Social media and the havoc it can wreck on your professional life

Many people underestimate the power of the social media. When it was first design the recruiters who were hiring you probably hadn’t even heard of facebook. But the online community has climbed the priority scale in the last ten years. Now you can forget about recruiters not considering your social media. It’s the most unique snapshot of your life – and it can either set you up for success or failure.

 You’d think that your own private facebook account or twitter would only bother you and your friends. But many times of the years employees have lost jobs for inappropriate comments or behavior online. It is often the first port of call for any employer, especially before they hire someone that they haven’t considered. It used to be that only the references – those three mobile numbers you stick at the end of your resume – would represent you and your personality. However, modern employers have a far better opportunity to gain insight into the next person that they are bringing into their company.

According to the recruitment agency ‘Jobvite’ 93% of companies who hired in 2014 used some kind of social media to assess their hiring decisions. If there was 93% in 2014 – it’s hard to imagine why that number would have increased. To take it further, 61% of the reactions to the profiles were negative, and meant that many of those job seekers were turned away.

There are several characteristics that you should be wary of when posting on your online accounts

1.      References to drugs, profanity or sexual posts

According to the survey around 70% of recruiters reflect negatively on these types of posts.

2.      Alcohol or guns

44% of recruiters find these topics to be concerning. While some may find that this is cumbersome to remove all references to these topics – try instead for a measured response. Most adults drink, the reference wasn’t so much to moderate drinking, but extensive references to it.

3.      Your attitude

Much like being in public you want to present your best self. We can all be a little irritable and grumpy when we’ve had a bad day but try not to react online. It’s best to grumble to yourself most of the time. One Yale dean lost her job after leaving rude yelp reviews online.  Jane Chu posted a review of a restaurant in America where she called the owners ‘white trash.’ Obviously this behavior is offensive and wouldn’t be acceptable in normal conversation – so it’s best to apply the same rules in online behavior.

If you wouldn’t say it to your mother, best not to post it.

4.      Watch your spelling and grammar

66% of those surveyed said that they would definitely be turned off a future employee if they saw posts with bad spelling and grammar. If you’re like me and you’re applying for a literacy centric position – it’s especially important that you’re displaying these skills publicly. Many job applicants don’t get to submit a job portfolio, so in many ways your facebook, twitter and linkedin tell your employer what you would be like to work with.

But don’t back away from your social media just yet, according to a study initiated by Careerbuilder, 29% of recruiters found something that drove them to offer the job to a candidate. From the high level of online recruiters, it’s clear that making sure you put a good foot forward can boost your chances. Forbes magazine explains that candidates have a second opportunity to explain that they’re a wellrounded person with the right qualities and personality to fit the company. 

To boost your chances of showing your advantages as an employee work towards creating meaningful connections online and sharing content that positively promotes your work value.

Good ways to do this include;

Connecting with online interest groups like ‘Women in Business,’ ‘Climate Change Action’ or ‘Young Lawyers for Change’. These groups all display that you are a proactive person with a strong interest in a relevant area of the field your aiming to work with.

Additionally, posting some of your work online (Where there are no copyright or privacy issues) can allow employers to have a better understanding of your skills and abilities. Often a candidate can come across stronger this way then they did in the interview when everything was rushed.

But it’s not just job seekers that have to mind their manners online – current hires are 41% more likely to be investigated than candidates. While this information isn’t necessarily used against the candidate, 26% of employers said that they had found information that forced them to either reprimand or fire an employee.

Terry Frei, who was a columnist for several years tweeted out that he was ‘very uncomfortable’ with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500. The ultimate consequence was that he lost his position in the Denver Post and the company sent out a post publicly condemning his statement and apologizing for his actions.

To manage your social media the best plan of action is to assess what qualities your employer is likely to be looking for. From there do your best to make sure that you show those qualities that you genuinely possess and are interested in. Never try to force a fake interest in something, you can end up in some really tight spots if you do! Don’t be afraid to actively participate in the online community, but like I said before – the online world is no different to the real world. 

Archiving and maintaining your notes

Archiving your notes, and how to properly preserve them

Keeping control of your notes is vital to ensuring a positive trajectory for your academic path. No one can get through the university process or high school without maintaining some kind of previous knowledge from the previous levels.

