What's it like to do a law degree?
University course discussion for law.
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Full Member
- Posts: 127
What's it like to do a law degree?I've received an offer from Nottingham Trent Uni to study Law (LLB) starting in October and I was just wondering what it is like for current students studying law.
I'm not exactly having second thoughts about my choice and I think I made a well-informed decision. I was just wondering - exactly how hard is it. I also know that there's a lot of reading involved...exactly how much reading is involved..?? I don't usually read for leisure (since I don't have a particularly great attention span to do so) and I've started to wonder whether this would put me at some disadvantage.
So (if you're doing/have done a law degree) what are your experiences? How difficult is it?
Thanks
-
- Reputation:
- Respected Member
- Posts: 214
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?Granted I have not done or am I doing a Law Degree yet, I do have some useful information which may be of help to yourself.
I myself am an aspiring law student, although I'm not 100% I want to be work within the legal industry.
I do have many friends who've studied law and are studying law at the moment.
It's a no brain-er that it's not going to be a walk in the park. Then again, no degree is going to exactly be easy. Law however is recognized as being one of the harder/or hardest degrees to under take. Hence the high entry requirements from most Uni's.
I've heard and have witnessed a lot of reading is to be done. I came across a statistic a while back showing that 38% of books taken out of a Universities Library per year are Law related. It might not sound THAT much, but you think about ALL the courses taking place in that Uni.
Not only do you have to read a lot, but you expected to be very close to the English Language. There's a quote floating around the internet I read saying 'a law student can read any word from the English dictionary'. I personally don't agree with that quote, but you get the picture!
What you've got to remember also, is that everyone is in the same position when doing a degree such as Law, as the likely hood is that very few people did Law at Alevel, and although many people will have a fair understanding of the legal system, it wont be utterly solid.
The 1st year will make sure everyone is up to par with each other and so on! -
- Reputation:
- Overlord in Training
- Posts: 3,415
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?I don't even know what that's meant to mean.(Original post by Weeves)
Not only do you have to read a lot, but you expected to be very close to the English Language. There's a quote floating around the internet I read saying 'a law student can read any word from the English dictionary'. I personally don't agree with that quote, but you get the picture!
In answer to the question posed by the thread title; have you ever snorted coke off a hooker while waterskiing behind a monkey driven rocket boat? Imagine the distilled essence of the opposite of that.Last edited by Norton1; 22-06-2012 at 23:50. -
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Banned
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?Really?! Given most lawyers use a combination of a textbook (which they usually buy), a casebook (ditto) and online archives I doubt this. I'd have thought courses like History or English which take out the most books.(Original post by Weeves)
Granted I have not done or am I doing a Law Degree yet, I do have some useful information which may be of help to yourself.
I myself am an aspiring law student, although I'm not 100% I want to be work within the legal industry.
I do have many friends who've studied law and are studying law at the moment.
It's a no brain-er that it's not going to be a walk in the park. Then again, no degree is going to exactly be easy. Law however is recognized as being one of the harder/or hardest degrees to under take. Hence the high entry requirements from most Uni's.
I've heard and have witnessed a lot of reading is to be done. I came across a statistic a while back showing that 38% of books taken out of a Universities Library per year are Law related. It might not sound THAT much, but you think about ALL the courses taking place in that Uni.
Not only do you have to read a lot, but you expected to be very close to the English Language. There's a quote floating around the internet I read saying 'a law student can read any word from the English dictionary'. I personally don't agree with that quote, but you get the picture!
What you've got to remember also, is that everyone is in the same position when doing a degree such as Law, as the likely hood is that very few people did Law at Alevel, and although many people will have a fair understanding of the legal system, it wont be utterly solid.
The 1st year will make sure everyone is up to par with each other and so on! -
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Basingstoke
- Posts: 2,189
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?A law degree is pretty easy, if you want a third. All you need to do is look at your lecture slides, read a few case notes and then learn to spout all that nonsense onto paper. However, that standard will NEVER get you a first. To get a first, your going to need to read your textbooks thoroughly (Which, throughout the year should be about 500+ pages for 4 different textbooks), you'll need to learn to skip all the waffle in a judgment to get to the stuff you need (otherwise, you'll spend an infinite length of time reading entire judgments) and then you need to practice, practice, practice. You will not get a 1st on your very first essay/exam without knowing how to apply the law like an expert. Your lecturer will tell you how to do this, however you will only learn to do this after writing several essays. Of course, for exams, it'll basically fall down to whether or not your lucky regarding which subjects you studied, and which showed up in the exam.(Original post by Anon217)
I've received an offer from Nottingham Trent Uni to study Law (LLB) starting in October and I was just wondering what it is like for current students studying law.
