i have two vac schemes (one US firm, one MC) coming up very soon which will be back to back. however, almost immediately after my vac schemes end, i will be sitting for some LLB exams which i had to defer from the normal may/june exam period due to personal circumstances.
i essentially will definitely have to balance both revising and doing my best in my schemes (ideally i'd like to convert them both). has anyone ever been in a similar situation and has tips on how they went about handling this? is balancing revision w two schemes possible, as i've heard from many others about how tiring the schemes themselves can be? any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks!!
Hey!
Congratulations on the vacation schemes! I have been in a slightly similar position before - last cycle I completed a spring vacation scheme right before I had coursework deadlines and exams for my final year of uni, so I completely understand the challenge of trying to balance both.
A few things that helped me:
1. If possible, try to get as much revision done before your schemes start. Even if you can't cover everything, having your notes organised and a clear revision plan will make a big difference.
2. During the schemes, I would be realistic about how much you'll want to revise each evening. As you mentioned, vacation schemes can be quite tiring, so it may be better to aim for 30-60 minutes of focused studying rather than lots of hours which make you feel exhausted.
3. I found it helped to make the most of the weekend in between! Whilst it is important to catch up on sleep and give yourself time to rest, you can usually get a good chunk done over the weekend and on quieter nights in the week.
4. Try not to let revision stop you from fully engaging with the scheme. I would attend the socials where you can, ask questions, and get to know the people in firm, as those interactions can be as important as the assessed tasks.
Most importantly, remember to be kind to yourself! You have had to defer your exams due to personal circumstances, so you have already had a lot on your plate. It is about finding a balance where you can perform well in both, rather than expecting absolute perfection in either.
I found it helpful to try and plan on the basis that I was going to get the bare minimum amount of studying done across the scheme, and any additional work I managed to fit in was an added bonus. You will definitely have some time to get some revision done, but rest is really important too, and I'm sure you'll also want to spend some time preparing for assessments/events on the scheme too.
I also made a previous post on our TCLA Spring & Summer Vacation Scheme Thread, which I have quoted below - I hope it is useful!
It'll definitely be a busy few weeks, but it is absolutely possible to balance both with a bit of planning. Wishing you the very best of luck with your schemes and exams - I'm sure you'll smash them both!
Hey!
My spring vacation scheme last year was right before my final year exams, so I can share my experience of how I balanced the two!
From my experience, it is not unrealistic to get some work done alongside the scheme. There were usually only one or two socials across the whole two weeks, and I personally never had to stay at the firm later than around 6pm to finish my work. This meant that I could normally fit in an hour or so of revision in the evenings if I needed to, alongside writing down anything I learnt on the scheme that day and preparing for final TC assessments. I also found the weekend in between really helpful for catching up on a bit of work (although make sure you let yourself have some sleep too!).
I do think it is important to be realistic and to try not to overload yourself - the scheme itself can be quite intense, and you don't want to burn out trying to do everything at once. What worked best for me was planning ahead on the assumption that I wouldn't get loads done during those two weeks, getting a bit ahead beforehand, and then using the time after to catch up if needed.
I'm sure that this'll depend on the specific firm that you are completing a scheme at, but I think there is definitely some time to get some studying done outside of the scheme at the majority of firms. Just make sure to give yourself some rest time too!
