The Uni Looney

Is this where I leave my blog to decay in the World Wide Web and walk away from this? I’m not too sure and it has been something I have been debating for a good few weeks. At the moment my work load is huge and fast past and every second I seem to have is always focusing on the law. Not only this but the blogging world has seemed to of slowed down and a few have disappeared or closed the curtains on their blogs.
While going through some previous posts I have found my blog to of gone stale with comments decreasing and I am really debating whether to either:

1. Keep this blog going
2. Delete the blog
3. Delete blog and start another one

Now I don’t need a lot of comments to keep me going because I’m lousy at commenting on other peoples blogs and even worst and checking on mine, but I just don’t feel as enthused to keep blogging when I look at it from this prospective.
So I believe I’m going to call a Hiatus to the blog till the 4th Of January.
We will see what happens from that point onwards, as always comments are welcome but I need a serious think.

Looney

Well it’s October and coursework is being issues, classes are in full swing and the work load is immense! I knew it would be harder and that there would be more work involved but not like this. My time table changes on the week, my reading lists for classes seem to be getting bigger and the legal theory getting more complex.

I still love my degree but I do seem to be struggling with Employment Law. An another issue I have came across is that because we don’t have any more specific questions just general points that will be discuss the information to absorb and shift through is HUGE. An because I always feel I don’t know enough I will get into all the technical stuff and go off my work in a huge tangent but with the speed and the work load I can’t afford to keep wasting time as I’m slipping.

I’ve cut my hours at work to the contractual hours of ten and socially I’m going out once a week to have a drink which doesn’t bother me but I need to adapt soon before I get buried with my work load.

Tips and advice is welcome J

Well that’s a very good question so let me first tell you about my first three weeks at University.

The move went fine and so did my enrolment, inductions and so did making more friends and getting invites to many parties. Fresher week lasted for THREE weeks. This involved me being sent to A&E with a chunk missing out of my hand when I fell over but decided instead of throwing my chips on the floor and balancing myself to save the chips was a even better idea. I lost my keys twice (found them the next day in a mates handbag or in my jacket) and therefore had to be escorted to my room with security, at one point I couldn’t actually walk up the stairs and my flatmates had to help me along with a not so amused security guard.

Basically the Looney went well off the rails.

So what brought me back onto the tracks?

Was it the lack of sleeping and eating but constant drinking that made me stupidly ill? Nope

Was it when my bank account went below double digits? Nope

It was when I started my course in the fourth week and I realised just how much work and just how hard the second year is! I’m loving the Law and learning it just its alot of work, alot of complex law especially in Employment Law. An too be honest it scared me because it’s just the beginning. So I need to be sober, organised and on top of my game a first is still up for grabs but it I can’t expect to do just a bit more work than what I did in my first year I need to triple that and get more motivated. I also got a very useful break down of my grades and it seems that the exams really dragged me down and so I need to come up with a better more productive and effective way to prepare for the exams.

As for the rest of Uni? Well my three weeks of partying has not gone un noticed. Apart from the girl juggling my drunken antics seem to have a few people looking at me in the street, when I release and look at them I think do I know them? An I release no that’s the person who was sitting opposite us while singing Angels on Karaoke!

As for the girls its boiled down I released that having a few girls was good but honestly isn’t what I want and as for the label that you get for it! Not very nice, and so I have met another girl (let’s forget about the others) and we have a mutual understanding which is working for now. Who has time to deal with the drama of a real relationship when you got mountains of work to do each week? This way I optimize the time for my workload while getting the best out of seeing one girl at the drop of a text.

I will be twittering alot more, and I will be commenting, and replying to anything ive neglected!! Keep tuned im back!

The Looney isn’t Happy

For some reason lately I have been on a downer. I keep feeling lost because I don’t have a direction, or that career ambition that I see or read about. By ambition I mean I don’t have a clear picture of what Job I want to do, I want a career it’s just what in?

So I thought about it and I decided that maybe I needed to do more about C.V and should get it filled up and make me stand out. I also decided to draw a line in the sand and now start REALLY focusing but still this left me with a stupid feeling. I thought about changing course, changing universities and to be honest I’m happy with both.

It was then when I figured it out, I’m not happy not knowing what I want to do or where I was going. I honestly feel STUCK. I’m in a place that I like and happy! But I can’t be happy because I need to move on soon but I don’t know what to and so can’t work towards anything specifically and only generally.

How do I become unstuck? This is not just a career thing its a LIFE thing.

