For the second time since my arrival I have found myself starting a week without lectures and seminars - the aptly titled 'Reading Week'. There is little Law learning to post about today. I am still struggling through the series of folders that mark the amassed collective of lectures that I have attended through out the year. Hopefully, with no need (technically) for me to leave my apartment over the next week I shall have enough time to make such a dent in my work that it will only take another week to complete. That's just as well, as I now have almost exactly two months until my three week period of exams commences.
As a minor piece of Law with which to tempt the readers of my blog; On Wednesday I attended a (non-compulsory) seminar on the role of National Parliaments and the European Constitution presented by Professor The Lord Norton of Louth. The 'seminar' was attended (unsurprisingly) by few of my peers and several more mature individuals. I cannot recall a word of the seminar as, directly after a quip was made about how many titles His Lordship has, my brain turned to what can only be referred to as 'mush'. After an hour, when the floor was opened up to questions, a few friends and I made our escape.
Pity I didn't notice before I vacated my seat that the head of Law was sitting directly behind us.
Monday, February 19
Wednesday, February 14
Non Est Vexatum
Yesterday, instead of my usual (and quite interesting) Legal Skills and Process lecturer we were spoken to by a local lay-Magistrate. It was quite an interesting talk, as usual I had sat as far back as was possible in the lecture theatre.
My Contract lecturer has gained the rather helpful habit of turning off the back lights when giving lectures so I tend to sit at the back, no longer with the intention of napping, but rather because I've usually only just got out of bed and the dark seems to help. The only minor problem with this approach is that every week fewer and fewer people attend the legal skills lectures which are directly after the contract lectures. As I sit at the back savouring the few minutes peace that I can grasp before my next lecture begins my fellow students dart out of the lecture theatre, many enter again with hands cupping a coffee, but quite a large number do not return. This results in several rows of vacated seats in front of me, and my feeling awfully exposed to the gaze of my lecturers.
Perhaps I have become slightly bookish recently but I can not see the point in purposefully skipping lectures. I may, however, be taking this view because I am sitting indoors attempting to memorise the two necessary conditions for a successful plea of non est factum and trying not to give myself panic attacks every time I think of the amount of cases I have yet to learn. Others seem to be going through the course without worry and many without even attending.
My Contract lecturer has gained the rather helpful habit of turning off the back lights when giving lectures so I tend to sit at the back, no longer with the intention of napping, but rather because I've usually only just got out of bed and the dark seems to help. The only minor problem with this approach is that every week fewer and fewer people attend the legal skills lectures which are directly after the contract lectures. As I sit at the back savouring the few minutes peace that I can grasp before my next lecture begins my fellow students dart out of the lecture theatre, many enter again with hands cupping a coffee, but quite a large number do not return. This results in several rows of vacated seats in front of me, and my feeling awfully exposed to the gaze of my lecturers.
Perhaps I have become slightly bookish recently but I can not see the point in purposefully skipping lectures. I may, however, be taking this view because I am sitting indoors attempting to memorise the two necessary conditions for a successful plea of non est factum and trying not to give myself panic attacks every time I think of the amount of cases I have yet to learn. Others seem to be going through the course without worry and many without even attending.
Monday, February 12
Careers....Again
For almost a week now I've been looking into the choice of careers that lay ahead of me. It's not a definite decision, but I was leaning more towards the idea of becoming a Barrister. I found this blog PupilBlog - A blog written by someone who began their pupillage around the same time I started my LLB. The more I read the more I can see myself fitting in and doing that particular job. However, it would appear that competition is fierce and places few and far between with no guarantee of success even after pupillage.
However, even with no clear idea of what it is that I am aiming for I still know that what I must be doing right now is studying. Which is why, at ten to eight on a Monday evening, when most of my friends are on their way out into the town I am sitting in my room making notes on Non-Identical Mistake. It's not that my social life has begun to fall apart - for instance, in the last 48 hours I have been thoroughly beaten at Snooker and a seemingly endless 2 hour session of Squash by my friends - it's more that I seem to be able to work better in the evenings.
