Six things you must do on a law school open day visit

Choosing where to study for your degree is a big decision. While there are plenty of ways to research your shortlisted universities, going to an open day and seeing it all for yourself is the best way to get an accurate feel for day-to-day life there. 

 And for applicants planning to study law, there are a few specific things that you’ll definitely want to look into on your visit.  

 We’ve spoken to Beth Thorman, senior student recruitment manager at The University of Law, to get her top tips for law applicants heading to an open day.

Picking a degree course is a huge commitment and going to an open day could help you either feel more confident in your decision or steer you in a different direction entirely. 

 “There’s no shying away from the fact that law is a very difficult course,” says Beth. “It requires a lot of time and effort, and you want to make sure that you’re going to be in the right place and have the right support systems to help you excel. 

“Lots of law students don’t do an A-level in law, so they haven’t experienced the subject before. At an open day, you can get a good feel for other students and teachers to help you decide if this is the right choice for you.”

You might already have a clear idea of where you want your law degree to take you. If your heart’s set on a specific legal career path, you can use an open day to dig into how the course will help you. 

“It’s important to ask the question of how this course will prepare me for the career I want to have, and what support is in place to help me achieve that,” says Beth. 

 Aspiring solicitors, for example, might want to look for law degrees that prepare students to take the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE), which is now the centralised way to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. 

 And future silks could ask how the degree course will get them ready for the bar training they’ll later need to complete to become a barrister. 

Of course, not everybody who takes a degree in law wants to become a lawyer – and plenty of students don’t have any kind of career plan mapped out when they first start university. 

 “At 18 it’s unfair to expect that most students will know what they want to do,” says Beth. “So, general employability questions are useful to ask. How is employability structured at the university? Is it included in the course? How will you help me find jobs?

 “Make sure you understand what employment support is available and how to access it.”

There are seven core modules that everybody must take in a law degree, regardless of which university they go to. These are: criminal law; law of torts; the law of contract; land law (property law); equity and trusts; constitutional and administrative law; and EU law.

 Alongside these core modules, you’ll be able to pick from a selection of optional modules – so make sure the university offers ones that you want to take. 

 At the open day, Beth advises that applicants ask tutors about “what you would learn in those additional modules that you’re most interested in, because those are the ones that are going to differ depending on the university”.

Although law might be a demanding degree choice, you obviously won’t be studying 24/7 during your time at university. A trip to an open day is a chance to find out what students there can do with their downtime.

“There are two types of extracurricular activity at university,” says Beth. “There are those that will help with your course, so things like mooting or debating. Then some are just things you enjoy doing, whether that’s a sporty activity like football or netball or something more on the social side.”

At any open day, you can expect to find some current students who are there to answer your questions. These student helpers (generally known as student ambassadors) are the perfect people to ask about the university’s societies and extracurricular activities. 

“Student ambassadors are the best people to speak to about the general culture and feel of the university and all the various ways students can get involved,” says Beth.

Course administrators work behind the scenes to put together students’ timetables and organise exams, and Beth recommends having a chat with them on an open day if you can.

You’ll be able to find out what an average day looks like in terms of the timetable – things like how often you’ll be expected to be in university and how big the classes will be. 

“This is all information that can help applicants build a picture of how their university experience will go,” says Beth.

Some universities may include resources in the cost of the course. This could include materials such as textbooks, access to legal research websites and subscriptions to legal journals and newspapers. 

 “Particularly now, as the cost-of-living crisis intensifies, it’s worth finding out what the university provides to save you money on buying things like books,” says Beth.

“The University of Law, for example, provides all the course materials and manuals so you don’t need to buy any books and anything additional is in the library.” 

 Going to university is a big adjustment and it’s not uncommon to find it tough at times, so also ask what kind of support the university can offer. Even though you may not need to use it, it could give you extra peace of mind to know it’s there. 

 “Law is hard,” adds Beth. “There’s a lot of reading and there’s a lot to do, so ask those questions to understand what support is available if it does get too much, whether on an academic level or a personal one.”

Find out more about open days at The University of Law on its website.