#at this point i'm just sending my cv out to anything even remotely related to my skills like can i at least have a HINT of interest

[jakeperalta]

life really is a constant cycle of saying "I cannot keep doing this fucking job" and then showing up again the next day because you do not in fact have any choice but to keep doing this fucking job 😔

[legally-caffeinated]

Hey ! I'll be starting my first year at QMUL this september (LLB) :) do you have any advice about how to study, how to make sure to pass ? I really need to have good grades, I'm the first in my family to go to uni :/ Love your blog ! :) (btw, which grades do you need to pass ?)

Hi there! Congratulations for making it into QMUL! I hope you will enjoy being at QMUL just as much as I do :D

First of all, let me clarify the grades issue. Here is a simple classification: 

“A” Range: First Class (numerical equivalent: over 70%);

“B” Range: Upper Second Class (60% - 69.9%);

“C” Range: Lower Second Class (50% - 59.9%);

“D” Range: Third Class (45% - 49.9%);

“E” Range: Pass (40% - 44.9%);

“F” Range: Fail (0 - 39.9%).

So, basically, you need to get over 40% to pass a module.

Of course, there is a description for each award detailed in the Student Handbook that you will receive in a few weeks. I think that it’s best if you read the more detailed classification when you receive the Student Handbook; otherwise, you might become a little bit confused and get the idea that a First Class award is unattainable (which is not true, of course!). Trust me, as a Fresher, you will have plenty of lectures during that are meant to clarify all the things you need to know as a Law student. However, if you want more details about this (although, again, I don’t really think it’s necessary), I will send you the 2016-17 Student Handbook in pdf format :)

Second of all, here are the tips:

Use your handbook wisely! I used the Student Handbook to answer your question. Coincidence? Not at all! All the details you need to know as a QMUL (Law) student are in that thing. Please, do not put the handbook in a remote corner of your room because you are definitely going to need it at some point for some very very very important piece of information. And if you can't find it anymore, remember that it is also available on QMplus. Which takes me to my next point...

Get used to QMplus ASAP! You will also hear this during the Freshers Week a lot. Basically, QMplus is the platform that you will have to use for everything: submitting essays, checking any important messages from your lecturers and tutors, finding seminar worksheets etc. So it is essential that you access QMplus on a daily basis.

Just because a module seems fun doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy! Of course, there are some modules that you’ll like and some modules that you’ll dislike. But the fact that a module is particularly interesting to you or the fact that the lecturer seems more fun does not mean that the assessments and the examinations are going to be easier for you! You need to remind yourself that the devil is in the detail and that being superficial is the worst mistake a Law student can do.

Don’t be passive! This has a lot to do with your readings. As you probably already know, you will have a lot to read: chapters from your textbook, articles, cases etc. Well, the secret to coping with all of this is to take it slowly and read actively! And this means different things for different people: for me, it involves using flashcards, post-its and marginalia (which basically means annotating). It will take some time until you figure out how to do this in your own way and that’s completely okay. Nobody expects you to understand from the very beginning how to study Law. But they all expect you to at least try to improve your reading skills from the very beginning.

Try to take notes by hand while attending the tutorials. This is a tip I learned from my land law tutor. He told us during our first land law tutorial that writing on a laptop makes students passive. The whole point of a tutorial is to make you understand the theoretical issues, discuss with the rest of the tutorial group and make connections. And for that, you need to write the points made by the tutor. However, in order to write those points down and also understand them, you need to listen veeeeery carefully to what the tutor says and not try to write every word.

Always make sure you ask questions. If you don’t have some, then something is not right. And don’t think that you can figure them out later if you study some more! Your tutors and your lecturers are there to answer your questions, so why not make the most of their knowledge? Besides, I have never heard anybody say that there is a QMUL tutor who does not answer questions that he/she considers to be stupid. And if the tutor does not have enough time to give you answers during the tutorial, make sure you send him/her an email ASAP. 

If you don’t get anything out of a lecture, stop attending it and watch the recording instead! I know that during the first few weeks it is vital to attend every single lecture so that you get used to the lecturers and their own way of teaching. However, during the second or even the first semester you may notice that the lecturer speaks too fast (trust me, this happened to me) or does not really say anything more than what is in the textbook (this also happened to me). In this case, why waste time attending the lecture when you can watch the recording on QMplus instead? You can skip over points that you already know and you can also pause to write all the essential stuff! Of course, I do not recommend doing this with all your lectures; listening to the recordings instead of watching them can easily turn into a very bad habit!

Go to lots of events! Okay, this is not so much of a study-related tip, but it is surely one of the most important I have for you! You will notice that some lecturers will strongly encourage you to go to events that are designed to increase your commercial awareness, networking skills or maybe just to give more info about what it takes to become a solicitor, for example. Go to as many as possible! You may think I’m crazy for saying that because nobody expects first-year Law students to immediately get involved in such things. Well, let me tell you that, as a second-year Law student, I have huuuuge advantages for doing that last year. My CV is now pretty and I know how to apply to a vac scheme or what a case study is about, which means that I am one big step ahead to achieving my dream of becoming a solicitor. Most of the events are on campus and 99% are free and you can find all of them on the QM website! I strongly recommend the One-Hour Law Workout events led by Karen Watton: she is sweet and helpful! :)

I wish you good luck! Do not forget to exercise and socialise during your first year! QM is a great uni and you should make the most of your time! xx