Day in the life of a law student

Follow me for an average day in exam season

Today I was preparing for my equity and trusts exam. I left my house around half 9 and headed to Highfield campus for the day. I find it much easier to focus whilst studying on campus, and it allows me to relax fully after the transition from campus to home in the evening. My first stop was the Pret on campus, a personal favourite of mine, to grab a flat white and enjoy the air conditioning. I began my revision for the day by creating a mind map of the key cases and legislation for each topic. I find this helps me really consolidate my understanding of the topic by visualising how each element flows together. Cafés are a great place to work, and I find the ambient noise helps me to focus. There are plenty of options on campus, including the University-owned cafes, such as the Arlott, Bridge, or Jubilee café, which do not require a purchase to sit in.

At around half 11, I went to meet some friends at the Plant Pot revision space in building 42. Revising with friends is a great way to motivate yourself during exam season and look forward to coming onto campus, especially if they are in the same course as you. Here, I read through some key academic articles and cases, annotating them with quotes, highlighting the central arguments, and adding my own potential counterarguments and essay points.

At one o'clock, I took a short break from revision to meet with a friend. We went for a short walk around the common before stopping on a bench to eat lunch. Two entrances to Southampton Common adjoin to Highfield campus, making it a beautiful place to take a short moment away from study and reset your mind. I find that meeting with friends outside your course during breaks can be a nice way to step back from your studies.

After a quick catch-up with my tutor during his office hours, I went to the Hartley Library to tackle some past paper questions. As I was preparing for my Equity and Trusts exam, I mainly advised fictitious clients on incomplete wills and financial transactions. Past papers are an invaluable tool for exam preparation, allowing you to become familiar with the structure of the exam. This, paired with feedback from any mock formative exams, really helps patch knowledge gaps. I tend to get most distracted in the afternoon, so I like to spend some time alone in the library's quiet areas to really focus on whatever task I have set myself.

My final stop on campus was the Centenary building, where my friends and I had booked a study room on the third floor. Group study is, in my opinion, the most invaluable tool for revision, allowing you to consolidate your own knowledge through revision and learn from each other’s strengths. This is especially helpful in understanding your own weaker topics. Over two hours, we first summarised each topic on the whiteboard in the room as a group and then planned an essay together. Essay planning is a great way to gain a range of perspectives on how to answer questions, as well as to develop arguments and counterarguments.

I headed to the gym around half past six, before going home to cook dinner and spend the evening relaxing by socialising with my housemates.