My grandfather was a police officer, unfortunately I never got to meet him since he died on duty when my mum was only 13 years old. Since then my mum wanted to become a police officer and took it upon herself to be like her dad. However, my grandmother did not want her to proceed with that career because of obvious reasons. As i grew up my mum always told me stories about my grandfather, how he helped other people, how kind and genuine he was and most importantly how much joy his job gave him. I am given the chance to do exactly what my grandfather did in his life but with a small twist (I don’t have to do much physical activity). The concept however is the same, I get the chance to help people, develop my skills everyday and help in improving others. This briefer backstory gives you an insight of why I want to study law, I inspire to be someone like my grandfather and this is one reason why law is quite personal to me.

So who can study law?

Studying law is not for people who are after money once they get their degree. Studying law is not for people who do not have a strong side in helping others. Studying law is not for people who do not see a different side to a given argument. Studying law is for dedicated individuals who can challenge complex situations and pull out the best deals for people who are involved. Studying law is quick thinking and confidence. Law requires you to be able to look at both sides of an argument and analyse the situation and then work hard to achieve the best outcome. Being a lawyer, barrister or solicitor is working in a team and being able to listen to others and taking what they have to say into consideration. If you are an individual who may struggle with any of the above but are very passionate to study law then work hard to master those skills. In addition, law courses are very academic. They require students to do extra research outside of lectures and have the confidence to challenge what is being taught. The more questions you ask at lectures the better for you and your fellow students.

Should you go University?

For most cases university costs a lot of money like in the UK where one year at university is around £9,300.00. Some universities require you to study for three years giving you a total of around £27,900.00 plus additional fees. Other universities would prefer if you study for four years giving you a total of £37,200.00 plus any additional fees. These numbers sound very discouraging and may cause some students to turn away from university. 

When looking to study at universities you have to consider the length of the course, statistics such as percentage of dropouts after a year of studying the course, the percentage of graduates who manage to get a full time job after university and the popularity of the course. If you do not consider these factors you may be that person who drops out of university after a year or finds it very hard to find a job with that specific degree. This is why you have to be sure in what you want to study and whether or not you are willing to take out a loan to attend university. 

When looking for a university you may also want to consider whether you will be studying at a university close to home or miles away. Both have advantages and disadvantages so you may want to consider both before making up your mind. 

Don’t be discouraged because of the amount of money you will have to pay off. Once you leave university money is not taken off your account until you have a stable job that pays enough for you to have good living stands and enough for you to pay off your loan. The money you pay off your loan would be taken off your bank account monthly unless you don’t yet have a job. Also, the amount taken off your account will not be big so don’t worry about that. Take the loan and study what you want to study. 

There are many other ways in which you can study without going the traditional way:

Sponsored Degree (A company will pay for your degree and also give you a paid job)

Apprenticeship (you do paid work and get a diploma at the end of your time there)

Special courses (some may require you to have a degree, some may cost a lot of money)

There are many different ways in which you can study law or any other subject without going to university.

Is the course right for you?

Many times students sign up to courses that they later change or drop out completely because the course is not for them. Do you research on courses and what universities have to offer. You may find that the university you want to go to is not right for you and then you have wasted your time and caused you a lot of stress. Look at what the three/four years will look like. But most importantly make sure that the course you want to apply for is for your own gain and not because someone told you to do it.