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Pls help -- GDL at BPP(London)/College of Law(Guildford)/Nottingham?
Pls help! Sorry if this has been discussed before ...
I have just received offers from BPP(London)/College of Law(Guildford)/Nottingham Law school to do the GDL this year, and need to decide by end of next week which one to accept (I received the offers really late)
Have not really a clue about which one is best ... I applied to those originally based on reputation.
BPP seems v. careers focused, being at the heart of London
College of law in guildford seems to offer more pleasant, quiet surroundings in which to concentrate on studying
And Nottingham seems a bit more 'studenty' -- with a campus and everything (though I guess the course is so intensive there's probably not much time to get involved with extra-curricular stuff)
Any comments/advice = v. welcome. Many thanks.
I have just received offers from BPP(London)/College of Law(Guildford)/Nottingham Law school to do the GDL this year, and need to decide by end of next week which one to accept (I received the offers really late)
Have not really a clue about which one is best ... I applied to those originally based on reputation.
BPP seems v. careers focused, being at the heart of London
College of law in guildford seems to offer more pleasant, quiet surroundings in which to concentrate on studying
And Nottingham seems a bit more 'studenty' -- with a campus and everything (though I guess the course is so intensive there's probably not much time to get involved with extra-curricular stuff)
Any comments/advice = v. welcome. Many thanks.
Reply 1
14
Come to Guildford! I live here and it's great.
* Train to Waterloo takes 31 minutes (hehe) so the wonders of London are practically on your doorstep - quite useful if you have to go for interviews I would imagine!
* The South coast can be reached in under an hour - student road trips to beaches in the summer!
* Guildford itself has some fairly reputable Law firms - Clyde & Co, Hart Brown, Penningtons (although that's in Godalming which is five minutes away) etc
* Guildford is a historic town with lots of character - a castle with amazing grounds, a winding river with boat trips etc (which is about two minutes from the College of Law), a cobbled high street
* Guildford is fabulous for shopping! We have a good range of shops - cheapish ones, designer, boutique, department stores... so there's always work available somewhere if you need some extra income to finance your studies!
* The College of Law is about ten minutes walk from the centre of Guildford in an area called Artington which is one of the poshest and most exclusive areas in the town (most houses around here cost £millions) - so the surroundings are very pleasant
* There's a pub (The Ship Inn) just outside the college where lots of law students can be found at lunchtimes and at the end of the day!
* Although Guildford is an expensive place to live, there is lots of student accomodation available. I have a friend doing the LPC and she shares a three bedroomed house about fifteen minutes away with two other girls for £300/month fully furnished
* I believe the College of Law here has an excellent reputation, and I would imagine that it's a good balance between or alternative from the stresses of London life and the city atmosphere of Nottingham
Hope that's of some help to you, I'm afraid I don't know much about the institutions themselves as I haven't even started my degree yet! PM me if there's anything you want to know about good old Guildford. x x x
* Train to Waterloo takes 31 minutes (hehe) so the wonders of London are practically on your doorstep - quite useful if you have to go for interviews I would imagine!
* The South coast can be reached in under an hour - student road trips to beaches in the summer!
* Guildford itself has some fairly reputable Law firms - Clyde & Co, Hart Brown, Penningtons (although that's in Godalming which is five minutes away) etc
* Guildford is a historic town with lots of character - a castle with amazing grounds, a winding river with boat trips etc (which is about two minutes from the College of Law), a cobbled high street
* Guildford is fabulous for shopping! We have a good range of shops - cheapish ones, designer, boutique, department stores... so there's always work available somewhere if you need some extra income to finance your studies!
* The College of Law is about ten minutes walk from the centre of Guildford in an area called Artington which is one of the poshest and most exclusive areas in the town (most houses around here cost £millions) - so the surroundings are very pleasant
* There's a pub (The Ship Inn) just outside the college where lots of law students can be found at lunchtimes and at the end of the day!
* Although Guildford is an expensive place to live, there is lots of student accomodation available. I have a friend doing the LPC and she shares a three bedroomed house about fifteen minutes away with two other girls for £300/month fully furnished
* I believe the College of Law here has an excellent reputation, and I would imagine that it's a good balance between or alternative from the stresses of London life and the city atmosphere of Nottingham
Hope that's of some help to you, I'm afraid I don't know much about the institutions themselves as I haven't even started my degree yet! PM me if there's anything you want to know about good old Guildford. x x x
Reply 2
14
With the GDL it doesn't really matter if you already have a good degree from a good uni. i'd go wherever is cheapest.
