A month ago I had the fortunate experience of being able to announce to the world that I had finally finished my law degree. It is still taking some time for it to sink in and I fear that I may have a mild case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
For me it has been a long journey, having first completed a bachelor of arts before getting into law school. Then, studying with a full time load while also working full time. This combination of full time work and study was testing at times, but was a necessary evil. The only regret I have about that combination is that I sometimes had to ration the amount of study I did and limit it to the bare essentials. As a result some of my marks were probably not as good as I would have expected, although Ps do get degrees.
I had my share of late nights, being up until all hours trying to get an assignment done. Not to mention missing most social functions in final year due to a fear-driven determination not to fail any of my last few subjects.
As I studied online, the only thing that my degree was lacking was the camaraderie you develop with your classmates. I am fortunate though, that I have made friends and support networks through other channels. Being able to get to know some wonderful people from a variety of backgrounds has been the highlight of being a law student.
Despite the late nights, stress, and lack of social life, I can honestly say that it has been an enjoyable experience and well worth the effort. What does the future hold? I have made the decision to steer clear of politics or comedy and will be pursing a career in the legal profession. I have started my traineeship and am already discovering the realities of legal practice.
Despite not having to rush home from work to study, I find that I’m spending more time in the office thanks to an increased workload, but such is the profession many of us aspire to join.
If I was to give one piece of advice to any current or future law student, it would be that no matter the challenges that life or this degree may throw at you, make sure you battle on, because once you finish your law degree it empowers you with a feeling that you can achieve anything.
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