Tertiary and Continuing The Law Thread

[Chief]

Unfortunately they're all old editions or the right books just aren't in there.

A search for "Contract Law" yields:

Fundamentals of Building Contract Management (1)

Search for "Critical Legal Thinking" yields:

Puzzle Based Learning: An introduction to critical thinking, mathermatics, and problem solving (1)

Nahhhh...

 

[Chief]

Dad buys mine as a "business expense" and loans them to me for the semmester

Yeah my Uni expenses are 'self education expenses' with the associated tax benefits.

 

[chenyan]

Sorry Chief, I should have been more specific. When searching for books on the site, search via the ISBN number. This is found on the barcode of the book and should be listed on your reading/booklist by the uni.

Searching via ISBN will only uncover the exact book you're after.

Sometimes though, especially due to the evolving nature of law, it just isn't possible to get some books second hand because the author reallllly needed to include a pointless decision from Swaziland and get more royalties.

 

[Chief]

Sorry to be pedantic, but typing in the exact title of the book should bring up correct results shouldn't it? My book lists show no ISBNs making it a labourious task to hunt down each ISBN and search for each on your site individually.

I've looked on that site and haven't found any books that are the correct edition for my course.

A system where you could load a file with a full booklist would be excellent.

 

[chenyan]

Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Not my site, so it doesn't bother me. Still, second hand books are the best way for law students to save $$$ throughout their degrees. Another option further down the track is to check if the uni bookshop has its own second hand shop/market.

Best of luck with it anyway mate

 

[rick James]

I'm doing straight Law at Deakin, O-Week starts March 1st.

Haven't really received much from the uni yet about, well, anything. Have picked my classes and everything but haven't received anything about which books I'll need. Kind of confused at the moment but I think there's an orientation pack coming out and I should be able to get some questions answered during O-Week I hope.

Deeman, we're gunna be study buddies if you go with Deakin. Any other Deakin Law people here? I must be one of the only students doing straight Law at Deakin, seems everyone does the double degree instead?

Mind you, I have nearly 10 years experience working for IB's and Financial Planning firms, so I don't really think a Commerce degree will make much difference for me. Bit concerned about being 26 and starting uni though, went to enrolment day and it was like a kindergarten.

 

[deeman12]

I'm doing straight Law at Deakin, O-Week starts March 1st.

Haven't really received much from the uni yet about, well, anything. Have picked my classes and everything but haven't received anything about which books I'll need. Kind of confused at the moment but I think there's an orientation pack coming out and I should be able to get some questions answered during O-Week I hope.

Deeman, we're gunna be study buddies if you go with Deakin. Any other Deakin Law people here? I must be one of the only students doing straight Law at Deakin, seems everyone does the double degree instead?

Mind you, I have nearly 10 years experience working for IB's and Financial Planning firms, so I don't really think a Commerce degree will make much difference for me. Bit concerned about being 26 and starting uni though, went to enrolment day and it was like a kindergarten.

Sorry mate, I'll be at La Trobe in 2010 studying Law/International Relations. I was impressed with Deakins facilities and quality of girls but it's a fair treck from the northern suburbs.

Don't sweat feeling old at enrolment because there's hundreds of law students at Deakin and you probably only saw 30 of them. Graduate intake seems to be similar or higher than undergraduate intake for law so you'll meet plenty of like-minded old farts.

When you go on the Deakin website, search up your units and you should be able to find your prescribed books. If you can't find any information, then you'll find out which texts you need during the first lecture.

This question is a bit from left field, but are you Karl Pilinkton by any chance?

 

[chenyan]

I'm doing straight Law at Deakin, O-Week starts March 1st.

Haven't really received much from the uni yet about, well, anything. Have picked my classes and everything but haven't received anything about which books I'll need. Kind of confused at the moment but I think there's an orientation pack coming out and I should be able to get some questions answered during O-Week I hope.

http://www.dusabookshop.com.au/booklist

Alternatively, log into DSO when it is open and read the unit guide for each unit which sets out the texts requried.

 

[rick James]

Hey deeman yeah I'm KP as well. Or was.

My mate told me to just go to my tutes and ask the tutor which texts are actually "needed" as opposed to what's on the list, because there's a good chance you wont' need 50% of them anyway.

 

[jo172]

Hey deeman yeah I'm KP as well. Or was.

My mate told me to just go to my tutes and ask the tutor which texts are actually "needed" as opposed to what's on the list, because there's a good chance you wont' need 50% of them anyway.

Especially in first year, but generally at some point you don't "need" any books.

 

[deeman12]

Hey deeman yeah I'm KP as well. Or was.

My mate told me to just go to my tutes and ask the tutor which texts are actually "needed" as opposed to what's on the list, because there's a good chance you wont' need 50% of them anyway.

Haha I knew it. I recall you starting a thread about going to Deakin and doing a Dulsat test for a straight out law degree and disclosing the fact that you were working in finance at the time. My episodic memory is ridiculous at times.

 

[rick James]

Haha I knew it. I recall you starting a thread about going to Deakin and doing a Dulsat test for a straight out law degree and disclosing the fact that you were working in finance at the time. My episodic memory is ridiculous at times.

haha yeah I gotta find that thread and gloat a bit.

Smashed the test man, finished in like the 97th percentile over the history of the test so I was straight in.

 

[Ellis2WeightsRoom]

If you have worked in IB, Deakin Law will be a breeze, do not worry about it. A few pieces of advice from a 4th year student;

Always opt for 100% on the exam instead of doing the optional assignments. I have had it personally admitted to me by a (drunk) lecturer that it is common practice amongst faculty to mark the assignments extremely hard to deter students from doing them in future, as lecturers don't like wasting their time marking them. Have had friends get 7/30 for an assignment and still easily pass the exam and the unit.