Help

Okay bloggers this is the general scandal catch up of my life:

First let’s start with Histo, girl. A history student at my university but who I have also known for a year before university and we are going to leave together in let’s say a week. Why is she significant, well because I love her and she loves me it’s just a shame she doesn’t love me in the way I love her. Every time we get close and then she lands a bomb shell like she has a date I go off the rails. Now I know you think what does that mean? Well let me tell you.

Girl A – Well she’s in college and she’s nice not to clever but she turns heads we text almost every day but its got stagnant and we have a date on Tuesday – Something I’m NOT looking forward too. An we work with each other.

Girl B – A friend of a friend who we hooked up, which involved an encounter at a after party. She’s totally out but has found employment – at my part time work.

Girl C – She’s just there expects nothing but after a few beers we both find comfort in each other.

Girl D – She admitted she fancied me and we kissed only once but now she has a boyfriend problem is Histo and D are living with me in seven days.

Girl E – She was a girl I was seeing in summer but she went to travel for 2 months, she asked me to wait, and I said yes but if she has logged into facebook in the last 2 months she will know. .she also works where me and girl B works.

Girl F – Well this one is an embracement I had abit too much and beer goggles happened. Now she is my next door neighbour who also will be introducing herself to Histo girl and girl D.

Girl G – We hooked up, we work with each other, my supervisor was in love with her at one point and EVERYONE has found out.

Boy A – A flatmate of Girl F and of course neighbours of myself, Histo girl and girl D. He is openly Gay I have never met him but after he tracked me on fb he has done nothing but pester me until he bluntly asked me “have you ever fooled around with a lad? I bet you have” ....I very much wanted to responded..”Yes haven’t you met girl F you are living with her” but I do have some conscience and sent my regards to make him a limited profile users.

If you’re with me and your head is not baffled then you might of worked out that I’m dead/ Screwed. Now only are the Girls who obviously meant so much to me nicked name them with letters. They’re going to speak, they will talk (because girls have to do that -_-) which will mean I will be given a name which will deter people. It could also BLOW my chances of Histo girl and I mean this we get on like a granny at bingo.

Why did I tell you about Girl B – Well because I have been promoted at work (temp) but it could be in good stead for a permanent position opening up. Now a girl who’s been there longer wants it and if this gets out about Girl B I’m doomed! Also Girl G is supervisor of Girl B so that could get ugly as well as Girl B and Girl G for same reasons.

The Boy doesn't bother me too much its just I've learned to accept a I hate Looney girl fan club that I do nothing but promote especially last semester however the last thing I want is a bitchy Boy. I can fight my fan club but not the entire LGBT of the University, who is incredible close and you do not want to piss off, as Im warned by a Gay mate!

So to sum up, keep reading because as well as blogging about the work, career direction and grades. You will also here about the drama exploding at Looney’s Home, Work and Course.

This is going to be one FUN semester

I don't know how I found this

So I have completed my first year of LLB law and for those who have not followed me from the beginning I studied. Legal Skills, Contract, Public,( International legal framework of) Human Rights, Legal systems and a non-law elective. An I averaged overall in the 60’s so a 2.1 at the end of it. I learned a lot of lessons tips and tricks and I know there are more to come but I thought it would be useful if I write about some of the things I have learned.

1. Fresher week is only a week: This is a no brainer but even I nearly got carried away and my fresher week lasted a fortnight. This made me very tired, slow and I did most of my introductory work last minute which was okay because it was easy but looking back it was a dangerous game as alot of people slipped and struggled as they did not get the basics.

2. You need to grab ALL opportunities. On my first lecture we got asked to volunteer ourselves to be course reps, and out of 200 students I was one of 6 who chose to put their name down. It was one of the bravest but yet smallest things I did.

3. Beware of Leaches. These are people who are your supposed friends but academically sponge off you. I had a friend who copied my work nearly word for word. It was only a diary but imagine if that was a 50% mark essay!

4. Teaching for some tutors is a catch 21 for their position and so when you walk into the classroom make sure you know the stuff don’t waste their time and more importantly your time and money.

5. DONT rush into putting your name down for a seminar group (if you have an option). At my university our seminars were assessed and so they was compulsory. I put my name down to the group that I got the sheet of first. I was lucky as my timetable was good. What I recommend is when you get your timetable (mine was a spreadsheet) make a table of when your lectures are on what days and then plan the seminars around them. Make sure you have a day off if you can or at least an afternoon.

