26 April 2023
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Story Valentino Ndaba
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Photo Supplied
From Psychology lecturer to Law graduate: Eloise Venter, a Psychology lecturer at the University of the Free State, recently received her LLB degree with distinction.
Eloise Venter, a Psychology lecturer at the University of the Free State, made a major transition in 2019 when she started pursuing an LLB degree, following years of full-time private practice as a psychologist. According to Venter, “This wasn’t a switch per se. I am someone who loves to acquire new knowledge. I also find myself in constant need of stimulation and interesting information.”
The thought-provoking nature of law enticed Venter to gain insight into this field, which is completely different compared to her primary qualification. Four years down the line, she walked across the stage during the Faculty of Law’s graduation ceremony on 20 April 2023 to collect the new addition to her qualification collection.
Integrating law and psychology
Qualifications under Venter’s belt include a BA Communication and Media Studies (2012), BA Honours in Psychology (2013), MA in Counselling Psychology (2016), and LLB (2022). Next in line for the academic enthusiast is a PhD in Psychology tackled from a legal point of view.
“I am interested in conducting research that integrates psychology and law, developing workshops that focus on basic legal topics for psychologists, and guiding legal practitioners regarding relevant psychological domains – considering how many legal practitioners could benefit from the psychology discipline.”
Work-life balance
Venter described how challenging it was to balance working full time in the
Department of Psychology as a brand-new lecturer and being a final-year Law student. “In my fourth year, work-life balance was unfortunately almost non-existent. It was hard, but I pushed through and that took good time management, extreme self-discipline, a lot of personal sacrifices, and an understanding and supportive husband, as well as a lot of prayer and grace.”
Word to the wise
Her advice to those considering juggling work and studies is to be realistic. “You need to be extremely honest with yourself regarding your abilities, responsibilities, support system, financial aspects, self-discipline, and so forth. It will be challenging. Learning new skills is always worth it, but if you work full time and perhaps have a family to top it all off, there will be times of sacrifice.”
She adds that future law students should ensure that they understand what an LLB degree consists of and map out a trajectory for their future as far as specialisation is concerned. “Many people unfortunately choose to study certain courses without really knowing enough about them, due to family pressure or a romanticised idea influenced by TV shows or future salaries. You should make your study choice wisely based on your values, interests, personality, and aptitudes.”