How does a non-law graduate prepare for the SQE exams?

Hello, I am a year 13 student with offers from Warwick, Durham and King’s (waiting on UCL) to study Spanish. My intention has always been to go into a career in Law through the conversion route and my logic for choosing this route was that I felt that studying a subject I love would make it easier to achieve a 2:1/1st, which is almost essential to obtain a training contract at a Magic Circle firm. I was also aware that it is a less competitive course than Law so I was more likely to get into the universities that the Magic Circle firms love.

I am now panicking that I have done completely the wrong thing. The course I have chosen is 4 years as it has a year abroad. Following this, I will need to take the SQE exams in order to then go on to do a training contract. My question is what will I need to do to prepare for the SQE exams? And how long will this take? I understand (let me know if I’m wrong) that the point of these exams is to eliminate the need for the conversion course. So will I be able to skip the conversion course and just do the SQE preparation courses?

Hiya, I've actually taken a similar route to you (humanities and language at undergrad and then GDL and SQE) and honestly I wouldn't have changed anything if I did it again. Doing something you love at uni means you can really make the most of it, and it honestly isn't a big issue in getting a tc (assuming you make a good effort at commercial awareness etc.). Plus, doing the four-year degree gives you plenty of time to get work experience in law and make sure it's what you want to do.

Most top firms are still getting their trainees to do a conversion course before the SQE but will fully fund this (and honestly it makes such a difference having done the GDL) - but this may change in the years to come. So currently, it's still taking the same amount of time post-graduation (roughly 1 year GDL, 1 year SQE prep courses and exams) - or at least that's how my sponsoring firm is doing it.

I was also worried about taking ages to getting to where I wanted to be, but I'm due to be starting my tc alongside 21/22 year olds who have come straight from law and not really had a break or the time to make sure this is what they want to do, and it's really clarified for me that doing non-law at uni and taking a little more time is a good way to approach it.

Hope this helps - feel free to DM me if you have any more questions!