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A Letter to MLS

30/4/2019

 
Issue 8, Semester 1, 2019

KASSIE MCALEAR

Dear Melbourne Law School,

What the heck?
​

What’s with the botched class enrolment and elective process? You’re making studying law so much harder than it should be. Going into third year, I’ve heard more complaints from fellow students than I have in the last two years! This is a #rant, so gimme the mic coz I AM MAD.
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I was always under the impression that graduating third years kind of had ‘special preference’, if you will, when choosing electives. I mean, that makes sense, right? Surely you want us to graduate in the designated time as much as we do? Even if this isn’t a thing, wouldn’t first in, first served (with spaces for exceptions) be better? Anyways, I have seven subjects to finish this year and am unable to do any in winter, so I was like “kk cool, I’ll do a summer sub, and three each semester” (not wanting to do up to four subjects in a semester because I also volunteer and work all year round). But no, I didn’t get into a single summer subject as I wasn’t pulled out of the random generator? What the heck? A friend of mine got into a summer class that I wanted and said that more than half the class were second years (which is okay, but it can mean that third years have completely missed out on doing it). This pushed me to now take four classes in a semester. Doable, I know, and maybe even expected, but I just went from being hella busy, to hella hella busy. Like what if I did those four subjects in second semester, and failed or didn’t do as well in one, because of simply having too much on? A genuine fear of mine! Maybe I can’t balance my life? MLS, you ain’t helping a sistah much here.

Many can relate to my situation, and to others it may seem like a genuine walk in the park compared to what they’re up against. Another student had nine subjects to do this year to graduate on time, but didn’t get into a summer subject. She’s taking four each semester, and an intensive in November, which means that she can still technically go into a graduate job—officially graduating later next year. But that’s extra admin, extra stress, and up to the discretion of the law firm. It’s something nobody should have to worry about.

The thing that’s absolutely infuriating me has to do with elective options, or as some may say, the lack thereof. Even where there is considered to be a wide variety, the ‘good ones’ fill up so quick you’re barely in with a chance. For various reasons, there is not an Indigenous Law-type elective subject this year (aside from the one research topic stream that’s only offered in semester one). ‘But that’s alright,’ according to MLS, ‘because there’s a Comparative Indigenous Law Masters subject you can do instead!’ (note: JD students can do one law Masters elective in the course of their study—which normally run for about a week). But the catch is, if you do this week-long Masters subject, you can’t get access to your normal class recordings for that week (which is still not a good enough reason for access lol, but not even going to engage with the lecture policy fight rn). This is systematically turning people away from exploring a topic surrounding law and Indigenous peoples. Tell me more about #reconciliation MLS.

And what’s with the legal research preference process—and when was someone going to let us know about this? I barely even knew what a stream was about before we were required to choose.

Something has happened in the last few months that has really turned MLS back to like, the late 1850s. Whhhhhhhy¿?¿

Yours sincerely,
Angry Gal Kass.

Kassie is a Third Year JD Student.

Should have gone to Monash
30/4/2019 05:16:33 pm

Feels bad to pay so much for such a tragic uni experience, definitely going to give the JD a bad google review when I am done (if I can ever enrol in legal research)

Jessie
30/4/2019 05:28:41 pm

Agree with all of these sentiments Kass!

Ashleigh
30/4/2019 06:03:55 pm

Definitely feel your pain, I also had to fit in eight this year and it wasn't made easy! I had my two electives clash, and on pleading my case for lecture recordings to one I was told to pick something else - despite already having taken or being enrolled in everything I'd be interested in. When I did finally pick something else that subject was cancelled.

Good luck with the four subjects this semester Kassie, and be sure to look after yourself whilst juggling them amongst your work, volunteer, and personal commitments!

Never Fear
30/4/2019 06:50:11 pm

For anyone anxious about not being able to start their graduate jobs next year because of taking a November intensive - Unless you don’t pass the subject you should receive your mark before mid/the end of February and will have completed your degree (regardless of whether you’ve actually attended a graduation ceremony or not).

The same applies to all students on exchange. I had friends this year who only officially completed their degree a day or two before their grad jobs commenced because of a delay in international institutions releasing marks and they were all fine :)

J
30/4/2019 07:22:50 pm

Cannot agree more. Particularly frustrating for accelerating students, as you absolutely have to get into summer or winter subjects to finish in time without overloading. The system essentially puts 6-12 months of your future plans in the hands of a random number generator.

Matt
30/4/2019 08:25:06 pm

Totally agree, the system doesn't make much sense.
I have eight subjects left to do this year and was glad I finally have some choice in picking subjects after two full-on years of compulsory subjects. The main goal was to be able to do employment law, which seemed pretty straightforward as there were two intakes; one in summer and the other in sem 1. It meant I had to make a relatively arbitrary decision about which one I applied for... I applied for it in summer because I thought it would be less popular and then if I didn't get in, there was always sem 1. Turns out they both filled up and I had to log on every day to see if anyone had dropped out, which no one ever did (or I was too slow and hadn't teed it up with anyone prior). Not sure if it's the same subject you're talking about with lots of 2nd year students, but I heard there were plenty enrolled in it.
Why wouldn't there just be a system which takes into account those who have the chance of doing it next year (especially for subjects offered on a consistent basis). A preference system would also be pretty easy to institute; When you choose your subjects, you get to pick one that you'd be most pissed off if you missed out on. That way MLS knows to preference that one subject for you over people who are more likely to be picking it to make up their credit points and those have the chance at doing it next year.

Also Fed Up
30/4/2019 08:58:12 pm

Completely agree and in the same boat. After being rejected from paralegal jobs, internships, and global subjects, being rejected by a random generator for the only electives I wanted to do this year was the final kick to my insecure ego. It also forced me into going part time because I’m not paying $4k for an elective subject that I have no interest in. A totally unfair and inefficient system.

Ya!
30/4/2019 10:53:14 pm

Ya! Yaaa! This rant was just validating to read! Agreed sista!

Plus wth with picking mostly second years to go on the global lawyer and Geneva subjects? I really really REALLY get annoyed that third years do not get preference for all elective subjects - zero rationale

Sick of the complaining
1/5/2019 06:53:13 am

Ever consider that a second year got picked over you because you’re not good enough? But no, it’s the system which is against you, right?

Why should third years get preference? Are they necessarily more deserving than second years?

Looking at the Institutions cohorts, it has been clear that a large number of 3/4/5th year students get picked each year. Perhaps there are more second years who get on because there are more quality second years applying.

Can’t wait for you to keep complaining when you get out into the real world - you’ll wish you were back at mls!

Jas
1/5/2019 02:38:03 pm

@ SICK OF THE COMPLAINING

You do realise that the elective enrolment process is purely randomised and not based on merit, right?

Also should have gone to Monash
2/5/2019 04:31:14 pm

Ugh. Melbourne Uni, I cannot wait to smell you later!

henry
6/5/2019 11:46:58 pm

You guys are paying 140k for a course that used to cost students 7k or so. Someones making a fortune here. And has anyone mentioned yet that there are no jobs....and that law degrees have stigmas which stop you getting hired in other areas...

Stop he's already dead
9/5/2019 01:57:19 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAUY1J8KizU


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