Still it's only two months solid study before the exams.... and then I have the next 4 or 5 years of study and an entire career of continual learning ahead of me...
However, even with no clear idea of what it is that I am aiming for I still know that what I must be doing right now is studying. Which is why, at ten to eight on a Monday evening, when most of my friends are on their way out into the town I am sitting in my room making notes on Non-Identical Mistake. It's not that my social life has begun to fall apart - for instance, in the last 48 hours I have been thoroughly beaten at Snooker and a seemingly endless 2 hour session of Squash by my friends - it's more that I seem to be able to work better in the evenings.
Still it's only two months solid study before the exams.... and then I have the next 4 or 5 years of study and an entire career of continual learning ahead of me...
Tuesday, February 6
The Future
This morning I had a legal skills lecture. The topic for today being the Legal Profession. Despite the fact that I am a Law Student I still am unsure as to what direction I wish to take in my career. The idea of a Barrister's work interests me somewhat, but I'm not sure that I have the right charisma for advocacy. I have been reading this blog http://criminalsolicitor.blogspot.com/ which does make being a Solicitor sound interesting to say the least. Though, I don't know enough about either Solicitor or Barrister as professions to give my own appraisals on their merits.
I was slightly put on the back foot when I realised what age I would be were I to qualify as a Solicitor. I knew that it would be a long process, but had never taken the time (to avoid coming over in a cold sweat) to work out exactly how many years. I am close friends with two Architecture students; every now and then the length of their entire course will be mentioned and I am always amazed that they are able to see themselves that far in the future.
For those interested to know, I could expect to qualify as a Solicitor around the same time as the London 2012 Olympics begin.
The good news is that I don't have to decide today. The bad news is that I will have to decide soon. Apparently the Inns of Court are even open to first year Law students....
I was slightly put on the back foot when I realised what age I would be were I to qualify as a Solicitor. I knew that it would be a long process, but had never taken the time (to avoid coming over in a cold sweat) to work out exactly how many years. I am close friends with two Architecture students; every now and then the length of their entire course will be mentioned and I am always amazed that they are able to see themselves that far in the future.
For those interested to know, I could expect to qualify as a Solicitor around the same time as the London 2012 Olympics begin.
The good news is that I don't have to decide today. The bad news is that I will have to decide soon. Apparently the Inns of Court are even open to first year Law students....
Friday, February 2
Notes
In my first few weeks at University after every lecture I would come back to my room and type up the lecture notes onto my computer. Somehow shortly after this period the apathy, directly attributed to not being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, of the constant typing and filing set in. It was at about this time that 'The Pile' began it's existence. Over the past few months this 'set of notes' has grown steadily, almost covertly, to become quite a nagging worry in the back of my mind.
On Monday a friend and I went into town where I bought several binders, dividers and plastic wallets with the intent of tackling 'The Pile' - subdividing it into so many sections that it would be crushed and thoroughly unable to ever rise again to the size and power it had once achieved. My friend pointed out that spending money on the equipment does not mean I am going to use any of it for it's intended purpose.
It is now Friday, and every shred of paper that I have amassed is hidden in the ominous row of folders on my shelf that imply I am actually working. However, that was only the first phase of organisation. The second is to take every lecture, making revision notes, case lists and summaries from each. Having now started this process I am quite relieved that none of what I am re-reading feels 'new'.
On Monday a friend and I went into town where I bought several binders, dividers and plastic wallets with the intent of tackling 'The Pile' - subdividing it into so many sections that it would be crushed and thoroughly unable to ever rise again to the size and power it had once achieved. My friend pointed out that spending money on the equipment does not mean I am going to use any of it for it's intended purpose.
It is now Friday, and every shred of paper that I have amassed is hidden in the ominous row of folders on my shelf that imply I am actually working. However, that was only the first phase of organisation. The second is to take every lecture, making revision notes, case lists and summaries from each. Having now started this process I am quite relieved that none of what I am re-reading feels 'new'.
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