“Tis the season to be jolly” — but not if you’re studying law
1. Deadlines
The work doesn’t stop for law students over the Christmas period, with dissertation deadlines and exams conveniently set for as soon as you get back in January.
2. Packing
With 70% of your suitcase filled with textbooks, even packing for the journey home is problematic.
3. Socialising
Even if you’re planning to become a corporate lawyer specialising in mergers and acquisitions, you can be sure that at least 60% of your friends will demand to know across the pub table:
“How can you represent someone who you know is guilty?”
4. Mini-pupillages and winter vac schemes
Christmas isn’t a time to celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus: it’s a time to boost the CV.
5. Free legal advice
Friends and family come to you with their legal problems, you dish out questionable advice.
6. Caffeine withdrawal
Doesn’t everyone drink eight cups of coffee-a-day? Actually, no …
7. Illness
OK, so this can effect everybody — but we don’t have the time to be ill.
8. Relationships
Immersed in law 24/7, it’s easy to let its orderliness and logic tarnish other areas of your life.
9. Society’s lack of attention to detail
*Grrrrr* Christmas cards are so imprecise!
10. Gifts
With those spiralling LLB/GDL/LPC/BPTC fees, you have barely enough money to eat. So your gifts rely on creativity.
11. Vac scheme applications
Rumours that law firms favour applications submitted early mean that everyone is aiming to complete theirs by the end of the year — even though most vac scheme deadlines aren’t until 31 January. And with so much scary news about the economy/falling training contract numbers/growing paralegal purgatory, you dare not delay.
By the end of the festive period, it’ll be almost a relief to be back in lectures.
Happy Christmas!