This is especially important as you move into adult learning as it doesn’t require sequential learning. As the ultimate consequence if you don’t keep on top of your previous studies you’ll be the one that suffers. Here are three quick tips to keep building a pyramid of knowledge and not a maze of information.

1.      Establish a proper administration system in your home office

It sounds a little fancy but don’t be put off this is totally easy to begin. You probably already have a system like this – it might just be very inefficient and maybe making your life harder than it needs to be.

a)      Drop and run box

This aptly name space in your room exists. Usual places for it to be are the bed or your kitchen bench. It’s the point where you drop things after a long day at home and head straight to bed. Think about where you dump things as soon as you get home.

This is where you need to put a little box which can hold all the papers. They say the less visible mess you have the better off you will be and this is true for anyone who is managing a stressful academic and work schedule.

Try to keep this drop box A4 sized and no more than four inches deep. Too big and you’ll never sort through the box. The key idea is that you will have to empty it a maximum of every three days.

I like to go through mine in the morning or at lunch time when I’m having a bit of a relax. It’s a matter of putting your note books back in place or moving work or bits of paper that you need to do something with to somewhere that you’ll remember.

b)     Squish files

I call them squish files mostly because I just shove the papers in here and then sprint off to class. This system is great because that’s all you have to do. The different squish files that I have are;

i.                 Course 1

ii.                Course 2

iii.               Course 3

iv.               Course 4

v.                Language learning

vi.               Work

vii.             YouTube

viii.            Tumblr/Instagram

ix.               Blog

x.                Medical

xi.               Family

I keep them stored in my bookshelf. I can do this because I bought zip files from Daiso which are super simple to use and you can zip them up so that nothing falls out. I prefer to use this over manila folder as you can store them in a bookshelf just like books. This space saving method are perfect for people who prefer the minimalist look or are living in a small apartment.

Alternatively, you can get some neat manila lined folders from Kikki K which are perfect for anyone who wants to use a more traditional system.

c)      Sorting time

To make sure that nothing gets forgotten I check my folders twice a week to see what needs to be done. I check them on the Monday and the Friday and then use my kikki k planner to pencil in when I’ll organize those activities.

I use Staedtler pens to make sure that I can identify quickly and easily which category each task is in. E.g., pink for medical, green for family and blue for academics. I try to group the categories together during the day so that I can sweep out one big block of tasks to get done and avoid having to travel all over the city to get stuff done.

For people who struggle to make themselves focus grouping together similar activities can be very useful for maintain focus because it will allow you to block out thoughts about the other areas of your busy life and instead focus on straightening out this mess. While your planner will make sure that nothing gets badly neglected.

d)     Command center

Unlike a planner a command center only manages a very short space of time. Your planner will ensure that over the course of the year, month and week every area of your life is attended to. However, your command center helps to create a more flexible lifestyle and can help to manage the spontaneous events and issues that will inevitably crop up. I explain how to make and use a command center here.

While it’s not compulsory I would highly recommend one as it allows you to write down and keep track of your daily activities and if anyone wants to invite you out for a quick drink or you have an appointment to attend you won’t get swept up trying to complete the other tasks of the day.

e)     Rubbish bin

Do not forget this. As simple as it is – many of us forget that if there’s nothing to be done with a piece of paper you need to bin it. A cluttered desk is useless and will only serve to make you more stressed. Do your best to make sure that you dump any papers or items that don’t help you to succeed in your day.

f)       Archive box

There are some documents that you don’t use daily but you can’t throw away. Some examples of this might be academic transcripts, passports or scripts. These are all vital documents and you’ll want to maintain an out of the way box or drawer that will allow you to keep these documents without creating more clutter to deal with.

g)      Back pack

Find somewhere useful and obvious to keep your backpack. It is best practice to maintain a backpack that you take with you when you do tasks. It’s not the same as your study bag – and while it’s probably a little cumbersome to have multiple bags if you dedicate one bag to carrying the things you need to complete your tasks you will never forget anything again.

If you don’t often have to drop books back to the library or return bulky items you may be able to limit this ‘back pack’ to a single envelope folder which can fit into your backpack or handbag when you head to work.

2.      Summarize the end of year information into a maximum of three pages

Because most of us to big and long complicated courses it is impractical to keep all the notes that you create. Some effective ways to use these notes are to load them on to online student notes websites. Some of them provide return credits that will allow you to purchase study notes to guide you through the upcoming courses.

