The Student Room Group

LLB 2:1 (66%) from Durham University Worried and In Need of Advice

I recently graduated with a strong 2:1 (66%) from Durham. I want to be a barrister and want to pursue an LLM and need financial aid e.g. a scholarship to do so. The problem is, these opportunities seem to be exclusively given out to students with first class law degrees and prizes. In all honesty, I struggled during my undergraduate degree. I'm an international student, and because of covid, I had to do my second year of university online. I had classes at night due to the time difference, caught covid and was stuck exclusively at home for 15 months due to the severe restrictions in my home country. Afterwards, I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression. I went from placing within 7.2% of my cohort in first year to placing within 70% of my cohort in second year. When I returned for my third year from my year abroad, which I passed, most of my friends had already graduated and it was a struggle to make new friends because everyone had their own friendship groups. As a result, I felt extremely lonely and even tried to kill myself. I'm planning on working part-time and taking a year out while I try to find a job as a paralegal. I don't have it in me to work from 9-5 five days a week and to do a Masters this year. But I can't help but feel that most of my classmates are getting further ahead of me in life whereas I'm just consistently going downhill: I'm tired, have no future plans, gained 30 pounds, whereas my classmates are getting engaged, have training contracts and pupillage offers. What next steps do you suggest I take?
First of all do not worry about things. Life is a race to be first. A 2/1 from Durham is a brilliant start for law. My view is that it would be simpler to go the solicitor route. If your first degree were an LLB (which I think it is) you could take now the Bar course or for solicitor route - the LPC (or SQE is you choose as you are within old and new system) - if you were a home student you could take a postgraduate loan for this whilst also applying for TCs and also making bar applications. You may be able to obtain commercial loans for funding this from home or in the UK as it is just a one year post grad course in each case (bar or solicitor). (I don't think you should do a masters by the way).
Original post by isabelle8
I recently graduated with a strong 2:1 (66%) from Durham. I want to be a barrister and want to pursue an LLM and need financial aid e.g. a scholarship to do so. The problem is, these opportunities seem to be exclusively given out to students with first class law degrees and prizes. In all honesty, I struggled during my undergraduate degree. I'm an international student, and because of covid, I had to do my second year of university online. I had classes at night due to the time difference, caught covid and was stuck exclusively at home for 15 months due to the severe restrictions in my home country. Afterwards, I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression. I went from placing within 7.2% of my cohort in first year to placing within 70% of my cohort in second year. When I returned for my third year from my year abroad, which I passed, most of my friends had already graduated and it was a struggle to make new friends because everyone had their own friendship groups. As a result, I felt extremely lonely and even tried to kill myself. I'm planning on working part-time and taking a year out while I try to find a job as a paralegal. I don't have it in me to work from 9-5 five days a week and to do a Masters this year. But I can't help but feel that most of my classmates are getting further ahead of me in life whereas I'm just consistently going downhill: I'm tired, have no future plans, gained 30 pounds, whereas my classmates are getting engaged, have training contracts and pupillage offers. What next steps do you suggest I take?


Congratulations on your degree! it's a very good result especially considering your circumstances. 66% is really good. don't compare your journey to others. be kinder to yourself. i'm pretty sure youre able to complete a year as a paralegal before embarking on an LLM - it would enable you to save up money before doing so. you need a good rest.

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending