already falling behind in uni
i am three weeks into my law degree and have had about two - three lectures so far for each module. i already feel like i’m ‘behind’ in the sense that i haven’t learned much in these lectures (constitutional in particular) and i have so much reading to do, as well as making notes on the reading. should i be worried at this point that i’ve missed any crucial information?
Original post by Anonymous
i am three weeks into my law degree and have had about two - three lectures so far for each module. i already feel like i’m ‘behind’ in the sense that i haven’t learned much in these lectures (constitutional in particular) and i have so much reading to do, as well as making notes on the reading. should i be worried at this point that i’ve missed any crucial information?
Hi,
Try not to panic, university can feel really overwhelming when you first get started, but it gets easier. Uni lectures are designed more to give you some basic information around a topic and then its up to students to go and read around the subject. So don't worry if you feel like you haven't learnt loads in the lecturers, they are more for pointing you in the right direction. Have you spoken to any of the other students to see if they are feeling the same way? Also please remember that if you are struggling, there will be support services available to you, you can ask your lecturer or course leader if you are unsure of how to access them.
-Victoria
Wrexham Uni Rep
Original post by Anonymous
i am three weeks into my law degree and have had about two - three lectures so far for each module. i already feel like i’m ‘behind’ in the sense that i haven’t learned much in these lectures (constitutional in particular) and i have so much reading to do, as well as making notes on the reading. should i be worried at this point that i’ve missed any crucial information?
Hi,
The start of a degree can feel really intense and it does take time to find a routine and get use to new styles of studying and learning.
Lectures do not always teach all the content. I remember in my law lectures everyone furiously typing to make notes but really it was only signposting different topics and cases and statutes that we would then have to follow up on with the readings. The readings and work away from the lecture was where most of all the learning came from. Law is very much an independent study subject that does require time and commitment for the extensive reading. Seminars and tutorials were also where some of the theory was put into practice as well as the assignments and exams. You should hopefully have a course handbook that may make it easier to find out what topic you should be covering each week and the main learning points you will need for assessment.
Try not to get overwhelmed. If you are attending the classes and doing the readings you will be putting yourself in the best position.
Best of luck with your degree and I hope things feel more manageable as you get into the way of things,.
Catherine - University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador
Don't rely on the lectures to learn stuff.
I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but lectures are there for either a big picture overview or a nitty gritty breakdown of stuff you should be learning yourself through your reading.
The reading is the single biggest thing you need to be doing and unfortunately, law, like history and philosophy, requires an insane amount of reading.
I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but lectures are there for either a big picture overview or a nitty gritty breakdown of stuff you should be learning yourself through your reading.
The reading is the single biggest thing you need to be doing and unfortunately, law, like history and philosophy, requires an insane amount of reading.
(edited 6 months ago)
Original post by Anonymous
i am three weeks into my law degree and have had about two - three lectures so far for each module. i already feel like i’m ‘behind’ in the sense that i haven’t learned much in these lectures (constitutional in particular) and i have so much reading to do, as well as making notes on the reading. should i be worried at this point that i’ve missed any crucial information?
It's to be expected, I think, to struggle a little bit at the beginning of your course. It's a whole different type of learning and so it takes a while to get the hang of it, at least that's what I'm finding! So it's OK, just try to find your way through this and follow some of the excellent advice posted above
Original post by gjd800
Don't rely on the lectures to learn stuff.
I know that sounds counter-intuot8ve, but lectures are there for either a big picture overview or a nitty gritty breakdown of stuff you should be learning yourself through your reading.
The reading is the single biggest thing you need to be doing and unfortunately, law, like history and philosophy, requires an insane amount of reading.
I know that sounds counter-intuot8ve, but lectures are there for either a big picture overview or a nitty gritty breakdown of stuff you should be learning yourself through your reading.
The reading is the single biggest thing you need to be doing and unfortunately, law, like history and philosophy, requires an insane amount of reading.
when you say to ‘read around the subject’… what does this actually mean? do you take a book from the reading list and just find a chapter on what was covered in the lecture and just read about it?
Original post by University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador
Hi,
The start of a degree can feel really intense and it does take time to find a routine and get use to new styles of studying and learning.
Lectures do not always teach all the content. I remember in my law lectures everyone furiously typing to make notes but really it was only signposting different topics and cases and statutes that we would then have to follow up on with the readings. The readings and work away from the lecture was where most of all the learning came from. Law is very much an independent study subject that does require time and commitment for the extensive reading. Seminars and tutorials were also where some of the theory was put into practice as well as the assignments and exams. You should hopefully have a course handbook that may make it easier to find out what topic you should be covering each week and the main learning points you will need for assessment.
Try not to get overwhelmed. If you are attending the classes and doing the readings you will be putting yourself in the best position.
Best of luck with your degree and I hope things feel more manageable as you get into the way of things,.
Catherine - University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador
The start of a degree can feel really intense and it does take time to find a routine and get use to new styles of studying and learning.
Lectures do not always teach all the content. I remember in my law lectures everyone furiously typing to make notes but really it was only signposting different topics and cases and statutes that we would then have to follow up on with the readings. The readings and work away from the lecture was where most of all the learning came from. Law is very much an independent study subject that does require time and commitment for the extensive reading. Seminars and tutorials were also where some of the theory was put into practice as well as the assignments and exams. You should hopefully have a course handbook that may make it easier to find out what topic you should be covering each week and the main learning points you will need for assessment.
Try not to get overwhelmed. If you are attending the classes and doing the readings you will be putting yourself in the best position.
Best of luck with your degree and I hope things feel more manageable as you get into the way of things,.
