The study of law is both an exciting and daunting task. When I was in law school, I was studying and working at the same time. I was working from 7-4 and attending classes after and I would often be home at around 9-10 in the evening. I would only start my reading after dinner and would often feel tired and sleepy by the time I would start studying. However, the thought of passing my exams and becoming a lawyer soon fueled me on those grueling times. Of course, we do not want to be embarrassed by our professors when they call our names during recitation. The following are the pros and cons of being a working law student:
PROS:
- It lets you maximize your time devoted for studying.
Because you are working, it means you have little time to read and study. Having such “little time” makes you appreciate it even more and lets you realize that every second counts. So instead of going to the mall, browsing your social media accounts during your free time, you spend them on reading and studying. Of course you still need to do those but it makes you realize your priorities.
2. You have a life other than law school.
Of course, life should not be all about school recitations and reading your thick books. Sometimes you need to breathe and see other people other than your classmates and your strict professors. When I was working, it was somehow fulfilling when I am having my best days at work while having the dreaded ones at law school. Haha.
3. You develop connections.
Well, you will be able to meet and work with a lot of people with different backgrounds. This is assuming that you are a nice person in the office and/or in school. Otherwise, this advantage may not apply to you. Haha. Kidding aside, when you meet and maybe befriend these people and develop meaningful relationships with them, they might help you later in life and vice versa. No man is an island, girl!
4. Working helps you develop your written and communication skills.
This is probably one of the things that helped me passed the bar. At work, sometimes I need to speak to a large crowd, facilitate a meeting, draft correspondences and converse with different kinds of people. Doing such things helps you develop your skills or even discover your hidden talents which you never thought you have. You just need to be open and be willing to learn.
5. You can pay for your own tuition fees.
One of the best feeling in the world is not having to depend on anyone, at least financially. You are able to buy things on your own and in my case, I was able to pay for my own tuition fees, buy my own books and even my highlighters. Hehe. At least you need not burden you parents about such things anymore.
6. You develop a sense of accomplishment thus improves your self-confidence.
You might be struggling at law school, but when you are able to meet your deadlines at work– it’s already a big tap on the back. It was a big boost on my self-confidence back then when I’m able to finish my tasks at work or get a praise from my colleagues or supervisors for a job well done. At least I get the feeling that I was not failing at everything.
CONS:
- You feel like you’re not reaching your full potential in law school.
When I was studying while working, I felt like I was not able to fully reach my limits. Most of the time, I felt like I was not exerting my best effort unlike my classmates who are full time students. It makes me envy them because they can focus on studying and ace the tests without having to worry about work-related stuff. I felt left behind especially during the senior year when reading lists were piling up and the pace of the review classes were much faster than before.
2. Time constraints
I guess, this is all too common for all working students. I simply do not have the luxury of time. Back then, I would wake up and go to work and attend classes thereafter. I would travel for an hour by jeepney or bus since I do not yet have a car back then. I would probably be home around 9 or 10 in the evening and I was too tired to even eat or study. I do not even have the time to attend to family gatherings or even meet with friends. I think, this was the greatest challenge that I have encountered during those times.
3. Feeling of being burn out is common.
I was too tired all the time. Duh. Haha. I think this is self-explanatory.
4. Time for extra curricular activities in school may be limited.
I tried to join organizations in law school but I completely failed to attend their scheduled meetings. Usually they held these activities and meetings during office hours so I do not really have the time or opportunity to be present therein. It was also extremely difficult to join because as you progress, law school becomes more and more demanding.
Of course, the things listed above may or may not fully apply to everybody as some may have a more or less demanding job than mine. However, these are just some of the things that I have experienced when I was in law school. Working while studying does not mean that you will not become a lawyer or your chances of surviving law school is grim. Some of those working even performed better than those who do not. It all depends on the student’s priorities, study habits, time management skills and resources. We only have to make the best out of what we have while we are in law school and use them to our advantage in excelling in our studies. After all, passing the bar is our ultimate goal and all the hardships we went through just add to the self-contentment when we finally reached that goal.
So for those who are struggling to finish law school because of work demands, do not lose hope. If we did it, you certainly can do it as well. You just got to believe. 🙂
Certified Byahera 