Law degree at 22?

[NameChangeUni]

I went to university for 2 years and then dropped out. I know, it’s ridiculous. I was very stressed (bereavement of my mum, broke with debt from living in London, working full time whilst at uni - a lot at once). I was in an awful place.

I studied Psychology, but the further I got through university the more I felt like I was just there for the sake of it. I loved the social aspect more than my course. I had no motivation for coursework because I didn’t enjoy the subject. I fell behind to the point where I’d have to retake the year. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after university as I realised that working directly in psychology wasn’t for me - felt lost.

Now that I’ve had 1.5 years out (working in HR and saving) I’d like to go back to university and study Law. I would be almost 22 when my course begins. Would you say that being an older student would put me at a disadvantage in such a competitive field? I would be studying at a RG university. I am very committed to doing well at university this time around: I have saved up, battled through the fallout of dropping out and realised how important my education is to me. I wanted to study law when I was younger and really want to succeed as a corporate solicitor now. I have matured and am in a much better place too. But I would like frank opinions on studying law if I’m setting myself up for failure again as I know it can be cutthroat Thanks

I would not recommend studying Law to anyone.

I'm not sure what the situation is like in the UK - I assume it's similar to here - but where I live (Sydney, Australia), there are virtually no full time jobs for law graduates specific to their qualification. I know a partner in a top firm here, and asked him about job prospects upon graduation, and he said that while having a Law degree will never do you any harm, they get hundreds of applications for basic conveyancing positions, and 99% of the applications are coming from Law graduates who have not been able to find a better position. In addition, he said that they were reticent to hire Law graduates for those roles because the second a better position becomes available, they'll be out of there and it isn't worth their while.

I changed degrees after one year of Law, and I am eternally glad I did because even my university was quick to mention the low rates of employment among graduates.

Go for it, I’ve just finished my first year of a law degree which I started at 22. It can be very cut throat and you have to be prepared to do well and put yourself out there- already I’ve gone on BPP open days, volunteered for the prison advice scheme and done work experience with a local solicitor to make my CV stand out. Being older and also having done uni before means I’m more mature and focused and used to academic writing

I have a 2:1 in law, a masters with distinction in law, a conversion course to English law (I’m Scottish) and still couldn’t get a foot in the door.

Unless you know someone or you are EXTREMELY talented with a first, it’s throwing good money after bad. Thank fuck I didn’t do my practice certificate and fling another £13k down the drain.

What do you want to do with your law degree? Are you looking to practice as a solicitor/barrister or just have a decent degree that translates well in other careers?

22 is very young you wont be at a disadvantage at all. However think carefully as law is a hard tough field. I was actually talking to a pair of lawyers tonight in the pub and one wants to leave badly, anf the other told us some horrendous stories of how she is treated as a lawyer and how she had to take sick leave when pregnant as the stress of the job nearly made her go into premature labour. Not saying its not rewarding and interesting, just think about what you want to acheive.

Just realised you want to go in as a corporate solicitor so that would mean three years undergraduate and an LPC before training on the job.

Law is competitive, yes. It's doable with very good grades, work experience and working in the right area but as someone who excels in social sciences, the law is a whole other beast entirely. You have to relearn everything you thought about writing from essays to referencing. It is a HELL of a lot of reading. Nothing really makes sense, even when it does until one day it clicks. It's like a foreign language so much of the time.

It's worth it but as a solicitor I would go in with a degree in another field (the final year of psychology for instance) and do a conversion course and a shit load of work experience rather than study law fully at LLB then LPC.