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Taking a gap year

Does a gap year look bad when applying to law firms in the future? Thinking of taking a gap year before starting my university undergraduate degree.

Reply 1

Chickenunicorn17

Original post by WelshStudent111

Does a gap year look bad when applying to law firms in the future? Thinking of taking a gap year before starting my university undergraduate degree.

i have looked at this myself- and i am pretty sure most unis dont have issue with u doing 2 years on a-levels and then doing a gap year before starting ..i mean if u are doing retakes it does affect unis then as it means u took 3 instead of 2 yrs to do ur a-levels and also if u just end up doing nothing that yr but if u actually use it like get a job, volunteer, travel, basically u do stuff etc but otherwise gapyear can be rlly positive thing- to expand ur experience, u can watch gy videos and theres programs abroad specifically for gy aswell--u just gotta look for the right ones...i asked birmingham uni-its russel group to-in person on an open day and they were like def not affect there decision for any course.....hope this helps and if ur mock grades are fine, u could even do deferred entry, that way u would have secured ur place and wouldnt need to apply in gy at all.....

Reply 2

UniofLaw Student

Official Rep

Original post by WelshStudent111

Does a gap year look bad when applying to law firms in the future? Thinking of taking a gap year before starting my university undergraduate degree.

Hi @WelshStudent111,

A gap year won't be reflected on poorly by universities or firms in the future as many people take lots of different routes to becoming a lawyer. Also, there are lots of benefits and different experiences you can gain on a gap year which will help your CV stand out from others. Of course, this isn't to say that a gap year will give you an edge over another student but it certainly shouldn't hurt your application particularly if it is only one year.

I hope this helps and good luck!

Sophie :smile:

Reply 3

Scotland Yard

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Taking a gap year between sixth form and university won't look bad in any career! And in fact, you can use gap years to be better prepared for your career by gaining relevant work experience, or you can have fun... ideally a mixture of both. Enjoy your gap year :smile: