[chanizst]

Hey guys, I've actually secured a seat in a state uni doing law. However after checking out the tuition fee to do it at say BPP, i found out that doing it at BPP is cheaper n also faster to graduate (it has the 2-year accelerated LLB course). Am just curious to c wt u guys think e.g. which wud u prefer. Also, how do the law firms consider the prestige of those 2 types of unis? Do let me knw ur thoughts

[MidnightCity]

I'm a law student currently studying at BPP. What I would say is you shouldn't worry about tuition fees, at the end of the day, you won't be paying it all back in one go, concentrate on which uni would benefit you in the long run. Choosing BPP was one of the best options I've made, it's known for its amazing reputation, outstanding links with law firms and chambers also being the UK's top law school. BPP offers scholarships, so you won't have to be worried about funding your LPC or BPTC (postgraduate). Do your research, maybe attend the uni and speak to the head of the module, by then I'm sure, you'll be able to make your final decision Oh and brace yourself, law will drive you insane lol

Good luck!

[Charlottie93]

(Original post by MidnightCity)
I'm a law student currently studying at BPP. What I would say is you shouldn't worry about tuition fees, at the end of the day, you won't be paying it all back in one go, concentrate on which uni would benefit you in the long run. Choosing BPP was one of the best options I've made, it's known for its amazing reputation, outstanding links with law firms and chambers also being the UK's top law school. BPP offers scholarships, so you won't have to be worried about funding your LPC or BPTC (postgraduate). Do your research, maybe attend the uni and speak to the head of the module, by then I'm sure, you'll be able to make your final decision Oh and brace yourself, law will drive you insane lol

Good luck!

Would you be able to tell us about BPP possibly how you came to decide it was the uni you wanted to be at e.t.c? I'm just curious, I've just started work in a law firm as a Legal Secretary and my contract is for two years but I want to go on to study Law or possibly Criminology not entirely sure just what yet. Can you pay the fees in instalments e.t.c.?

And OP I would recommend you visit both and see what you prefer, you may find you like a state uni better then BPP but then it could be vice versa as well!

[michael321]

(Original post by chanizst)
Hey guys, I've actually secured a seat in a state uni doing law. However after checking out the tuition fee to do it at say BPP, i found out that doing it at BPP is cheaper n also faster to graduate (it has the 2-year accelerated LLB course). Am just curious to c wt u guys think e.g. which wud u prefer. Also, how do the law firms consider the prestige of those 2 types of unis? Do let me knw ur thoughts

As far as I know law firms do not make a particular distinction between private and (partially) state-funded universities. What matters is the quality and reputation of the particular institution's law faculty. So without knowing which 'state uni' you have an offer from, it's hard for anyone to give an opinion. If you have an offer from Cambridge, I'd take that. If you have an offer from a very new university whose law school has attracted no particular acclaim, BPP would probably be the better option.

There are certainly advantages to BPP's course, most notably the quick graduation I guess. However, the reputation of its undergraduate course is pretty much an unknown - it only started very recently. BPP is known in the postgrad market, but it is nothing particularly special there. It offers training to some pretty big firms, but so do CoL and others and they are all viewed similarly in terms of quality (and willingness to accept anyone with a 2.2 and some cash, regardless of their prospects after the course).

[Forum User]

I'm at BPP as well, 'part-time' evening student (but doing it in two years nonetheless. As michael says it depends which traditional university you are comparing with BPP. Lots are probably better, lots are probably worse - if I had to guess I would say BPP is somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of the quality of the course. But it is a total unknown as only one or two cohorts have graduated so far and those will still probably be doing their LPCs and BPTCs, so employers won't know how good or bad they are yet most likely. Looking at your other posts it seems you have firmed Exeter? Exeter is a well-known university, I don't know anything about their law department but I suspect employers will regard it more highly than BPP at present.

And please stop the text speak, it made my eyes burn

[MidnightCity]

(Original post by Charlottie93)
Would you be able to tell us about BPP possibly how you came to decide it was the uni you wanted to be at e.t.c? I'm just curious, I've just started work in a law firm as a Legal Secretary and my contract is for two years but I want to go on to study Law or possibly Criminology not entirely sure just what yet. Can you pay the fees in instalments e.t.c.?

