I have just had the pleasure of commencing law school. I'm glad to report that I wasn't singled out in my first class to answer an extremely complex legal question. I guess movies like Legally Blonde and The Paper Chase exaggerate the knowledge that lecturers expect you to have on your first day. I can now take a deep breath and relax, knowing that everybody else is in the same boat as I am.
I wasn't too sure what to expect from my first week of classes and felt nervous and excited at the same time. I decided to start reading the textbook to get a feel for the course and because I was nervous about entering law without taking Legal Studies for my HSC. I was concerned that I might not be prepared to contribute to class discussions. However, after facing my first week, I discovered that these jitters were completely unwarranted. Sure, having done legal studies probably helps, but it is hardly a prerequisite.
Overall, I was really happy with my teachers, the classes and the content we were covering. My first ethics seminar already had me starting to question my morals! I’ve just had a taste of the ethics behind law, and I am already so fascinated. It will be extremely interesting to see the various points of views presented throughout the semester. I also discovered that marks are given for class participation. This will definitely put me outside of my comfort zone!
In addition to the morally challenging questions, we were also introduced to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) and legal databases. I didn’t find this the most fascinating topic in the world, but I suppose that we’ve got to start from the bottom before we start learning about all those cases. I don’t even know where to start searching – I tried opening one of the databases and have no idea where to begin! I guess that these library lessons will be helpful after all.
I’m optimistic that this will be a brilliant and challenging semester. I’ve already received a large booklet of seminar materials so I guess it’s time to start tackling the inevitable mountain of law readings!
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