history at cambridge or law at ucl/qmul? I 100% want to be a solicitor in the future

thing is, im working class with no connections to law, no one in my family actually practices law, im aware that connections are quite important in law. ive heard from working class students at cams that cambridge didnt really do what they thought would do for them. im aware that it'd be longer to qualify as a solicitor if i did history at cams, plus the direct opporutunties for vacation schemes and other wex but im also told that law firms love oxbridge degree holders? i love history and it is my most passionate subject hence why i chose it for law but in my situation would it be best for my route into law be direct? im so conflictedddd

I’d say if you want to sell your soul to a magic circle law firm then go to Cambridge as the big 4/magic circle tend to care more about your institution than your course. If you want a better social life and still get to becoming a solicitor go to UCL. If it’s between QMUL or UCL I’d definitely pick UCL.

what do you mean by ‘sell your soul’ . are magic circle firms really that bad

I mean your work won’t be stopping when you leave the office. Your home will be just another work environment. Watch TikTok’s of those who currently work there/have left, it’s intense pressure only survivable if it’s genuinely your passion. Many people, including me, applied to LSE/Cambs just for the name on my CV, not because I genuinely loved the course and job prospects. Another question, do you genuinely love History? I have friends at Oxbridge and the workload is INTENSE compared to other universities, even good ones like UCL.

yeah, i love history, studying it is one of my hobbies lmao, i do realise the workload at cambridge is intense. the reason i am debating between if i actually want to work in a magic circle firm is because of the reasons you just listed. ive seen people work 9-11 hours per day at these firms and wonder if its even worth it, but they get paid extremely well. i come from a working class/low income background so I have to factor in salary when I consider my future career. also thinking of applying to nottingham .im still in yr 12 though, so i have a bit of time to decide. ive been to cambs before on a school trip and absolutely loved it. honestly my aim isnt magic circle (maybe????) but a decent international firm. sooo idk, if is study history, the route will take longer, but its at cambridge sooo idk

9-11 😂😂 I think you mean 15

yeah, i love history, studying it is one of my hobbies lmao, i do realise the workload at cambridge is intense. the reason i am debating between if i actually want to work in a magic circle firm is because of the reasons you just listed. ive seen people work 9-11 hours per day at these firms and wonder if its even worth it, but they get paid extremely well. i come from a working class/low income background so I have to factor in salary when I consider my future career. also thinking of applying to nottingham .im still in yr 12 though, so i have a bit of time to decide. ive been to cambs before on a school trip and absolutely loved it. honestly my aim isnt magic circle (maybe????) but a decent international firm. sooo idk, if is study history, the route will take longer, but its at cambridge sooo idk

thing is, im working class with no connections to law, no one in my family actually practices law, im aware that connections are quite important in law. ive heard from working class students at cams that cambridge didnt really do what they thought would do for them. im aware that it'd be longer to qualify as a solicitor if i did history at cams, plus the direct opporutunties for vacation schemes and other wex but im also told that law firms love oxbridge degree holders? i love history and it is my most passionate subject hence why i chose it for law but in my situation would it be best for my route into law be direct? im so conflictedddd

Hi,
The majority of law firms take nearly equal numbers of law and non-law degree holders, so you will definitely not be at a disadvantage! I did a History degree at Oxford for my undergrad, and I am very glad I went that route. I really enjoyed the subject; it built up my analytical and written communication skills, and it was nice to spend some time learning things I was passionate about before having a whole career in law. There are a lot of opportunities that Oxbridge gives you which can enhance your training contract applications - the law societies (which are open to people studying all subjects) have a ton of events on, and some firms will do Oxbridge-only workshops and open days.
Law firms will not look on a history degree unfavourably. It is one of the most popular subjects for people who eventually go into law. There are so many useful skills that you gain from it, which can help you stand out in your applications. I would advise you to go for the course/university combination that you feel you would most enjoy.
I hope this is helpful!
Layla
SQE LLM student

were you able to get a training contract?