Recently pondering the formatting of my resume and scrolling through articles about which font is the best, I discovered what can only be described as an underworld Type War.

My resume has gone from Cambria, to Arial, to Times New Roman, to Helvetica, until I finally conceded and clicked ‘Cambria’ once more. But what’s the big deal? Should you be worried about the font on your folio? Or are such debates unnecessary?

Here at Survive Law, we’re yet to meet a genuinely organised student. The problem with student life is that study seems to consistently get in the way of a good time. Although you could easily avoid that stressful last-minute scramble to complete your constitutional law essay, you’re about as likely to plan ahead and stick to that plan as you are to be hit by a hovercraft.

Whether you’re in your first or last semester of your law degree, everyone is always telling you that everything is important: you have to have effective public speaking skills, you have to have excellent writing skills, you have to network, and you have to have excellent critical analysis skills.

All of these skills are useful, but having effective legal research skills is incredibly important to your success, not only in your law degree but also throughout your legal career. There are far too many cases, statutes and regulations for us to learn all of them at law school, but legal sleuthing skills will mean that you’re able to learn about new areas of the law and keep up to date throughout your career. Having Sherlock Holmes-like skills in legal research will also ensure that you are not wasting your time sifting through irrelevant information.

"Three hundred pages a day is a serious understatement. At my end of the spectrum, I have to read thousands of pages. Law requires discipline and focus. Fortunately I was born with good concentration."  

- Former High Court Justice Michael Kirby

Law school is hard. While that might be the most self-evident statement ever typed, spare a thought for the law student completing their degree online. Although listening to lectures whenever you feel like it and being able to wear your pyjamas during “class” sounds really appealing (particularly if you’re sitting in a lecture at 9am on a Monday) distance study is not as easy as it seems.

Have you always thought about doing a semester abroad, but thought it was too difficult? If you can handle piles of paperwork (but heck – you’re studying law right?), a few panicked meltdowns about leaving Australia (and then about coming back again) a semester abroad is actually within your reach.

Here a few reasons to consider…