The LLB and Dyslexia

The LLB was, is and always will be hard. The study skills and revision techniques you develop at A-level or college may not seem sufficient once you start university. I discovered that I was dyslexic towards the end of my first year, which helped me understand why I sometimes struggled to process and retain information. There were occasions when I could read 20 pages of a book and realise that very little of it had actually made sense to me.

For an LLB, this was obviously challenging. I realised that I needed to change the way I worked and revised and find techniques that suited me. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence; it is a learning difference that can affect the way information is processed, particularly when reading and spelling. There are, however, straightforward techniques that can make studying more manageable. The following are some of the approaches that worked for me.

Lectures and Tutorials

Ask whether it is possible to record lectures and tutorials, where your university permits this. Being able to listen to information again at your own pace can take away some of the pressure of trying to process and write everything down at once.

Using a laptop or tablet can also be helpful. It can make note-taking easier, avoid difficulties with handwriting, assist with spelling and allow you to make corrections quickly.

I also found it useful to look at the work required for the following week immediately after a lecture. This helped me understand what I needed to do while the material was still fresh in my mind. It also gave me time to identify anything I did not understand and ask questions rather than leaving everything until the night before.

Coursework and Exams

When it comes to work such as coursework, the key is to start early and proof read. Proofreading can be particularly important if you are dyslexic, as words can sometimes be missed and spelling mistakes may go unnoticed. Having somebody else read through your work can therefore be extremely helpful.

Some law coursework takes the form of problem questions. When faced with one, it is important to separate the different parties and legal issues so that nothing is overlooked. I found that using separate pages, headings or different coloured highlighters helped me organise the information and make the problem easier to understand.

Proofreading is more difficult in an exam because of the time pressure. If possible, leave some time at the end to read through your answer. This gives you an opportunity to identify spelling, punctuation or other errors before submitting your paper.

University Support

Universities can provide reasonable adjustments and other support for students with dyslexia. Depending on your circumstances and your university's arrangements, this may include extra time in exams, the use of a computer, or other forms of assessment support. If you think you may need additional support, speak to your university's disability or student support team as early as possible.

Finding the Right Textbooks

The most important thing when it comes to getting reading material is to ‘try before you buy’. This was a mistake I made in first year and then again in second. For me, the books that are the best are the ones that are coloured, have clear sections and have a large font.

Once you find a textbook that works for you, make use of it. I found that being able to underline, highlight and annotate important information made it much easier to process the material. The right textbook can make a significant difference because your law books will become an important part of your studies.

Most importantly, read at your own pace. If you have dyslexia, it is perfectly normal for material not to make sense the first time you read it. There is nothing wrong with reading something again.

Organisation

The importance of organisation becomes increasingly clear throughout law school. Personally, I find it much easier to work when I know exactly where to start. Keeping a diary or planner can help you keep track of deadlines, reading and other important dates.

I also found it helpful to keep different topics separate. Keeping your notes and tasks organised by subject can make the workload feel much more manageable.

Revision

Revision is probably one of the most dreaded words at university, and the amount of material you have to cover on an LLB can make it particularly daunting. For me, revision needed to start early because I knew that I would need more time to process and understand the information.

I found that being creative with revision made it much more manageable. Highlighters, charts, sticky notes, flashcards and even voice recordings can all be useful ways of presenting information differently. The key is to experiment and find the methods that work for you.

Dyslexia Does Not Prevent You from Studying Law

These are the techniques that helped me manage dyslexia while studying for my LLB, but everyone is different. What works for one student may not work for another.

The most important thing I learned is that having a learning difference does not mean that you cannot succeed at law school. You may need to adapt the way you study, find the techniques that work for you and make use of the support available, but dyslexia does not prevent you from studying or succeeding in law.