Man, it was hard! Nuf said.
(This is the part you imagine me dropping a mic…not any type of way; you know that gif of Obama. Hold on… this one:
No but for real, you’ll know what pressure is when you go to law school. You’ll really be feeling like you’re about to explode. This is all true, but I literally cannot explain how rewarding it is. You can’t describe that feeling.
Anyway, my first year. I’m still shook. It was unexpected to say the least. But in summary, there was technical difficulties, strikes like every day, and Covid-19 just topped it off. But, on the theme of honesty, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I lived in halls for first year; yes, I know it’s silly because I live 30 minutes away from campus, but I don’t care. This was my thinking: ‘might as well pile on the debt at this point.’ It was one the best decisions I have ever made, so do it if you have the chance.
So, law. You know that scene in ‘Legally Blonde,’ when Professor Stromwell asks Elle a question in the lecture and she’s lost? Well, not so much in lectures, but law tutorials are brutal…you’re always lost. Promissory estoppel who? Don’t get me wrong, the professors are great, and super helpful, but your legit learning a new language. Forget language; that Sims game gibberish…that’s what your learning. And don’t get me started on the essays. Why don’t they teach you how to write one? Oh sorry, for any non-law students, a law essay isn’t like a normal essay. It’s a madness. It’s sink or swim. Enter cheesy saying here: ‘pressure makes diamonds.’ I always wondered why lawyers hold themselves so well. Now I know, the answer is law school pressure; every experience molds you into a mini Harvey Spectre. Plus, you get to buy some wicked suits.
What I learnt? For one, I figured out how to write one of those essays. It’s a lot of trial and error, but you have to trust the process and you’ll get there. Law school gave me confidence in myself. And I’m really saying that; tell me to stand up in front of thousands of people, and I can do it now, without feeling my voice shake. I can argue, but more importantly, I can listen. Societies are a huge part of being at law school. And for me, doing law means I’m one step closer to helping someone; so, societies that do pro-bono are great. But also, the ever-famous Bar Society, and Law Society, is the backbone of a law student. You meet incredible people, get opportunities that push you forward, and closer to you goal, and have fun doing it all.
What I wish I knew before going to law school? Trust me you want to read a book before you go. I suggest, ‘Law: A Very Short Introduction,’ by Raymond Wacks. It’s a little gem of kick start. You sit in your first lecture, and from then on everything is at 100 miles per hour, and you’re always playing catch up. Know that every case is puzzle, and you need to get your Sherlock Holmes of a self to solve it. If someone says, all you’ll be doing is working, they’re lying. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll be working more than your friends who don’t do a law degree. It’s not party hard, work harder. Its party harder, work harder. Balance is key. Know your strengths, and know your weaknesses; work on the later and you’ll be good.
So, in unbiased opinion. Law is the best degree you can do; it gives as much as it takes, if not more.
