Common misconceptions about the law course

Law is a subject unlike any other with many typical misconceptions about the law course. However, in reality, the law course provides countless opportunities for students to develop their skills and expertise for their professional and personal lives.

No free time

The key to studying law effectively is balancing your personal life to have time management skills. Numerous law students balance their studies with part-time work, extra-curricular activities, join societies and clubs in their university, and their social life. Being an international student in the UK in this diverse legal community, I have received an opportunity to being connected with a vast range of different cultures, allowing me to build an international network of contacts that could prove invaluable throughout my career professionally and personally.

Too much reading

Studying law undeniably involves a fair amount of reading, but the law is not about memorising endless pages of statute books. The essential skill taught in a law degree course is how to apply the law to different scenarios to see how the content of your statute books affects people’s lives. There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved with extra-curricular activities such as mooting (mock trials), debating and pro-bono (legal charity), and many more. So while there is reading involved, most of your learning will take place outside the library and books.

Too competitive

Law school is competitive, and studying law is known to be challenging, but there is no vicious competition among law students. Law students always share their notes with fellow students and always supported each other. Many law students along with me study together in the library and discuss challenging topics or cases to ease the understanding of the topic. I believe that a healthy dose of competition can also bring out students’ best quality of work.

There are only two paths after law school: solicitor or barrister

Law has numerous areas to explore apart from becoming a solicitor or a barrister. Law is so vast that with a specific interest, you could explore your desired area further. Among other things, your law degree will improve your problem-solving and research skills, as well as your ability to speak in public. This unlocks various sectors outside of law too. Law students can look forward to good graduate prospects in their desired path.

Need to study the subject at GCSE or A-level

The fact that you never studied law before starting university will not put you at a disadvantage. There is also no need to study law as your first degree if you want to be a lawyer. The skills from your initial degree can be transferable and help you in your legal career. Therefore you may prefer to study a different subject, to add another string to your bow.

To sum up, you tend to think of these misconceptions about law school which are hereby debunked by a law student.

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