The exam questions are always predictable so make sure you prepare answer guides for various scenarios instead of just knowing the law and cases.

Always listen to the i-lectures of your subjects (to check if they are given by the same lecturer and not one from a different campus) and if they are given by different lecturers decide which one you like better, and which one is setting the exam. Regularly different lecturers will have different approaches to lecturing and will focus on different areas of course content. The quality of lecturer also varies greatly.

Make friends in higher year levels if you can and try to get a hold of their notes for your subjects at the start of the semester so you don't have to read cases.

 

[Donners]

Bad luck to anyone starting practicing law in Victoria in the next few years. There's a dual process with the old legislation and the new Criminal Procedure and Uniform Evidence Acts, and half the barristers don't have a clue what's going on.

 

[rick James]

Bad luck to anyone starting practicing law in Victoria in the next few years. There's a dual process with the old legislation and the new Criminal Procedure and Uniform Evidence Acts, and half the barristers don't have a clue what's going on.

Not much different to the finance industry mate, legislation around licensing seems to change every two years.

 

[rick James]

If you have worked in IB, Deakin Law will be a breeze, do not worry about it. A few pieces of advice from a 4th year student;

Always opt for 100% on the exam instead of doing the optional assignments. I have had it personally admitted to me by a (drunk) lecturer that it is common practice amongst faculty to mark the assignments extremely hard to deter students from doing them in future, as lecturers don't like wasting their time marking them. Have had friends get 7/30 for an assignment and still easily pass the exam and the unit.

The exam questions are always predictable so make sure you prepare answer guides for various scenarios instead of just knowing the law and cases.

Always listen to the i-lectures of your subjects (to check if they are given by the same lecturer and not one from a different campus) and if they are given by different lecturers decide which one you like better, and which one is setting the exam. Regularly different lecturers will have different approaches to lecturing and will focus on different areas of course content. The quality of lecturer also varies greatly.

Make friends in higher year levels if you can and try to get a hold of their notes for your subjects at the start of the semester so you don't have to read cases.

I much prefer exams anyway, so was considering opting for the 100% exam based marks. Sounds like it's the way to go.

 

[Chief]

Make friends in higher year levels if you can and try to get a hold of their notes for your subjects at the start of the semester so you don't have to read cases.

I'll add that a friend who went through recently as mature age student said: Whatever you do, don't just rely on other people's notes. Read the cases and make sure the notes are accurate and up to date or you will almost certainly be caught out.

In her opinion if you just want to cruise and get average results, you can get by with notes from other people. If you want to really get into it, do the work and read the cases.

Having cruised through an IT degree and scraped by on notes, half-arsed study shortcuts and avoiding tutes I can say the end result was a lot of wasted time.

 

[Chief]

Oh well, you win some, you lose some. Not my site, so it doesn't bother me.

Sorry, you sounded a bit spruik-y.

I actually found some books for my course on that site - correct edition and everything. Actually getting a reply when you express interest in an item, well I'm still waiting so I bought them all from the bookshop today.

MMMmmmmm fresh books....

 

[Chief]

Bit concerned about being 26 and starting uni though, went to enrolment day and it was like a kindergarten.

You didn't have online enrolment?

Try being 36. Funny hearing a few of the younger students freaking out. QUT is the biggest/second biggest (depending on the time of day) law school in Australia so some of the kids straight out of high school are literally huddling together in the crowds.

It all kicks off on Monday.

 

[rick James]

Try being 36. Funny hearing a few of the younger students freaking out. It all kicks off on Monday.

Give it a week and I'll be plowing 18 year olds anyway.

 

[Chief]

Mrs Chief has mentioned wedding ring inspection before I leave for Uni...

 

[rick James]

Mrs Chief has mentioned wedding ring inspection before I leave for Uni...

haha I can imagine. I've had a lot of mates inviting themselves to O-Week parties, you know, to make sure I've got a wingman. They really look out for me, my mates.

 

[Stone in sock]

I'll add that a friend who went through recently as mature age student said: Whatever you do, don't just rely on other people's notes. Read the cases and make sure the notes are accurate and up to date or you will almost certainly be caught out.

if the notes are genuinely good though (and up to date) you're pretty much on a winner. having a 'feel' for what cases are about is useful but in depth reading of most of them is a complete waste of time. law exams are about stamina & racing the clock & racking up as many marks as you can in the time available. you need to be able to summarise the core principles of cases in a few lines. application of principles to the facts is the key thing. there's generally just no time to show off your in-depth knowledge of a particular case (research essays & some exam essay questions are obviously the exception).

make smart friends quickly. get their notes. refine, revise, add to, & learn the layout & structure of yr notes by heart. do practice exams. you'll be well on yr way to 75+ in most subjects.

 

[rick James]

Everyone has been telling me that - its all about taking notes and being able to organise them in a manner you can refer to quickly. Sound about right?

 

[Stone in sock]

in my experience, you'll rarely use the actual notes you take during lectures in an exam situation.

as suggested above, best advice is to get the best set of notes going around for each subject you're in & basically refine them according to the way the subject is taught in the particular semester you're enrolled in. even keep the notes you've acquired on hand during lectures to see whether / if the lecturer is adding anything substantive to the case principles / summaries therein. lecturers like it when you regurgitate some unique shit they've said about cases in yr exam answers.

lecture slides are also a great resource, but some lecturers have infinitely better slides than others.

i know a lot of people enter law school with some idealistic vision that they're gonna really 'get involved' in critiquing and deconstructing the case law, but in the end you just don't have time. compulsory exam-based law subjects are about marks. wasted exam time = marks down the drain. you need to master getting to the crux of an 80-page case in a few dot points.