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  • Abbie Bauckham

The transition from first to second year of university.

**Disclaimer**

Before I proceed, I would like to state that this is written from my perspective and about my experiences at the University of Birmingham, although I have had conversations with fellow law students about their experiences and have included their stories below, it is by no means a fall proof method for the transition. Everyone’s experience is different.

Going into first year can feel daunting. The transition to university is a big change. However, there is also an overwhelming sense of excitement and opportunity. The opportunity to meet new people, live in a new city and a chance for me to be truly who I wanted to be. It was my opportunity to craft an individual who was 100% me and not be subject to the restrictions which may come with high school. Any negative feelings I had faded and university soon felt like home. This was my experience and for some this may not resonate, and this is not something you should feel ashamed of. Everyone’s university experience is different (I have repeated this again as this is so important and I want you to remember it throughout).

But what happens when this excitement wears off, this shiny new opportunity is tainted by the pressures which comes with your second year. Although first year does count for Law students who wish to get summer insight schemes and vacation scheme placements, this pressure is maximised in second year. Not only does second year count towards your final degree but the work also gets more difficult.

Before I get into the bulk of the blog, I think it is important to reflect upon my first-year experience. Some tips I would have love to have given to myself:


1. Apply to first year schemes. It may be scary, and you may have no idea what you want to do but start networking and looking around. This would have made my second year a lot less daunting.

2. Don’t dwell on a bad grade. Gain feedback and improve. Use their office hours. Talk to seminar leaders and lectures, they are there to help.

3. Articles are important, so read them! If you have to prioritise reading, read them first. The articles are what increase your grade. Look to reviews, reports and professional articles to improve your arguments.

4. Create a quote bank so revision is easier (Drop me a message on LinkedIn if you want me to send over some first year and second year revision grids and tables for LLB Law).

5. Sell your first-year books. You don’t need them. Put this money towards your second year books. (Mine are still collecting dust in my wardrobe.)

6. Pick an easy widening horizon. I am not staying you should take the easy route, but it does add to your first-year grade, so maybe it isn’t wise to challenge yourself when you are also trying to settle into university. (I did a physics module- bearing in mind I haven’t done physics since GCSE it wasn’t my wises idea. I also did a French language course for fun (which it was) but I could have done this for my widening horizon). Be clever and don't overload yourself early on.

7. Oh and never say no to a night out. This is crucial in getting your work to home life balance correct, and it will only get harder in second year so live whilst you can.

Going into second year can be easier for many if they have a fully-fledged friendship group and support at university. University is a place you are comfortable and for me it truly is my second home. You are now more prepared. First year has taught you invaluable skills from time management to essay writing. However, there is a ramp up in pressure. Pressure from your course and also your future career.

When speaking to my fellow students, Molly Mckenna had some great advice on how to manage vacation scheme applications. It may seem like “it’s all anyone talks about” so here are some tips which can help you feel prepared.

1. Find out what a Vacation Scheme (VS) is and whether it is for you. (Talk to fellow students, get on LinkedIn and connect with those who have completed a VS).

2. Start thinking about why you want to work at a law firm, what experiences you have had and what kind of law firm you want to work for. This, as Molly stated, will “set you in good stead for when questions are released and will stop you applying in blind panic.”

3. Get a diary. Write down the dates of law firm events, online and in person. Also write down the deadline dates and then pick your deadline for submitting the application. Consider whether they recruit on a rolling basis.

4. Get familiar with key website. The law firm’s website themselves, graduate recruitment sites, little law, legal cheek, legal 500, chambers students and many more.

5. Set aside time for applying to these VS like you would to do work for a certain module. Block out time in your week to focus on this early on so it doesn’t get too stressful at the end.

6. Start building your commercial awareness early! (look to my other blog post for more info.)

Remember second year is also about the academics. Try not to let all the other opportunities overwhelm you. Take on as many non-academic extra curricula's as you can, as this will help your applications but also help add to your personality. On the academic side, Molly, highlights the benefits of speaking to lectures and seminar leaders in their office hours. I would resonate this and hope to do this more in my final year as they can really help. Seminar sheets are also indicative of your exam questions and content so ensure you know how the lectures want them to be answered. I could not emphasise how asking questions in seminars or to seminar leaders is of key importance. It not only checks your understanding of a topic, but seminar leaders can often add to your ideas and help you build upon your argument. Use your seminar readings on the given topic when you are given an assignment as a starting point. It can really help to focus your ideas. Then start your own research.

The most important thing I took from my conversation with fellow student, Josephine Gillingwater, was that university is also about learning about yourself. As Josie stated, “the second year of university marks the end of your teens and the start of adulthood.” It is important that your second year is as much about learning about yourself: your likes, dislikes and your limits as much as it is about the academics.

We also had a fruitful discussion regarding the notion of productivity. We both agreed that we live in a world where productivity is a measure of success. I am victim to it. The message sent to your friends “how productive were you today?” as if this message is the new normal. Or upon receiving a message detailing productivity, you suddenly are overwhelmed by a sense of failure. We both decided that this checkpoint needed to be changed to “How much did you learn today?” as it is a much better measure of success. I may have ticked off ten things of my to-do list, but did I engage in the material. Did I understand what I was reading and am I now confident in my knowledge.

Finding a work life balance is of upmost importance, warrant it is hard to find. This balance leads to ‘sustainable learning’ as Josie described. Whilst Josie feels that she pushed herself too far in relation to extra curricula's such as pro bono and advocacy in second year and hence did not get the grade she had hope for, she does not regret this decision. Her busy and some might say ‘productive’ second year enables her to solely focus on the academic side in final year. Finding a work life balance is essential when maintaining your mental health. Ensure you have time to socialise or do the things you need to ‘relax’. Josie highlighted that the purpose of your tasks is to learn, try not to be obsessed by the outcome. This is something she enjoyed during her year abroad at McGill, the focus was on the learning process and not the outcome. Like Josie, I also ramped up my involvement in second year. Being Mixed Lacrosse Captain, working as a mentor and law ambassador, networking and being involved in numerous pro bono events allowed me to add to my CV and personally discover where my priorities lie. I am fortunate enough to be able to work effectively, and if not better, under pressure, although I still did not have enough time to adequately apply to vacation schemes and hence need to factor this in during my final year.

To ensure I had a work life balance I played lacrosse and spent time with my friends on a regular basis. Some of us are lucky to live with fellow students during university, enjoy your evenings with friends. Maybe try a 9 to 5 work ethic and leave evening and weekends solely for you. If you commute grab coffee with your peers after lectures. Remember to do things for yourself! These are just as important. Make time for your passions. University is about the whole experience and you should not limit these opportunities and only focus on academics. Nor should you just focus on the social element, even though this may be persuading. Jay Carter echo’s my vision stating that “sports and socials should play almost as much of a part in your university life as your degree, as it best for your mind and your effectiveness.”

I would like to end on a quote from Tanzina Islam as I couldn’t express it any better myself, “I couldn’t stress enough how [university] it is so different for everyone- nobody’s journey is the same. Don’t compare yourself to others as it is about personal growth. That is what I kept doing. I felt like everyone was so confident, well spoken, and had everything right, but my focus on others led me to missing out on what is good about myself and what I can give back! Recognising this actually led to my biggest success in overcoming my anxiety and becoming much more independent.” As a result of this Tanzina has founded a new society called Women in Law. Focus on your strengths and utilise them. They will be different from your peers but don’t let this stop you. University is a chance for you to grow. You will experience positive and negative emotions throughout your university experience. Don’t let the negative ones prevail they are just a part of the process.

Just because it isn't the University of Birmingham without Old Joe.

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