However, you should maintain a quick and easy guide that you can flip through to ensure that you retain the essential foundational knowledge. These study guides should include the following;

a)      Mind map

This should cover a basic outline of the entire course.

b)     Dot points

Any topics that were important should have 6-8 dot points explaining the course (especially those topics that were covered in the exam!)

c)      One practice exam answer/feedback assignment

If you got some valuable feedback from a convener or you were given a template that explained how an exam answer should be answered keep this too. That way you can refer to it later if you are struggling in a course.

3.      Begin the coming course as quickly as possible

Of course, if you start this process in the middle of the semester it’s going to be rather difficult to collate your knowledge. However, next semester, begin early and make sure that you remember that you’ll be archiving your notes as you go through. Some helpful hints to get you started in the semester include;

a)      Read course guide

b)     Read reviews online

c)      Find an online textbook

d)     Look over some online notes

As you go through the semester try to make up your mind map and end each topic with 10-12 dot points explaining what you spoke about.

To get the best of feedback make sure that you drop in to visit your convener throughout the term and ask questions or just for clarification on weekly homework. 

High Court under the microscope ; Kable v DPP

This case arose in response to an act made by the NSW parliament called the community protection act 1994. It worked to allow the government to make an order to contain any individual for a period up to 6 months after the end of their prison sentence – if a court was satisfied upon a reasonable grounds that they were more likely than not to commit a serious act of violence. This was then justified on the condition that it was for the safety of the community.

However, the plaintiff, Kable argued that the Act was breaching the separation of papers doctrine because it gave the NSW court powers that were incompatible with Chapter III of the Federal Constitution.

This was important as it rose the question of whether or not the separation of powers doctrine arises at state level. The separation of powers doctrine refers to the principle by which no arm of government can rely on or have influence over another arm of government. This separation is not followed properly in Australia as the legislature and the executive arms of government are one and the same and often intermix with each other. However, the judiciary is very firmly kept separate from the other two arms of government as they are the arm of government that reviews all actions and decisions. This independence is considered to be imperative for the democratic future of Australia. These cases which refer to the separation of powers are very important and should be given close attention as they refer to the founding features of Australia

The majority of the court were satisfied by the argument that the act in question gave the Supreme Court of NSW a non-judicial power that is against the Chapter III of the federal constitution. That meant that any exercise of that power was unconstitutional and the act which confers said power has to be invalid. This meant that the parliament’s act could not be used to detain anyone.

However, it is not an argument that relied upon the separation of powers under the NSW constitution but it relief on the separation of powers of the Federal constitution. This was because the supreme court falls under the jurisdiction of Ch III of the federal constitution as it is a Ch Iii court. Other state courts in NSW do not come under Ch III (unless there are other specific characteristics of them that would require them to be included as such) therefore the NSW constitution would need to be used in the argument.

It is important to remember, however, that unless it is specifically created there is no separation of powers at the state level of government, only at the federal level of government. This is because of the historical creation of the colonies and for administrative purposes.

High Court under the microscope - The Eddie Mabo Case

Mabo v Queensland

This was a 1992 Australian High Court decision that was the first time in Australian history when the native title for the Australian Aboriginal People was recognized. Eddie Mabo brought the case to the high court on behalf of the Meriam People who are from the Mer Islands. This is in the Torres Strait area. The proceedings commenced in in 1982 after the Queensland Amendment Act was initiated.

The act worked to establish a system of land grants by trust for aboriginals and Torres strait islands. However, this system was inept and the mer islanders were unhappy.

The high court eventually received the case and was asked to consider whether indigenous Australians had a just and legal claim to their lands which could overturn the notion of terra nullius. Further the request to the court asserted that it was time for the common law to be ‘put to rights’

The success of the case was difficult to determine and it was largely regarded by the legal field as a mere test. Testing the court is very common as there are multiple complexities that run through the fabric of legal decisions. Issues such as;

·        Political values

·        Social concern

·        Financial constraints

·        Corporation concerns

 The High Court held that the doctrine of terra nullius was void. This doctrine had worked to import all English laws into the Australian country at the time of English colonization. This was done because the indigenous people were originally thought to be ‘uncivilized’ which gave the colonizers the right to claim the land as belonging to the British people.

The court held that the rules of reception that applied were not those that were originally called for but that the existing customary laws which were present at the time of settlement took priority over the imported English law. However, land rights could be extinguished by crown title. Any native title claims which were inconsistent with native title would be extinguished and the crown land would survive.

