How to prepare for your first year studying law

So you’ve decided to take the leap and commit yourself to undertaking a law degree. At the time of writing this I am currently mid-way through my first year LLB after studying a foundation year at the same uni, so I’m well positioned to reveal what’s to come and share with you my successes and hopefully help you avoid some of the mistakes I made. So with that in mind, let’s begin.

- READING -

I’m sure by now you’ve been told numerous times by several people that there is a tonne of reading, and I’m here to tell you those people are in no way exaggerating. I remember in my first week going to the University Hall to collect my books and being shook at the amount of books I was given compared to my student peers studying other subjects. To put it into perspective, the books are packed into branded tote bags, and whilst most other students collecting their books were able to then fit their bottled water and other items into these tote bags along with their leaflets books, you could spot a law student from a mile away, simply by the fact that our tote bags were crammed and our arms also full of books.

Thinking that doesn’t sound quite so bad (they are for the whole year after all) I haven’t yet mentioned that there will be other books your tutor will advise you to either buy or check out of the library. Then of course there are the reading lists. These cheeky lists usually come in the form of links, emailed to you by your lecturers before every lecture prompting you to read cases and journal articles that are going to be of importance should you wish to understand the topic being discussed in lectures and seminars.

MY ADVICE 

"Read smart, and keep up with it, it doesn't need to be as much of a ball ache as it sounds.....and by reading smart, I mean, you don't have to read everything in its entirety. Skimming until you get the point usually suffices. Another tip; converse with your fellow students, sometimes a quick chat with them can get you up to speed."

- A THOUSAND YEARS -

I have to admit, sometimes I feel like I’m studying for a History degree. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy all things historical, but if you're hoping to be surrounded by current affairs and current issues, sadly that plays only a small percentage of the course. I can tell you all about the significance of 1066.

MY ADVICE

"As boring as the Judicature Acts may sound, you will be surprised how one lecture or one topic can impact other modules. One thing that I have noticed studying a law degree is how much the modules intertwine."

-GET USED TO BEING DISAPPOINTED-

Okay, so maybe that heading is a bit of an exaggeration, but don't be discouraged when your first essay results end up being...... not so great. I remember hearing that in order to get a first in an assignment you had to achieve a mark of 70% or over. I also remember thinking how easy that sounded. "surely 70% is easily achieved if I do all the reading and research, and fulfill the relevant learning outcomes". Well turns out, not so much. Anything in the region of 50-69 is a 2:1 and that is the spectrum that has most students jumping for joy, and even then, can be difficult to achieve. Fortunately for me, every single one of my essays this year so far have been 2:1's, and high 2:1's at that (not to brag or anything) however I just scrapped a 50 on my first ever presentation. However, what I've learnt is that the feedback generated is so vital and important as to improve your future score. 

MY ADVICE

Don't let this put you off! Technically, your first year in university doesn't count towards your final grade, that is to say you still need to pass (achieve a minimum of 40% overall). DISCLAIMER: Check your own university policies as this may vary, however it tends to be the same with all of my friends that have attended different uni's. So, with this in mind, this is the year of trial and error, read that feedback, take risks with your writing style and take note of what works and what doesn't. I've had success in thinking "f**k it, I'm going to put this in this time and see what happens". You won't get this chance again. 

-GET INVOLVED-

studying doesn't all have to be doom and gloom. There's an entire culture to university that I didn't think there would be, full of sports clubs and societies, which contrary to belief, are not there simply to discuss the topic of it's name. The Law Society in my university arranges court visits, law fairs etc, but also fun events and nights out. The old maxim "work hard, play hard" springs to mind.