I am a first-year student studying Law with Business Management (LLB). The degree covers valuable knowledge in the areas of law alongside business management. The weighting of the degree is Law, which is 67% of the course, and the remaining 33% are modules of business management. This blog will show my varied academic days as a student at university, how I organize my study and how I balance my part-time job.
My academic timetable runs over 4 days and I have, roughly, 12 hours of contact hours (lectures and seminars) a week, which leaves plenty of time for independent reading and studying! My typical routine includes attending lectures, seminars and independent learning as well as socializing with friends. For me, most university days start at 9am which is my first lecture and then after my lecture I sometimes have to attend a seminar which is more like a classroom group discussion. Sitting in a lecture theatre can be quite daunting as there may be a large number of students attending as the whole year group who studies your course attends. My law lectures usually last 2 hours whereas my business lectures last 1- 1.5 hours. Seminars are less formal than lectures and they are intended to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the topics discussed in lectures.
On other days after lectures and seminars, I study independently or work with my course friends on assignments. I organize my study by making a revision plan to break my day into manageable chunks. On days I have lectures or seminars, I aim to go to the university library before class and review the notes I took before I attend a seminar. Not having many contact hours means that I have a break throughout the day which is where I usually take this time to either review my notes for the next class or do additional reading for assignments. I spend the day at the university library on my day off to revise and on days where I have university, on average I stay until 7/8pm as I prefer to get all my studying done throughout weekdays. There are some events on at the Students Union on evenings such as quiz nights and movie nights, so I tend to unwind by attending with friends and socializing.
As well as studying, I am a student ambassador for Teesside University, and I ensure to balance this with my studies as the work is flexible around my commitments which is great as I can choose the shifts I want and I’m available for to fit around my studies. I ensure to work hard and productively with my studies during the weekdays as I also work part-time (12 hours) on a weekend. My shifts consist of 6 hours therefore, I can meet family and friends and relax until Monday morning!
University has really taught me how to manage my time effectively. I really recommend getting a planner which can help to keep track of time and plan your day/ week in great detail. The routine of my day-to-day lifestyle helps me to keep a balance between my studying, working and personal time. Additionally, pre-reading before lectures and taking notes are the most important things you can do as a student! Taking notes from important points lecturers make are vital when you are a student as they help you to understand ideas discussed in seminars for essays and exams. In any breaks that you have, you should make notes on lecture PowerPoints instead of leaving it until the last minute.