Let’s talk about something I see all the time. Law students putting in hours of study, making pages of notes, reading the same material over and over again...and still feeling like nothing is going in. Here’s something I want you to try this weekend. Pick one topic you have recently studied. Close your notes and give yourself five minutes to explain the key legal principles, relevant cases and how you’d apply them to a scenario. No peeking. You’ll discover pretty quic

Coaching | Services | Connect October Check in.... There’s something I say quite often in my coaching. You don’t have to be struggling to need support. Sometimes you’re actually doing okay. You’re studying. Working. Looking after everyone. Meeting deadlines. Getting through the weeks. But underneath all of that, you know things could feel a little more under control. For my law students, that can mean looking at how you’re actually studying, not just how many hours you’r

You sit down on a Sunday night, open a fresh page, and build yourself the perfect week. Every hour accounted for. Every subject slotted in. It looks incredible. By Wednesday it's in bits, work ran over, your kid needed picking up, you were too wiped to open a textbook and now you're not just behind, you're telling yourself the story that you're "just not built for this." Here's what I want you to know before we go any further, that collapse isn't a discipline problem. It's a

Struggling doesn't mean you don't belong. I know the weight you are carrying right now. The pressure of legal studies isn't just about the volume of reading or the complexity of the cases—it is the quiet, nagging feeling that perhaps you are the only one struggling. I want to tell you today, as clearly as I can, you are not alone, and struggling does not mean you don't belong in this profession. I see students at every stage of their journey, some just starting, some facing

COACHING | RESOURCES | WORKSHOPS Beyond the Grades: Navigating the Legal Exam Storm Insight and Strategy for SQE, LPC, CILEX, and LL.B Candidates It's that time of year again. Results are in for some of you. Next sittings are starting to feel real for others. Whether you're celebrating, regrouping, or quietly dreading what's coming- this season has a particular kind of weight to it, and I want you to know I see that. 💙 I've been in law study for a long time- as a student

One-Day Wellness Retreat | West Lexham, Norfolk 8th May 2027 £195pp When was the last time you gave yourself a whole day? Not a stolen hour between meetings. A full, intentional, beautifully uninterrupted day just for you. This is your invitation. Join me, Merinda Di Rita - Founder of MD Consultancy, Life Coach & Wellbeing practioner, alongside Rebecca from Cricle Wellbeing for a truly restorative day retreat set in the breathtaking grounds of West Lexham Manor in Norfolk. We

A quick hello from me... I’m really glad you are here. I’m Merinda and I support students who are working hard but still feel like they are not quite getting the results they should. Here’s the bit most people were never taught at school: learning is a skill. We were never taught how to actually learn. When you are studying law — with heavy content, tight deadlines, and high pressure — how you learn matters just as much as what you learn. What I do (in a nutshell) I

The August Perspective Navigating the Results Season As the breeze shifts and late Summer arrives, I know many students are anticipating exam results. This period can be a mixture of excitement and nerves. I stand by ready to support you through the next steps, whether that is celebrating achievements or recalibrating for new pathways. My kettle is on...so grab a chair and let's chat. Mastering Law & Confidence There’s a well-known psychological pattern that explains someth

Some breaks are about sightseeing. Some are about doing less, breathing more, and remembering what life feels like when the noise drops away. The French Retreat 2027 is being planned as a four-day pause from Friday 9 July to Monday 12 July 2027, created for rest, reflection, good food, gentle healing, and time away from the usual demands of everyday life. It is a chance to relax, disconnect and rejuvenate in a setting that invites slower mornings, deeper conversations, and pr

Walking into a room, already rehearsing what to say. Replaying it afterwards, wondering if a comment landed wrong, or if they like you. Sound familiar? Maybe it's a client meeting. A new group of people. Doesn't matter where, the feeling is the same. That low hum of 'do they like me' 'do they think I am good at this' running underneath everything you do every single day. Here's the thing. It's not vanity. It's wiring. For most of human history, being cast out of the group was

What does a life coach do? If you’ve found yourself Googling “life coach” at 11pm, chances are something isn’t quite working. Maybe you know what you want but can’t seem to get there. Maybe life has thrown something at you — a career shift, a big decision, a season that’s just… heavy — and you’re carrying it mostly alone. That’s exactly where a life coach comes in. So, What Does a Life Coach Actually Do? A life coach works with you to close the gap between where you are and w

Your colleagues have closed their laptops. The office lights are dimming. But for you, the day is only just beginning. Welcome to the "Second Shift." For the working law student, whether you are tackling CILEX, the SQE, or an LLB, this is the hardest part of the journey. It’s that window of time between finishing your professional day and starting your academic one. Most people think the challenge of the Second Shift is the 'Law'. They think if they just understood Land Law o

This season has been full, and in many ways that has invited a deeper level of reflection in me. Over the last few months, I have worked with many clients who have felt the pressure of chargeable hours, career demands, performance expectations and the deeper internal weight that can build when life starts to feel like one long act of holding it all together. It has brought me back, again and again, to something I feel really passionate about. What they do not tell you in

With recent CILEX exam results now out, I want to say something clearly for every student quietly questioning themselves right now. A result does not tell the full story of how hard you worked, how much you carried, or how capable you really are. So many students put in hours of effort and still come away asking themselves: Why can’t I retain information? Why do I go blank under pressure? Why does studying feel so overwhelming? Why is this affecting my confidence in other

Let’s be honest about something nobody in the corporate or academic world wants to admit: The 24-hour "hustle" was never designed for us. Have you ever looked at your calendar, seen a massive deadline or a high-stakes exam, and felt a pit in your stomach because you knew that mathematically it was going to land right when your energy hits the floor? Search for "can periods affect exam performance" and you will find plenty of data. The sudden "brain fog" that makes a simple p

You're preparing for an exam. Or a client call. Or walking into the office knowing there's a difficult conversation ahead...and suddenly your mind goes blank. Your chest tightens. You question everything you know. Imposter syndrome is loud! (you start doubting your career completely). That's not a competence problem. It's often your nervous system shouting and I see this time and time again. The legal profession is pretty much designed to keep your nervous system activated. H

You don’t need to be less driven. You need a cleaner inner environment..... Many women I work with battle with managing clients in distress, colleagues under pressure, personalities that fill the room....and somewhere in the middle, they are trying to stay kind and competent. .....and because you are competent, you often become the container. I see it all the time. You hold the standards. You hold the pace. You hold the calm. I have done this for years and it can feel exhaust

Are you preparing for SQE 1 or SQE 2 and looking for a smarter, more supportive way to succeed? With my SQE coaching, you will discover study systems, strong accountability, and mindset support—all designed to help you thrive and feel confident on your journey to becoming a solicitor. Starting early is absolute key. Many underestimate the time allowance for the preparation of these exams. The biggest concern I hear almost weekly from new students is not knowing how to retai

You have just spent three hours reading cases. You close your laptop, exhausted. Someone asks you what you learned. ...and your mind goes blank. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. The #1 complaint I hear from law students is: "I read everything, but I can't remember any of it." Here's the hard truth most law students don't realise: You were never taught how to study law. You are expected to absorb complex legal principles, remember hundreds of cases, and apply everyt

Most students are told to “revise more” or “work harder.” Almost no one is told this: Your brain is not fixed. It can rewire itself at any age! Modern neuroscience now confirms that the human brain is constantly changing through a process called neuroplasticity. That means every time you focus, feel, or engage deeply with something, you are physically reshaping your brain. You are not stuck with the brain you had last term. You are building a new one—thought by thought, ses