Reading time: three minutes

The short answer is yes! Is it easy? No.

Everyone has their own reasons for choosing to study part-time while working. Maybe it’s financial, you can maintain an income while getting your qualification.

Some people prefer the flexibility part-time study allows or they want to put their studies into practice sooner than if they took the time to focus on their studies full-time.

The reason I chose to study part-time is that I love my job and, if I’m honest, I can’t afford to be a full-time student and run a household.

There are a few things that I have found necessary to keeping going:

Motivation

Working out what motivates you and drives you to succeed is really the end goal.

Ask yourself these two questions:

• am I motivated to become a lawyer because of the money?; or
• is it to follow in the footsteps of someone who inspires me?.

Personally, it’s my desire to use the privilege of education to help others that need a voice.

It also can be something as simple as you enjoy what you are learning and want to explore your options.

Time management

Planning your time and creating a study schedule will make your life so much easier! Putting key dates in your calendar and having visual reminders of these will keep them at the forefront of your mind. I usually sit down on a Sunday evening and go through reading lists, assignment details and any pre-seminar information.

Once I have all this information, I plan my week based on my work and any social commitments I have booked in. I tend to get the reading done as soon as possible as well as the pre-seminar information in preparation for my Wednesday evening seminars. I also schedule any follow up work, additional reading and assignment prep towards the end of the week.

Using your time wisely is also very important. For example, I commute into London and use that commute to do some reading for the week.

Although, my morning commute isn’t always so productive, sometimes I need that extra hour to psych myself up for the working day!

Learning methods

Do you know what kind of learner you are?

Do you prefer:

• visual aids such as mind maps and colours?;
• listening to someone speak?; or
• using your body and movement to ingest information?

It took me a while to work out the best method for me and it was a challenge attempting different ways of learning.

I understood quickly that I am responsive to colours with my notes, I prefer listening to the audiobook version of my textbooks and when it comes to revision, I like turning it into a game. This is a combination of all three, so you don’t have to categorise yourself. Work out which suits you and it’s ok if it takes practice.

The most important thing I have learned so far is to be kind to yourself. Law is already considered one of the most difficult degrees so this process will never be easy and it’s completely normal to have days where your motivation dips.

You won’t find every module interesting because your interest will differ from your peers but staying organised and structured will make those days easier.

It’s always nice to tick items off the reading list even when they weren’t that enjoyable.

For aspiring solicitors, check out:

• LCN Blogs: ‘Juggling exams alongside full-time employment’;
• LCN Blogs: ‘Transferable skills by student job’; and
• LCN Blogs: ‘What are the advantages of working as a law firm campus ambassador.’