The decision was made by seven judges in five judgements of the high court;

Ø  Justice Brennan

Ø  Justice Deane

Ø  Justice Gaudron

Ø  Justice Toohey

Ø  Justice Dawson

Ø  Chief Justice Mason

Ø  Justice McHugh

There were several common threads of agreement between the five judgements. The basis of these threads of agreement is that the native title existed due to the nature of the indigenous use and connection to the land and that determined the nature and content of native title. It also rejected the concept of terra nullius and attempted to provide repudiation to those grounds that had lost the benefit of their lands.

The consequences of this decision are most commonly felt by corporations and land developers as they see the most of the native title claims. There is a difficultly in negotiating with many aboriginal groups who claim native title over key development areas. This difficulty is generally solved with skilled negotiators but can take some time.

Making and taking risks at university

University is an awesome time to learn and study but it is also the first time that many of us are striking out on our own and becoming used to being independent. Some students revert into their shells and choose to stick within the expected guidelines of university life. That can work to your advantage as you won’t find much challenge and will get high grades. We all know that academic achievement is a major positive for anyone in a university situation – however it won’t impress employers if you’ve never tried anything challenging. Additionally, university is one of the few times when you’re encouraged to take different learning opportunities.

These opportunities don’t have to be as big as taking a difference course or going overseas, in fact sometimes it’s better if they aren’t. These are all anticipated and expected opportunities. Below are some ideas for was you can introduce yourself to minor risks and get used to the idea that things can go wrong – and you are more than capable of dealing with them!   

Even just a book club can be
a great place to start!

1.      Go to a new activity group

Many freshmen sign up to lots of different clubs at the beginning of first year – but as the year carries on and the stress level increases we drop out. That’s because learning new things is hard and the criticism that comes on along with that can discourage anyone from continuing the struggle of learning something new.

However, in second year when you’re a bit more used to the challenges of university life try to take up a new group. Don’t’ worry if it’s not particularly strenuous -- one of the best groups I ever joined was a university brunch group! All it took was a Sunday morning in a restaurant enjoying some delicious breakfast group.

It can be a risk because too much time spent in groups can take away from your studies. Moreover, it can alter your schedule and leave you open to mismanaging your time. However, if managed well they can make a great talking point for future employment interviews and potentially create unique networking opportunities.

2.      Take up a new hobby

Like a social group hobbies are very popular in the new year and begin to wane as the realities of life and stress get in the way. Realistically, hobbies can represent a bit of a risk to a university student – they are highly enjoyable and can really take away from your studies. Additionally, those with perfectionist tendencies will probably struggle to take up something new.

If you can let go of this fear and explore something different you can totally open yourself up to a whole new variety of talents and advantages. In your future workplace, you may be surprised how miscellaneous knowledge can help add that extra sparkle to your output. While you’re in university it’s worth thinking how a hobby can work into your five-year plan to make sure that you have a competitive edge in the market.

3.      Try a different social group

Social groups or cliques are often satirized in the media as bitchy groups of people. This much is sort of true, exclusivity is the hallmark of any group friendship group – otherwise it’s just a mob. However, cross social groups can provide an extra boost to your widening perspective. Try

socializing with people from diverse cultures, age groups and disciplinary studies.

Additionally, the information that you gain from these new perspectives can be translated into your academic career. Providing extra information or criticism, when done properly, can boost your grade up a percentile.

4.      Work experience in a different industry area

Similar to learning new perspectives through others learning the practices of another industry can provide you with an advantage both in your academic pursuits and to a future employer. For example, a law student working in a retail area or an accounting area can have a broader and applicable knowledge when working in tax law or corporate law. The advantages to broader perspectives and knowledge are many. While they may take time from your studies or be an imperfect venture into something unknown the payoff is far greater than the risk!

THE COURT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE; BM V R [2017] NSWCCA 133

THE COURT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

BM V R [2017] NSWCCA 133 – Before; Basten JA, Adamson and Campbell JJ.

On 15 Feb 2016 the DPP presented to the court an indictment against the charged on four counts.

1.      Indecent assault

2.      Multiple counts of indecency

3.      Sexual intercourse (with an underaged person)

The victim was aged between 6 and 9 years, and was referred to throughout the case as MY. Often in cases of sexual assault against minors, or where the information may negatively impact one or more of the persons involved names are changed to conceal their identity. This is done for public policy purposes, and serves no other purpose.

