Life as a law student isn’t just about managing your study schedule; for many of us, work and money are also important factors to consider. It's all very well to be learning mind-blowing facts for your future career, but when your work commitments are churning over in your head, study seems to continually slip down the list of priorities. How do you balance the two?
At times it can be the difference between long and short-term goals. Long-term goal: become a fabulously successful lawyer. Short-term goal: earn money to pay for textbooks, go out for dinner, buy clothes and enjoy the niceties of life.
What do you do when work calls you one morning and asks if you can come in for to work that day? You have uni but feel like if you say no, you might miss out on more shifts at work. Although fewer shifts would be good for the study timetable, it’s terrible for the bank account. So, nine times out of 10 you're going to go in, and miss that one lecture or tute that you had that day.
Trying to balance work and study can be draining, and university is usually the thing that suffers. You turn up and fall asleep at the desk, or don't turn up at all, because sometimes your bed is just too comfortable to leave.
When you’re juggling work and study commitments, keeping on top of your notes and keeping an eye on assignment due dates will help immensely.
It’s also important to remember that the sooner you ask for something, the more likely you'll get it. Just found out you've got a massive assignment due in six weeks? Ask work for the weekend before the due date.
Get a call that you've got to work for a solid week? Tell your lecturer or tutor about it and get them to let you know what work will be due in that week. At least let them know you won't be there. They're human. They’ll understand.
For those of you who remember things more visually, get a calendar. Mark workdays in red and important assignments in blue. When you’re organised, you'll be amazed at how much more smoothly everything seems to run.
Whenever you find that your work commitments are making it difficult to keep up with study, remember that whatever job you have now is only temporary.
Try and remember the long-term goal. At the end of the day, doing well at university will help to ensure that you achieve your dream of being fabulously successful lawyer.
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