Reply 3
You being sponsored?
P.S. There is an amazingly hot girl who's coming to my firm who's currently doing the GDL at CoL. I'm sure that doesn't matter to you though.
P.S. There is an amazingly hot girl who's coming to my firm who's currently doing the GDL at CoL. I'm sure that doesn't matter to you though.
Reply 4
Kelvster
OP
Thanks for the comments
Guildford does sound attractive -- I'm going to visit there next week.
No I'm not sponsored as I have not applied for training contracts yet so cost is a consideration...
Anybody knows more about Nottingham/BPP?!
Guildford does sound attractive -- I'm going to visit there next week.
No I'm not sponsored as I have not applied for training contracts yet so cost is a consideration...
Anybody knows more about Nottingham/BPP?!
Reply 5
I think Lawz is going to BPP, if am not mistaken...
Reply 6
14
I Thought lawz was doing the bcl atm?
Reply 7
He's finishing soon I would think?
Reply 8
Viviki has a point when saying that it isnt as important where you go for the GDL. Not even magic cirle firms stipulate exact preference about where to go for the conversion(although some of the top firms insist on an institution that is recommended by the Law Society, ie. BPP, Nottingham, Col of L). My only remark there would be that if you go to BPP or College of Law for GDL, they guarantee a place there for the LPC (provided you pass the GDL).
BPP has an excellent reputation, but I turned it down after going to the open day. I felt it had a very business-focused attitude towards the teaching (probably something to do with the fact that it was originally a school for business and accountancy training), where they tell you exactly what they want doing, and you do it, no questions asked. It did seem to me that they were running a lawyer factory rather than an institution for learning.
HOWEVER, this is not to say that this is a bad thing. This no nonsense approach comes hand-in-hand with a reputation for getting people through their exams with very high marks. Considering the absurd levels of work that the GDL entails, this lean method is something that many students opt for.
Personally, I'm going for my GDL at the College of Law (London) instead. I just feel that the I'm better suited to their slightly more flexible approach to teaching. Not only that, but I don't have a TC yet, and I'm not pinning much hope on getting one this year, so the College of Law's impeccable career service will be of great use. But I have friends who went to BPP and they said, and I quote 'It's very good at what it does'. These friends have contracts with Slaughters. Make of that what you will.
Hope some of this helps.
BPP has an excellent reputation, but I turned it down after going to the open day. I felt it had a very business-focused attitude towards the teaching (probably something to do with the fact that it was originally a school for business and accountancy training), where they tell you exactly what they want doing, and you do it, no questions asked. It did seem to me that they were running a lawyer factory rather than an institution for learning.
HOWEVER, this is not to say that this is a bad thing. This no nonsense approach comes hand-in-hand with a reputation for getting people through their exams with very high marks. Considering the absurd levels of work that the GDL entails, this lean method is something that many students opt for.
Personally, I'm going for my GDL at the College of Law (London) instead. I just feel that the I'm better suited to their slightly more flexible approach to teaching. Not only that, but I don't have a TC yet, and I'm not pinning much hope on getting one this year, so the College of Law's impeccable career service will be of great use. But I have friends who went to BPP and they said, and I quote 'It's very good at what it does'. These friends have contracts with Slaughters. Make of that what you will.
Hope some of this helps.
Reply 9
14
Fa|ique
I think Lawz is going to BPP, if am not mistaken...
Indeed... BPP in a few months ... cant wait for all the free time ... going to take up stamp collecting or something...
Reply 10
14
viviki
I Thought lawz was doing the bcl atm?
Finish July 11th
BPP from September.
Reply 11
Lawz-
Indeed... BPP in a few months ... cant wait for all the free time ... going to take up stamp collecting or something...
Hehehe, sorry that line just cracked me up... I assume you ARE going the solicitors' route? Or am I mistaken?
Reply 12
Kelvster
OP
Thanks again for the comments -- I went to visit Guildford today, really liked it. Thought the people were v. friendly and professional. Didn't seem to find too many international students there though - wonder if the london branch might have more? I prefer to be with a mixture of British and international people ...
Accomodation in Guildford worries me slightly as CoL doesn't have the all-convenient halls of residence... but I guess living in private accomodation has its advantages too...
