I started studying law at the end of 2017. I had an English degree but wasn’t happy where I was. I decided to take on the GDL, which was 3 years of a law degree in one year. A lot of work- but if you want something, you will try very hard for it. Studying law was way different than studying English, and here are 10 things that no one will tell you about it…
1. There is a lot of information to learn in a short amount of time.
For me, it was seven types of law in around 9 months. All my exams were closed book, except for the statute. I had to remember different types of case law for every single type of exam.
2. It will cost you a lot of money.
My GDL actually cost me less than a year of my English degree cost me. Granted, I think it was by about £500, but I did get all the books and exams included. Now, I’m studying my LPC which costs a CRAZY amount of money. Be prepared to fork out for it.
3. Your classmates are your future competition.
This is something it took me a while to learn, but some classmates will never be your ‘friend’, because they look at you as if you are competition, which you are. Law is extremely competitive, and the people you are studying with will be the people who you you will compete against for training contracts.
4. It is an extremely independent subject.
Law is a difficult subject to wrap your head around. You have to have so much information to actually back up what you want to say. There is only so much you can be taught and most of it you will have to spend hours reading.
5. You will have many sleepless nights.
Before one of my exams last year, I woke up talking about case law. I had a dream about all the cases I needed to know before the exam. I woke up panicked the other week that I’d missed my exam. You will feel a lot of stress at times.
6. It will never take a break.
You will constantly talk law. You will never think of anything the same again. You will wonder if someone can sue you because of something you said. You will have every single friend ask you about their little law issue they have. People will see you as a useful law guide- when in fact, you’re probably not.
7. There is years involved in qualifying and mass amounts of effort.
It will take you years to get to where you want to be in law. You will have to work hard, put in the hours, put in the effort and work to the best of your ability. All this hard work will lead to something good eventually.
8. The law is constantly changing, and new types of law are being created.
Everything about the law constantly changes and we are always hearing about it on the news. There will be types of law in future that don’t exist now. It will always change with the society, and some amazing things happen because of the law.
9. You will meet the best people!
There are people from all backgrounds studying law, and every single person you meet will enrich your experience. You will learn a lot from these people, they will help you through the tough times and they may be friends for life.
10. You will find it extremely rewarding.
Law is difficult, and studying it can be extremely hard. However, the rewards far outweigh the negatives about studying law. You will be able to help people who are in dire need of it, and will enjoy seeing how much you can help them.
Do you study law? I want to hear from you!
Love,
LegallyFierceFeminist 