Will my 1st year University results severely affect my chances of a vacation scheme?

I've just received my 1st year University results and achieved:

Contract: 62
Criminal: 63
Public: 60
EU: 45

EU is quite clearly my weakest subject and it definitely showed. Would it be worth applying for a vacation scheme with these results? After the stellar competition for merely open days, that I had this year I am very doubtful.

Thoughts?

I guess the primary positive you can draw from the results is that 3 of them are solid grades and evidence of a good understanding of the law (thus boding well for the future). I would argue that it's certainly better to have your set of results than say a range of 50s that average out at the same as yours. Everyone can have off days and most people will have one/two modules over the course of a law degree that they patently dislike.

On the other hand the EU result is very low by anyone's standards and I imagine that, if you were successful in obtaining an interview, you would be pressed as to why you managed to barely pass.

I don't think your results collectively are particularly bad and in fact pretty reflective of your average law student. However, as you allude to, because competition is so fierce, 'average' does not really cut it. Certainly not for the most competitive schemes at the 'better' firms. However, this is not to say you have no chance. There will be examples of people obtaining vacation scheme places with worse grades than yours and, ultimately, if you don't buy a ticket, you cannot win the raffle.

I always view a scenario such as this as a cost-benefit analysis, of which it is up to you to decide the best course of action to take. Writing excellent applications that give you the best chance of success takes time and effort, particularly during a period of time in a law student's life where the work is becoming increasingly difficult. If you feel that your time would be better spent focussing on your studies and then hitting the applications the following year, that is one option. On the reverse, if you feel you can balance studies and hobbies/interests with writing applications, all the while accepting your reduced chance of success, then that is the other option.

I wouldn't stress about your results too much over the Summer and reflect on the obvious positives your results show. I also detect from your post that you're not naive to your situation and understand just how competitive vacation scheme places are to obtain - I find those that possess a realist outlook are more successful in the long run as they are harder to demoralise and disillusion when it comes to rejections because they lack a sense of entitlement and faux grandeur.

Good news! My University are letting me have another shot due to my mitigating circumstances around the time of the exam. Hopefully I can get it to a 2:1! Thanks so much for your advice!