Advice from across the Legal Cheek team
A new year, a new term, and a new cohort of law student freshers preparing to take the first step on their legal journeys. To help those embarking on their first lectures, reading lists, and essays, the Legal Cheek team has a few pearls of wisdom to help you kick off your degree on a high.
1. Law fairs
Whilst setting up your new email, finding the library, and trying to figure out where the lecture handouts are might be top of your priority list, don’t forget to spend a little time thinking about your future career. Going to law fairs and other careers events to gain an insight into your potential future life is invaluable, and just as useful as finding out what does interest you is finding out what doesn’t. Give them a shot, keep your options and eyes open, and you’ll find something that’s the right fit for you (even if it takes a little time). You can still sign up to Legal Cheek’s next UK Virtual Law Fair on October 8.
2. Don’t leave things to the last minute!
Or rather, please, please, try not to. Whether it’s lecture reading or vacation scheme and work experience applications, leaving things to the absolute last minute is very rarely a good idea. Less stress, less pressure, and you can make sure you don’t accidentally miss anything too important — it’s a win-win-win.
3. Don’t feel bad asking for help from your lecturers
Your lecturers are there because they (for the most part) enjoy working with students and want to help you learn! Don’t be afraid to go to them with questions, ask for advice, and clarify issues if you need a hand. That said, when you do engage with your learned tutors, please remember that they are busy and have lives too. Before asking for help it’s often a good idea to make sure you’ve looked at the issue thoroughly yourself first, and maybe asked a friend/peer for their opinion. See also point two above about not leaving things to the last minute too often — very few lecturers will appreciate a panicked email at midnight saying you can’t find a case or upload an essay properly!
4. Work on your study skills
Whilst studying a law degree will be an entirely new and challenging endeavour, try, from an early stage, to work on your study skills. Learn how to read a case efficiently, make useful notes that you can reference later, and not just copy and paste the entire textbook into your notes. Doing this early on will save you a lot of time over the rest of your course, and help a great deal when it comes to revision later on.
5. There’s a life outside of law!
As easy as it is to get buried in a gripping practitioners textbook or become lost in a 100-page House of Lords judgment, do try to have a life (and social life) outside of law. Just because you’re studying law (and are therefore smarter, cooler, and work harder than everyone else) doesn’t mean that you can’t make the most of your time at university. Try a new sport, join a cheese-tasting club, or do anything else you would like – it’s your time too.
6. Get stuck into your work
Having said that, don’t neglect your work! Leaving aside the obvious benefits of doing well in your degree, boosting your career prospects, and becoming an academic weapon, studying law really is quite interesting. Make the most of all of the resources that you have, engage with your tutors and peers, and enjoy the process of learning a new set of skills and new discipline. As always, a good mantra is that you get out what you put in.
7. Try different legal societies
You will also almost certainly have the opportunity to join an innumerable number of law societies. Have a look at your university’s law society, bar society, mooting society, medical law society or commercial law society. There are probably more societies than you can count — go along, give them a go if they sound interesting, and as in point one, keep your eyes and options open!
Interested in learning more about the legal world and the opportunities it offers? Sign up to Legal Cheek’s UK Virtual Law Fair on Tuesday 8 October. APPLY NOW.
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