The Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) is one of our law conversion courses. It’s designed for people who hold a non-law undergraduate degree and want to pursue a career in law.
We asked recent PGDL graduate Freya to give us a peek behind the curtain about what studying is really like. Continue reading to learn how she structured her week, what her study routine looked like and her favourite off-campus spaces around London Bloomsbury.
By Freya, a recent PGDL student at the London Bloomsbury campus.
As I’ve recently completed the PGDL, I thought it would be good to share what my week looks like to allow prospective students an understanding of the campus and course responsibilities.
Course Structure
There are two semesters within this course, so the scheduling changes when you change modules. In the first term, the modules were: contract law, tort law, criminal law, and the English legal system and EU law. In the second semester, it was land law, equity and trusts, business law and administrative law. In each module, you are expected to do roughly six hours of preparation, two hours of workshops and three hours of consolidation. This equates to around 45 hours a week spent on the modules.
The University of Law uses the PEC approach to learning - preparation, engage and consolidation. This method is scientifically proven to increase knowledge retention, understanding and application of knowledge in exam situations.
Class and Workshops
In the first term there were two days in which I had to be on campus for - Monday and Wednesday. On Mondays I took the tube to Tottenham Court Road Station and travelled to campus. It’s always tempting having to walk past Waterstones and so many food shops. When I arrived, I showed my ID on the door and walked up the stairs to my lecture. There were around 15 of us in my class, and we always caught up on what we did at the weekend before the workshop.
During the workshop, the lecturers take you through the assigned tasks, allowing cooperation and communication throughout the class. It’s an excellent way of learning. In every class there are also two SBAQ’s (single best answer questions). You have five minutes to answer these two questions, and then you go through it as a class.
Library and Breaks
After class, we head down to the library to study before the next workshop. There are various levels of the library in Bloomsbury, but I prefer level three, as you can get a booth with your friends and work together in between the classes. In this break, I would either finish the preparation for the next workshop or do the consolidation for the workshop I have just done.
When it was time for lunch, my friends and I travelled down to the basement to the social space. There were microwaves to heat my lunch up, and places to chill and eat. There are also places to study down here, but sometimes I found it too noisy to work properly.
After lunch, we would head to the next workshop for a different module. The lecturers are all so lovely and really want you to succeed. As they have experience in practising law, they usually relate the scenarios to their own personal experiences and it really brings the law alive.
After the workshop, I would say bye to my friends and head home. Workshops are two hours, so quite intense. Often, I just wanted to rest for an hour or so before I do more work. If I did feel productive, I would stay in the library until 5pm or 6pm until travelling home.
Days with no in-person workshops
The day after, I would have no workshops. These days were the trickiest for me, as it’s very easy to lay in bed and do nothing. I found that working outside the house or in the kitchen downstairs worked best. I still went to campus on the days I had no lectures to make myself do work for the day.
For this course, you’re expected to work a full day, like a 9-5. During revision season, I went to campus probably every day around 10am and didn’t leave until 7pm, as it fit better with my morning and allowed enough sleep. I found this really worked for me. However, because the course is so flexible, it allows you to do whatever works for you.
Bloomsbury campus and London recommendations
Being on campus all day can sometimes be draining, especially during exam season. It can be motivating to work somewhere different or just have a break and see the sights around you. The amazing thing about London is there’s so much on your doorstep that you can explore.
Here are some of my favourite recommendations:
British Museum
The British Museum is one of my favourite museums. Filled with various eras, this museum is gorgeous architecturally and filled with academic treats. Inside, it has the Rosetta Stone and Chinese artifacts, as well as a Greek section. Prepare for queues if you are going on a weekend.
British Library
If you need to get out of campus and find somewhere a little different, the British Library is an amazing place to study. It’s the largest library in the UK, with one of the biggest collections of books in the world. You can also use the Members rooms to study in. All you have to do is sign up online and go in for an initial ID check, and then you can enter the Members rooms during their opening times. Being surrounded by books and studious minds, it’s a really nice experience to do your work there.
Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology
Named after UCL’s (University College London) first professor of Egyptology, this museum is dedicated to Egyptian and Sudanese archaeology. With free entry and no booking required, it’s a perfect way to learn more about ancient times. I would suggest a few hours to do the proper tour, as there is a lot to take in. It contains 80,000 objects and ranks, among some of the world’s leading collections. This museum is part of UCL, as well as a lot of other areas around Bloomsbury.
London’s Senate House
The Senate house is an iconic building in London. It’s so extravagant and tall that Hitler himself ordered his Bombers during WW2 to not bomb the building, as he wanted it for his headquarters once he controlled Britain. To get inside, you do need to register as a member for free.
Foundling Museum
On the slightly creepier side, this museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, the home for children who had been abandoned by their parents. With exhibitions, contemporary art, collection displays and a vast historic archive, this museum is in an 18th century building and definitely allows you to extend your knowledge on London’s more scary history.
Grant Museum of Zoology
Established by Robert Grant in 1927 as part of UCL, this museum has been open to the public since 1996 and holds 68,000 specimens on display - including the world's rarest skeleton, the quagga, and dodo bones. The Grant Museum of Zoology houses a natural history collection that encompasses the animal kingdom, including rare and extinct specimens.
Bloomsbury Farmers’ Market
Nothing screams London quite as loud as a Farmers’ Market. Filled with delicious foods and amazing homegrown and organic products for sale, taking a stroll through Bloomsbury Farmers’ Market is such a delightful experience. Open on Thursdays from 9am-2pm, there is a variety of fresh foods for sale, as well as picnic spots nearby to snack on your products.
Russell Square Gardens
Just to the left-hand side of campus, Russell Square is a gorgeous garden to relax in. It has a water feature in the middle, as well as a cafe in the garden. It is perfect on a lovely summer day to relax with friends before your next workshop, or for lunch before you head home.
Woburn Walk
This gorgeous walk from the Georgian Period in 1822 is a beautiful pedestrian shopping street with Grade 2 listed houses. A short walk away from Euston Square or Russell Square, it is around a ten-minute walk from the Bloomsbury campus. Fun fact: between 1895-1919, the Irish poet, dramatist and Nobel Prize winner W. B. Yeats lived at what is today 5 Woburn Walk.
Campus Cafe
The cafe at the Bloomsbury campus must not be forgotten. With cheaper prices than London café's, not only are the staff so lovely and amazing, but the coffees are quick, cheap and close to campus. If you head to the Ridgmount building and turn left, you will find yourself in this cafe - with sandwiches, salads and pastries on offer - as well as croissants in the morning and gorgeous gluten-free brownies - a great workshop snack!
So that is what an average week looks like during the law conversion. I really enjoyed it, and it is amazing how much knowledge you can retain in such a short amount of time. What I would say, is that I did a lot better in my exams in the second semester. In the first semester, I was new to London, I was transitioning from a STEM undergrad and I found it was quite overwhelming.
Speaking from experience, don't worry if you are struggling in the first semester. It is a massive learning curve, and anything that you do, you can improve in semester two.
This article was originally posted on our UniBuddy page. If you have questions about our courses, campuses or life at The University of Law, chat with a current student today.
