7 things only a Sheffield Uni law student understands

Bartolome House is a labyrinth.

Underneath that classic, redbrick university exterior lies infinite confusion. No matter how well you think you know the place, at least once you will have a seminar with a room code you do not recognise. Affording yourself ample time to wander the endless, winding corridors of our beloved Barty House is the only way to deal with it.

Bart house. Its beauty only enhanced by being placed across from the Geography building…

The computer suite is like a hidden gem

Sorry guys I’m about to blow the cover. I’m not talking about the small one in the basement. If, like me, you discovered it whilst hunting for a seminar room, it was like finding your own personal IC. So long as it isn’t booked out, there are always computers and the café near by for those hunger pangs.

“Supergroups” are just seminars that are easier to hide in.

When you’re first told about them they sound damn intimidating; navigating the ins and outs of Equity and Trusts is stressful enough alone. However, safety in numbers applies in law seminars just as it does in the wild. Staring blankly at your useless notes in a big group of people is far less stressful than desperately avoiding the tutor’s gaze in a tiny room with 8 people.

The “ah!” moment does not exist.

There are various lecturers who like to sell this concept to students. This elusive idea that eventually all the tiny little legal pieces will fall into place and the world will click from a blur into high definition is a pure falsity. It’s a nice idea to sell to panicky students, but I know not one person who experienced that moment. I do, however, know a lot of people who experienced the “ah! why am I doing a law degree?!” moment.

You’d totally have resold your books if they weren’t out of date before the module even ended.

The fear of turning up the Undergrad Office with an incorrectly stapled piece of coursework

You’ve had a computer malfunction, a referencing dilemma and a printer meltdown, but somehow, by the grace of God, you have managed to get to the office with five minutes to spare before 4pm. Then, horror of horrors, either you realise you forgot to staple it, or you’ve stapled it wrongly. Surely they could just lend you a stapler? You’d think so, but no. Their possessive attitude towards staples is crazy.

Hot tip: the postgrad office are far more liberal with their lending policy.

Postgrad fairs require no less than formal office attire

If you want to be taken seriously, the fair has to be approached like a cross between a job interview and speed dating. Doing the rounds, shaking hands, introducing yourself, trying to make a good impression whilst also asking engaging, pertinent questions.

Do not show up in baggy jeans and a parka, you will receive looks from students and employers alike that say “who let that homeless girl in?”. I learnt that the hard way.

Yah absolutely, I’m part of Freelaw, the Innocence Project, top mooter in the year…

Last but not least; Crocs and a cardigan are a powerful fashion statement.

Maybe you didn’t get it the first time you saw the combination, but now you do. If you don’t know who this point is in reference to, your position as a law student at Sheffield is not complete. Seek this man out and make friends.