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Law degree workload (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter deano059
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MaryJane
Extraordinary Machine
Re: workload
Its not 'unmanagable', exemplified by the numbers of law students
You will spend most of your time reading and doing research, and you cannot forget the beloved assignments. But really, its not that heavy in and of itself. It can become hectic depending on what you double your LLB with. I do Psych, and it seems that I have one of the heaviest overall workload of LLB students at MQ, except those doing Actuarial. Other friends of mine who do media, arts, BBA etc, always comment on how much more work/assignments/tests I have.
Oh, and you wont lose your social life... You'll just find yourself spending more time with other law students, especially when it comes to those later years of your degree. Not such a bad thing when it comes to exam cramming time
I think the workload varies from person to person, and degree to degree. If you enjoy reading and are relatively organised, it wont seem like such a big deal. However, if you despise reading, and like to procrastinate then it may seem like all you do is live and breathe law and uni. But you soon snap into workmode, because you dont really have a choice.
Its not 'unmanagable', exemplified by the numbers of law students
You will spend most of your time reading and doing research, and you cannot forget the beloved assignments. But really, its not that heavy in and of itself. It can become hectic depending on what you double your LLB with. I do Psych, and it seems that I have one of the heaviest overall workload of LLB students at MQ, except those doing Actuarial. Other friends of mine who do media, arts, BBA etc, always comment on how much more work/assignments/tests I have.
Oh, and you wont lose your social life... You'll just find yourself spending more time with other law students, especially when it comes to those later years of your degree. Not such a bad thing when it comes to exam cramming time
I think the workload varies from person to person, and degree to degree. If you enjoy reading and are relatively organised, it wont seem like such a big deal. However, if you despise reading, and like to procrastinate then it may seem like all you do is live and breathe law and uni. But you soon snap into workmode, because you dont really have a choice.
neo o
it's coming to me...
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Personally I think that the workload for law is lighter than the sciences, engineering, actuarial and a whole lot of other degrees. There are also relatively few contact hours in law. The only real objection I have to the work in law is that your result will always be disproportionate to the effort you put in because of the bell curve. Since HDs are only awarded to the top 3% or so of students you have to rely more on luck than hard work to get one.
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melsc
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I am social science/ law student who just completed first year at UWS. I work one 8hr day a week during semester and have a boyfriend (thus some form of social life). I managed high C's and a HD in law subjects and still get to see my friends, its not as bad as most think.
I went 14hrs a week which was made up of a 2 hr lecture and 1 hr tute for each soc sci subject and 2 X 2 hr seminars (big tutes) for each law subject. That is fewer contact hrs than a lot of degrees but you make up for it in reading. For soc sci I would have about 30 - 50 pages reading each week per subject and for law it could range from 50 - 150 + pages reading per week for a law subject.
It sounds intimidating but it is really not, its all a matter of getting used to it and learning to manage your time and study habits. You also learn what is important to read, what its not and how to read fast.
I see my friends often before class and it is helpful that many of them and my b/f are law students because we can study together and understand the workload however any understanding friend should understand how busy you can get, but dont think you will have to become a social outcast who only knows how to study and work, its like anything, it takes adjustment and balance but its not as bad as most think.
I went 14hrs a week which was made up of a 2 hr lecture and 1 hr tute for each soc sci subject and 2 X 2 hr seminars (big tutes) for each law subject. That is fewer contact hrs than a lot of degrees but you make up for it in reading. For soc sci I would have about 30 - 50 pages reading each week per subject and for law it could range from 50 - 150 + pages reading per week for a law subject.
It sounds intimidating but it is really not, its all a matter of getting used to it and learning to manage your time and study habits. You also learn what is important to read, what its not and how to read fast.
I see my friends often before class and it is helpful that many of them and my b/f are law students because we can study together and understand the workload however any understanding friend should understand how busy you can get, but dont think you will have to become a social outcast who only knows how to study and work, its like anything, it takes adjustment and balance but its not as bad as most think.
I'm doing bus/law and compared to business IMO the workload is about double the amount (including readings, homework, hardness of assignments).
