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First year grades... what should I do now?

Hi, I'm writing this because I really don't know what to do. I study law at a Russell group university and I just received my results and I am shocked to say the least. All year I have got 2.1s in every piece of work I did. I went to every lecture, every tutorial and I worked really hard all year. Of all my subjects, I performed the best consistently in public law, and I worked the hardest in it too. But when my results came out, I got a 2.1 in my other three modules and somehow got a low third in public? I just don't understand how this happened... I came out of this exam feeling like it went the best out of them all, thinking maybe I might have even got a first. I never imagined this at all.

What should I do? It says in the student handbook that my uni doesn't do remarks, but I just can't see how it can be possible that I got a third in that exam. Also, I know now my chances at a vac scheme are pretty much impossible this year but will this affect my training contract applications to magic circle firms? I worked so hard and I am beyond gutted.
You will find disappointments like this all across life. I have had similar experiences, getting a 2:2 in an exam I felt I did superbly in and I felt I answered the questions with more depth and coherency than my peers who got a first in the same exam. Why? Perhaps whilst your answer was confident, engaging, the ease you have with the subject made your response superficial?

Everyone has a bad module here and there. The law student's favourite judge to talk about, Denning, got a third in jurisprudence. I don't think it hindered him too badly. Your coursework result should show some fluency with the topic, and law firms shouldn't judge too quickly when applying for VCs. Obviously, it would be better if you had not got a third in the exam but at the same time it is not the end of the world.
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Original post by Jmisteradams
Hi, I'm writing this because I really don't know what to do. I study law at a Russell group university and I just received my results and I am shocked to say the least. All year I have got 2.1s in every piece of work I did. I went to every lecture, every tutorial and I worked really hard all year. Of all my subjects, I performed the best consistently in public law, and I worked the hardest in it too. But when my results came out, I got a 2.1 in my other three modules and somehow got a low third in public? I just don't understand how this happened... I came out of this exam feeling like it went the best out of them all, thinking maybe I might have even got a first. I never imagined this at all.

What should I do? It says in the student handbook that my uni doesn't do remarks, but I just can't see how it can be possible that I got a third in that exam. Also, I know now my chances at a vac scheme are pretty much impossible this year but will this affect my training contract applications to magic circle firms? I worked so hard and I am beyond gutted.


Everyone has little blemishes on their academic record. I got a third in public law on my LLB and even failed my contract law assignment. I recovered and got a first. Now I'm finishing an LLM at a world top 50 law school and next year I start a funded PhD. Different career path but its all the same really, we all have **** ups here and there. In my PhD interview I was asked what LLB subjects I would be most comfortable teaching. I said public and the head of school joked about my poor mark but said not to worry because even professors have had the same issues in their past.

What is most important is your final classification. Improve in second year and your training contract applications will still be in with a good shout.

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