After three semesters of straight law I decided to add a business degree to my studies because two degrees is better than one, right?
This year I not only added an extra degree to my studies but also another university. Confused? Well listen closely because it gets complicated.
I’ve enrolled into a Bachelor of Business at a different university to where I study law. Technically I’m studying two single degrees concurrently at two universities. I know what you’re thinking – this girl is crazy! You’re probably right.
But that’s not all.
The universities where I study are technically in different cities. I study law on the Gold Coast and business in Brisbane.
But wait, there’s more. My law degree is accelerated, meaning at one university I have trimesters (three semesters a year) and semesters at the other, which overlap.
Let me start from the beginning.
I started my law degree in 2012 at Bond University. After doing some research I decided Bond was best option for me. Having reached my FEE-HELP limit on my law degree, any postgraduate studies I would have to pay for up front. My approach to university is to get in a get out, so I wasn’t keen to work for a few years and return to university for a post grad business degree.
I can’t say that what I’m doing is easy. I have to plan my semesters well in advance to avoid clashes not only in timetabling but also the dates assessments are due. I organised all my assessments into a table to see where they fell in terms of the other semester and to ensure that there weren’t any clashes. By November of last year I had planned out my studies for 2013. This is extremely important, because what I’m doing is so far past unconventional; I get little flexibility from either university, as they’ve never dealt with a situation like this.
It’s not all bad though. The dates of semesters and holidays are different so there is about six weeks of most semesters where I am only taking two subjects, giving me time to really apply myself before getting bogged down going between universities.
I think during our four or five years of law school we get so comfortable with what we know that change can be a scary thing. We know each section of the law library like the back of our hand. We all have that favourite tutor, that favourite computer, car park and even favourite spot in the lecture theatre. But maybe that’s just me.
But it’s a whole different world at my new uni. I am still discovering the best place on campus to get coffee and am yet to find my favourite computer. Different teaching staff, peers and resources has also meant that I’ve been exposed to new ways of thinking.
Concurrently studying at two universities has allowed me to expand my networking, and forced me to be extremely organised and manage my time in six-minute intervals. Okay not really, I’m not a lawyer yet.
I created a time plan for my studies to maximise the little time that I have, and plan my time well in advance by writing an abundance of lists. This allows me maintain my standard of work while still having some social life. Although having just turned 18 last month I’m unsure I will remain so dedicated to my studies…
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