Hannah Reid

Which high school did you attend? I attended the Riverina Anglican College in Wagga Wagga until the end of Year 9. I then ventured off to boarding school for years 10-12 at Abbotsleigh School in Wahroonga. 

Which degree are you studying? What year are you in? 3rd year, Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Social Inquiry)/Bachelor Laws

What led you to choose UTS for your studies in Law? I really liked the feel of UTS when I came on Open Day. Everything was so modern despite the lack of sandstone and lawns! UTS has lots of great information available regarding the Law School, subjects, student activities and potential career prospects online which was definitely comforting.  

What influenced your decision? UTS offered the added option of the Social Inquiry major, which unlike a general arts degree seemed to provide a much clearer focus. I liked the idea of doing a combined degree, where one side compliments the other. I couldn't ask for a more balanced degree – the workload is achievable and the mix of law and communication subjects keep things fresh and interesting.

How have your studies at UTS helped you in finding a career path? I found my current role as a volunteer for the Cancer Council Legal Referral Service on the UTS Student Jobs Board. Being involved in the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program also gives me access to stacks of information regarding current and future career prospects, as well as seminars on interesting fields of law such as human rights.

Are you working while studying? How do you manage the competing demands of university and work?  I currently work in a barrister's chambers one day a week. This kind of work increases my understanding of the legal world as well as being a lot more time efficient than doing several shifts in retail or hospitality per week as I did in first year. It can definitely be demanding working and studying at the same time, although you find yourself studying more efficiently when you know you have limited time and have to cut the procrastination.

How has your learning experience at UTS prepared you for your career? Through the Brennan Program I have been able to get involved in work experience with the Cancer Council Legal Referral Service which has been absolutely invaluable. There’s a lot going on at UTS that you can get involved with to set you apart when it finally comes to applying for jobs in the real world, such as the Build Program and the aforementioned Brennan Program. Apart from extracurricular activities, I have found that the balance of social inquiry and law subjects has been perfect in terms of learning a mix of practical and theoretical skills. Most subjects have a clear practical focus and are specifically designed to prepare you for real-life work problems.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your degree? Law can be pretty daunting. To be honest I don’t think I was quite ready for it when I began and wasn’t properly engaged in what I was doing early on.  When you have that moment of realisation as to why you’re studying law, where it can take you in life and all the opportunities it affords you, it is a good feeling. It’s also great when you put in the hard yards and are rewarded for it in terms of marks – this might be rare but is certainly rewarding. I think UTS is a stand out in terms of the people it exposes you to, not only teachers but also guest speakers involved with various programs as well as students. The cohort develops very strong friendships as we go through the whole five years together and confront the same difficulties.

It sounds lame but it’s amazing to be able to surround yourself with friends who are going through the same thing as you. You see each other at your absolute worst, but it’s amazing when you emerge together at the other end of the semester.

What sort of work do you hope to be doing after you graduate? I hate being asked this question because I feel interested in lots of different areas. I think I would like to be involved in human rights and refugee law at some stage. Maybe even environmental law…. Or criminal!

What would your advice be for someone who is looking at studying Law at UTS? Start working hard early on! Try and actually engage in the subjects you’re learning rather than focusing solely on how to pass your assessments. You’re paying for each subject, so try and approach them with some perspective and think about how it might apply it in the real world. I also think it’s important to try and get some work in a relevant field; volunteering or working in chambers are great ways to try and start figuring out what you might be interested in.

Also make the effort the make friends. It can be easy to cruise through uni without trying very hard socially, but it’s so important when it comes to study and motivating each other during the crucial moments.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience at UTS:Law, or the University as a whole? If you think you might be interested in law, just do it. You can’t really go wrong – it has such a wide application in the workplace and it is impossible to be pigeonholed into one area or one career path. I have friends who don’t plan on becoming lawyers but know that studying law will be of huge benefit to their professional lives. As for coming to UTS, I really don’t have a bad word!