The accused was the partner of the victim’s aunt. In this case his name was also concealed because if the accused was identified it may reveal the identity of the victim. In other circumstances only the victim’s name would be hidden.

On the charges of indecency there was no dispute that the conduct occurred and that it resulted in the relevant offence.  These acts occurred just between the accused and the victim often in a secluded area. The key issue is that while there was little contestation there was little corroborating evidence. Part from some ‘brief and uncontroversial evidence’ delivered by a police officer at trial there were only three people in total who gave evidence at the trial.

That was the complainant, applicant and the aunt. The aunt reported seeing her niece appear ‘mortified’ at one stage but denied awareness that anything sinister was occurring. At the original trial the evidence was over within two weeks and the jury convicted on all four counts.

The appeal was filed on three grounds on the 25^th of January 2017. The first two grounds of appeal were based on the condition that the jury was misdirected during the original judge’s summary. However these grounds require that the defence has leave to appeal. This is because under rule four of the Criminal Appeal Rules (NSW) unless the counsel takes issue as the directions are giving they must be done to appeal on these grounds. The leave was not given on the condition that the complainant could not show that the verdicts were unreasonable and could not be supported with regard to the evidence. They also were not based on a question of law alone, which prevented the complainant from appealing the decision on those grounds alone.  

The misdirection was based on a misstatement by the judge that was easily clarified by reference to prior statements and a hand out that they were provided with prior to the misstatement. It was determined by the judges of this case that the reading of the whole of the summing up would leave the jury in no doubt as to the burden of proof borne by the prosecution.

The second alleged misdirection was given by the judge in regards to the evidence from the aunt. He said;

“Members of the jury, as you heard in the submissions from counsel for the parties, the complainant has given evidence of what she said the accused did to her at certain times. The accused has testified that he did not do so. The only evidence that he did those things comes from the complainant. Where the prosecution has to prove a case beyond reasonable doubt and the only evidence on that topic comes from the complainant, then obviously you will examine her evidence very carefully and decide whether you can be satisfied of its reliability beyond reasonable doubt on the essential elements of one or all of the charges as you consider them separately. So if the proof has to be beyond reasonable doubt, and there is only [the complainant’s] evidence about a particular event occurring, as a matter of logic you have to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that her evidence is reliable when she is giving testimony about the essential elements of the charges.”

This evidence is a fairly standard warning, there are many similar situations like this that also arise in a court. Therefore, the complainant alleges that it should have either been repeated or had it pointed out that it should be directed specifically to count for as that was the only place where the aunt’s evidence applied.

This complaint became further irrelevant in paragraph 25 of the case where the judges indicate that the judge had also give a ‘Markuleski direction.’ This direction reminds the jury that that charges are to be considered separately. It also reminds the jury the conclusion of unreliability of one witness does not discount the possibility of a guilty conclusion on other counts.

These directions are often applied in sexual assault cases when the evidence is highly subjective, uncorroborated or emotional. These cases are emotionally charged and can leave many witnesses feeling uncomfortable and unsure. There are carefully designed judicial processes and direction that ensure no matter how emotionally uncomfortable the evidence is the jury will be able to objectively and fairly apply the evidence to determine guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

High Court Under the Microscope; Donald Trump and the Refugee Ban

HIGH COURT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Donald Trump v International Refugee Assistance Project

These cases are about an executive order made by the United States to alter how foreign nationals enter the country. The key elements of this were to suspend entry from six designated countries for 90 days. This was challenged on two grounds, certiorari – which is ‘a writ or order by which a high court reviews a case tried in a lower court’ – and applications to stay the preliminary injunctions. These were granted.

The executive order presented a policy against countries representing a heightened terrorist risk;

·        Iran

·        Iraq

·        Libya

·        Somalia

·        Sudan

·        Syria

·        Yemen

The officials were told that they must review how adequate it would be to restrict visas from these areas for ninety days. The court was also alerted to an alteration to the United States Refugee Admissions Program which reduced the number of refugees able to enter the country for 120 days.  

A second executive order addressed early concerns made by the Assistance project and requires that the secretary of homeland security conducts a global review to determine which foreign governments provide adequate information about nationals applying for a USA visa. Any countries found to be deficient would be given 50 days to alter their practices. These counties would be required to impose additional procedures as necessary to ensure that individuals seeking admission as refugees do not pose a threat to national security.

