The end of August is rolling around, and we’re all familiar with the feeling of ‘Back to School’ (or for most of us, University). The temperature is dipping slightly, and we’re beginning to make plans regarding our return to campus. For those of us returning to law school, we’re thinking about how we’re going to keep track of our cases and critics over the coming terms, and those just entering this year are wondering where to even start. As a second year student returning to the University of Exeter, I hope this article will be interesting and useful to anyone embarking on a new year of studying law.
The Initial Stages
There is certainly a balance to be struck in the lead up to law school. On the one hand, studying law is intense. You will notice there is a comparatively greater workload to other subjects, purely due to the volume of content there is to learn. For this reason, one school of thought is that summer is there to be enjoyed; you should put all thoughts of work out of your mind, and squeeze out every last bit of freedom. However, given the intensity of the subject, the second school of thought is that the flexibility of summer grants you the extra time needed to prepare and complete any necessary pre-reading. I would suggest finding a happy medium. Law school really does throw you in at the deep end, so if you suspect you might be caught off guard by the workload, perhaps skim through the syllabus or the chapters of your textbook beforehand, just to get to grips with what you can expect. However, you’re likely to be working fairly long hours most days, and with this in mind, don’t waste the last of summer by trying to get too far ahead.
The Reading
I lived in a flat of law students in my first year. We’d always laugh about how we were told countless times about the volume of reading we could expect, and yet it still shocked every single one of us. This stereotype exists for a reason: you will be set an unfathomable amount of reading, and this is no exaggeration. Whilst it can all be done, it doesn’t need to be. It will take you around three weeks of getting back from the library past 11pm to realise that you need to be selective with your reading. Learn to skim read, and learn to quickly assess which articles or books will be most relevant to you. It is far better to spend three hours gaining a strong understanding of two critics from their book chapters, than trying to cram eight articles in those same three hours. You won’t understand the content as thoroughly, and therefore it will be less relevant when it comes to writing essays. That’s not to say you can branch out into the ‘Optional Reading’ category if your time allows, but I’d suggest that quality is far better than quantity in this instance.
Take Advantage of the Opportunities
If you are considering a career in law, it is vitally important to use the time in law school to build up your CV. The legal world is hugely competitive, and therefore it is best to start early. If you are not yet sure which path to go down, or even if you would like to embark on a legal career at all, law school is the best place to find out. Utilise every opportunity offered to you, even if it means you can cross ‘barrister’ off of your potential careers list! Universities often hold careers fairs, law fairs, talks, workshops and networking events. These are fantastic chances to delve deeper into what a legal career might hold. Check out whether your university has a Law Society; this is great to gain access to such events, and you might even consider being on the committee. Moreover, by taking part in these events, you will be able to embellish your CV and have something to talk about if you ever have an interview.
Set up a system and stick with it!
One piece of particularly useful guidance is to choose a system at the beginning of the year, and stick to it. Will you be typing your notes, or handwriting them? (Hint: you might find that typing is loads easier given the volume of content!). How are you going to be organising your cases? Will you have a separate folder for each module, or for each term? Make these decisions early on to avoid confusing yourself when exam season rolls around. The last thing you want to do is worry where your notes from week 6 are, only to remember that that was the week you experimented handwriting your notes! Having a streamlined system will give you peace of mind and make the system of note taking just that much simpler.
Ask for help
Asking for help seems like an obvious piece of advice, and it is. Yet, many students often avoid doing this for fear of appearing stupid, or for not wanting to waste their professor’s time. If you’re nervous to ask a question in a tutorial or seminar, remind yourself that there is likely to be at least one other person with the same question. If not, you can always stay behind afterwards and ask your tutor privately. They have a genuine passion for their subject and are always keen to pass that on, and besides, answering your questions is quite literally in their job description! It is also helpful to make friends with other law students. That way, you can ask each other questions, and this breaks down the barrier of awkwardness that you’d get in a more official academic setting. Law is difficult, and nobody goes through law school understanding everything, so make use of the resources you have and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Enjoy yourself!
This tip seems a little paradoxical, given how tough law school has been set out to be from the rest of this article. However, remember that you chose to study law for one reason or another, and if you take yourself out of a rigorous academic setting, a lot of the content is genuinely quite interesting. Make a note of any cases which strike you as particularly funny or fascinating, and see if you can apply any legal concepts to anything you hear on the news, or see day to day. It’s much easier to understand something if you contextualise it, so just try to remember that the law happens all around us everyday, and not just in textbooks.
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