It’s been a crazy few weeks in the whirlwind of no sleep, constant parties and terrifyingly fast-paced public law lectures. And what a welcome to Law School it has been. Hopefully now we’re further into term the fog of this mysterious illness we all seem to have is slowly subsiding to allow you to go more than three minutes without spluttering into your hoodies.
For some of us adjusting to life in the “Frozen North” has been a homeostatic struggle of wills trying to guess whether B63 will today be akin to Hawaii or Antarctica. Regardless of that I’m sure that we’ve all been bamboozled by all the new knowledge, societies and cheap drinks that the university has to offer. I’ve taken it upon myself to attempt to distil out a few useful tips that I’ve picked up I’ve had over the past few weeks.
First off there’s the careers stuff. Now, though it may be a whole three or four years away, some of the keen-beans among you may already be set on what career path you’d like to follow and will want to start your commercial development right off the bat. There are a plethora of events being held right on campus or not too far away; many of which also entail free drinks, nibbles and the opportunity to rub shoulders with influential partners and recruiters. Log in to the Careers and Employability Service where you can see all the upcoming events and sign up for the ones you feel are most relevant to you. It’s also worth keeping a beady eye on your emails for careers newsletters and reminders sent out by the department and LawSoc.
Second on our magical tour of legal excellence is societies. It will not have escaped your notice that there are a mountain of law-related societies all clamouring for your time and you may be struggling to decide which, if any, are worth peeling yourself away from a warm bed and Netflix for. Well it’s all about what skills you want to showcase and develop. Debating is great for honing your skills in rigorous argument and fiery speeches, the networking opportunities offered by the Bar society can’t be missed if you want to make yourself stand out for a career at the Bar and if becoming a solicitor is your aim it may be worth spending time on the Negotiation Competition offered by Pro Bono and talks from firms.
Finally I suppose it’s worth mentioning that you should probably start doing some work. The temptation to drown yourself in the bass-filled nights of Crisis and Ocean and power through the days in a caffeine-crazed buzz will at some point become a difficult struggle I’m sure.
Enjoy life fellow Freshers, but not too much.
“I don’t have dreams, I have goals”- Harvey Specter (Suits).