Hadika tells us about their experiences as a first year LLB Student at Queen Mary during the Coronavirus pandemic and the services and resources they found useful.
My first year of university started online, so where I had previously expected to explore and get lost on campus, I was actually navigating and learning how to use all the online databases Queen Mary had. This was certainly different to what I had expected, but nonetheless I had an enjoyable year and look forward to experiencing a more ‘normal’ year with in-person teaching!
The teaching at Queen Mary is unique in how far the tutors will push you to answer your seminar questions. Be prepared to have evidence to defend your opinions, because your academic tutors will push you to your full capacity, to allow you to form the best available argument. As a first-year law student the workload was certainly difficult, but also very manageable if you were sensible with your time. The pandemic and lack of a structured routine was something that took me a little while to get used to, but once established (which believe me, you will find a balance that works for you!) the workload had become significantly more manageable. Law is hard, and will require hard work, so excessive laziness will cost you marks, but it is an extremely rewarding degree that will push you academically and force you to think beyond the surface and develop your own strongly reasoned opinions.
Undoubtedly the pandemic made finances particularly difficult for many, so Queen Mary’s wide variation of financial support was readily welcomed, and I would encourage you all to apply! The Careers Team were also particularly useful during my first year, providing excellent talks from alumni who shared advice on how they succeeded in their chosen field.
This year was certainly difficult, and I eagerly welcome normality into everyone’s university experience, yet it was still an enjoyable year, from meeting some of my diverse cohort, and all the useful resources provided to us by Queen Mary to make the year more accessible!