Okay you got me, there’s absolutely no tricks or easy fixes to getting good marks at Law School. Work hard, turn up to lectures…you know the drill. But below are a few simple tips that can help bump a credit to a distinction, so listen up!
1. Proof Read Everything Multiple Times
It's 3 a.m., you’ve been working on an Administrative Law essay for 7 hours straight and it's due at 9 a.m. You're finally feeling like it might be finished, and are ready to quickly click submit so you can jump into bed and sleep in ‘til the late afternoon. In the immortal words of the Spice Girls, “Stop right now.” You might be feeling like you know the essay backwards after working on it for so long without a break, but chances are it’s not your best work if it's 3 a.m. and you’ve downed four coffees in the last hour. Try catching a few z’s and setting an alarm a couple of hours before it's due so you can do a final proof read with “fresh eyes.” Even better if you can rope your mum or housemate into proofing for grammar mistakes, before finally uploading and clicking submit.
2. Introduce Yourself to your Lecturers
Nobody is suggesting that you sit in the front row or offer to carry their briefcases for them. But introducing yourself to a lecturer before an assignment is due will not only ensure you get some great advice about your upcoming assessment task, but also show them that you’re one engaged and serious law student. This may also come in handy if you need a reference for a scary graduate position in a few years.
3. Don’t be Afraid to Query Marks
If you think you deserved marks that weren’t granted, or have found a mistake in your marls, query them! But as my mother would say, “Honey catches more flies than vinegar.” This means always be polite when addressing an issue that concerns your mark, as the assessor will be more likely to help you or see your point of view.
4. Eat. Sleep. Law. Repeat.
Okay, well maybe “Eat Sleep Law Repeat” is a bit extreme; we all know that law students are social butterflies. How could we not be with our Law Balls, faculty sporting games and far too many barrels to count?! Whilst we love our fun (and need it to de-stress every now and then), uni work always needs to be a priority. If it means turning up an hour late to a party so you can actually finish that tedious Constitutional Law submission, so be it. Your non law friends will thank you in years to come when you can shower them in free legal advice.
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