For my business subjects you can get away without doing anything all semester and still get good marks. Last semester I didn't even go to one lecture for one of my business subjects (lecture was on a different day to tutorial so cbb) and still got a D. I also got one HD in my first semester of uni for a business subject which I found very easy, despite going to only around 2 lectures and minimal tute attendence. Whereas, I'm only getting credits in law with a lot more work/effort.
Do people actually keep up with all the law readings? I try to, but rarely finish the readings for each week... and just give up. I don't think tutorial/seminar work is really that important - I don't seem to learn much. Doing well on assignments is very important though - work hard on these. Attendence, tutorial homework, etc is all bullshit IMO.
Btw, I work 20 hours a week and find it manageable, but borderline stressful at times. It's probably too much work, but they won't let me cut down my hours + I like the money too much
For my business subjects you can get away without doing anything all semester and still get good marks. Last semester I didn't even go to one lecture for one of my business subjects (lecture was on a different day to tutorial so cbb) and still got a D. I also got one HD in my first semester of uni for a business subject which I found very easy, despite going to only around 2 lectures and minimal tute attendence. Whereas, I'm only getting credits in law with a lot more work/effort.
Do people actually keep up with all the law readings? I try to, but rarely finish the readings for each week... and just give up. I don't think tutorial/seminar work is really that important - I don't seem to learn much. Doing well on assignments is very important though - work hard on these. Attendence, tutorial homework, etc is all bullshit IMO.
Btw, I work 20 hours a week and find it manageable, but borderline stressful at times. It's probably too much work, but they won't let me cut down my hours + I like the money too much
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melsc
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I try to do as much of the readings as I can but don't always finish, I just try and figure out what is most important
I don't think there's any point comparing law subjects to my commerce subjects to show workload because law feels like a world of its own to me. I manage well for around 3-4 weeks of a subject; I read everything, do the questions and understand everything clearly even before making it to class. Classes are novel and exciting and people are bantering amongst another and I think 'Coolness, this is what I imagined law to be like, yay!' Then begins the slow death. By week 7 every semester I feel like I'm drowning in an unwavering sea of mindless reading, highlighting and I fall asleep in new and more dangerous ways every time (I've stopped driving home from uni for this reason). I have 3 assignments due every week for the next 4 weeks and I can't remember the last time I slept... or ate. It's at this time that everything else in my life feels suspended ("Sorry hunny, yes my 3000 word criminal law assignment worth 30% is more important than you... for now. Talk to me again in December. Love you too.")
When I break it down it doesn't ever 'seem' like a lot of work, but every semester weeks 7-12 are the crappiest weeks for me. I get good marks nonetheless (some Cs, some Ds, one HD) but I have to detox from law every break because it's in my pores.
And it doesn't help that I work 24 hours a week. And that I live 1.5 hours from uni.
When I break it down it doesn't ever 'seem' like a lot of work, but every semester weeks 7-12 are the crappiest weeks for me. I get good marks nonetheless (some Cs, some Ds, one HD) but I have to detox from law every break because it's in my pores.
And it doesn't help that I work 24 hours a week. And that I live 1.5 hours from uni.
charlie_charlie
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The workload of law isn't that bad, but it depends on what grades you're aiming for, and whether you're aiming for just a pass or HD/Ds. In a way, you do tend to have (especially from 2nd year onwards) a largely law based social-life in that you see your law friends more than your non-law friends & even your school friends, to a certain extent, depending on how involved with uni extra-curricular activities you are. Not to mention how busy your friends are! But its still a social life, just kinda insular, especially when you approach the assessment stage of the uni semester. Misery loves company, so all the stressed out law students tend to converge together. I find my lack of social life during the busy tiems of semester is largely due to trying to juggle uni, work & other activities together, each with equal attention. But I find that I still can go to my friends' parties etc, because you find that most people are in the same position as you and tend to hold parties during the non-busy periods of the uni semester. Its definitely managable though. You just may end up losing some sleep, and drinking copious amounts of coffee. =)
But the workload is definitely from the readings & assignments. I find that I spend most of my time reading and taking down notes for law. You only get about 1-2 assignments during the semester, so its constant work throughout the semester, with a bit more work during assessment periods or you cramming majorly during weeks 6-8 & weeks 12 &13. Its about 2-3hrs of prep before class, if i do it properly. Then, hypothetically, about 1-3hrs afterwards, just writing up notes.
