Yay for you, you got into law school! All that hard work and study has paid off, now you get to go to university and work harder than you ever have before! Thankfully you still have a few weeks of sanity left before your brain wants to run away and never come back because you have abused it so badly.
We know obsessive organisation is part of your modus operandi, so what can you do to prepare for law school?
For goodness’ sake, put that textbook down
In most cases you won’t get your textbook lists until the first week of uni, so don’t feel the need to introduce yourself to all the staff at the uni bookshop just yet. If you do get your books before week one, don’t think that everyone is at home doing a Hermione Granger and brushing up on the Australian legal system. There is little to gain from reading all your textbooks now without the guidance of your lecturers.
If you still want to know something about law before you start, Ratio = must read it, Obiter = probably best only to read it if Kirby wrote it. In the alternative, check out the Survive Law archives.
Get organised for study
Mostly this means a trip to Officeworks (your new favourite store) to buy notepaper, pens and a binder with all types of dividers. Or maybe it’s making a new folder on your MacBook Pro (I feel like I’m the only one without a Mac in law school). Having a system for study makes the end-of-semester-cram – not that all you diligent first years will be cramming – so much easier.
Map out a timetable
You are about to find out what time management is all about. Juggling tutorials, readings, lectures and assignments with other commitments, such as full time work, is a skill of its own.
Very soon you should be able to register for your classes. Make a note of what time this service comes on line, as competition for the good spots (ie. the middle of the day) is fierce. If you miss your preferred classes you might end up spending four days a week on campus, with long breaks in between classes. It’s no fun at all, I can tell you this from experience. Caution: this timetable planning process could result in an overdose of highlighters and coloured pens.
Congratulations again! Keep an eye on Survive Law over the next few weeks for more first year law tips.
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