Muskan Surana's Blog

Least to say, my second year of university was anything but. 

With a dreadful pandemic looming over our heads and uncertainty grappling every situation,  the only adventurous moment would have to be booking last minute tickets and flying back home with a scarf as my makeshift mask because the local pharmacy was out of N95s. 

While I’ve been blessed to have returned home safely, my second year of law did turn out to be more overwhelming than what I had anticipated. My learning experience had reduced to lectures on a thirteen inch screen, seminars on zoom, and frequent virtual reunions with friends. Life had become monotonously mundane and haplessly stressful at the same time. During this time, I made a few changes in my studying style to ensure productivity which I hope helps you too.

Shorter study sessions work out better than you think. I would organize 50 minute study sessions followed by a 10 minute. This usually goes in compliance with the structure abided by most professors in their two-hour lectures and proves to be an effective one.Don’t worry if you’re unable to complete a two hour lecture in exactly two hours or less. It’s common to have a slower pace when you’re studying online or revising older content by making notes from Panopto lectures.Go through your reading lists before every seminar and try to at least briskly read through it to familiarize yourself with the journal articles and academic commentary. You don’t realize how valuable discussions are in seminars until you approach an exam.Reach out for all the support available to you; including academic writing services. University certainly expects a higher level of writing and jargon from us than what our schools did. It’s better to clear those doubts than to wistfully hope our professors will serve us with the same.

I truly hope your second year never has to be as confined and limited as mine was under these unprecedented circumstances! 

Thank you for taking the time to read through this. Hoping this helps. :)

 Bated breaths and nerve-wracking jitters

When I first got the news of having gotten into my desired (and quite interesting) law degree at the University of Birmingham, I was ecstatic, to say the least. But the sooner I got to flying out, the more anxious I grew; not because of the amazing academic experience ahead, but from the idea of leaving my family behind. As a shy introvert, the knowledge of this fact alone was enough to frazzle my nerves. So when I finally took the leap—from a country flooding with sunshine to one scooped up in rain—settling in became a task that got easier with a city as warm and embracing as this one. Of course, this doesn’t mean there weren’t hurdles along the way. After all, without them, I wouldn’t have been able to devise a set of tips to share with you.

1) Climate plays an important factor in deciding where you want to study. For a place like Brum, days are wonderfully bright during summer while the sun sets awfully soon in the last three months of the year. And yes, it can rain almost anytime, without precaution, regardless of the time of year. The city loves its rain. Hopefully you do too!

2) As a fresher, make sure to join student groups organized by the Guild. While this took a bit of self-encouragement in my case, it certainly has benefited me. It’s not necessary to join groups only relevant to your chosen degree. Be a part of any group that interests you. It helped me with the frequent bouts of homesickness in first year. It’ll surely be something you won’t regret either.

3) Not everything is open 24x7 (unfortunately this came as a surprise to me). As opposed to where I’ve grown up, stores here close earlier than I would’ve expected. Weekends are a different story when it comes to shopping sprees, because New Street probably never looks as silent as it does on Sunday evenings.

4) Even if it’s just first year and you’re only settling in, don’t let yourself derail from academics too much. Panopto is a blessing when it comes to revising for lectures, but don’t let that become a coping mechanism. I tried it that way and let’s just say it wasn’t the wisest decision. Try attending all your seminars even if you miss a few lectures. They’re an interactive way to clarify doubts and share your views on the topic at hand.

5) Gear up for reading lists and a lot of referencing! As a law student, these were the two constants of my life, other than the ones I brought upon myself (like procrastination driven all nighters oops). Reading lists come great in handy when preparing for coursework. They might be a little lengthy, but I’d be lying if I said none of the journal articles intrigued me further on the subject. As far as referencing is concerned, make sure to understand that thoroughly. They might seem like a formality requirement, but they form a crucial part of all your assignments. The form of referencing varies with degree programs, so make sure you don’t mess up on that. 

All these things are lessons I learnt in my first year of university. I sign off hoping they’ll help you too, or at least will become things you’ll find familiar and relatable.

Thank you!

Your curiosity for this story brought you here, and this writer feels humbled. Thank you for showing your interest, it truly means a lot. However, this story is being removed from this space to be pursued as an original fiction.
Details will follow as soon as they arrive.
Thank you for constantly showering your support and love.
Cheers,AMereWanderer

 

Your curiosity for this story brought you here, and this writer feels humbled. Thank you for showing your interest, it truly means a lot. However, this story is being removed from this space to be pursued as an original fiction.
Details will follow as soon as they arrive.
Thank you for constantly showering your support and love.
Cheers,AMereWanderer

 

Your curiosity for this story brought you here, and this writer feels humbled. Thank you for showing your interest, it truly means a lot. However, this story is being removed from this space to be pursued as an original fiction.
Details will follow as soon as they arrive.
Thank you for constantly showering your support and love.
Cheers,AMereWanderer

 

Your curiosity for this story brought you here, and this writer feels humbled. Thank you for showing your interest, it truly means a lot. However, this story is being removed from this space to be pursued as an original fiction.
Details will follow as soon as they arrive.
Thank you for constantly showering your support and love.
Cheers,AMereWanderer

 

Your curiosity for this story brought you here, and this writer feels humbled. Thank you for showing your interest, it truly means a lot. However, this story is being removed from this space to be pursued as an original fiction.
Details will follow as soon as they arrive.
Thank you for constantly showering your support and love.
Cheers,AMereWanderer

 

Your curiosity for this story brought you here, and this writer feels humbled. Thank you for showing your interest, it truly means a lot. However, this story is being removed from this space to be pursued as an original fiction.
Details will follow as soon as they arrive.
Thank you for constantly showering your support and love.
Cheers,AMereWanderer

 

Your curiosity for this story brought you here, and this writer feels humbled. Thank you for showing your interest, it truly means a lot. However, this story is being removed from this space to be pursued as an original fiction.
Details will follow as soon as they arrive.
Thank you for constantly showering your support and love.
Cheers,AMereWanderer