1 Month into Law School (Online)
Reflections on Zoom and Virtual Socialization
Myself and thousands of students across Canada just completed our first month of law school online!
I think about how in normal circumstances I would be out celebrating at the bars, but instead I will channel that energy into sharing my thoughts and feelings about the last three weeks here :)
UC’s curriculum is different from other law schools in Canada in that we have a month long course called “Foundations in Law” which helps orient ourselves and ease us into law school.
It was a great way to get acquainted with professors and our classmates, and it gave us a chance to run through the whole Zoom online school situation.
We had introductory lectures on topics such as property, tort, and criminal law, as well as guidance on how to write case briefs and case memos, which were really helpful. Our tutors left really detailed notes on our assignments, which were really helpful because many of us felt like we had no idea what we were doing (which is completely normal). Overall it was a great way to start law school as it really took the pressure off and let all of us acclimatize to law school as a whole.
So far, things have been great on the academic end, but I do find that I’m struggling to make connections with my classmates without having the opportunity to meet them face-to-face. Our professors try to encourage socialization by placing us into small break out rooms, but I still find that without being in physical proximity with one another, making a genuine connection is still tricky.
Our winter semester is also confirmed to be online, so I will be staying home for the rest of the year, which means that meeting my classmates might not be a reality until the next school year.
With that being said, the last month has been a great primer to law school, and I cannot wait to see what else UC has in store for us!
Cheers!