Finally – and perhaps most controversially- the order determined that the entry of more than 50,000 refugees in the fiscal year of 2017 would be detrimental to the interest of the USA.

There were several responses to this order but the establishment clause of the first amendment was the most successful. It claimed that this act was not motivated by concerns of national security but islamophobia. In the first instance, most of the court ruled that the primary purpose of clause 2(c) – preventing entry of certain migrants was based on religious fears. This violates the first amendment.

This was further supported by the test that a reasonable person knowing all the claims made against the migration of Muslims into America by Donald trump would conclude that this policy was religiously motivated. Therefore, the court upheld the injunction which prevented the enforcement of s2(c) against foreign nationals seeking to enter the country.

On June 12, a request for a certiorari was entered. In doing so a new issue was added to the cases which is that the courts had not altered the date at which the effect of the act would be moot because 90 days would be over. In response to that issue Donald Trump issued a memorandum determining that ‘the date on which the injunctions in these cases are lifted or stayed with respect to that provision’ – meaning that the provision would continue until otherwise extinguished [Direction of National Intelligence (June 14, 2017).

The injunctions were barred against 2(c) for any person who had no connection with the United States through a relationship or other entity. This means that any married person, child or person connected to other legal entity can still enter the country. However, this is not intended to exclusively determine the rights of the parties but merely to provide temporary equitable relief to both parties. It was done in the overall public interest [University of Tex. V Camenisch 451 U.S. 390, 395 (1981)]. This decision was based on the reason that ‘an unadmitted and nonresident alien…has no constitutional right of entry to this country’. Given that ‘the interest in preserving national security is an urgent objective of the highest order’ it would be inappropriate to prevent the government from pursuing that objective [Holdver v Humanitarian Law Project, 561 U.S. 1, 28 (2010)].

Effectively this ruling acknowledges the delicate balance that the government must walk between pleasing the morals of the public and acknowledging the dangers of the modern world. Whether the order is truly religiously motivated is difficult to infer given the context of global terrorism – and despite the claims of Donald trump against Islam it is difficult to truly draw issue given the lack of explicit mention of Islam. It does beg the question if this order is purely religiously motivated, combined with the brash nature of the current president – why not just prevent the entry of all Muslims if that was the true intention of the order?

Some claim that Trump is merely following the prior policy of President Obama who first identified the countries on the list. It is true that his predecessor did initiate the list and Obama emphasized that it was a part of a continued focus on the threat of foreign fighters. It should also be noted that the act targets countries that have been reviewed and identified as ‘troublesome travel areas’ which means that they are unsafe for American citizens to travel to. While there is some opposition to this counter argument claiming that it was merely the travel to these areas by US citizens that was worried about not the influx of migrants – if US citizens can’t travel to a dangerous country – there must be a concern about the opposite.

The issue is far more complex than some policy makers realize, growing concerns about citizen welfare and greater fear growing in European countries, it’s natural for any leader to want to recognize these concerns.

How I prepare for the perfect study day

I know a lot of you are new to the studyblr community, which is absolutely exciting! It’s great to see so many new people joining and the community growing every day. When you first get started it’s hard to break of habits and remembering and learning how to make productive studying a daily habit can be a challenge. One of the easiest ways to form a habit is to make a positive association with the action.

This is why addictions to things like sugar, nicotine and fat are so easy to create. These types of chemicals form a positive rush in the brain that makes us feel good. Humans are motivated to maximize rewards and minimize consequences, so they’ll repeat behaviors that bring rewards. That means you must associate studying with a reward.

At first glance you may think that there is an automatic association with studying and rewards, however this reward can be delayed. Additionally, you have no control over that reward. While you may study hard and work hard a lot of your results are down to the performance on the day or the correct interpretation of a question. That leaves a lot of wriggle room for disappointment – as sad as that may be. What that means it that you need to provide yourself with a little reward system that will allow you to build a positive reward system surrounding your study.

Additionally, we need to minimize the exhaustion that studying brings. When you first start out your studying, begin with a habit of three hours of ‘active’ study daily. You’d be surprised just how exhaustive it first is when you begin to do this daily. Once you’ve achieved this for a week you can consider doing more than three hours, but before that limit yourself to this amount of time.

