There is no doubt about it that online learning is a lot more difficult than being able to go to your seminars and lectures in person. Whilst it is important that you put the work in, you need to protect yourself from becoming overwhelmed and cramming at the last minute, which can lead to burnout. There are no two ways about it - law courses are difficult and the lack of in-person support doesn’t make them any easier.
So how can we make things easier for ourselves?
Holly - Law Answered Ambassador and founder of @law_with_holly shares her top tips for success:
Good structure
With online learning having a more lucid structure it is paramount that you have a good structure to your week to stay on top of things, remain productive and don’t fall behind. Good structure throughout the day will really help you maintain your productivity.
First, start the week with a blank timetable and then add in your “must-dos” - seminars and lectures you have that you need to attend. Next add in your more flexible work - time to go over lecture and seminar notes, extra reading and assignments that you need to complete throughout the week. Finally add in downtime - yep, I said it!
Structuring your work into your week upfront will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed at the start of the week and enable you to make sure you have time to fit everything in.
To do lists
To-do lists may be one of the more cliché learning methods that get talked about, but that’s because they work! They are a great method of keeping you organised and focused. And let’s face it – there is nothing more satisfying to a when you are stuck working than being able to tick off a task once it’s completed!
Creating a to-do list forces you to prioritise your work for the day. Not only that, but they prevent you from forgetting work, and help you plan your day as you will clearly see what you need to achieve. Once you have everything written down on paper, it will be much easier to identify similar tasks and then complete them at the same time to help you work more efficiently.
One place that people often go wrong when it comes to to-do lists is treating them as wish lists rather than as priority lists. If you want to hit your study goals, you have to create a to-do list that is achievable (i.e. it doesn’t have 100 items on it!). If you are in Team “Never-ending to-do list”, you may find the Top 3 method useful – writing down your top three learning goals for the day and making sure that these are your only focus.
Breaks
Breaks are essential when you are study to avoid burn out. Try and have a break every hour for a drink, snack or 15 minutes of Tiktok! You will find yourself a lot more productive throughout the day if you break up your studying with breaks and will help you feel a lot less drained at the end of the day.
Study space
A nice clean study space is essential, particularly when studying online as this is where you spend most of your day. Unlike previous years where you would perhaps spend just your revision and seminar prep at your desk, you now spend all your learning hours at your desk.
Try making your desk a cosy space to study such as adding fairy lights and candles. Obviously, this isn’t essential but if it is a nicer space to work in it may make you more likely to study there! make sure you have plenty of light, so you aren’t straining to see your screen, a comfy chair to protect your back and laptop at the right height (perfect use for a big law textbook if you need a stand!).
Try setting yourself boundaries when studying such as not studying on your bed. Studies have shown that when you study on your bed you are more likely to want to nap. Additionally, your brain then connects the two so when you want to sleep your brain thinks of studying instead of winding down for the day. This can lead to increased anxiety around your studies, making it harder to sleep - and we all know that tiredness won’t help your productivity! So, where you can try and study at your desk, or somewhere like your kitchen table.
Snacks
Regular healthy snacks and water breaks are essential. This will help to stop you becoming overly tired or getting lost in a sugar coma. You also perform better when you are not hungry, so stick to regular meal times and lots of greens to help you maintain higher levels of engagement and concentration.
Regular contact with lecturers
Regular contact with lecturers is essential this year. Initially you may feel awkward reaching out, but lecturers want to help you and they want you to succeed and do well. It is important to remember that they’re there to help you and they want you to do well and achieve. Also, the worst thing that can happen in reaching out to a lecturer is that they are not allowed to answer the question, in which case you have not lost anything.
Technology
With studying being online this year, you are undoubtedly going to run into issues with technology at some point. If your technology is playing up - turn your laptop on and off - yes, we know it’s the oldest trick in the book but nine times out of ten, it works!
Additionally, you can try making handwritten notes when you are listening to a lecture. Sometimes your computer’s memory may struggle to cope with an open video lecture and a word document for your notes - if this sounds familiar, try handwriting out your lecture notes instead. Also, when using more powerful pieces of software such as Microsoft teams, it may help to close the other apps on your computer.
If you are having issues with technology, let your lecturers know as soon as possible - they may be more flexible with letting you have your camera off during seminars and if it means that you are far less likely to be penalised if you have issues submitting your coursework. It is also worth speaking to your university - many universities have additional hardship funds available this year to support students who need new access to better technology.
This article was written by Holly, a law student who shares her legal journey along with study tips and providing study motivation.
Want to know more about becoming a law ambassador? We are opening up our brand new ambassador programme this summer. Find out how to join the wait list here.