Welcome to Wellbeing 2019!

Whether you’re new to law school or you’ve been walking through these purple halls for years, you’ll be familiar with the idea that stress is an inherent part of being a law student. You’ll also come to learn that there are high rates of mental illness in law, particularly depression and anxiety. A lot of people explain this by saying that law students are all “type A people who work themselves over the edge” but this isn’t the truth. Although there are a lot of high achieving perfectionists in law school, there are just as many procrastinators who cram an entire course in the night before their exam.

You don’t have to work yourself to extremes, nor worry that you should be doing so to fit in. Law can be hard, but it’s not that different from any other degree in the sense that the more effort you put in the better you’re going to do. The most important thing is that feel like you’re in the right place and that you enjoy your time here. Striking a healthy balance between work and play is hard, but that’s where we come in. 

Wellbeing Portfolio

We’re dedicated to promoting general wellbeing, transparent discussions about mental health and making support systems more accessible to everyone – ultimately helping you feel like you’re part of a community as we take on 2019 together.

We’ll be organising some fun events and light-hearted stuff throughout the year to break up the trimesters, and to encourage healthy dialogue about mental health to remind you that we’re all in this together.

Keep an eye out on the Law Society Discussion Facebook page for posts about our upcoming events and for regular (and hopefully funny) posts addressing a variety of topics relevant to all of you during your time here.

Support available: Special Consideration: if you can’t meet a deadline or perform your best because of something unexpected and out of your control– physical or mental illness, injury etc. – applying for special consideration from your lecturer to grant an extension or other remedy is an easy process. https://student.unsw.edu.au/special-consideration Disability Support Services: if you have an ongoing issue that impedes your studies – e.g. a chronic physical or mental illness – registering with disability services can help you with deadline extensions, adjusting attendance requirements and exam conditions to meet your needs. https://student.unsw.edu.au/disability CAPS: UNSW’s Counselling and Psychological Services are free and here for you if you ever feel like you need to talk to a professional psychologist or counsellor on campus, or if you feel lost and don’t know where to start. https://student.unsw.edu.au/counselling The Learning Centre: located on upper campus, the Learning Centre offers a bunch of great programs and strategies for keeping on top of your work and making the most of your time at uni. http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/   Don’t be afraid to message Adarsh or Hannah  for any questions about these services or any of the Wellbeing events coming up, we’re more than happy to help! (There are no dumb questions)