Give your final year your best shot!

By Jelena Dmitrovic

The start of another year of uni is fast approaching! Thinking back on my uni days I remember the feeling of dread at the thought of the summer holidays coming to an end and another year of assignments and exams ahead. For those of you heading into your final year this is an incredibly exciting and important time so this week recent graduate Jelena Dmitrovic is sharing her tips on how to make the most of your final year. 

Clarissa

Hello again my fellow happy law students and law graduates! 

The hectic time that is the final year of university has meant that I have been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately but I am back and with university now being finished I have every intention to come up with more reading material for the Happy Lawyer Happy Life community. 

After taking some holiday time at the end of last year, I have recently made a big transition from final year law student to law graduate at Brisbane Family Law Centre. As part of this transition I have found myself reflecting on the year that was 2018 and so I have decided to take this opportunity to share some of my learnings with you from my final year. 

Have some 'Me Time!'

As you read this you should still have a few weeks of holidays left; use this time to have a proper rest and to recharge your batteries for the year ahead. In between classes, assessment, work and applying for graduate positions, the reality is final year will likely be your busiest and most intense year. I know that most of us use holiday time to work as much as we can to boost that bank account that takes a bit of a fall during semester however, it is equally as important to make sure that you spend your holidays doing the things that bring you joy and that you normally wouldn’t get the chance to do whilst the semester is underway. Catch up with that friend that lives a while away, go and see the new exhibition at the Art Gallery, go to the beach as many days as you can! Generally just do whatever makes you happy because the good times you have over the holidays and the memories you make will give you the energy to keep pushing on through what is likely going to be the most demanding year yet. 

Set Goals and Take the LEAP!

Before the semester starts again and even before you have done your enrolment for the following semester, spend some time thinking about what you would like to achieve in your final year. By the end of my third year I was pretty tired and so I thought the easiest thing to do for my final year would be to take the easiest electives with the lightest assessment load even if I had absolutely no interest in the content. I thought it would be a good idea to just coast through my last year just so that I could feel a little bit more relaxed and have a little bit more free time than the previous years. I know that at this point you are on the doorstep of graduation, you have been studying consistently for at least 4 years, you have crammed incredible amounts of information into your brain and produced countless assessment items and you are just ready for it to be over and done with now! So this suggestion might come from left field but I encourage you not to take your foot off the gas right now, don’t take the easy way out. While doing the easy electives might give you more free time and create less stress in your life, spending a whole year studying something you have absolutely no interest in will probably end up feeling like a chore by the end and it likely won’t give you the sense of achievement and satisfaction as you will get from working hard and giving final year your best shot. So take the leap and enrol into the Honours program or take that elective that sparks your interest even if it has a big assessment load. It might be hard but you’ve made it this far, you’re definitely strong enough to get through one more year and as I said, I think you’ll gain more from taking the challenge than just coasting along.

Slow Down and Enjoy the Ride!

It is no secret amongst university students that even the mere thought of the end of holidays and the first day back can bring about a sense of dread, without mentioning the thought of assessment now taking up what free time you had during holidays. Like you, I too have found myself having an internal whinge on the first day back and thinking ‘holidays flew by too fast’ and ‘I don’t want to go back yet’! In my final year though, I tried really hard to look forward to my first day back and I encourage you all to do the same. Think of it this way, this will be your last first day back at uni as an undergraduate; if you reflect on your journey to uni, you might come to realise that your last first day is pretty special so try to enjoy it. Once you are back into the swing of things, try to make a conscious effort to slow things down. I encourage you to enjoy the learning process, the steady routine of scheduled classes, the time you get to spend with your friends at uni. This year is important because it is your last opportunity to do these things as an undergraduate so try not to rush the time or wish it away. 

Treat Yourself!

When you finally make it through to the other end, when the semester has come to a close and graduation is imminent make sure you enjoy graduation, celebrate all your hard work and the adventures ahead of you with your friends and family and most importantly, have some uninterrupted ‘me time’ before you start your new work or study commitment. Do something to treat yourself for your continued commitment and achievements over the course of your undergraduate studies – go on an overseas adventure, book in a spa day for yourself, buy yourself those clothes or the pair(s) of shoes you’ve been eyeing off for a while now; whatever it is again, make sure you take this time to celebrate yourself, your incredible achievement and do the things that bring you joy!

I have turned my tips into a downloadable for your desktop, picture frames or instagram!

Happy Friday and weekend everyone!

Jelena

This is a photo of gorgeous Jelena Dmitrovic

Jelena Dmitrovic 

Blogger and Happy Law Student 

Hello! I’m Jelena, a PLT student at The College of Law and Legal Graduate at Brisbane Family Law Centre.

My path to law school took some twists and turns and I am grateful for the learnings I have gained along the way: embrace every opportunity that comes your way, even when is seems more like a setback than an opportunity, as nothing is ever wasted. 

Along my journey in law land I have enjoyed pursuing my interest in family law both at university and through volunteering at the FLPA Family Law Residential 2017, attending networking and professional development events, and partaking in work experience programs. 

In November 2017 I had the pleasure of joining the BFLC team and within this unique little firm I have made some great work friends and gained an incredible amount of practical experience in just a short time. 

If all goes to plan I will be admitted at the end of 2019 and until then I look forward to all the new experiences that are yet to come my way as a Graduate and of course spending as much time in the outdoors as possible.

I would love to connect with you on LinkedIn and Instragram

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