Had a very quick browse through The Wood Report, all 104 pages of it. It seems to me, that what started out as a 'sorting wheat from chaff' exercise (to prevent no hopers from forking out loads of dosh for BVC), has been diluted so much, that the report's original intention has been lost.
The report recommends that an aptitude test be passed by all prospective BVC students. The test will be mostly in the multiple choice question format. This is where it all starts to crumble for me. I know a little about MCQ's, having sat them myself in my 'day job'. There are usually 4 possible answers to each question, a,b,c or d. One of the possible answers is usually very obviously wrong, another choice answer is usually unlikely, which leaves just two possible answers to choose from. So, with very little knowledge, a student can obtain 50% without knowing very much at all about the examination subject. Add in a bit of knowledge and that 50% can be bumped up to say 70% without too much effort at all. But, that's not my main concern, the report recommends that a student be able to re-sit the aptitude test as many times as need be in order to pass. The report states that this is in order to allow students 'to improve', my concern is that it will allow weak students to get lucky and so it is back to square one again, with unsuitable candidates taking BVC.
The statistical evidence included in the report provides that currently, some 49% of BVC students feel that their studies 'were impeded' by weaker students, the other 51% were too bloody thick to understand the questionnaire.
20 comments:
Barmaid, I wonder if like me you worry that you will be the weaker student holding everyone else back?
For some reason I am not wildly excited about starting the BVC, probably concerned about it more than anything else.
Swizz
Yes, I worry about being fik, but I'm a tight git, so worry even more about getting value for money out of BVC. Not that it could ever be true value for money, I mean, just think how many holidays in Skeggy those BVC fees would buy, I could even upgrade from a tent to a caravan.
BVC is a concern for me too, particularly since I learned that the reading is about 800 pages a month. How many Beano's is that?
I fear I am being evun fikker than usual, but didn't the award of a decent degree used to be a sign of aptitude.
Having had another fink about what you said Swizz. Have you seen the size of some of the BVC students? If you can hold em all back, your not weak, your Charles Atlas. I've tried and could only manage two and that was by pretending to be an aeroplane in the narrow corridor near the loos.
Barmaid, so that was you then as I was wandering off to grab a pizza! Nice touch putting the hood of your anorak over your head and wailing like a 747 coming into land.
Wouldn't it be a hoot if the three of us are in the same group. How will the lecturers manage?
800 pages? I feel sick. (Could be the chips I just had)
The money is a concern to me too. Its a heck of a lot of wonga for something that I might not be very good at, and might not lead to anything at the end. Its a gamble, and I try not to gamble if I can help it. Steady eddie they call me, when they aren't calling me Swiss.
BB, I have a good excuse to your comment. I don't have a degree. Unless you count the GDL, but thats just pretend stuff. I didn't even do A levels. Left school at 16.
Swizz
Probably be a bit like BVC version of 'Last of the Summer Wine'. Of course, BB would be the sensible one.
Hey, Swiss, you did it in 28 days but it took me 5 years. I reckon you're not short of aptitude (which I am assuming is a good thing, I keep meaning to look it up in my dikshunarie).
800 pages is going to be an awful lot of pictures to be coloured in. Do we have to supply our own crayons ?
I haven't watched LOTSW for donkeys, but I'll be the one with the crack cocaine addiction.
I like the idea of the aptitude test, although I'm not sure what kind of areas are they going to be testing. Core legal principles? Ethics?..
In relation to the weaker students, who hold everyone back - I heard that at some of the London BVC providers they had people who did not know basic ingredients of tort or contract, AND would ask for an explanation during seminars. Luckily, we have not encountered this problem at our provincial provider.
Like you, I used to think that multiple choice tests were a joke... until I took them on the BVC :)
I don't think that the aptitude test is going to be like the BVC type mcq's. It can be taken at any time during studies, so I'm guessing that there won't be any substantive law questions in there, because many students don't study law at foundation degree level.
Gongrats on your calling A, you must feel very proud and relieved that BVC is all over.
BM, I dont think either you or Swizz will even come remotely close to bieng thought of as 'weak', because you will both be conscientious and do the work/reading/preparation required of you. You'll quickly identify the lazy and the manipulative; they'll come to class with a singularly FAKE grin of apology and some pathetic excuse or other as to why they don't consistently prepare; they will poign you for notes/explanations/copies of your opinions/skeleton arguments and offer you no help by way of return.ARRRGH!! These people are to be avoided at all costs!!! They are out there and coming to a BVC somewhere near you!!
Perhaps I'll have to carry some of my first drafts around with me then Minxy, the one's with typos and very little else! Bet they wouldn't come back next time.
Must be some very spoilt brats around BVC, all that money for fees and can't be bothered to put the work in.
Even though it is at the risk of passing up on the opportunity to upset someone (sigh) perhaps a little caution on the spoilt brat front might be prudent ? Something tells me the spoilt brats could be in the majority.
Something tells me it won't take long to suss us those that are only there because pater thought it would be them some good before they got a shoo-in at EasyJob Plc.
LM, what does poign mean ? Is it Welsh ?
I'm not too sure if the people I've in mind are actually spoilt brats ( though I have no doubt that they are out there, as my recent interview experiences syggest!!) per se, BM, just lazy, or extraordinarily manipulative. Both types can really pull small groups down ( they certainly did mine, I'm afraid)and I think thats the key thing you have to rise above when doing the course!
Although I do have a hat with a large D on the front of it, unfortunately it doesn't stand for diplomat :-)
LOL, BB- to 'poign' is to nag, to make excessive requests for the help of, another. It's probably slang Welsh!
Be aware not only do students hold up the class by asking for basic procedural explanations, if you have obviously done your reading/ prep each week, when the time comes someone will fully expect you to do their seen paper mocks for them. It will be a real eye opener. (Tip: Refuse to do the mock as quickly and affirmatively as possible. This way not only have you saved them from becoming cheats, you also save yourself the trouble of them ever speaking to you again. :))
I'd not heard of 'poign' either, but it's given me my first nickname for the forthcoming troublesome classmate - Poign in the Ass.
LOL, BM - are you going to observe and label your small BVC Group too?! ( it will provide you with hours and HOURS of innocent, stress free fun!!!:)) )
Its a difficult for international students to achieve as a lawyer u already have a experience of english language.coz law in english only in many countries........so BSB always trying to redundant exams on aspiring students who want to become a barrister..........Hu........Do something to remove this condition.....
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