(urgent!!) should i go to the university of bristol or sorbonne paris 1 university fo
(this post might sound rushed and the writing might be rough because i'm low key panicking rn)
Hi guys, I got accepted into both the uni of Bristol and the Sorbonne Paris 1 university for law (undergraduate level), and i've got to decide which one to go to in the next 5 days (before they close for vacation). Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have gotten these opportunities, but currently I am completely lost. Here are some key points I think are important to consider
- I'm based in France and I applied to unis in the UK because they are generelly ranked better and the teaching is usually of higher quality (It was noticeable during open days, taster sessions and offer holder days). Furthermore, at the time I was applying, I was dead set on doing commercial law and an English law degree would open so many more doors than a French one, as the main offices of big firms are usually in London (of course Paris is still exceptional, but I know people doing undergrad law in France and people doing an undergad law degree in England, and it is harder to get experience in France than England/Wales). However right now i'm not so sure helping big corporations is what I really want to do. I've taken interest in working on social justice in organizations/NGOs/ institutions like the EU (obviously this is still an extremely competitive field and the pay won't be near anything big law could offer, but I have found passion in this sector).
-Another thing is the language. I am bilingual, and i've undertaken most of my education in France. During high school I did this program called the OIB where basically half of the curriculum is in French and the other half in English (it's adjusted to the A-level/AP standard). During this, I realized that even though I have a strong command of both languages, I feel much more at ease with English (the ideas and words flow much more easily orally and when i'm writing). I feel like this is important, especially in law. Also, I just really prefer English over French to be honest.
-Costs : In France I would pay virtually nothing for uni, apart from living costs. In the UK I would have to take out a loan for tuition fees and living costs which amount to 20K of debt per year, so 60k in total... It is the loan supplied by the uk government though so it would be wiped out after 30 years and I would only pay according to whatever salary I would earn.
-Both unis are really good for law, Bristol is better ranked though. I was set on going to Bristol for a long time, but now i'm not so sure. It's too big of a decision for a high school graduate. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for reading this far!!
Hi guys, I got accepted into both the uni of Bristol and the Sorbonne Paris 1 university for law (undergraduate level), and i've got to decide which one to go to in the next 5 days (before they close for vacation). Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have gotten these opportunities, but currently I am completely lost. Here are some key points I think are important to consider
- I'm based in France and I applied to unis in the UK because they are generelly ranked better and the teaching is usually of higher quality (It was noticeable during open days, taster sessions and offer holder days). Furthermore, at the time I was applying, I was dead set on doing commercial law and an English law degree would open so many more doors than a French one, as the main offices of big firms are usually in London (of course Paris is still exceptional, but I know people doing undergrad law in France and people doing an undergad law degree in England, and it is harder to get experience in France than England/Wales). However right now i'm not so sure helping big corporations is what I really want to do. I've taken interest in working on social justice in organizations/NGOs/ institutions like the EU (obviously this is still an extremely competitive field and the pay won't be near anything big law could offer, but I have found passion in this sector).
-Another thing is the language. I am bilingual, and i've undertaken most of my education in France. During high school I did this program called the OIB where basically half of the curriculum is in French and the other half in English (it's adjusted to the A-level/AP standard). During this, I realized that even though I have a strong command of both languages, I feel much more at ease with English (the ideas and words flow much more easily orally and when i'm writing). I feel like this is important, especially in law. Also, I just really prefer English over French to be honest.
-Costs : In France I would pay virtually nothing for uni, apart from living costs. In the UK I would have to take out a loan for tuition fees and living costs which amount to 20K of debt per year, so 60k in total... It is the loan supplied by the uk government though so it would be wiped out after 30 years and I would only pay according to whatever salary I would earn.
-Both unis are really good for law, Bristol is better ranked though. I was set on going to Bristol for a long time, but now i'm not so sure. It's too big of a decision for a high school graduate. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for reading this far!!
Original post by zarraa23
-Costs : In France I would pay virtually nothing for uni, apart from living costs.
The Sorbonne is much better known than Bristol generally (and most people probably have no idea what the difference between Paris 1 and Paris 4/6 is outside of France). Also more to the point a largely free degree is worth much more than one you are getting SFE loans for.
Also, are you sure you are entitled to SFE loans for a UK degree as a home fees student? Normally to qualify for those you need to have been resident in the UK for the 3 years preceding the start of the course. If you've been living and studying in France you most likely would be classified as an international fee status student (whether or not you have UK citizenship is not the determining factor - it's about residency).
Ultimately though law is jurisdictional so you need to think long term, if you wish to practice law, would you want to do so in France or in the UK? And you need to be realistic about this. Don't assume it will necessarily be at a "top firm" in either location. Would you be happy working in some small regional firm in the UK long term? What about the same for France?
