Renowned for being a particularly demanding course, Law School requires (not by law) students to be well-prepared and dedicated in their bid for academic success. The high expectations that come with the course can place students under significant pressure. It is therefore advisable that you take certain steps to ensure the course can provide you with a varied and fascinating education.

The scope and breadth of Law as a subject can be a gift and a curse, for whilst it enables students to learn about the exciting realms the course extends into, it also requires the studying of basic, occasionally mundane information. As such, is important that you don’t lose sight of the reasons behind your pursue of a Law degree. Although much of the degree may not relate to the niche area of the course which holds particular interest to you, continued dedication and hard work is necessary to build a strong base of knowledge and context, which may help to colour the areas which hold greater interest for you. As the course progresses, it is likely that you’ll have a greater say over which modules you take, thus enabling you to study aspects of Law which hold particular interest to you.

Due to the copious amounts of work associated with Law, it is important to achieve a measured balance between work and leisure. It can be easy to fall to far either side of this fence, however, as some students may work around the clock to cram as much information as possible into their mind. This could lead to fatigue, and subsequently cause your academic performance to suffer. What good is having all the information in your head if you are unable to communicate it?! Conversely, other students may fall out of practice when it comes to keeping up with the workload and independent study, which could lead to the course overwhelming them. Achieving a balance between work and play is important in ensuring maximising productivity when studying.

Help while studying

Developing a strong rapport with your peers is another good tip when it comes to not only surviving Law School, but emerging on the other side with a smile on your face eager to make use of your degree. As with anything which requires hearty dedication and personal input, a sense of camaraderie can serve to carry you through at times when the work may seem overbearing. Keeping an eye out on your peers, and helping them through any areas they may struggle with will be reciprocated if you find a certain aspect difficult. This can help the learning process. It can be common to emerge from a lecture more confused than when you went in, however, by maintaining a bond with your peers, you can bank on being able to work towards clarity together. Similarly, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask your tutor for help or advice. Familiarising yourself with their office hours can open you up to a concentrated space where you can clarify areas of uncertainty.

Although Law School requires discipline and dedication, the rewards it yields can make it worthwhile, provided you put in the work and appreciate not every lecture will be like an episode of Law & Order.