Just can't make up my mind!! Oh well, BPP open day tomorrow...
Accomodation in Guildford worries me slightly as CoL doesn't have the all-convenient halls of residence... but I guess living in private accomodation has its advantages too...
Just can't make up my mind!! Oh well, BPP open day tomorrow...
Reply 13
14
Kelvster
Thanks again for the comments -- I went to visit Guildford today, really liked it. Thought the people were v. friendly and professional. Didn't seem to find too many international students there though - wonder if the london branch might have more? I prefer to be with a mixture of British and international people ...
Accomodation in Guildford worries me slightly as CoL doesn't have the all-convenient halls of residence... but I guess living in private accomodation has its advantages too...
Just can't make up my mind!! Oh well, BPP open day tomorrow...
Accomodation in Guildford worries me slightly as CoL doesn't have the all-convenient halls of residence... but I guess living in private accomodation has its advantages too...
Just can't make up my mind!! Oh well, BPP open day tomorrow...
Oooh glad you liked Guildford!
Thought it might be helpful to give you some local estate agents names - if you google them you can probably see what kind of accomodation they have to let and prices etc. Try: Mann and Co, Callards, Haart, Curchods, Townsends, Meldrum Salter Edgley. Surrey Uni is on the other side of Guildford from the College so there is more student accomodation available than you would imagine from visiting the area.
Enjoy BPP! x
Reply 14
nottingham
Reply 15
Kelvster
OP
Lauren18
Oooh glad you liked Guildford!
Thought it might be helpful to give you some local estate agents names - if you google them you can probably see what kind of accomodation they have to let and prices etc. Try: Mann and Co, Callards, Haart, Curchods, Townsends, Meldrum Salter Edgley. Surrey Uni is on the other side of Guildford from the College so there is more student accomodation available than you would imagine from visiting the area.
Enjoy BPP! x
Thought it might be helpful to give you some local estate agents names - if you google them you can probably see what kind of accomodation they have to let and prices etc. Try: Mann and Co, Callards, Haart, Curchods, Townsends, Meldrum Salter Edgley. Surrey Uni is on the other side of Guildford from the College so there is more student accomodation available than you would imagine from visiting the area.
Enjoy BPP! x
Thanks Lauren for the info, I have accepted the offer from CoL!
Now I have to sort out the finance bit, if not I might have to cancel/defer the offer
Reply 16
14
Kelvster
Thanks Lauren for the info, I have accepted the offer from CoL!
Now I have to sort out the finance bit, if not I might have to cancel/defer the offer
Now I have to sort out the finance bit, if not I might have to cancel/defer the offer
You're very welcome, good luck with the funding - it's just one thing after another isn't it!
If you want any info on Guildford at any point, just PM me - even if I don't know the info you're after, I probably know someone who does.
Good luck x
Oh and also we now have a FOXTONS estate agency here... which has literally thousands of flats and houses for sale and to rent - definitely the biggest agency around here at the mo.
Reply 17
Im an international student (from Canada) starting the GDL at Guildford in September. You are right about there not being many international students - in fact, on first glance it seems to be primarily history students from Exeter!
I chose Guildford because of CoL's reputation, career services and lovely campus. If I need to meet internationals, London is a stone's throw away, but not close enough to be a constant distraction.
Best of luck with your decision.
I chose Guildford because of CoL's reputation, career services and lovely campus. If I need to meet internationals, London is a stone's throw away, but not close enough to be a constant distraction.
Best of luck with your decision.
Related discussions
- GDL
- Help for choosing Unis that provide GDL/Law conversion courses
- Deciding on a Law Conversion
- Help needed with best options for postgraduate law courses/Master's
- Is student life in Surrey even that good
- Nottingham Trent vs Surrey?!
- LLM integrated SQE 1+2
- UoN or Warwick?
- ** Official - UCAS Applicant Threads by Subject and University - 2026 **
- Medicine to Law
- KCL Law and Professional Practice PGDip
- MSc Law and Professional Practice - KCL - AVOID THIS COURSE
- Durham or Nottingham?
- BPP LLM SQE 1 & 2 or QMUL: Law and Economics LLM
- UoL vs. NTU
- Could Somebody Please Help Me Understand University Degrees?
- History and Politics of the Americas or Politics and International Affairs at KCL
- KCL Law and Professional Practice PGDip
- Uni Choice Advice
- ppe vs law
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