90% Students Unenrolling from Winter School

Considering the challenges of 2020, it comes as no surprise that the following Academic Year was met with high hopes, perhaps invigorated by face to face learning – or better yet the succulent flexibility of ~blended learning~. Hence, it was only natural that following the Semester 1 exam period, a record number of law students, perhaps energised with ‘post-exam motivation’, decided to take a proactive step for their education and enrol in Winter School courses.

According to recent data, enrolment rates for Winter School courses increased rapidly immediately following the completion of law exams. This increase correlated with gut wrenching post-exam discussions; ‘what did you say for Part B? Oh…Honey no’. It is also interesting to note that those enrolling in Winter School subjects are eight times more likely to be in their final year, having truly given up on actually retaining anything from law school. Plus, it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify the holiday-to-study-day ratio to parents, especially with the majority of students remaining in the nest.

However, as predicted by analysts (see: nerds; dorks), the opening week of Winter School in July saw the number of enrolled students plummet. Many students discovered they were not yet committed, nor emotionally stable enough, to return to Ligertwood and re-live the horrors of the past semester. recounted the extreme anxiety and flashbacks she experienced from seeing the “Getting Started” and “Welcome Back” emails flash up on her phone, as she purchased yet another vodka raspberry.

“My heart just sank”, she sighed. “I’m not sure if I was actually ready to give up my Tuesdays at the Ed, Thursdays at the West Oak, Fridays at Loverboy, Saturdays at Fats and Sundays at the Moseley just yet. It’s a huge sacrifice – I’m just so burnt out after my two exams.”

Thankfully for Rebecca and the other students in her position, she was able to both unenroll prior to the Census date and do so without telling her parents – because “what they don’t know, won’t hurt them.” “It does kinda suck to have to do a full load next Sem” Rebecca said. “But I’m a lot more serious about my education now than I was a few months ago, and maybe I’ll lock a summer school course in for the end of the year instead.” Statistics predict that this is, in fact, highly unlikely. Rebecca has a higher probability of enrolling in a supplementary exam at the end of Semester 2.

As students continue to fight internal battles as to whether sacrificing their mid-year respite is ultimately worth it, one thing we can all be sure of – other than Rebecca breaking her promise (again) – is that this is a vicious cycle for all law students, which will continue to claim many a victim – year after year, after year.

Words by: daniel sladojevic