Some parameters of studying that you need to consider when reading this article;

-        Study does not refer to completion of assignments

-        Study may include homework

-        Study should not be passive

-        You know your body and mind best and this article is to be taken as a guide not a rule book

My full study day routine

I begin the night before by;

Ø  Preparing a list of the subjects I need to study

Ø  Marking the textbook chapters involved

I also pack my bag the night before so that I can grab it and go.

Backpack Checklist

1.      Stationary

·        Highlighters

·        Pens

·        Pencil

·        Ruler

·        Eraser

2.      Sticky notes

3.      Water bottle

4.      Laptop and phone charger

5.      Planner

6.      Notebooks

7.      Study guides

8.      Printables

I also like to prep a little lunch box for me to take. This is because going out to buy lunch can get expensive and if you have food allergies like me it can be very time consuming. Additionally, if you’re a bit of a grouchy riser it might be an idea to prep some tea or coffee on your bench. Just put out the coffee jar or tea bags next to your mug so that you can sleepily pull yourself together.

I like to pin up my list on my door or pinboard so that I see it first thing in the morning. This helps me to remember why I have to get up and get dressed. It is also a visual reminder of how busy you are – and stops you wasting time in the morning!

Now set your alarm for six o’clock and let’s go!

When I wake up in the morning I make sure to treat myself well. I’m not a very happy morning person, so it’s important that I get my coffee first thing! However, to make sure we have a healthy start I like to mix some apple cider vinegar in some water and have a few gulps before I start on my coffee.

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I get really dry skin during the day, especially when I’m working in the library and the air conditioner dries out your skin. While keeping hydrated is a good way to prevent any discomfort that may come from this issue, it is also a good idea to use a facial cream.

At the moment, my favorite at the moment is ottergenics daydream facial cream, it’s very easy to get on Amazon. I don’t usually stick to one brand, but I’ve really fallen in love with this cream, especially because I suffer from bad dry skin. It’s a little different to normal face creams because you get to control just how watery it is. This is because it comes in a concentrated form with 0% water which you then can mix with water to make it spreadable.  I like to mix it with lotion or foundation instead of water because I prefer that texture better.

It makes a beautiful smelling cream that helps me not to feel dried out and I get to spend the rest of the day with beautifully soft skin that doesn’t leave me feeling tired and drained. And after eight hours with my face in a law textbook – that’s pretty impressive! Better yet the product is entirely natural and isn't filled with chemicals. It's a cream that's highly versatile that I'd recommend anyone incorporates into their daily routine.

Then I try and pull my hair out of my face because no one likes to deal with hair in your eyes when you’re struggling through a textbook or a theory.

I’d recommend going on pintrest to find some sweet library outfits you can wear to go studying. I find that the usual sweatpants and shirt can get pretty monotonous. It’s always a good plan to have a few different comfortable outfits that you can wear which you really feel comfortable and pretty in.

Hitting the library

Once you’re dressed and feeling suitably luxurious you’ll be in the right mood to study. I made sure to highlight to you that you need to make sure you’re in the right headspace because if you try to study when you’re not feeling good your productivity will drop. I can guarantee then any study you do will go in one ear – out the other-  and you’ll give up on maintaining this habit.

If you’re not sure what to actually /do/ while you’re studying look at these top five study activities to get an idea for how to structure your day.

However, the real challenge will be keeping yourself motivated and productive. It’s not a simple matter of sticking your head in a book and keep going until your brain shuts down. You need to make sure that every second is used wisely. There are several ways that you can do this but I think that the best method is using a visual tracker.

To create one of these, use the articles above to plan out the tasks that need to be done. Then list them along a piece of gridded paper. It doesn’t matter what order they are in you can jump around as you need. Using the boxes that you’ve drawn as a guide write in a step by step guide for what you need to do to finish that task;

Now throughout your day, every 25 minutes you need to stop and color in just how far along you are in completing that task.

You can use a pencil to show yourself just how much you need to get done to be at an appropriate stage by the end of the day.

This is best coupled with a time indicator scale which gives you a brief overview of how you plan to spend your time. Although it should be left a little flexible – and don’t forget to schedule yourself in some 5 minute breaks every 25 minutes.

Once you’re done – STOP!