6. Don’t rush and buy your books. I would say for all subjects you got an exam in then buy the core reading books but otherwise go to the library. I bought all my core books and for some of the modules that were just coursework I didn’t really use the books. It was useful for the seminars but I could have just used the library books for that.

7. As soon as you start University the clock is against you so sign up to things be active and apart of student life. Now alot of students are not, yes they drink and go on socialize but not alot sign up for volunteer positions like mentors, course reps.

8. People lie about how much exam/seminar prep they have done its a fact! An alot of people like to hear the sound of their own voice so in seminars especially you need to do as much work as possible and you need to be prepared to fight to get your own voice heard.

9. Be a geek! I started the course very enthusiastically but alot of people after freshers didn’t want to do any work and so would be asleep in lectures or in class would be sat with their head down. I felt self conscience but then you release your paying to be there for that one hour so you better make the most of it.

10. When you first start Uni you will sit with people and usually form a group. Dont be scared of moving. I did and instead of sponges I got in with a good crowd who like to work hard and party hard. In that group I met someone who was in most of my seminars and we would help each other alot.

11. Coursework isn’t like A level you need books and journals. A way to score high marks is to find two journals that support an argument/legal theory and two that go against it. This is an ability that I’ve been told is expected in second years but not seen alot in first years. I did this in my first ever essay and got top of the year!!!!

12. Support. When you move to university you feel like you have been taken away from the support structure you have at home (if you have moved that is). Whether family or friends maybe if your lucky both. I found blogging was a major morale booster whenever I needed to cry or celebrate I blogged it and I found support. My friends at uni wasn’t great to start off with I fell in with first people who did drugs, second spongers and then mates who are good and helped with the work. Universities also usually offer either counselling or mentoring/buddy schemes

13. Dont be scared of getting things wrong I did but it helped me get my head around the complexity of a legal issue.

14. Dont forget that your 1^st year can really do alot to strengthen your C.V

15. I cant help you with note taking but I can help you with notes. I bought a pukka pad a cheap one and put all my notes in it. Every Sunday or Monday I would type up the notes and back them up. Why one pad? Well I started with an Asda pad and I had paper everywhere with sentences on one piece or one scribble of a case name and it got abit hectic.

16. Keep on top of course paper work and accommodation buy a little folder and put it on a shelve and keep all documents in it. It will help when you need to pick options or applying for financing again.

17. Ask your university if you are eligible for any scholarship or grants usually if your parents earn below £60k you can get some money from your university.

18. Exercise, this sound stupid. I would of thought so anyway but I got into running and it helps when your stress, have alot of work and generally makes you more energetic and focused. It also helps with confidence.

19. Sleep! It’s vital I turned up to many seminars after no sleep and you don’t get the full benefit or factors out of it. My body clock went to mush when I decided to do some all nighters to get some coursework done. Instead spend say three hours 6-9pm doing a piece of coursework and rotate it each day. You will still get to go out even if its abit later than usual and you will have less stress each time you complete another three hours of work.

20. Research. If you do alot of research its very beneficial I did loads and used halve of it some people might say it was a waste of time but I got alot of information, learned alot and I also used the research to trade it for other peoples research. I had a mate in another university and I had information on Public they did on Contract so we exchanged four journals each. Saving us time navigating Westlaw.

21. Have fun! Law is a fun and interesting subject and you need to enjoy it and enjoy the work to do well at it. I love law. I must admit contract I thought was interesting but didn’t feel as strong about it as I did public.

So there you go if you work hard, play hard and enjoy yourself Law at university will be one of the most challenging yet intellectually rewarding degrees. University life is another way of life. It’s fun and hard and requires you to do everything for yourself if you don’t push yourself you wont realize how behind your are till your too late. I’m not claiming by following the 21 tips above you will do well but it’s what I found out and learned. My friends would look at this and probably delete half of these but it works.

I didn’t want to add this in the tips but this is a BIG thing I would like to point out. When I started my tutor told me that you’re only allowed two resits (or around that) anymore than the Law Society has to see if your degree is an LLB one. Now I can only vaguely remember the details of this but it works out that you get x many resits but it works out at 2 or 3 really.

Think of this though each resit you can only get 40% so you either pass or fail. In your first year you only need 40%. So think of this – do you really want to mess up your first year to get a fail and use one of them resits especially when its easy incomprission to second and third year work (so im told off other students).

Im in my last week before I move back to University so the countdown has started! I am working on two more posts in Legal Careers about my thoughts on the obvious ones Solicitor and Barrister.