There’s no point trying to sugar-coat it: January is a terrible month for most people. The Christmas cheer has evaporated, it’s cold and dark, and there’s nothing to do but eat, sleep, revise, repeat. But when you walk out of that last exam with your friends you feel a sense of relief and elation that seems to make it all worth it. You can celebrate or drown your sorrows, and then you can crawl back into bed and let the worries melt away. Moreover, it generally seems to be the case that mum was right: hard work actually does pay off most of the time. When I got my results it was a mixed bag, but I felt the marks were deserved. The exams I worked hard for went really well, and the one I didn’t work for was a disappointment. Seeing the good marks was so worth enduring the painfully long hours I put in, mostly for my own self-esteem – knowing that it is possible to achieve highly is so important – but also knowing that I’ll be able to put them on my CV satisfied that employers will take notice of them. Last year my marks left a lot to be desired and I have been very limited in terms of the kinds of opportunities I’ve been able to apply for this year. Having thought I wanted to be a solicitor for a very long time, I’d pretty much given up on that goal, knowing that my marks last year would essentially rule me out of any vacation scheme application process. But since those deadlines have passed I have learnt three things. Firstly, I don’t fancy being a lawyer anyway. Secondly, there are lots of different sectors whose internship scheme applications do not require a breakdown of module marks, for example I have just applied for the Bristol Hub Social Impact Internship, which involves working for a charity. Thirdly, nepotism still exists, but it doesn’t always happen in ways you expect. I was randomly offered work experience at a big law firm following a conversation with someone I’d never met before. My advice? Always be friendly and open to the people you meet. You never know what opportunity might lie around the corner.
Alice
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