[Aspiringlawstudent]

(Original post by roh)
The problem is most peoples closest friends aren't law students, they're halls mates and they don't know or care about VS and TCs!

I agree most Law students with ambitions of being a lawyer should find it out for themselves, but it seems a bit harsh to expect their friends who do English or Chemistry to be focussed on it too.

No, the problem is people that are supposedly committed to a legal career not having an iota of sense about them to do some research before it is too late to turn back without having wasted a lot of time and money.

You can find out in less than ten minutes just by googling things what law firms look for in employees. It isn't difficult for anyone, and certainly should not be to anyone hoping to be a lawyer.

[roh]

(Original post by Aspiringlawstudent)
No, the problem is people that are supposedly committed to a legal career not having an iota of sense about them to do some research before it is too late to turn back without having wasted a lot of time and money.

You can find out in less than ten minutes just by googling things what law firms look for in employees. It isn't difficult for anyone, and certainly should not be to anyone hoping to be a lawyer.

No, those who arrive at university knowing they want that should know.

Those who decide to go for Law, likely non Law students, whilst there however do suffer somewhat from the insistence of Law firms upon analysing every grade. My friend was persuaded to go for Law after attending an A&O do and chatting to trainees, surely the purpose of the events, but then got told by other firms his First year grades would be a problem. He got 56, which given the '**** it 40% approach most people have to First year is no catastrophe and had AAA from A Level (non A* cohort) and a 78 average for Second, but they didn't feel that made up for it still. I get it for Law students and they should, as you say, find this stuff out for themselves with a quick Google, but not really for non Law.

[jacketpotato]

(Original post by Aspiringlawstudent)
No, the problem is people that are supposedly committed to a legal career not having an iota of sense about them to do some research before it is too late to turn back without having wasted a lot of time and money.

You can find out in less than ten minutes just by googling things what law firms look for in employees. It isn't difficult for anyone, and certainly should not be to anyone hoping to be a lawyer.

A lot of the problem is with the timing. Most graduates don't look for jobs until the end of the course. Law firms are unusual because they recruit years in advance, law graduates will have vacation scheme interviews in the middle of their second year.

If your friends aren't in "job-hunt" mode, then it is easy to see how you can fall into a false sense of security.

[cgraham15]

University sounds like a factory for robots you guys are all putting me off or September!!! :O

[roh]

(Original post by cgraham15)
University sounds like a factory for robots you guys are all putting me off or September!!! :O

Don't worry, there is ample scope to do plenty of sport, drama, music, whatever your preferred hobby is and of course to go out.

Unfortunately if you do Law you also have to be more concerned with your grade than most First years. However, if you just make sure you don't waste time doing nothing and you will still have more than enough time to get properly involved in uni life. Learn from medics, their year really counts and they usually live by the mantra of work hard play hard to the full. It also seems to be considerably less work than real life still!

[jacketpotato]

(Original post by cgraham15)
University sounds like a factory for robots you guys are all putting me off or September!!! :O

Its great fun. You spend most of the time being lazy and plenty of time getting pissed. Just make sure you spare the odd hour to actually do some a work!!!!

[Aspiringlawstudent]

(Original post by jacketpotato)
A lot of the problem is with the timing. Most graduates don't look for jobs until the end of the course. Law firms are unusual because they recruit years in advance, law graduates will have vacation scheme interviews in the middle of their second year.

If your friends aren't in "job-hunt" mode, then it is easy to see how you can fall into a false sense of security.

That's pretty much exclusively their fault, isn't it?

I decided in lower sixth what I wanted to do, and did my research then to find out what I needed to do and when it needed to be done to make it happen. I felt I'd left it slightly late doing it then - I can't imagine how anyone could go until the end of university before finding out. To me, that's just naivety on a shocking scale.

[jacketpotato]

(Original post by Aspiringlawstudent)
That's pretty much exclusively their fault, isn't it?

I decided in lower sixth what I wanted to do, and did my research then to find out what I needed to do and when it needed to be done to make it happen. I felt I'd left it slightly late doing it then - I can't imagine how anyone could go until the end of university before finding out. To me, that's just naivety on a shocking scale.

In sixth form you don't have enough information to make a decision. You can make an educated guess, but you don't get to attend careers fairs and presentations until you are at uni. Most law students will have thought about whether they want to become a solicitor or barrister, but there is no "obvious" career path for a lot of other grads.

Most people will get to the end of uni (or near to the end) without deciding. Many will go longer, e.g. internships and summer schemes to find out which career interests them the most.

[nulli tertius]

(Original post by Aspiringlawstudent)
That's pretty much exclusively their fault, isn't it?

I decided in lower sixth what I wanted to do, and did my research then to find out what I needed to do and when it needed to be done to make it happen. I felt I'd left it slightly late doing it then - I can't imagine how anyone could go until the end of university before finding out. To me, that's just naivety on a shocking scale.

I find this depressing. University is about widening horizons and here you are criticising people who do not know what they want to do for the next 50 years when they are 16. Many graduates will go into careers which they did not even know existed when they were in the lower VIth and many intending lawyers had no interest in the subject until they had a much wider experience of the world.

[Forum User]

(Original post by Aspiringlawstudent)
That's pretty much exclusively their fault, isn't it?

I decided in lower sixth what I wanted to do, and did my research then to find out what I needed to do and when it needed to be done to make it happen. I felt I'd left it slightly late doing it then - I can't imagine how anyone could go until the end of university before finding out. To me, that's just naivety on a shocking scale.

But by this logic surely you would have come to the conclusion that the best possible way of doing what you needed to do was to get straight A*s and do law at Oxford instead of BPP? Surely at some point you must have been guilty of similar naivety to the OP?

[yl_llb]

(Original post by Forum User)
But by this logic surely you would have come to the conclusion that the best possible way of doing what you needed to do was to get straight A*s and do law at Oxford instead of BPP? Surely at some point you must have been guilty of similar naivety to the OP?

Funny how the definition of naivety here seems to be regarding me not knowing what i wanted to do for the next 50 years of my life at 18.

And my point in the op stands, get perfect grades and it shuts people up. If you get bad grades for a year, you need to ensure your subsequent performance not just with grades is exceptional. And indeed, Aspiringlawstudent is the living embodiment of my view: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/show....php?t=1752676


There is nothing wrong with seeming robotic in terms of consistency of performance. Who is to criticise an individual for being a high achiever?

[cgraham15]

(Original post by Aspiringlawstudent)
That's pretty much exclusively their fault, isn't it?

I decided in lower sixth what I wanted to do, and did my research then to find out what I needed to do and when it needed to be done to make it happen. I felt I'd left it slightly late doing it then - I can't imagine how anyone could go until the end of university before finding out. To me, that's just naivety on a shocking scale.

Not everyone knows what they want to do, and not everyone feels pressured into deciding. I'm going to study Law and have no idea what I want to do, except that I'm going to work to live. As long as I live well I'm not fussed, a lot of money int important. Maybe they think the same?