And OP I would recommend you visit both and see what you prefer, you may find you like a state uni better then BPP but then it could be vice versa as well!

What you need to know about BPP is that it's an American University by you're actually studying English law. When i attended the open evening, one of the lecturers was giving us a tour, I really liked the atmosphere of the uni, it doesn't have the uni touch to it exactly, the classrooms are more like an office, the lecturer himself said if you want the uni experience, don't come to BPP because at BPP you have to work hard. That immediately appealed to me, everybody is different, so it depends on you. Law itself is a touch subject, but as I get carried away sometimes, I decided BPP was the best option for me. Then again, it's worth going down there and speaking to them, their next open evening should be in November.

I'm not specifically sure whether we pay back the tuition fees in instalments or bit by bit, according to my knowledge, it depends on your starting salary how much you pay them back weekly, but it won't be necessarily a big sum.

It's also great you'll be working in a law firm as a secretary, shows your have an interest, do plenty of work experience as well.

Hope this has helped.

[chanizst]

Thanks guys for all your opinions. They've all been very helpful and now I'm crystal clear where I'm going to.

(Original post by MidnightCity)
I'm a law student currently studying at BPP. What I would say is you shouldn't worry about tuition fees, at the end of the day, you won't be paying it all back in one go, concentrate on which uni would benefit you in the long run. Choosing BPP was one of the best options I've made, it's known for its amazing reputation, outstanding links with law firms and chambers also being the UK's top law school. BPP offers scholarships, so you won't have to be worried about funding your LPC or BPTC (postgraduate). Do your research, maybe attend the uni and speak to the head of the module, by then I'm sure, you'll be able to make your final decision Oh and brace yourself, law will drive you insane lol

Good luck!

Glad that you chose what you like . Are you doing an accelerated or a 3-year degree? Does BPP offer scholarships to somebody like me who does the undergraduate course elsewhere? Yeah you are right I won't have to pay all the money back in one go but am just a bit worried about the huge amount of debt I need to repay. I will try to be as optimistic as possible

(Original post by michael321)
As far as I know law firms do not make a particular distinction between private and (partially) state-funded universities. What matters is the quality and reputation of the particular institution's law faculty. So without knowing which 'state uni' you have an offer from, it's hard for anyone to give an opinion. If you have an offer from Cambridge, I'd take that. If you have an offer from a very new university whose law school has attracted no particular acclaim, BPP would probably be the better option.

There are certainly advantages to BPP's course, most notably the quick graduation I guess. However, the reputation of its undergraduate course is pretty much an unknown - it only started very recently. BPP is known in the postgrad market, but it is nothing particularly special there. It offers training to some pretty big firms, but so do CoL and others and they are all viewed similarly in terms of quality (and willingness to accept anyone with a 2.2 and some cash, regardless of their prospects after the course).

Got an unconditional offer from Exeter Law School and have already firmed it. I thought all private unis would only offer a place to students with at least a 2.1 ? Actually does it matter whatever uni I do my BPTC/LPC at? I know that the grades of BPTC/LPC is one of the criteria when law firms are considering whether to give you a training contract or not. Just not sure if they would take the place for the postgrad course into consideration.

(Original post by Forum User)
I'm at BPP as well, 'part-time' evening student (but doing it in two years nonetheless. As michael says it depends which traditional university you are comparing with BPP. Lots are probably better, lots are probably worse - if I had to guess I would say BPP is somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of the quality of the course. But it is a total unknown as only one or two cohorts have graduated so far and those will still probably be doing their LPCs and BPTCs, so employers won't know how good or bad they are yet most likely. Looking at your other posts it seems you have firmed Exeter? Exeter is a well-known university, I don't know anything about their law department but I suspect employers will regard it more highly than BPP at present.

And please stop the text speak, it made my eyes burn

Sorry for my text speak. Didn't know that this forum doesn't allow typing informally until a few days ago so from now on I will stop that . Yeah I have firmed Exeter. How many hours in a week do you need to attend your lessons at BPP? I've never known anyone doing a part-time degree that's why I'm curious. I've heard people saying employers do not have a preference over which university the students graduated from so I just thought maybe I shall choose that one that costs less. Anyway after taking everything into consideration I guess I will go for Exeter. Hope I do not screw things up there.

