Wow, what a shock to the system my return to studying was. Having done very little serious reading for nigh on a year, BVC induction was a very rude awakening to what is forthcoming over the next 2 years of vocational training. A significant portion of the Rain Forest has been ruthlessly slayed in order to provide the mountain of study materials needed for the course. These materials are neatly stacked in the corner of my room, gathering dust, patiently awaiting my attention, which at the moment is on other matters to do with working for a living.
I've no idea what is required for the next session and probably like many other BVC students, feel a little bogged down with too much information, but the crucial element of what I actually need to study before my next session is somehow missing. I'm Professional Ethicsed up to the ears and hard copy Legal Research is a complete mystery to me (and judging by the looks on the other students faces, a complete mystery to them too). I mean, it is so much more civilised to peruse Lexis Nexis, rather than actually having to walk around a library and look at books.
On the third day, Barman asked me what I'd been studying at 'school' that day and he took it the wrong way (thinking I was being evasive) when I said "I don't know, I can't remember". Sometime later that evening, a few vague memories about the afternoon session returned, but I still couldn't recall what I'd done in the morning. And, having sat in lectures and small group sessions all day, we also had to do homework in the evening, a very draconian measure on the providers part I thought, too big a chunk taken out of my valuable local hostelry research, which, by the way, I'm confident in attaining an Outstanding classification.
I guess next week will be a little more enlightening when I have a chance to look through the study manuals and see what is needed before next attendance. Unable to work out who the class thicko is, apparently it must be me, but I'm not the class whinger, that esteemed prize has been appointed to another student, who I shall write about later. Talking of other students, on the whole they are very nice and come from a variety of backgrounds and professions. The age range is vast, from 21 - to late 50's I'd say, with the majority falling somewhere between the two figures.
Word of the day has got to be dipsomania - n - a compulsive desire to drink alcoholic beverages.
9 comments:
Hi Barmaid
Your post brings back memories for me I do have to say! For some reason, because I had got through my degree with reasonably little struggle I never thought for a second that the BVC would be difficult. However I definitely got a short sharp shock (esp research) which was spectacularly difficult! I
However if you resign yourself to keeping up with your reading and doing you prep, you will be fine!!
I am willing to raise a small wager however that you will soon be happily lugging huge volumes of Chitty home, so you don't have to use the evil devil spawn that is Lexis!!!
Ginge
I'm undecided at the moment as to whether I'm thick or have commenced BVC at the point where providers are starting to heed the criticism aimed at them, and as such, are beefing up BVC.
Obviously, I prefer to think it's the latter, but I do feel a bit shell shocked at the mo. I'm mostly confused as to the lack of direction offered by the providers as to what we should be studying before the next session. Because I'm part-time and will only be attending classes once a month, it's quite important that I know what work I need to do for the following month. I guess all will become clearer once I settle in.
Yep, the providers are very picky about Legal Research and we have diagrams showing how to properly list everything researched. Apparently 8 out of 10 students fail the LR assessment first time round, so it's a tough module.
I am sure everyone is as confused as you! The reason I chose ICSL was I couldn't cope with the weekend thing - I think those of you who do are showing real stamina, esp if you work full time too. I am pretty certain yor not thick - the people in my class who are the real thickos could probably not spell blog, never mind write one so articulately.
I didn't realise the stats were so bad at other providers, I know that 75% of part timers and 20% of FT failed legal research last year at city, and a lot of the passes were around the 50% mark. At least at the other providers the Opinion is examined using seperate papers (at ICSL it's the same brief) and you're not at the mercy of cr*ppy research, which boogered a lot of people in my class.
I agree your right that they are deffo toughinging up the course. I can't help worrying, however, that until the course is "settled" and the entry test etc is in place, chambers may have the attitude that they can't be bothered to sort ot the wheat from chaff students that slipped through the net in these few years before the changes come in - it will be much less hassle to wait for pre vetted students before taking on full capacities of pupils!!!
BM, I reckon give it a couple of months and you will either be dragged kicking and screaming up to the right level, or you will find it suddenly clicks into place.
The lesson we had on legal research went right over my head. I came out of the library completely shell shocked, but everyone else felt the same, and when I was asked a question by a friend yesterday about severing a joint tenancy I went straight to the right law, found a heap of cases to back up my view, and I felt quite pleased with myself.
I suppose we need to see which areas we are worried about and work on them at home.
Did you not get a reading and preparation list for the next weekend? Mine is only about 20 pages long. It has simple one line instructions like 'Read Chapters 1, 2 & 3 of the manual'! Or read the 50 page document and list any relevant information for discussion in class.
You might be better off without a list!
Have you checked with your classmates to see what they are doing?
Swizz
I think this thread may well be in great danger of turning into a take on" Four Yorkshiremen"- for which substitute " Four Barristers"
Ginge - you got to take home Chitty?! How fabulous! I should have been so lucky!!! I had to fight tooth and nail with the Law Librarian even to be allowed to look at it!!
Maid, you are not in ANY way thick; the course starts off by bieng a bit unsettling, perhaps because of a combination of the materials you are given, and the apparently overwhelming ammount of information with which your provider feels almost honour bound to provide you, but you will quickly get into the groove!
Legal Research is not nearly as bad as everyone supposes - but then I am a very sad person and need to get a life.....
And as to your group already finding itself in posession of a whinger, you have my sympathies!!
LG. Looks like I'll have to reserve 2 seats on the train - one for me, one for Archbold Blackstone-Chitty, whoever he is:-)
Swizz. I reckon you will be milk monitor by the end of the first term and BB will be carrying teacher's books.
LM. I'll have to take your word on Legal Research, but it was soooo time consuming and frustrating. I only scratched the surface of what was required, but being so far away from the provider, I won't get a chance to practice the exercises, unless I go into WH Smith and pretend the myriad of cookery books are Halsbury's Statutes.
When it comes to being dragged kicking and screaming to the right level, I am a concerned that students have yet to see what is on the 6th floor. I am beginning to suspect that is where the padded cells are located ?
Maid, Legal research takes practice, that's all; it is unfortunate that you are far from your provider to access paper resources, but give it a try if you find yourself at a slack moment when you are at your provider ( though I grant that there aren't many of those) Mercifully nearly everything you need is online, though at my provider the assessors wished to see evidence of library access as well as the use of electronic resources.
BB ,Perhaps the 6th floor is where your provider hides the mock courtrooms - a vertiable version of the padded cell for lawyers if ever there was one!
( Its either that, or its the place where they are hiding clones of Lord Denning, to be launched on an unsuspecting world when the government is LEAST expecting it)
DAMN, I forgot the word of the day!!
Doctor. n. A person who is qualified to pratise medicine.
Perhaps the services of one of these may well be required in the event of dypsomania!
Post a Comment