I'm not exactly having second thoughts about my choice and I think I made a well-informed decision. I was just wondering - exactly how hard is it. I also know that there's a lot of reading involved...exactly how much reading is involved..?? I don't usually read for leisure (since I don't have a particularly great attention span to do so) and I've started to wonder whether this would put me at some disadvantage.
So (if you're doing/have done a law degree) what are your experiences? How difficult is it?
Thanks
So, in short:
Third: Very little reading, quite easy
2:2 A good amount of reading, moderate difficulty
2:1 A lot of reading, hard
First: Anywhere from 'a lot' to an infinite amount of reading, very difficult - requires luck, skill, determination, caffeine, originality, and then more luck. -
- Reputation:
- Junior Member
- Posts: 55
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?Hi, I'm going doing Law at Trent this year too- see you there! I missed my biochem offer and so am doing law so have been researching this sort of question recently too. I think the main thing is that the amount of reading is a lot and you have to be able to summarise and make good notes. Also I was wondering if you are taking your laptop to lectures for notes? I want to, but dont want to be the only person!(Original post by Anon217)
I've received an offer from Nottingham Trent Uni to study Law (LLB) starting in October and I was just wondering what it is like for current students studying law.
I'm not exactly having second thoughts about my choice and I think I made a well-informed decision. I was just wondering - exactly how hard is it. I also know that there's a lot of reading involved...exactly how much reading is involved..?? I don't usually read for leisure (since I don't have a particularly great attention span to do so) and I've started to wonder whether this would put me at some disadvantage.
So (if you're doing/have done a law degree) what are your experiences? How difficult is it?
Thanks
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Full Member
- Posts: 127
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?I forgot about this thread - thanks for all the responses
...Hi. I don't think you'll be the only person with a laptop(Original post by Saphire_93)
Hi, I'm going doing Law at Trent this year too- see you there! I missed my biochem offer and so am doing law so have been researching this sort of question recently too. I think the main thing is that the amount of reading is a lot and you have to be able to summarise and make good notes. Also I was wondering if you are taking your laptop to lectures for notes? I want to, but dont want to be the only person!
I'm actually now planning to defer my entry to next year so I won't be seeing you there, but good luck and well done for getting a place
-
- Reputation:
- Exalted Member
- Posts: 283
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?Lol its interesting how you applied for both biochem and law at the same time(Original post by Saphire_93)
Hi, I'm going doing Law at Trent this year too- see you there! I missed my biochem offer and so am doing law so have been researching this sort of question recently too. I think the main thing is that the amount of reading is a lot and you have to be able to summarise and make good notes. Also I was wondering if you are taking your laptop to lectures for notes? I want to, but dont want to be the only person! -
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Cheam
- Posts: 2,862
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?I think he means there's no word a law student doesn't know in the dictionary. So apparently we'll never need to look up what any word means after our degree... hopefully!(Original post by Norton1)
I don't even know what that's meant to mean.
In answer to the question posed by the thread title; have you ever snorted coke off a hooker while waterskiing behind a monkey driven rocket boat? Imagine the distilled essence of the opposite of that.
Great explanation, for a first you're going to need to be intelligent, original, have a good memory and get lucky(Original post by zaliack)
A law degree is pretty easy, if you want a third. All you need to do is look at your lecture slides, read a few case notes and then learn to spout all that nonsense onto paper. However, that standard will NEVER get you a first. To get a first, your going to need to read your textbooks thoroughly (Which, throughout the year should be about 500+ pages for 4 different textbooks), you'll need to learn to skip all the waffle in a judgment to get to the stuff you need (otherwise, you'll spend an infinite length of time reading entire judgments) and then you need to practice, practice, practice. You will not get a 1st on your very first essay/exam without knowing how to apply the law like an expert. Your lecturer will tell you how to do this, however you will only learn to do this after writing several essays. Of course, for exams, it'll basically fall down to whether or not your lucky regarding which subjects you studied, and which showed up in the exam.
