Whether you are starting your first year as a law student or going into your final year, it’s important to work hard towards getting your law degree. Wondering what to avoid as a law student? Read on to discover what not to do so that you can succeed in law school.
Overworking yourself
Although hard work and dedication are vital for a law degree like the LLB, you mustn’t overdo it. You must try your best to maintain a work/life balance.
Make sure you take time out for yourself to re-charge your batteries, whether that be grabbing a coffee with friends or watching an episode of your favourite show on Netflix.it
If you don’t take breaks, you risk becoming overly tired and by the end of the semester, when things start to get tough, you will be burned out and may not perform as well as you would hope to in that end of year exam or important piece of coursework.
Getting into Competition
While you may want to be the best in your class or be the first to get that sought-after training contract or pupillage, it’s important not to approach your degree as a competition. Every law student works and succeeds at their own pace – there is no race.
Comparing yourself to your classmates will only act as a distraction and slow down your success.
Take your degree one step at a time, go at your own pace and most importantly, focus on yourself and your own success.
Approaching your degree like A-Levels
This point only really applies if you chose to study law at A-Level, but it’s still important to remember. By now, you will have heard that there is a big jump from A-Level to undergraduate degree level.
If you studied law A-Level, you will probably go into your first lectures thinking you know what to expect and even some of the material. While this may be the case, it can be a dangerous minefield to enter. At degree level you will be required to go into greater detail, so you must be prepared to learn about certain LLB subjects in more depth. You shouldn’t ignore revising a topic because you’ve studied it before.
If you want to succeed in law school, you must focus on all of your subjects as if it’s the first time you’re learning them. This way, you will retain much more information and perform better when you are tested.
Procrastination
This one is quite simple, do not procrastinate. It will lead to you falling behind, which could lead to you struggling with the material you’re expected to learn. The best way to avoid it? Re-read the first point.
If you get your work/life balance right it will be much easier to continue with your studies. You can avoid procrastination by making a schedule and sticking to it so you can keep up with your work and find time to pursue your personal interests.
Most importantly, do not miss your lectures or seminars! This will make it much harder to keep up with the work and will most likely lead to procrastination, which brings me to my final point…
5. Do not be shy
If you have chosen to study law at university, the chances are you are not shy. However, law can be complicated and varied and it is unlikely that you will understand all of the aspects of your modules straight away. You may be afraid to admit that you are finding it difficult to grasp.
If you are struggling, you must ask for help. Whether that be asking fellow classmates or a friendly tutor. If you want to succeed in law school, you must get help when it’s required or you risk falling behind.
You never know, by asking for help you may also help other students who are also struggling but are afraid to ask for help.
Words: Leah Redden
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