Law timetable (1 Viewer)

[Casablancas]

Hey all. I was just wandering how busy an undergrad student would be in their first/second/third etc year. What was your schedule like? Uni 5 days per week? Workload?
I'm thinking of law/professional accounting. Will I die if I'm not super smart?
ps. would it be right to say $8859x5yrss= total hecs? (plus other random costs, yeah)

 

[Atlas]

Hey all. I was just wandering how busy an undergrad student would be in their first/second/third etc year. What was your schedule like? Uni 5 days per week? Workload?
I'm thinking of law/professional accounting. Will I die if I'm not super smart?
ps. would it be right to say $8859x5yrss= total hecs? (plus other random costs, yeah)

Short answer: it depends.

Some units are easier than others, and it also depends on whether you get a good lecturer/tutor and whether you are naturally inclined towards the subject/unit. Generally, it gets harder and requires more time and effort as you progress through uni - so usually 3rd year is harder than 1st.

Workload/days per week: Some people choose to cram all their classes into one or two days and then just study on their own some time during the week - it all depends on your preference and what classes you can get for your timetable. Workload: sometimes you can get away with studying "smart" i.e. skimp on certain stuff and concentrate on certain sections only or basically winging it, with others you can't. Law readings are a lot - all of the stuff they tell you to read would probably be about say anything from 20-40+ pages a week (having said that, I really doubt that many students actually read all of it, most probably just get by with minimal reading...) As for accounting, it depends on whether you understand the concepts and maths quickly or not - but expect to do a fair bit of work yourself especially when you don't get the best lecturer/tutor. Realistically, a lot of students do end up just cramming before the exams so the amount of work done throughout the actual semester is well = and ...

Conclusion: it depends...

And yes you will die if you are not super smart - because the Idiot Syndrome is a deadly disease that eats your entire brain until you are a lifeless zombie that goes out on the prowl for fresh meat...

HECS: Approximately about that amount, depending on what type of units you take - for law it's the highest tier, accounting is one tier down - it's in your UAC guide.

 

[melsc]

You'll have 2hr lecture + 1 hr tute for all law subject, not sure about accounting/ per week, that sounds easy but the readings are long and especially when you're starting out take ages to read or need to be re-read, you get fast as you go but its generally an adjustment. Its a lot of independent study so don't be fooled by the teaching hours.

If you're thinking about working, start off small 1-2 days per week and when you're confident and used to uni see how you go adding more.

Natural talent makes it easier, but hard work is the key.

Best of luck
Mel

 

[Tabris]

I'll copy and past the advice that I gace to another person who asked for some general advice regarding timetable stuff (excusemy spelling and grammar mistakes)


Some general advice -
-work hard, get the marks (everything counts)

- try to find work in the legal field or your industry specific field as soon as possible. Part time work in any legal firm or volunteering work in a community legal centre makes your resume shine. Don't overwork though, 2-3 whole days for a year is good enough. Also try to add some variet to your work experience e.g. 1.5 years in firm A, 1 year in firm B and 1 year in a community legal centre. If you want to break into the legal industry as best as possible, strong work experience is essential.

-do the extra-curricular activities such as managing societies, volunteering in community activities and sports if your interested. This is an added benefit to your resume and also alot of balance to your life style. 2-3 days of study with 2-3 days of work and half a day of extra curriculars will add alot more variety to your 5 years.

-try to build up a small network of reliable mates and friends who are in the same course as you - group study is invaluable (so long as you keep focused and dont go off track)

-be brave in tutorials , answer the question in a direct way and dont raise arguments for the sake of argument or stupid question - raise genuine discussion points. Tutorial participation marks (usually 10-20%) are easy ones if you do the readings

-listen to all the lectures, make notes from the lectures, do the readings, make notes from the readings- put those two pieces of ntoes together and try to cram it down into 1-2 pages of exam ready notes. This way, you will jsut need to cut and paste for takehome exams or have an easy reference in a sit down exams

-start assignments early, start on the closest weekend and brainstorm/initial research. Try to get your draft assignments done 1 week before its due so you have plenty of time editing. Last minute assignments are risky but flukes are possible - most people start their's 2-3 weeks before its due.

Theres a ton of advice, but those are the general ones off the top of my head. If you do a search of my posts or the forum, I have written more somewhere in the past.

As for career options - just about all industries like lawyers - it also depends on your other degree in your double degree. Commerce is very versatile and so is arts - other degrees could be useful too if thats your niche/specialty

Generally, all government departments hire lawyers. Top tier law firms like Supermen/Superwomen who have HD averages. All accounting and consulting firms like lawyers who have a regulatory background or industry specific legal knowledge. Judges and courts usually hire the cream of the crop for Judge's Associates and Research Assistants.