University: Curtin University

Degree: Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science, Law and Psychology

School Subjects: English, Mathematics Applications, Religion and Life, Human Biology, Economics

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The final years of high school are a curious time indeed. In the midst of exams, extracurriculars, and the stress that accompanies these, come waves of questions. Parents, teachers, and your inner monologue together sing that seemingly omnipresent chorus: “What are your plans for next year?”

Answering this question was no easy task for me, given that I had diverse interests ranging in both my academic and extracurricular life. In school, I found both Humanities and STEM fields fascinating, which is what led me to apply for Curtin’s double degree in Law and Science. I put the LLB; BSc down as my first preference in my TISC application, and one could imagine the extent of my excitement – and indeed, disbelief! – when I was offered a place.

Filled with sweet dreams about the future ahead, I was to embark on a new journey as a Law and Psychology student.

Law

Having now completed the 1st year of my double degree, I can say that I found the law component to be quite straightforward. This is because I attended almost all my classes, lectures, and completed (or at the very least skimmed through) the pre-tutorial activities and readings and asked questions to my tutors whenever I was unsure of something. With all other majors, I believe establishing good study habits and engaging proactively with the content is key to doing well.

Foundational law units primarily teach students how to think critically by using the tools of the legal trade. In other words, we learn how to search legal databases, write as a lawyer, and the basic principles of legal reasoning. Assignments typically involve reading cases and legislation and then applying the law to the facts as an essay, short response, or memorandum. I find this format to be rather enjoyable – fun, even. It’s always interesting to stretch your mind. Studying law has taught me to find novel solutions to problems constrained by pre-existing frameworks. Indeed, is that not the work litigation lawyers do to serve their clients?

The stereotype that law students have little time due to studying is largely true. However, this does not mean your social life will suffer. The Curtin Student Law Society (CSLS) is one of the most active clubs on campus. Serving to represent the interests of law students, it runs events throughout the year where you can socialise with your peers, who may one day become your colleagues. CSLS events range from careers fairs and the annual ball to quiz nights and lawn bowl evenings. I have the honour of serving as a CSLS Communications Officer and would encourage all law students to contest for election to the CSLS Committee.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my 1st year and I also found that I still made time for my other interests outside of uni. This may be because I’m doing a double degree, resulting in me only doing 2 law units per sem. Or it may be because law is a field I genuinely love. Like most things, there are probably a range of factors that have come together to make my 1st year of law school the pleasant one it was.

I recommend law to any student with a natural inclination to be analytical. Do you enjoy reading and writing? Do you like literary criticism? Is it impossible for you to resist unpacking the themes a Netflix show explores as you watch it? Perhaps law would be ideal for you.

If you dislike reading and writing, law is unlikely to be your cup of tea. I assume I’ve written about 3 times as much in my law degree than in my psychology degree. This means that law graduates tend to be excellent writers, and it’s no surprise that many journalists have law degrees. It also means that if the idea of never having to write another essay appeals to you, law school might not.

Psychology

A 3-year psychology degree is a great tool. It provides a broad range of skills that apply to diverse professions and teaches you to think and write in a considered and scientific way. Through studying psychology, you learn not to take things at face value but instead to look at what is the best outcome after weighing the balance of evidence.

To become a psychologist, you must do far more training than simply an undergrad science degree. It’s a journey that’ll take at least 6 years. I will not go into that for now, given that information is available on the Australian Psychological Society website. Instead, I’ll offer my perspective on the value a 3-year undergrad psychology degree can add to your life, assuming you aren’t intending to practise as a psychologist.

The obvious benefit is that psychology is the scientific study of human behaviour. No matter your field, you’ll be dealing with people. We tend to draw conclusions about how people behave based on our life experiences. The problem is, any individual’s life experience is quite narrow, and drawing conclusions about human behaviour on that basis could lead to many unintended consequences. By gaining an understanding of people grounded in science, you can better engage with your colleagues, clients, and stakeholders because you have a nuanced perspective on how to persuade and behave, which is backed by science.

The other key benefit of studying psychology that often gets overlooked is that you will develop excellent quantitative analytical skills during your degree. Statistics is an integral part of psychology. Knowing how to interpret a p-value or conduct a Spearman’s Rho analysis on SPSS will give you a competitive edge over other job applicants, particularly if you plan to work in public health or policy and even more so if you want to go into research.

I’d recommend psychology to any student unsure of what they want to do post-uni. If you’re sure you’d like to attend uni and would like a degree that gives you transferable skills, knowledge of statistics, and a scientific understanding of human behaviour, psychology would be ideal for you. If you dislike working with numbers, you’ll find the statistics component of your degree challenging. I can’t overstate the omnipresence of stats within the psychology degree. But even if you hate maths, perhaps a psychology degree isn’t the worst idea. It’s an opportunity to learn to work with numbers, but in the context of healthcare and human sciences.

Other Points of Discussion

A law degree is just the 1^st step if you plan on becoming a lawyer. You’ll also need to complete Practical Legal Training after graduating. If it is the large corporate firms you long to work for, you’ll need sound grades, impressive work experience, and diverse extracurricular activities. Nevertheless, you should be able to find work of some kind simply by passing your law degree.

It’s important to note that both law and psychology open doors beyond what one would expect. Combining both in a double degree program will set you up with skills that apply to public policy, public health, health promotion, corporate consulting, politics, executive administration, corporate governance, journalism, public service, academia and research, and so much more.

Keep your mind open and consider the possibilities that will emerge as you march steadily on your academic journey.

All the very best.