10 Things We Wish We Knew Before We Started A Law Degree
What We Wish We Knew Before Starting Law School
1) Be
prepared to Do a LOT of Reading
Everyone knows that a Law Degree comes with an
extensive reading list. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS. I added up last week that
the reading list for one module had 39 things to read plus specific extras for
Seminars and Lectures. Before even getting to uni, have a read of some
introductory books – our favourite ones are linked below – to give yourself a
bit of a background, which we all found to be beneficial rather than going in with
NO clue.
Don’t let yourself get behind on reading, because you will find it so hard to catch up, especially later on in the semester when exams are looming.
Don’t let yourself get behind on reading, because you will find it so hard to catch up, especially later on in the semester when exams are looming.
2) Don’t
be Afraid of First Year Results
It is not the end of the world. You could
get a 3rd or a pass and you’re not going to get exiled. You might
feel like it’s the be all and end all if you don’t get a 1st on your
first ever uni exam, and the panic leading up to results day will be agonising –
but it really isn’t a problem if you’re not getting that 70%. Chances are, you
will have done better than you thought. We got so worried in the week before we
started planning an emergency getaway to Berlin, so we wouldn’t have to deal
with results! (We both got 2:1s so we didn’t end up going). First year exams
are there to give you an idea of the format, so work hard but don’t panic.
3) Its
Always Good to Have a Lot of Contacts
When it comes to second year, there’ll be 250+ of you looking for the same jobs, with the same firms, at the same time; so, you’re going to need to have a way to get ahead. Getting yourself a LinkedIn profile will help you connect with your peers, your lecturers and potential future employers, which may not seem like a big deal but when they see your name on the application and know that you’re making an effort to beyond just your degree work, it will definitely go in your favour.
When it comes to second year, there’ll be 250+ of you looking for the same jobs, with the same firms, at the same time; so, you’re going to need to have a way to get ahead. Getting yourself a LinkedIn profile will help you connect with your peers, your lecturers and potential future employers, which may not seem like a big deal but when they see your name on the application and know that you’re making an effort to beyond just your degree work, it will definitely go in your favour.
4) Don’t
be Afraid of Making Friends
You’ll never know when you’ll need notes. At our law school we have a group chat on social media with most people in our year, and when an article is hard to find, or there’s a problematic seminar question, it’s always useful to have 200+ people in the same boat. At the same time, if you’re looking for a friendly debate about who’s guilty or not there’ll be a place for it. Although work is important during a law degree, without a solid social circle you’ll potentially go insane. Keep a good network of friends around you, especially if you’re moving away from home, because even the Supreme Court Judges have social time away from their work.
You’ll never know when you’ll need notes. At our law school we have a group chat on social media with most people in our year, and when an article is hard to find, or there’s a problematic seminar question, it’s always useful to have 200+ people in the same boat. At the same time, if you’re looking for a friendly debate about who’s guilty or not there’ll be a place for it. Although work is important during a law degree, without a solid social circle you’ll potentially go insane. Keep a good network of friends around you, especially if you’re moving away from home, because even the Supreme Court Judges have social time away from their work.
5) Get
Lots of Work Experience in Your First Year:
As we said before, when you’re applying for jobs in the second year, everyone is going to be looking for similar things, and most people will have similar experiences. If you can get work experience before it comes to applying for work, you’ll put yourself miles ahead of the competition because it isn’t just about grades. WMH has worked with debt recovery management and HR as well as working with family barristers (and more but we don’t have all day) and LC has worked with three corporate law firms to get some relevant experience. There is also potential to get some experience before you even start, there’s a huge gap between A levels/college and Uni so use it wisely, go and shadow a solicitor or a judge, or something similar - we’ll be making a post later about how to successfully get legal work experience, so keep an eye out for that. Getting experience before your degree will definitely help you decide if a legal career is right for you or not which can save you time and thousands of pounds.
As we said before, when you’re applying for jobs in the second year, everyone is going to be looking for similar things, and most people will have similar experiences. If you can get work experience before it comes to applying for work, you’ll put yourself miles ahead of the competition because it isn’t just about grades. WMH has worked with debt recovery management and HR as well as working with family barristers (and more but we don’t have all day) and LC has worked with three corporate law firms to get some relevant experience. There is also potential to get some experience before you even start, there’s a huge gap between A levels/college and Uni so use it wisely, go and shadow a solicitor or a judge, or something similar - we’ll be making a post later about how to successfully get legal work experience, so keep an eye out for that. Getting experience before your degree will definitely help you decide if a legal career is right for you or not which can save you time and thousands of pounds.