Finally I'd just point out - you don't need a law degree (English or otherwise) to become a solicitor in the UK. You just need to take the SQE. About 50% of solicitors in the UK have a non-law degree for their original undergraduate degree. To become a barrister in the UK you do need a qualifying law degree (QLD) but there is no preference between a undergraduate English law degree and an undegraduate degree in anything else with a GDL conversion course.
My understanding is that "converting" to French law is less straightforward. So you might find you have more options just doing the French law degree now then coming over to the UK afterwards anyway (as that gives you all the same options as if you did an LLB in the UK, but you would have additional background in another country's legal system which may be considered desirable for some positions).
(edited 9 months ago)
Original post by artful_lounger
The Sorbonne is much better known than Bristol generally (and most people probably have no idea what the difference between Paris 1 and Paris 4/6 is outside of France). Also more to the point a largely free degree is worth much more than one you are getting SFE loans for.
Also, are you sure you are entitled to SFE loans for a UK degree as a home fees student? Normally to qualify for those you need to have been resident in the UK for the 3 years preceding the start of the course. If you've been living and studying in France you most likely would be classified as an international fee status student (whether or not you have UK citizenship is not the determining factor - it's about residency).
Ultimately though law is jurisdictional so you need to think long term, if you wish to practice law, would you want to do so in France or in the UK? And you need to be realistic about this. Don't assume it will necessarily be at a "top firm" in either location. Would you be happy working in some small regional firm in the UK long term? What about the same for France?
Finally I'd just point out - you don't need a law degree (English or otherwise) to become a solicitor in the UK. You just need to take the SQE. About 50% of solicitors in the UK have a non-law degree for their original undergraduate degree. To become a barrister in the UK you do need a qualifying law degree (QLD) but there is no preference between a undergraduate English law degree and an undegraduate degree in anything else with a GDL conversion course.
My understanding is that "converting" to French law is less straightforward. So you might find you have more options just doing the French law degree now then coming over to the UK afterwards anyway (as that gives you all the same options as if you did an LLB in the UK, but you would have additional background in another country's legal system which may be considered desirable for some positions).
Also, are you sure you are entitled to SFE loans for a UK degree as a home fees student? Normally to qualify for those you need to have been resident in the UK for the 3 years preceding the start of the course. If you've been living and studying in France you most likely would be classified as an international fee status student (whether or not you have UK citizenship is not the determining factor - it's about residency).
Ultimately though law is jurisdictional so you need to think long term, if you wish to practice law, would you want to do so in France or in the UK? And you need to be realistic about this. Don't assume it will necessarily be at a "top firm" in either location. Would you be happy working in some small regional firm in the UK long term? What about the same for France?
Finally I'd just point out - you don't need a law degree (English or otherwise) to become a solicitor in the UK. You just need to take the SQE. About 50% of solicitors in the UK have a non-law degree for their original undergraduate degree. To become a barrister in the UK you do need a qualifying law degree (QLD) but there is no preference between a undergraduate English law degree and an undegraduate degree in anything else with a GDL conversion course.
My understanding is that "converting" to French law is less straightforward. So you might find you have more options just doing the French law degree now then coming over to the UK afterwards anyway (as that gives you all the same options as if you did an LLB in the UK, but you would have additional background in another country's legal system which may be considered desirable for some positions).
hi! thank you very much for your response, it was extremely helpful! To clarify, yes, I do qualify for SFE as I have resided in the UK for several years. I always thought that a UK degree was required for the SQE, but if international degrees are accepted, that reduces the dilemma considerably. I will continue to think about it for the time remaining but I am for sure leaning towards Sorbonne now. Once again thank you so much!!!
Original post by zarraa23
hi! thank you very much for your response, it was extremely helpful! To clarify, yes, I do qualify for SFE as I have resided in the UK for several years. I always thought that a UK degree was required for the SQE, but if international degrees are accepted, that reduces the dilemma considerably. I will continue to think about it for the time remaining but I am for sure leaning towards Sorbonne now. Once again thank you so much!!!
The residency requirement is that you need to have resided in the UK for the three years before your course starts. Have you been resident in the UK for the last three years?
Original post by zarraa23
hi! thank you very much for your response, it was extremely helpful! To clarify, yes, I do qualify for SFE as I have resided in the UK for several years. I always thought that a UK degree was required for the SQE, but if international degrees are accepted, that reduces the dilemma considerably. I will continue to think about it for the time remaining but I am for sure leaning towards Sorbonne now. Once again thank you so much!!!
Also you can read more about qualifying in the UK as a solicitor as a non-UK lawyer/graduate: https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/topics/international/how-to-become-a-solicitor-a-guide-for-international-lawyers-and-overseas-students
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