Has your uni already started asking you which subjects you want to study next year? We hope that you’re excited about what’s on offer!
Different institutions inform you of your choices in different ways. Perhaps they circulate some documents about it, or maybe they hold an option fair for you to go along and meet academics and students currently following their modules. Whatever the process make sure you engage!
Which law subjects interest and excite you?
Those are probably the ones you need to choose! There is no doubt that you will do better academically with modules that align with your interests. You are more likely to do extra reading and to fully engage. It all seems so obvious, doesn’t it? So why are we talking about it?
Well, lots of students don’t see it like this. Have you decided that you want a career as a City lawyer? Are you going to do big-ticket financial work for international clients and earn shed loads of money? Great! But, what if this is your aspiration but the modules you really want to choose are around Human Rights, Asylum and Family and Children? Are the big City law firms going to mind if you don’t choose modules that align with their business? It’s probably fine if you do one “odd” subject, two tops but they’re really going to think twice about you if all the while you’re busy telling them about your passion for commercial law, you’re actually studying subjects which have nothing to do with their work.
So what to do - WHICH law SUBJECTS SHOULD YOU PICK?
Do you have to do those boring, complicated commercial modules? No, you don’t! What you really need to do is think about your career aspiration and your interests and see if there is a real misalignment. If you are drawn to study subjects that don’t relate to your career ideas now might be a really good time to have another think about those career thoughts. Because… guess what? If commercial law modules are boring to you then commercial law practice might be just as boring. Earning lots of money sounds really attractive until you realise that you might find yourself working very long hours doing work which doesn’t interest you. Don’t assume you can qualify in one area and then easily swap to a completely different field after you're qualified or a few years down the line. It isn’t as easy as that. Decisions you make at the beginning of your career are likely to impact you in the future.
STILL UNSURE ON YOUR DECISION?
Lots of unis will involve their careers teams in the process of helping you choose modules. Why not engage with their services? They will be able to help you stick to the right path for you.