But the workload is definitely from the readings & assignments. I find that I spend most of my time reading and taking down notes for law. You only get about 1-2 assignments during the semester, so its constant work throughout the semester, with a bit more work during assessment periods or you cramming majorly during weeks 6-8 & weeks 12 &13. Its about 2-3hrs of prep before class, if i do it properly. Then, hypothetically, about 1-3hrs afterwards, just writing up notes.
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L
LaraB
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It is manageable - you just have to plan and think ahead otherwise you'll end up getting behind and once you get behind it can be difficult to keep up to speed since most content in each unit links every week to each other.
I work a 20 hour week; I also do pro bono court support work every now and then, maybe twice a month so that takes up a few days a month; I'll be in 3rd year of a business/law degree this year attending full time, some day and some night classes; have a boyfriend and friends who live a fair way out so spend a lot of my time travelling; get an hour's exercise in 4 or 5 days a week; have the usual work functions/drinks etc and i find the workload manageable.
A lot comes down to, for me, getting a decent timetable - i.e. having n ight classes means i can work the same days and have 2 full days to get work done as well as the time between work and uni on mon/tues/thurs since i arranged work and uni so that they fall on the same 3 days. Yes its a long day - 9am -10pm, but it means it's manageable since i know i have days with nothing that can juts be for uni work.
Especially if you're working or having to travel to uni, you really need to plan your uni work so you're not doing things last minute all the time, that way it'll stay manageable.
You won't lose your social life... and perhaps, if it gets to a point where you're doing law study and only law study, maybe you might have to consider that law isn't for you because it shouldn't consume your whole life... it shouldn't even get to a point where you spend your social life discussing legal issues or hanging out with only law students - you need a break from it, something which a lot of law students don't seem to get and then wonder why they start out doing well but start getting very stressed after a year or so.
I work a 20 hour week; I also do pro bono court support work every now and then, maybe twice a month so that takes up a few days a month; I'll be in 3rd year of a business/law degree this year attending full time, some day and some night classes; have a boyfriend and friends who live a fair way out so spend a lot of my time travelling; get an hour's exercise in 4 or 5 days a week; have the usual work functions/drinks etc and i find the workload manageable.
A lot comes down to, for me, getting a decent timetable - i.e. having n ight classes means i can work the same days and have 2 full days to get work done as well as the time between work and uni on mon/tues/thurs since i arranged work and uni so that they fall on the same 3 days. Yes its a long day - 9am -10pm, but it means it's manageable since i know i have days with nothing that can juts be for uni work.
Especially if you're working or having to travel to uni, you really need to plan your uni work so you're not doing things last minute all the time, that way it'll stay manageable.
You won't lose your social life... and perhaps, if it gets to a point where you're doing law study and only law study, maybe you might have to consider that law isn't for you because it shouldn't consume your whole life... it shouldn't even get to a point where you spend your social life discussing legal issues or hanging out with only law students - you need a break from it
, something which a lot of law students don't seem to get and then wonder why they start out doing well but start getting very stressed after a year or so.
goan_crazy
Hates the waiting game...
law is alot of workdeano059 said:
i didnt lose my social life
still went out every fri and sat
and went to every law function except one
the main thing is reading
there is alot of it
it depends on your subjects though
and how much u actually do
I managed a D average for first year so im happy
MoonlightSonata
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To many law students, a pass is basically a fail.rubin said:
wheredanton
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A Pass or too many credits on your transcipt rules you out for a top tier.neo o said:
neo o
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I doubt that a few passes would rule you out of top tier, unless they were all in subjects like contract and property. A D average, honours and some nice marks in the aforementioned subjects will get you an interview, but marks can only get you so far....wheredanton said:
MoonlightSonata
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A pass doesn't rule you out for top tier. But it doesn't look good.
I received a pass for one of my law subjects. In my summer clerkship interview, Clayton Utz specifically said to me, "You were on a roll here with your marks, but what happened with this subject, where you received a pass?"
One is generally excusable, if the rest of your marks are good.
I received a pass for one of my law subjects. In my summer clerkship interview, Clayton Utz specifically said to me, "You were on a roll here with your marks, but what happened with this subject, where you received a pass?"
One is generally excusable, if the rest of your marks are good.