The lows of an undergraduate

There are many lows I faced during my undergraduate degree. However, it has made me the person I am today.

I can't remember all of them but there are certain experiences which I have learnt from. I think it's best to start with lows in order to appreciate the highs, right?

Lows

I didn't attend many law fairs and networking events. I remember attending maybe two or three, which were law fairs and an introduction to the legal advice centre. I wish I got involved a bit more in events relating to my degree to get my name out there, see what fields of law I was interested in and hearing from legal professionals. Also, this would have helped me step outside my comfort zone. I never appreciated the importance of just saying 'yes', I could have learnt about vacation schemes and training contracts a bit more. Don't take these events for granted as they are very helpful in more ways than you know.

I underestimated the time and effort during my final year. I didn't push myself as much and frequently lost motivation towards my studies, I was overwhelmed. It is important to stay organised from the beginning and get prepared to balance competing deadlines. Also, when choosing your options, take time to research the modules as it differs for everyone. Some students may like to widen their choices, others narrowing their options and selecting alike modules e.g. corporate based. I rushed into picking mine and wished I choose intellectual property.

I didn't communicate and reach out with my tutors for help and support. If you go through stressful situations, you can always talk to a wellbeing officer or university counsellor who will be more than willing to offer you some advice. Even talking to a tutor is advisable if you need someone to just talk to or your friends and family. Make use of the many available platforms out there to support your health and wellbeing as I am an advocate for promoting the importance of focusing on you, especially during a competitive degree like law.

Also, I didn't make use of the resources available such as completing the the further reading lists even if it wasn't required of me, this would've widened my scope and attending mooting or commercial awareness competitions, I was nervous to apply and I didn't know what to expect. By experiencing this, this would allow me to network with a range of people, develop skills and knowledge and help decide whether I liked or disliked certain aspects of the law.

Now I look back I may have done a few things differently...