Need Help. What to do with a History Degree

Read: http://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/Articles/201

Then read the rest of the 'where to start' drop down list, notably GDL. Should clarify things. If you still have questions then, come back.

thanks, pretty useful.

Just one question. If I have the oppurtunity to transfer to a two year LLB from my history degree, would I be better going for that than depending on the GDL?

Hmmm it's up to you. No law firm will fund you, that I know of, to do the LLB like they would the GDL (and LPC in both cases) and obviously it involves more in depth exploration of concepts etc., whilst the GDL is apparently more about just getting to know what you need to, though it's apparently hard work simply because of the sheer volume of information you need to learn.

Other factors might be whether you want to stay at your current uni (assuming it's not South Bank as your profile suggests...) or go elsewhere and whether you think you could get GDL sponsorship (ie. get a TC this summer if you're a Finalist or VS and then TC next summer if you're second year).

I'm in first year of a 4year degree. And no, it isn't south bank (something ive been meaning to change). I'd only be doing 5yrs in total if I transfered to LLB at the University of Dundee, so I may be able to get student finance to pay for one year and then I'd fund the last year myself, it depends on what SF say. Either way its the same time (5years total) as finishing my honors and going GDL.

In your opinion, what chance would I have in getting into a firm with a history degree, say 2:1/1st + GDL in comparision with a Uni of Dundee LLB? Excluding all other factors of course, so it is kind of a hypothetical quesiton.

edit:

also, the table of gdl providers that is on that site. Are those in any particular order?


What about working abroad? I'm guessing it isn't as simple as doing a conversion course in that country?

Be wary of transferring to an LLB in Scots law, though Dundee do have an English law one listed in the SRA's qualifying list so that would be fine, if you want to work in England you'd still have to do the GDL anyway. If you want to work in Scotland it's not a worry.

Firms frankly couldn't care less what your degree's in so long as it's a solid academic subject, unless it's something very useful to them like BioMed for an NHS focussed firm or engineering for patent, so just choose which you'd prefer.

Dundee as a uni, in England, won't be that well known (main ones they hear of are Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews) so they would judge you based on your grades. Beware law firms will usually ask for the score from every individual module you take at university not just an overall grade. Also, most firms will ask for ABB minimum from A level excluding general studies, some will ask for AAB and a lot of candidates will have AAA or better.

GDL providers are all pretty similar, Birmingham uni offer it which adds an RG shine to it, but I don't know if it's actually any better.

Once you've qualified as a solicitor converting within the EU is as simple as sitting a conversion exam, they're just ferociously hard and obviously require a very good language skills.

I think the US is a pretty closed shop, UCL/LSE/KCL and Columbia do a joint LLB and JD but only 6 a year get to do it and I've not heard of anywhere else offering that. It's difficult enough getting a green card never mind permission to join one of their professions.

Within old commonwealth countries I think it's a lot more plausible to switch, a lot of Canadians do LLB's over here as they get some exemptions there, but check online with the regulating authorities of each.

ok, cheers you've been a great help.

I had a feeling that the A-levels would come in to play. Do you know if they care if they are in the same sitting in the same way some universities do?

Well they ask for the year as standard so expect a good grilling about it at interview if they aren't all from one year/aren't 2 years after your GCSEs, ditto if you've got any B's, though neither of these will stop you obtaining a TC by any stretch of the imagination, they'll want a good explanation as to why you didn't get them in 2 years/get AAA/both like a lot of the other candidates did.

Well I have a B in History and a Distinction/Merit in BTEC NC Sports Dev., Coaching & Fitness. It is the ****ing BTEC that makes the whole thing look bad, waste of ****ing time they are. The amount of time I spent on that thing just to get the 'equivalent' of BB (which most unis beg to differ) was worth at least A/B in two other subjects. Had I known this two year ago I'd have picked proper A-levels and burnt down the PE dept. to save my classmates from such a **** qualification. As for the B in history, I hate blaming teachers, but it really was for the large part the teacher's fault, he taught the final module terriblely, I got a D and it brought me down to a B overall, which I was gutted about saying I had really good AS-level UMs, highest grade A in the class. Nobody got above grade C in that final module... But if you ever meet anyone planning on a BTEC, please advise them otherwise...

Anyway sorry for the rant. Of course I can't use that as an excuse though. But would ****ty A-level grades like mine be a big disadvantage? Surely they would be base VS's on A-levels quite a bit more? Sometimes I think I should just go for the redo a-level route. BTEC? What the **** was I thinking...

BTEC obviously not an ideal choice but not insurmountable by any means. Possibility they won't have a clue what it is. In a way it will help to show you basically given **** advice and thus back up the bad history teacher claim. Most lawyer went to very good schools and send their kids to them too, for example some partners look as though my parents should be done for neglect when I say my school was a comp up North. Others, however, went to such schools and may be less forgiving on you. HR will probably be clueless, I got asked why I didn't have any A*s, I do four years, and had to point out they were't actually available in my year.

Know the feeling with history, managed a D in 1 module which would have tanked an A* if they'd had them my year, thankfully had enough in the bag not to lose me an A. I wouldn't bother redoing your A levels, if you get a good degree, ideally First, straight A*s won't prove anything at all other than that you can do better than kids 2 or 3 years less academically developed than you.

Remember the application for the VS and the TC are usually the same one (most firms recruit a lot from their VS) and even if you do just apply for straight TC at a firm the deadline's only 6 months later, less in some cases.

Guessing since you did BTEC PE you're pretty good at a sport in which case try to make captain or something, they love that sort of thing.

My A levels were French, Spanish and History. I do Law with French at Leicester, on for a decent 2:1 and I'm currently applying for Vac Schemes/Training Contracts.

As in the first thing the form asks is 'do you wish to apply for A) Training Contract 2014 B) Vacation Scheme 2012 or C) Both. The form from then on is exactly the same whatever you tick.

Yeah, exactly that. Firms like to recruit from the vacation scheme simply because you can get a better impression of someone in 2 weeks than you can in, at most, one day. However, you can do as many VS as you like but only 1 TC, so it can be the case that a number of elite applicants hoover up a lot of the VS spots.

My A levels were French, Spanish and History. I do Law with French at Leicester, on for a decent 2:1 and I'm currently applying for Vac Schemes/Training Contracts.

As in the first thing the form asks is 'do you wish to apply for A) Training Contract 2014 B) Vacation Scheme 2012 or C) Both. The form from then on is exactly the same whatever you tick.

Yeah, exactly that. Firms like to recruit from the vacation scheme simply because you can get a better impression of someone in 2 weeks than you can in, at most, one day. However, you can do as many VS as you like but only 1 TC, so it can be the case that a number of elite applicants hoover up a lot of the VS spots.

Sorry to bother you again. I forgot to ask. What chance do I have at getting a VS/TC with a 2:1/1st in History from Dundee (excluding other factors on my CV). Don't feel you have to be nice and say I do have a chance. For example, if my history degree was from Nottingham, would my chances increase dramatically?