Starting university can be a really daunting time, and this is exacerbated when doing a law degree as family, friends and teachers will always remind you of how competitive the legal sector can be and how tough it can be to enter the field without knowing the right people. This can add a lot of stress for students before staring a law degree or while studying one. This is further made worse by the current and future effects of the coronavirus on the already over saturated legal job-market, but it is important to stick to what you love. The great thing about law is how versatile and diverse the subject and practise of it can be, so there is no one cookie cutter law student that chambers and firms are searching for.
When studying a law degree, you will quickly realise how different some people are in their approach to work, their work ethic and/or their drive. It is really important not to compare yourself to other students though, which has been discussed in another of The Legal Side's articles here. While it is important to build and add to your CV don’t make the mistake of taking on too much for yourself. This will do nothing but burn you out and can negatively affect the quality of your work in various projects. Always remember quality over quantity, and invest your time in projects you believe in.
The CV Battle
I remember stressing myself sick during my first year of law school to make sure I tried absolutely everything because suddenly I was surrounded by students with better grades and longer CV’s, all with the same end goal as myself. The sudden realisation that some of your course mates will soon be applying for the same jobs and schemes as you can easily become very daunting. While easier said than done, it is important to not stress about the competitive nature of law, especially during your first and second year, as you should be leaning on each other for help and support, especially this year as university teaching has changed so drastically it is important to have a support network of people you can share your tips, knowledge and fears with. It may seem that everyone else has everything figured out, but truly everyone is in the same position as you, just trying to get through the year, so don’t let competitiveness stop you from reaching out to people. Leave the competition for after graduation, you will truly need help getting through a degree, especially in these uncertain times.
Planning Your Aims
It is also important to come to university with a plan, this does not necessarily mean knowing exactly what you want to do after graduation or as a career, however you should know what you want to get out of your time at university. Again, this doesn’t have to be long term, you can plan simple tasks such as ‘ I would like to do some volunteering work this semester’ or ‘ I would like to read more books at university’. Setting simple goals for yourself periodically can help you feel less stressed when it comes to making applications for vacation schemes, training contracts or pupillages. University is a lot more than a degree, it is your life for the 3 to 4 years, you cannot hope to do nothing outside of the degree or you will look back on this time in your life and not remember much outside your room and the library.
Hobbies and Interests
It is equally important not to forget your hobbies and interests at university, with law being such a rigorous academic study, many students try to force themselves to do a lot of work they aren’t interested in purely to win the ‘battle of the CV’s’. You should remember you are an individual, and firms and chambers will want to see that in your applications as at the end of the day they are looking to hire people they like and believe will fit well in the job.
If you enjoy drama, join the drama society, or if you’re a swimmer, keep swimming, you do not need purely academic extracurriculars to secure schemes or interviews, as any activities will likely give you plenty of transferable skills which will come in handy in your practise as a lawyer. You play football? Great teamwork skills. You like to hike or climb? Great adaptability. You work in a shop part time? Customer service and communication skills. These activities and hobbies may just be the reason you get offered a pupillage or training contract. Firms like to connect with their graduate hires and having something unique or interesting about yourself to talk about in an interview may just be the difference between you and another student that puts you over the edge. Do your research to find out what sort of activities you could get involved with at your university or within your law school.
Here are a few examples of things to get involved with at your university outside your degree:
Open Days/ Offer Holder Days:
Open days are a really easy and simple way to help out your university and the law school. It can be a chance to work on and improve public speaking skills, it gives you practise at speaking to different types of people and most universities will pay you for your time.
Student Ambassador:
A good extra-curricular activity is to get more involved with the university. This can be through a mentoring scheme or as a student ambassador or a team leader on an access program. Again this differs depending on your university, but is a great way to get involved and give back to the university and community.
Clubs and Societies:
This is a more obvious one but joining clubs and societies is a really good way to make friends and further your interests outside of your degree. Universities offer a range of activities and hobbies to get involved in, whether you want to pick up a new skill or continue one you already have, there is something for everyone and there is always the opportunity to run for a society committee or officer role.
Wider Outreach Programmes:
This is a great way to get involved with the local community through your law school. Schemes will differ at different universities but do some research or ask around in your law school for schemes to get involved with. This could be through mentoring schemes, or with companies such as McKenzie Friend or the Sutton Trust, or other outreach programs with partner schools and institutions. These types of roles are deeply rewarding as you get to make a direct effect on a person’s life and you can feel a sense of achievement helping out others.
Mary Sobayo is a second year law student at Newcastle University from Maidstone in Kent. Outside her degree, she is a student mentor for Sutton Trust's Pathways to law programme, the secretary for Newcastle University's quiz society and the events and fundraising officer/social secretary for Newcastle's Lawyers Without Borders Student Division.
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