[Forum User]

(Original post by chanizst)
Sorry for my text speak. Didn't know that this forum doesn't allow typing informally until a few days ago so from now on I will stop that . Yeah I have firmed Exeter. How many hours in a week do you need to attend your lessons at BPP? I've never known anyone doing a part-time degree that's why I'm curious. I've heard people saying employers do not have a preference over which university the students graduated from so I just thought maybe I shall choose that one that costs less. Anyway after taking everything into consideration I guess I will go for Exeter. Hope I do not screw things up there.

I have one class which is every week, and two classes that are every other week for a total of two classes (four hours) contact time a week. Of course, that doesn't mean that I only do four hours work a week as we still have to listen to the lectures (they are recorded and uploaded - although part-time students can go and attend live if they wish), and do all the reading and prep for the seminars/tutorials. I probably spend about 40 hours on it but that is much more than is strictly 'necessary'.

I think it is very wrong to say that employers do not care which university students attended. Law, particularly the bar, is still quite a 'traditionally-minded' career. Employers will prefer a degree from a well-regarded institution (with Oxbridge naturally at the top of the list by some distance).

Have fun at Exeter !

[michael321]

(Original post by chanizst)
Got an unconditional offer from Exeter Law School and have already firmed it. I thought all private unis would only offer a place to students with at least a 2.1 ?

No. BPP and CoL are particularly notorious for accepting no-hopers so long as they have the cash: http://www.rollonfriday.com/Blogs/Re...0/Default.aspx

Actually does it matter whatever uni I do my BPTC/LPC at? I know that the grades of BPTC/LPC is one of the criteria when law firms are considering whether to give you a training contract or not. Just not sure if they would take the place for the postgrad course into consideration.

I think Exeter is a better bet than BPP personally. BPP I imagine doesn't have a bad law school, but Exeter's is pretty well established and is more of a 'known quantity' (it tends to be fairly well thought of).

It doesn't really matter where you do your LPC/BPTC, within reason. Any of the main providers will stand you in reasonable stead - though you will primarily be judged on your original degree.

[Norton1]

(Original post by michael321)


No. BPP and CoL are particularly notorious for accepting no-hopers so long as they have the cash: http://www.rollonfriday.com/Blogs/Re...0/Default.aspx

I'm aware that is the case. But that article doesn't actually say that does it?

[michael321]

(Original post by Norton1)
I'm aware that is the case. But that article doesn't actually say that does it?

Sorry I was in a hurry. I couldn't find a RoF article specifically about the issue. They just allude to it regularly. Here's another example:

http://www.rollonfriday.com/Blogs/Re...2/Default.aspx

But there are lots of more serious articles on the issue kicking around in other publications.

[chanizst]

(Original post by Forum User)
I have one class which is every week, and two classes that are every other week for a total of two classes (four hours) contact time a week. Of course, that doesn't mean that I only do four hours work a week as we still have to listen to the lectures (they are recorded and uploaded - although part-time students can go and attend live if they wish), and do all the reading and prep for the seminars/tutorials. I probably spend about 40 hours on it but that is much more than is strictly 'necessary'.

I think it is very wrong to say that employers do not care which university students attended. Law, particularly the bar, is still quite a 'traditionally-minded' career. Employers will prefer a degree from a well-regarded institution (with Oxbridge naturally at the top of the list by some distance).

Have fun at Exeter !

Wooww 40 hours of work each week!!! Your so hard working!!!! I can see that your making every endeavour to get the most out of the course! I admire your industry!!! Wish I could work half as hard as you because I get distracted very easily. Yeah think the Exeter website says each law student should spend at least 30 hours a week on work.

I only thought about becoming a bar after applying to universities. Not until a few days ago, i accidentally found out that there is quite a large number of students from the Sheffield Law School doing pupilage. Didn't know that Sheffield offers a Law and Criminology degree otherwise I'd have chosen it because it'll definitely help with my career. Anyway have you thought about becoming a solicitor or a barrister?

(Original post by michael321)


No. BPP and CoL are particularly notorious for accepting no-hopers so long as they have the cash: http://www.rollonfriday.com/Blogs/Re...0/Default.aspx



I think Exeter is a better bet than BPP personally. BPP I imagine doesn't have a bad law school, but Exeter's is pretty well established and is more of a 'known quantity' (it tends to be fairly well thought of).

