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Because no one told you law school was going to be this way…
1. Started at the bottom, now we’re here
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Rachel started making coffee in Central Perk and ended up on a plane to Paris for a job with Louis Vuitton. While it’s no great secret that Rachel’s express ticket to the top of the corporate ladder is not a particularly accurate representation of the current job market, Rachel taught us that with hard work and ambition you can build a career around what you love.
2. Your job is a joke, and you’re broke
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If law students could get paid by the hour for the time spent in the library, we could probably pay off our HECS debt in one SWOTVAC. Alas, most of us have to find the time between studying, eating and socialising (and the cheap alcohol that gets us through it all), to fund our lives that revolve around studying, eating and socialising. It’s a vicious cycle that sees us at food counters, grocery check-outs and clothes stores, smiling at customers and stressing about the lecture you missed to take this shift, all for not a lot of money. We may no longer have penalty rates but hey, at least we’ll still have our staff discounts.
3. Take a break
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Uni can get quite overwhelming, and whilst it may seem like there’s always a tutorial or exam to prepare for, it really is important to take a break. Forgive me for encroaching on what is volatile territory for Friends fans, but maybe we should take a leaf out of Ross and Rachel’s book and take a break!* Our favourite on-off couple took time apart when things got too intense, and low and behold they reunited stronger than ever in the end.
*Please note this does not mean that I agree that Ross and Rachel WERE on a break.
4. Change is good
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If Phoebe can change her name to “Princess Consuela Banana Hammock”, why can’t you study outside one day, instead of at your desk? Or take an elective that doesn’t necessarily fit in with your other courses, but you think would be really interesting? We can fall into a boring routine with classes, study and our personal lives and whilst structure is important, so is being open to diversity and spontaneity. In Joey’s words, pee into the wind!
5. One step forward, two steps back
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Sometimes we might be like early-Friends Monica – doing well at uni, making good ground and feeling positive about the future. Other times we might be like Season 3 Monica who has to wear roller-skates and can’t find her left boob, serving burgers at a diner. It can seem like every time we make progress in one aspect of our life, we fall short in another (which is most often felt when we get a bad grade or sit a bad exam). But if Monica has taught us anything it’s that if you stick at it, you might run your own restaurant, or law firm, or whatever takes your fancy.
6. Be passionate
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Law is a study, and profession, that requires hard work and a lot of hours. If you’re not at least slightly passionate about it, you’ll likely spend your time at uni being pretty miserable. Ross’ passion for dinosaurs spans all aspects of his life – from work, to his relationships, his clothing (shout-out to the epic dinosaur tie). As law students and new legal practitioners, if we can possess even a shred of that kind of passion for our profession, sticking at it when the going gets tough will be much easier.
7. Take a chance
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Even though we were never really sure what Chandler did (here’s to all the “transponsters” of the world), we know that he hated it enough to suddenly quit. We watched as he endured unpaid internships, culture shocks, and that nerve-racking wait by the phone to see if he got the job. Chandler taught us that no matter how long you’ve been following one road, it’s never too late to take a risk and go off the beaten track to rediscover what you want in life.
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