The 5 Most Common Questions of a First-Year Law student

Have you ever had questions you wanted to ask but were too scared to post on the Monash Law page or ask literally anyone out of fear of looking like another JAFFY? Don't worry, we've got your back. Here are a list of 5 questions and answers we have accumulated from our own experiences in first year law.

Are 8am lectures a good idea?

Unless you already are a morning person, my short answer is no. At the beginning of a semester, it's  very easy to say, “This is the semester! I’m going to motivate myself to wake up earlier by setting myself these 8am lectures and get all HD's.” While admirable, this mindset and motivation tends to drop throughout the semester, and physically making it to these lectures can become draining and a real hardship. It is very important to pace yourself and know when your own optimal learning times are.

Where is the best place to buy textbooks?

As we all know, textbooks are VERY expensive. Why not save when we can. The Monash Law facebook page is the place to go. At the end of a semester, people are often trying to sell their textbooks, and sometimes you can find multiple textbooks sold together for a bundle price. StudentVIP is another place to look. All you need to do is type in the textbook you need and VOILA, many sellers will appear and you can use the money you save to buy (yet another) coffee.

Should I do the moot/ negotiations/ client interview?

YES! Why not?! These competitions are all in a safe space, and they’re actually really fun! Well… besides the moot. BUT if your goal is to become a barrister, the moot is the place to start. The first year moot, as the name indicates, is only for first years so it’s the best opportunity to go up against teams that are equally confused and unsure as you are. Negotiations and the client interview need very limited preparation, so that’s chill!

What do I do if I fail?

Don’t worry, if it was only a borderline fail, you will have the chance to resit the exam, however the maximum score you can achieve is a P. (still better than an N!) At the same time, you can appeal for the exam to be remarked. If for reasons you still do not end up passing, you will need to repeat the whole unit. At the time, it may feel like the end of the world, but if you think about it, it’s just another obstacle we experience in life.  Every obstacle you experience will one day be part of your success story.

How do we address lecturers?

Coming out of high school, we are used to calling our teachers Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms. Uni is different! You can address lecturers by their first names, whether it is in emails or in person. That’s not to say some lecturers still prefer to be addressed with their title, so do still double check with your lecturer. It’s not a strange question to ask!

Written by Dian Liu (Co-founder)