6) Don’t
Feel Like You’re Behind if you Didn’t Study @ A Level
The first few weeks of a law degree are basically A level law in a nutshell, and first year in general will bring you up to speed with what you need to know. If you’re worried about being behind, take a look at some books as we mentioned just to give yourself some peace of mind. Most people who take a law degree don’t do A Level law or access courses to law, as some centres don’t offer it, or they’ve decided to change their career path, but if you do find you’re struggling, then your lecturers are there to help you, which brings us to our next point…
The first few weeks of a law degree are basically A level law in a nutshell, and first year in general will bring you up to speed with what you need to know. If you’re worried about being behind, take a look at some books as we mentioned just to give yourself some peace of mind. Most people who take a law degree don’t do A Level law or access courses to law, as some centres don’t offer it, or they’ve decided to change their career path, but if you do find you’re struggling, then your lecturers are there to help you, which brings us to our next point…
7) Your
Lecturers Can be Your Friends
Generally, lecturers and tutors are there to support you, not to put you down, or make you feel bad for getting something wrong. Be friendly with them, and take advantage of the help they offer, go to their contact hours, build a working relationship with them (they can give you good references when it comes to employment or work experience) but don’t message them at 3am expecting a reply and always address them professionally, or they may be less willing to give you their time.
Generally, lecturers and tutors are there to support you, not to put you down, or make you feel bad for getting something wrong. Be friendly with them, and take advantage of the help they offer, go to their contact hours, build a working relationship with them (they can give you good references when it comes to employment or work experience) but don’t message them at 3am expecting a reply and always address them professionally, or they may be less willing to give you their time.
8) Be
Commercially Aware
One of the first things we were told when we started our course, was to make sure that you remain commercially aware, this is keeping up with current affairs, legal disputes and government goings on. We were told to read newspapers, follow bodies like the Supreme Court on platforms like twitter (while we’re on the subject, follow us @almostlawyers) and keep an eye on what’s happening with some law firms in big cases. A lot of employers have commercial awareness as a compulsory quality when choosing from graduates, and it’s a hard quality to wing in an interview, so play it safe and get a basic subscription to the Financial Times.
One of the first things we were told when we started our course, was to make sure that you remain commercially aware, this is keeping up with current affairs, legal disputes and government goings on. We were told to read newspapers, follow bodies like the Supreme Court on platforms like twitter (while we’re on the subject, follow us @almostlawyers) and keep an eye on what’s happening with some law firms in big cases. A lot of employers have commercial awareness as a compulsory quality when choosing from graduates, and it’s a hard quality to wing in an interview, so play it safe and get a basic subscription to the Financial Times.
9) Be
the Nerd that Asks Questions
We all know the feeling of being in a long lecture, and then there’s the one person who won’t stop asking questions. Be that one. Everyone has a different understanding of things, and you may be asking a question that someone else is thinking but doesn’t want to ask. There are no stupid questions, especially with something as complicated as law and you could be helping someone out massively. If you’re too shy to ask in front of the whole lecture hall, go up to the lecturer at the end, they often welcome questions, and will definitely help you as best as they can, and again, it helps with building an effective professional relationship with them.
We all know the feeling of being in a long lecture, and then there’s the one person who won’t stop asking questions. Be that one. Everyone has a different understanding of things, and you may be asking a question that someone else is thinking but doesn’t want to ask. There are no stupid questions, especially with something as complicated as law and you could be helping someone out massively. If you’re too shy to ask in front of the whole lecture hall, go up to the lecturer at the end, they often welcome questions, and will definitely help you as best as they can, and again, it helps with building an effective professional relationship with them.
10) Enjoy
yourself
The degree you study should be something that you love. Uni is hard enough, moving away from home for the first time, making new friends and fending for yourself can feel impossible as it is, but when it’s coupled with studying for something you wish you weren’t doing, your work will suffer and more importantly so will your mental health. If you find that you’re not enjoying your degree, your university will have systems in place to facilitate change or support to get you back on the right track. Similarly, don’t work yourself into the ground: have some time with friends, visit home and do new things, or you’ll find yourself graduating with no memories of anything but the library from the last three years, and no one wants that!
The degree you study should be something that you love. Uni is hard enough, moving away from home for the first time, making new friends and fending for yourself can feel impossible as it is, but when it’s coupled with studying for something you wish you weren’t doing, your work will suffer and more importantly so will your mental health. If you find that you’re not enjoying your degree, your university will have systems in place to facilitate change or support to get you back on the right track. Similarly, don’t work yourself into the ground: have some time with friends, visit home and do new things, or you’ll find yourself graduating with no memories of anything but the library from the last three years, and no one wants that!
Recommended Books:
Letters to a Law Student: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Letters-Law-Student-3rd-edn-ebook/dp/B00MO9ZPNM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1520983221&sr=8-2&keywords=letters+to+a+law+student
Defending the Guilty: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defending-Guilty-Truth-Criminal-Courtroom/dp/0141042729/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
If you have any other recommendations for books or tips for new law students, leave them in the comments!
WMH & LC
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