First day and induction week

I love law school!!! I have had the best week. So, induction turned out to be 3 days (even though I am part time). When I was trying to prep for my first day I searched around on the net to find out what to expect and was seriously disappointed to find…well not a lot. So here I will provide a run down of what to expect and then finish off with a few first day/week tips.

First day

I thankfully arrived on time having survived the hell that is the M25 at rush hour. Registration started at 9:15 and we had 45 mins to get a drink and meet some of our fellow students. Now this was the bit I was most worried about – who really wants to ‘mingle’? It’s awkward and embarrassing. But, it really wasn’t so bad. I managed to get chatting to a few girls and, honestly, nobody in the room was on their own. I guess everyone just wants to make friends. Phew!

We had lots of introductory talks (welcome talk, employability etc.) and 1 workshop. I loved the workshops soooooo much! Being a habitually shy person (I know right-why does she want to be a lawyer) I was nervous about the participation part of the workshops. However, the groups are small and everyone is so friendly.  I quickly got stuck in and the rest is history.

Added bonuses: 2500 free printer copies for every student, printed timetables in the handbook, FREE CoL PEN AND STICKIES! (if you’re as obsessed as me with organisation you will understand my excitement).

TOP TIPS

What to wear: anything casual. A jumper and jeans is fine (and standard). Just don’t be that girl who turned up in heels, false lashes and tonnes of makeup/fake tan. Yes, most of us girls are partial to these things on a night out or special occasion, but turning up to college like this will only alienate all the people who turned up in their grubby converse and a sweatshirt. Friend points: zero.

What to bring: money for lunch (they didn’t take card), nobody had brought lunch so I left my sandwiches in the car and ate them on the way home! You 100% must bring the recommended suitcase. Yes, you will feel silly dragging along an empty suitcase, yes, you will worry that when you get there you will be the only nerdburger who brought one BUT almost everyone had in fact brought one and those who didn’t seriously regretted it. They may have looked cooler and laid back walking to college and upon arrival but they certainly looked like idiots trying to juggle 15kg of books from 12pm onwards….

Pre-course work: now this will be a little controversial, and I don’t mean to get anyone into bad habits but please do not get hung up on the pre-course work. I spent the whole week before the first day worrying about this prep and in reality the teachers were so chilled and understood that some people had not had sufficient time. I had done all the tasks but at least 50% of people hadn’t and nobody was made to stand in the corner/10 lashes from the Head Master/ publicly humiliated. To summarise: RELAX!

Overall, I could not be happier with my choice to study at the College of Law. I have met 4 teachers so far and the standard of teaching is extremely high. They are friendly and so approachable; I can contact them about any issues I will encounter throughout the year. However, I’m sure my good mood will last, hmmm, about 2 weeks- until we begin Business Law and Practice…. *vom*

You don't have to study in London...

The course starts in 3 days! And being the extremely sadistic person that I am I decided to make my last week of placement more stressful than it already was by changing the centre that I would be studying at. When deciding where to study I went through the standard BPP vs. CoL deliberations (I didn’t consider anything else mainly due to my location) and eventually chose the College of Law-  it seemed laid back and I thought that open book tests would suit my style of learning. 

For me, it was never a question to study anywhere other than London. Not only was it close to my home but being the capital and the home of many large firms, I figured my chances of securing a TC were higher if I was based there. Fast forward 9 months and cue the mini panic when I realise I would much rather attend a different centre, that I honestly don’t like London and spending even one day a week there would not be ideal and that it will cost me £49 per week WITH A RAIL CARD to get there. It took me 24 hours to switch centres and I am now a much happier bunny (picture rainbows, meadows and me hopping around like a loon).

So now I am tackling the pre-course work, which, by the way, is ridiculous! Nothing like throwing us into the deep end. It should take around 24 hours and this may not sound a lot but it was available only a week before the first day and I have been working full time. Again, cue panic. I really think I need to learn to control my stress levels if I want to survive the next 45 years of my life… Also this week: I have completed my Professional and Career Development loan forms, gotten those horrific passport pictures done for my enrolment and gone stationary shopping (ahhh my favourite part of the new academic year). I still haven’t received the SRA confirmation of my academic stage but I am not too worried as we have 6 weeks from the beginning of the course to provide this.

In other news, the company I was vac scheming with have offered me a part time job :D of course, I snapped it up and I am now a fully fledged member of staff with my own office, case-load and responsibilities. This opportunity will make such a difference to my TC applications after Christmas as I will now have 3 vac schemes, an 18 month stint at the CAB and employment as a Legal Assistant as my relevant legal experience. Bring on the applications!

The manfriend, let’s call him Tall-Dark-and-Handsome (TDH) is at a festival this weekend so I am getting some much needed rest and enjoying the beautiful weather before the craziness begins Wednesday *sips cocktail and reclines on sunlounger*