So, in short:
Third: Very little reading, quite easy
2:2 A good amount of reading, moderate difficulty
2:1 A lot of reading, hard
First: Anywhere from 'a lot' to an infinite amount of reading, very difficult - requires luck, skill, determination, caffeine, originality, and then more luck.
-
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Cheam
- Posts: 2,862
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?(Original post by Miracle Day)
Awh **** now I'm scared
I think getting scared is the only way I might have a chance of getting a first 
-
- Reputation:
- Little Lion Man
- Location: Cardiff
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?How much time do you spend working a day?(Original post by RobertWhite)
I think getting scared is the only way I might have a chance of getting a first
-
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Cheam
- Posts: 2,862
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?I haven't started the course yet
I've heard you should be working full days to have a shot at a 1st. To get a 2.1 I think you need to put in a few extra hours per module a week. So something like an extra 10-12ish hours per week. I'm really not sure how true this is though. Most of the people studying Law at Soton do this in a weekend.
-
- Reputation:
- Little Lion Man
- Location: Cardiff
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?How do I fit in this and a social life arghh(Original post by RobertWhite)
I haven't started the course yet I've heard you should be working full days to have a shot at a 1st. To get a 2.1 I think you need to put in a few extra hours per module a week. So something like an extra 10-12ish hours per week. I'm really not sure how true this is though. Most of the people studying Law at Soton do this in a weekend.
-
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Cheam
- Posts: 2,862
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?Ah you'll learn(Original post by Miracle Day)
How do I fit in this and a social life arghh Be organised and there's no reason you can't have a great social life too
-
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Banned
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?At uni it seems there is more scope for a social life than you have in a real job.(Original post by Miracle Day)
How do I fit in this and a social life arghh
Something like 40 hours a week, doing the majority whenever suits you, is still fairly conducive to a decent social life So long as you catch yourself if you feel you're frittering away time, that's the hard bit
Last edited by roh; 21-08-2012 at 00:13. -
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- Overlord in Training
- Location: Basingstoke
- Posts: 2,189
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?Personally, I just skip the lectures and do the reading instead. Lectures are no way near as useful as a textbook for me. In a lecture, they only really "introduce" the stuff we need to know and don't fit in enough details or all the obscure, important cases.(Original post by Miracle Day)
How do I fit in this and a social life arghh -
- Reputation:
- Benevolent Member
- Location: trol
- Posts: 673
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?Day in the life of a law student (that doesn't want to get a *******ing for not handing in his essay that week)
07:00 - Wake Up, go to the gym.
09:00 - Breakfast
09:20-13:00 - READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ READ
13:00-14:00 - Lunch
14:00-18:20 - READ READ READ READ READ READ
18:20-19:00 - Dinner
19:20-23:00 - READ READ READ READ READ READ
23:15-00:00 - Head back to room to complain about how much reading you have to do for this essay with your mates
2:00AM- Drift off to sleep once the stimulants have left your system.
Rinse and repeat. -
- Reputation:
- Adored and Respected Member
- Posts: 576
Re: What's it like to do a law degree?i bet you're still in GCSE?(Original post by Weeves)
Granted I have not done or am I doing a Law Degree yet, I do have some useful information which may be of help to yourself.
I myself am an aspiring law student, although I'm not 100% I want to be work within the legal industry.
I do have many friends who've studied law and are studying law at the moment.
It's a no brain-er that it's not going to be a walk in the park. Then again, no degree is going to exactly be easy. Law however is recognized as being one of the harder/or hardest degrees to under take. Hence the high entry requirements from most Uni's.
I've heard and have witnessed a lot of reading is to be done. I came across a statistic a while back showing that 38% of books taken out of a Universities Library per year are Law related. It might not sound THAT much, but you think about ALL the courses taking place in that Uni.
Not only do you have to read a lot, but you expected to be very close to the English Language. There's a quote floating around the internet I read saying 'a law student can read any word from the English dictionary'. I personally don't agree with that quote, but you get the picture!
What you've got to remember also, is that everyone is in the same position when doing a degree such as Law, as the likely hood is that very few people did Law at Alevel, and although many people will have a fair understanding of the legal system, it wont be utterly solid.
The 1st year will make sure everyone is up to par with each other and so on!Last edited by tdkr; 21-08-2012 at 12:05.
I'm actually now planning to defer my entry to next year so I won't be seeing you there, but good luck and well done for getting a place 