Once you start to get into the habit of studying you can struggle to stop. It’s very important that you exercise self-discipline both ways. You need to firm with yourself when you need to begin studying, and when you’re ready to stop studying, put your books away and allow your brain to rest. A well-rested brain absorbs far more than a strung out one! And don’t forget the recommended amount of sleep a night is 8 hours and 8 and a half for teenagers. 

Note Ottergenics; I received this product in exchange for review from Giveaway Service website. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Lulu Hensman

Study with me (No Music)

Lulu Hensman

Study with me (with music)

Legal face; The Clerkship Chronicles

Hello everyone! Another installment to ‘the clerkship chronicles’ you can read the other installment on this series by selecting the title on the side bar. I wanted to talk today about embarrassment, and a recent episode I had in the office with one of the top solicitors in th

Trust me - these files are barely
a quarter of what's there

e city.

Embarrassment is the curse of a legal junior. It does not matter whether you do something right, wrong or in between; you will wake up at one o’clock in the morning wondering why on earth you did that thing. It’s guaranteed that at least once you’ll spend the entire night reading as many articles you can get your hands on so that you never look that dumb again.

I spend much time in my senior’s office where we are meeting clients, colleagues and other legal personnel. It is an unusual experience because his office is stuffed with books, paper, and memorabilia. I would liken it to a dragon’s den of treasure – but I do not think he would appreciate the reference! So, I will not mention it, and instead say that he uses an abstract filing system.

Back to task, I, usually, am tucked in a corner of his office pouring over a client’s file or a legal tome. Everyone knows how much I love to be surrounded by books and I don’t bother to unload one book off my lap and pick up another – especially when I’m in the middle of a paper trail.

This crazy method of filing papers and stacking books is fine until someone comes in to visit. If they are staying long enough, it is pretty hard to pretend I don’t exist. So, I introduce myself, or they introduce themselves – either way, you better be prepared for some awkward shuffling.

To extract myself from the immense pile of papers and law books that are sitting on my lap, I have found that I have to scoop my hips up and then cradle the papers on my lap with one hand. If not done in a fluid motion we can have a cascade of highlighters, papers and heavy textbooks hitting the floor. This is such an awkward experience – as I then have to dart about the office trying to stop the other piles of books and files from being knocked over. It’s a bit of a whack-a-mole situation.

Universities may encourage group work
- but I can see some advantages to self study!

One time I was introduced to one of the top solicitors in the city. It was very exciting, and of course, my coordinated-self did not ‘grip’ the books before I stood up. The books flew from beneath my fingers, and my feet were covered in pens and various loose handouts before I knew it. Of course, with the world being as it is – murphy’s law applied and three other piles tipped over right next to him. Safe to say, the carpet was well hidden from view.

Social etiquette books are split on what to do when you drop something. Some suggest that you should wait for an appropriate moment before you attempt to gather what you can while others suggest that you clear the mess up immediately and apologize for your clumsiness.

Well, that’s a lot of help. In these situations, you’re basically on your own – so I’d recommend taking your cue from someone else. At least if you both do the wrong thing it feels a lot less awkward.

You may now be wondering how I reacted to completely destroying the precarious filing system that existed within my senior’s office – while standing in front of a very important lawyer. Well…over the past few months, I seem to have developed what I like to call ‘legal face.’ It is not an attractive thing to have, trust me, but it is a real thing. It is where something happens, be it funny, sad, shocking or embarrassing and you revert to an immediate frown. Except it’s not a small frown – think a grumpy cat combined with a smirk. If you’re really curious look at this.  

All in all - I'd earned some time to read
in the sun.

Naturally, at this moment all three of the people in the office, including myself, could not fathom whether this moment was funny or embarrassing-  and a uniform ‘legal face’ was the only appropriate reaction. – Why anyone bothers watching suits when there are far better ways to display the humorous realities of the legal profession I don’t know.  

After several tedious moments of pointedly ignoring the mess I had created, he shook my hand and sat down, as did I. The mess on the floor remained steadfastly ignored until he and my senior both left to get a file. Then I madly gathered them up, all the while wishing I had not chosen that day to wear my soft pink blush, because my face looked like a baby flamingo.  

I cannot pitch in on the social etiquette side of the equation – but to all future law students, be prepared. However agile and dexterous you are at home, forget about it under pressure. Possibly not the most positive message – but if I told you that you were never going to make an embarrassing mistake again when you started a clerkship I’d be a serious liar.