What Starting Law School Really Feels Like
The following points aren’t everything you’ll encounter in your first year of law school, but they reflect my experience and the experience of most people I know.
I’ve included a few tips, but I’m still early in my journey, so I can only share what I’ve learned so far.
1. The Reading Is Heavy and Harder Than Anything You’ve Done Before
It’s a cliché, but only because it’s true. My first two weeks felt manageable, and I got complacent. Then week three arrived, and suddenly the workload hit like a train.
The reading can feel endless and occasionally soul‑destroying, but it exists for a reason. Yes, it prepares you for seminars, but more importantly, it builds the foundation you’ll rely on in exams. If you fall behind early, you’re only hurting yourself later.
That said, not all reading is dull. Some cases are bizarre, funny, or unexpectedly fascinating. They’re worth the time.
2. It Can Be Insanely Competitive
People compare law school to a rat race, and sometimes it feels that way. Training contracts and pupillages are limited, and students start networking, attending events, and applying for schemes almost immediately.
My advice:
- Don’t panic.
- Don’t compare yourself to everyone else.
- Do start exploring opportunities early, but only the ones that genuinely interest you.
Make a list of firms or chambers you like. Go to a law fair. Ask questions. But don’t force yourself into events you hate just because others are going. You don’t need to know your preferred practice area before applying for training contracts; many people secure them long before they specialise.
Focus on your own path. The occasional day off won’t ruin your future.
3. You Will Have a Lot Going On
I assumed I’d have time to settle in before career events started. I was wrong.
By week two or three, the invitations were already rolling in: employer talks, society socials, networking evenings, skills workshops.
It gets overwhelming fast.
Planning helps more than you think. Get a planner or use Google Calendar. Track deadlines, events, seminars, and anything you sign up for on a whim. You’ll thank yourself later.
Creating a routine also helps. For example, if you have an Obligations lecture on Monday, finish the reading by Friday, skim it again on Monday morning, tidy your notes after class, and condense them into flashcards after the seminar. When exam season arrives, most of the work is already done.
4. Your World Will Revolve Around Seminars and Tutorials
Seminars are one of the best ways to learn. Go to them, even the early ones that feel pointless. They matter.
Participate. Ask questions. Clarify things you don’t understand. It’s intimidating at first, but tutors remember engaged students, and that can help later in your degree.
5. You Are the Only One Who Can Shape Your Experience
Law school is demanding, academically, socially, and professionally. But you control how you navigate it.
Choose one or two extracurriculars you genuinely enjoy. Use them to decompress. If you need a part‑time job, take one, but make sure you can balance it with your studies.
A law degree has highs and lows. It’s intense, but also incredibly rewarding. You’ll gain skills, meet interesting people, and open doors to opportunities you never expected.
Enjoy your freedom. Don’t obsess over who’s in the library at 11 p.m. Have a social life. Do things unrelated to law. Firms repeatedly say they don’t want robots; they want well‑rounded people.
Work hard, stay organised, and stop worrying about what everyone else is doing.
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