It doesn't really matter where you do your LPC/BPTC, within reason. Any of the main providers will stand you in reasonable stead - though you will primarily be judged on your original degree.

Umm in this case BPP and CoL are giving false hopes to the law graduates then? Can't imagine what it would be like to get the hopes up and then watch them fall..........Is it really hard to secure a training contract for law students with a 2.2 ? Am a bit worried about my future although uni doesn't start til next month

[Forum User]

(Original post by chanizst)
Wooww 40 hours of work each week!!! Your so hard working!!!! I can see that your making every endeavour to get the most out of the course! I admire your industry!!! Wish I could work half as hard as you because I get distracted very easily. Yeah think the Exeter website says each law student should spend at least 30 hours a week on work.

I only thought about becoming a bar after applying to universities. Not until a few days ago, i accidentally found out that there is quite a large number of students from the Sheffield Law School doing pupilage. Didn't know that Sheffield offers a Law and Criminology degree otherwise I'd have chosen it because it'll definitely help with my career. Anyway have you thought about becoming a solicitor or a barrister?

Umm in this case BPP and CoL are giving false hopes to the law graduates then? Can't imagine what it would be like to get the hopes up and then watch them fall..........Is it really hard to secure a training contract for law students with a 2.2 ? Am a bit worried about my future although uni doesn't start til next month

Yeah I think thirty hours of work a week sounds about right. You shouldn't underestimate the amount of reading needed, law isn't a course that you should usually try and do just on the basis of some lecture notes and handouts.

I'm not sure about law and criminology actually. I don't see anything wrong with just doing a straight law degree unless you are really interested in the sociological/philosophical side of criminality. Even if you want to be a criminal barrister I would have thought that just doing straight law would be fine.

I'm not sure what I want to do after my degree. I plan to do a Master's after my degree and then decide whether to go down the academic route, LL.D/PHD then lecture/research or try and become a barrister.

I don't think that BPP/CoL etc are really 'giving' false hopes to people. I think perhaps it is the people who already have the false hopes and that the LPC/BPTC providers merely fail to disabuse them of those hopes. Perhaps that is a thin distinction. Anyway, it's not impossible by any means to get a Training Contract with a 2:2 but obviously it will be extremely difficult. Getting a pupillage with a 2:2 may not be technically impossible but it's not a realistic plan.

[chanizst]

(Original post by Forum User)
Yeah I think thirty hours of work a week sounds about right. You shouldn't underestimate the amount of reading needed, law isn't a course that you should usually try and do just on the basis of some lecture notes and handouts.

I'm not sure about law and criminology actually. I don't see anything wrong with just doing a straight law degree unless you are really interested in the sociological/philosophical side of criminality. Even if you want to be a criminal barrister I would have thought that just doing straight law would be fine.

I'm not sure what I want to do after my degree. I plan to do a Master's after my degree and then decide whether to go down the academic route, LL.D/PHD then lecture/research or try and become a barrister.

I don't think that BPP/CoL etc are really 'giving' false hopes to people. I think perhaps it is the people who already have the false hopes and that the LPC/BPTC providers merely fail to disabuse them of those hopes. Perhaps that is a thin distinction. Anyway, it's not impossible by any means to get a Training Contract with a 2:2 but obviously it will be extremely difficult. Getting a pupillage with a 2:2 may not be technically impossible but it's not a realistic plan.

I know that the amount of materials to read and prepare is massive. Can you tell me more about what else I can do apart from reading some lecture notes and handouts? I would really love to get the most out of the law course and equip myself with some in-depth law knowledge. Also, any advice on how to write critically? My teachers told me to read more newspapers like the Guardian as well as its comments somehow I don't really find this useful . Am so desperate to brush up my writing skills!

I guess you still have a year to go at BPP? In this case you still got time to think about the future and I hope it's a promising one for you Speaking of doing a master, I did think about this however ditched the thought very quickly......I just want to practise law as soon as possible! I checked out the unistats the other day and found out that there are an enormous amount of students graduating with a 2.1 each year. It's going to be a very fierce competition by the time I graduate so I got to sharpen my competitive edge! Can totally understand the slim chance for the 2.2 graduates!

[Di_mi_tris]

STATE Ftw! I'm in swansea