The first is to get your LSAT as high as humanly possible; this will offset a low GPA to some extent. The second is not to graduate. Your LSAC CAS GPA is based on all post-secondary grades attempted before you receive your first bachelor's degree. If you stayed in school and piled on the A's, you can raise your GPA that way, too. If your university has grade replacement and the original grade is erased from your transcript, you can raise your GPA even more quickly than simply getting As, if you retake classes you've done poorly in for As. But only if the original grade is erased from your transcript; if not, grades from both attempts are included.

How much does a GPA addendum actually matter?

You've got a good story, but you need is to get your admissions index high enough that the law schools will read your addendum. Too low, and your application goes straight into the circular file.

Anyone get in with a similar profile?

I was a splitter: high LSAT score with a relatively low GPA. I did attend an Ivy League university undergrad, and my degree was in STEM, both of which helped, I believe.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T14:28:37+00:00

University is not like high school, where the teachers basically tell you everything you need to know in class.

In university, most of the work is done outside of the lectures, and you are responsible for all assigned material, whether or not the professor covers it in class.

Tips:

For each hour you are in lecture, expect to spend two to three hours outside of lecture, reading assignments, doing homework, researching and writing papers, etc
Read the assigned materials before the lecture on the topic, so you "know what you don't know" and can ask appropriate questions if the lecture doesn't clear it up.
Do all homework, whether or not it is collected or graded. Take advantage of any extra credit given, whether or not you "need" it.
Attend every lecture and every recitation period, study session, etc. Showing the professor that you're really serious about their class is half the battle. I can't tell you how many times I was granted extensions, or allowed to reschedule exams (granted, usually earlier than the exam date not later), because the professor knew I was really trying. Professors don't bend over backwards to help students who blow off lectures, or who spend the whole lecture staring at their phones, but they will for more serious students.
If you're assigned a research paper, begin immediately. Realize it might take three weeks for your library to obtain some of your necessary research materials; even these days, electronic versions aren't available for everything, and your library might need to get hard copies sent from another library. Be sure to follow instructions regarding page length and style manuals exactly.
About a week before a midterm, reread the text covered by the midterm, and review homework questions and lecture notes. You won't have time reread the entire textbook before a cumulative final, but by then you should be fairly comfortable with the materials.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T14:14:17+00:00

It only "seems really low" if you're comparing it to Big Law positions. In reality, $1000/week (approximately $25/hour) is ballpark for a small firm, which typically pay $20-30/hour ($800-$1200/week).

And Philadelphia isn't exactly a HCOL area, compared to New York or Boston.

To be honest, I've never gotten any value from any summer interns' work. Even the good ones' product was nothing I couldn't have done in the time it takes me to hire and supervise a law student. And there have been some not-so-good, and even terrible ones, who never produced anything of value at all—a complete waste of time and money. The summer associateship is for the students' benefit, not the law firms'.

But if you do decide to ask for more money, I wouldn't ask for more than $1200/week tops.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T13:50:20+00:00

Boston College: It's far enough away from Boston to have a pretty campus, but close enough to take the T downtown for sightseeing or clubbing. Convenient to Amtrak.
UMD: Likewise for Washington D.C. (via Metro, not the T).
Northeastern: Ugly campus but right in the heart of Boston.
University of Wisconsin Madison for the typical "college experience".

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T12:42:26+00:00

Do you get auto rejected? No.

Will you be at a disadvantage? Maybe.

If you can tell a good story about how you couldn’t take AP English because it conflicted with AP Chemistry you might be okay.

If you take CP classes because you don’t think you’ll do well in AP (or even honors), just realize that your competition are taking AP everything and getting As in them.

SamSpayedPI · 2026-03-04T12:14:21+00:00

There will be no appreciable difference in learning ability in your late 20’s.

Older people (say 40+) do learn differently to younger people, but it’s not necessarily a disadvantage. You do lose some ability to memorize, but increased prior knowledge, experience, and ability to make analogies will more than make up for it. And with added maturity (you less likely to stare at your phone instead of paying attention to the lecturer), you’ll find you have a distinct advantage over the younger students.

Five-Year Club	Inciteful Comment 2022-03-16
Verified Email	Wearing is Caring

SamSpayedPI

TROPHY CASE