Message in a Bottle

As today is the last day in my formal education, and in particular my education with the Legal Office Assistant program at Camosun College, I was responsible for sending a message to future students of the course! Here's my Message in a Bottle from 2011/2012!

Message in a Bottle

Dear LOA Student:

You are about to embark on an incredible journey and I can only hope that I can provide you with some tools that will help you on your path to becoming a Legal Assistant. This program can open so many doors for you in the professional world and can lead to some amazing opportunities.

I decided to take this program in the 2011/2012 year because I have always had a love for law, as well as a love of supporting those who need an extra hand. The knowledge I received through our wonderful instructors was extremely valuable for me and for future students of the program.

In the Legal Office Assistant program you will experience new challenges. It is extremely important to complete all assigned tasks, not only for the grades, but also for the hands-on practice that will be crucial to your development. Be sure to manage school and home accordingly. Know when the stress level is getting to be too much, and if you are feeling overwhelmed, talk to your instructors. They understand what you’re going through.

Right off the bat, make good connections with your classmates and your teachers. Be willing to ask questions and give feedback on assignments. Keep note of your homework in a planner as well as a detailed schedule of your day – this will instill organizational habits that will be beneficial in your future career.

The courses are here to help! Be attentive and write notes that will help you remember important information. For keyboarding, work on your speed and accuracy. Be diligent. I found it useful to hand write my notes in class and then re-typing them later on; this helped me in practicing my keyboarding, as well as refreshing my memory on what we learned in the class.

For the more involved classes (civil litigation, conveyancing, family law, wills and estates, business law, corporate law, criminal law), learn how to multi-task appropriately. Don’t heap a pile of tasks on your plate. Work through them bit by bit. I found when I got frustrated with conveyancing, I could move onto my tasks in civil litigation to clear my head of mortgage numbers and add a little variety into my day-to-day responsibilities. If you’re stuck on anything, don’t be afraid to collaborate with your classmates – sometimes they can be stuck on the same issues and you can work on it together to figure it out.

Housekeeping is an important aspect of your school year as well. Always make sure you have enough print credits to get a job done. If you run out, it is a possibility to transfer credits from one student to the next. It never hurts to have too many credits! Also, if you don’t necessarily have the capability of lugging your books around in the first and second semesters (the bulk of your courses), be sure to get a locker. It might be good to split the cost with another student and share. That’s completely up to you, though.

The most important thing to remember about this year is that it is conditioning you for the working world; therefore, treat it like a job. Present yourself professionally. Keep on top of your tasks. In the same instance, have fun!

Good luck!