Catherine - University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador
the only thing I’m really doing are the assignments which take up 99% of my time and include reading cases and learning things to prepare for seminars
Original post by Anonymous
when you say to ‘read around the subject’… what does this actually mean? do you take a book from the reading list and just find a chapter on what was covered in the lecture and just read about it?
I didn't specifically say 'read around the subject' but the short answer is yes. You should be reading things related to whatever is being covered. Moat of your time working will be spent reading.
Original post by Anonymous
i am three weeks into my law degree and have had about two - three lectures so far for each module. i already feel like i’m ‘behind’ in the sense that i haven’t learned much in these lectures (constitutional in particular) and i have so much reading to do, as well as making notes on the reading. should i be worried at this point that i’ve missed any crucial information?
Hi there
I am also a law student, and I remember being in the same situation in the first year of studying law. A law degree and A levels is quite a large jump: you have to learn what information to learn, ways to organise your time for each modules and it can be quite challenging.
Whilst it may seem like you are behind, a lot of information introduced so far would be an overview of the module, and they would go into detail over the course of the year. Try not to worry about this too much and try to do your seminar preparation every week first.
Reading all the reading and completing the seminar preparation can be really difficult. Whilst you should aim to complete them to the best of your abilities, the workload may be too much: I would recommend checking out each of the module guides: this would tell you the forms of assessment for example is it coursework based? or exam based? how much credits is the module, and how much percentage the assessment is worth? This could help you prioritise what you would do first etc.
For any readings that you may have missed out, reading week should be approaching soon, so keep a note on all the readings that you have not done, and you can return to these later on. As you progress through the degree, you will find that readings get easier as you will know what information are important for completing coursework. So keep going and I am sure you will be fine!
Good luck with your studies.
Chloe
-University of Kent
I just popped in to say that a lot of students are in this same position. Never feel like it's a 'you' problem. I'm three weeks into my Engineering degree, and I feel completely overwhelmed and lost. I feel like I won't be able to learn fast enough for the exams. Most of my mates are in the same boat. That's a normal feeling. Just focus on getting a proper routine into place and practicing different study methods to cut down your revision time.
For the pre-lecture preparation, I don't know what they give you but don't waste time on making notes. Just take down the key concepts and leave note-taking for when you're reading more after the lecture. Doing that has saved me so much time. Also, you're not expected to understand everything every week. There are many topics and concepts you'll have to spend months on before they click. That's perfectly normal. Don't beat yourself up about it.
For the pre-lecture preparation, I don't know what they give you but don't waste time on making notes. Just take down the key concepts and leave note-taking for when you're reading more after the lecture. Doing that has saved me so much time. Also, you're not expected to understand everything every week. There are many topics and concepts you'll have to spend months on before they click. That's perfectly normal. Don't beat yourself up about it.
Original post by Anonymous
i am three weeks into my law degree and have had about two - three lectures so far for each module. i already feel like i’m ‘behind’ in the sense that i haven’t learned much in these lectures (constitutional in particular) and i have so much reading to do, as well as making notes on the reading. should i be worried at this point that i’ve missed any crucial information?
Hi!
The likelihood is that you haven't missed any crucial information! Making the jump from higher education to further education can be a huge and daunting step in your educational career, however, it feels like this for the majority of people. Part of the experience of studying at university, is learning how to study in this different manner. Often, the way that universities get you to learn is through more reading and prep rather than through the more school-like teacher driven learning that you may be used to. In all reality, you are probably on top of the work that needs to be done and, remember, when it comes to revision you will have to recap all of this information anyway so if you have missed something here or there, when you come back to it in a few months time it is likely that you will catch it then
I would say if you are feeling overwhelmed by the workload or unsure of how to best approach the work, that you should reach out to the Study Skills (or equivalent) department at your uni or your personal tutor. These individuals will be able to point you in the right direction and settle any fears that you are falling behind your peers.
My top tip, is to make sure that you are only writing down the essential elements when doing your reading and, that you are writing it as you read rather than doing the two exercises separately. By doing this, you should be able to minimise your workload but also improve the accuracy and accessibility of your notes for your own learning and later revision!
I hope this helps and remember don't panic!
Sophie
Original post by Anonymous
i am three weeks into my law degree and have had about two - three lectures so far for each module. i already feel like i’m ‘behind’ in the sense that i haven’t learned much in these lectures (constitutional in particular) and i have so much reading to do, as well as making notes on the reading. should i be worried at this point that i’ve missed any crucial information?
It's totally normal to feel overwhelmed and that you're not doing enough, however the reality is that you're simply adjusting. Reach out to your lecturer if you're truly worried, maybe even put a study group together so you can compare reading notes and raise your concerns too, I imagine many people are in the same situation.
Original post by Anonymous
i am three weeks into my law degree and have had about two - three lectures so far for each module. i already feel like i’m ‘behind’ in the sense that i haven’t learned much in these lectures (constitutional in particular) and i have so much reading to do, as well as making notes on the reading. should i be worried at this point that i’ve missed any crucial information?
Hi there!
Try not to worry too much, the first few weeks of university are really about finding your feet and getting to know what strategies work for you! University can be a big jump from a-levels so give yourself chance to settle in!
Lots of the lectures in the first couple of weeks are introductory lectures so try and have a look through and get the general idea of what they are wanting you to know. From this, I'd then make sure you stay on top of your reading for your seminars and workshops so that you can keep on top of these throughout the term!
Lots of universities will have people who are there to help you with study skills so if you are struggling, you can try and reach out to them!
I hope this helps!
- Rebecca, UCLan Student
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