Surviving the first 2 weeks of the BPTC: advice from former students 1

I’ve been trying to think of what advice I would give to students coming to do the BPTC. But my own study experience was… well… a little while ago.

So through the wonders of modern life, I used the medium of social networking to ask former students for their advice. As ever, alumni have been kind, generous and unstinting with their help.

In fact, the City Law School alumni have been so magnanimous and altruistic to you, new students, that I have more material that I can use in a single post. Further advice will follow, which you are well advised to come back for shortly! UPDATE: You will find the second post here: http://snigsclassroom.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/surviving-first-2-weeks-of-bptc-advice_14.html

I am very grateful to the students featured here for their astute observations, practical advice and the time they have put in to make this post possible.

Over to the students!

Prashant Sabharwal begins:

“My post is a tad long, but I hope it'll help: Be a professional from Day 1 - you're no longer a first-year undergrad LLB student, you're an aspiring barrister who has paid a hefty fee to get into the BPTC. Remember that at all times.

Be organized, take the first two weeks very seriously and think of them as the head start you'll need to succeed by the end of the BPTC year. Invest in folders, multi-coloured tabs and highlighters. Make full use of your Inns of Court, use their libraries (in addition to the ones at City) and actively seek out barristers: many of them actually want to see bright individuals succeed and will be willing to give advice.

Be smart about your time, take the assignments as seriously as a real case - and, if you can, work in the Free Representation Unit. Don't just do the usual stuff like marshalling, mini-pupillages etc, but think outside the box to get pupillage.

Finally, two more things: First, have fun and make friends...there is nothing gained from being ultra-competitive at Bar School. Usually, the types who are ultra-competitive don't end up with tenancy anyway (of course, there are exceptions) - they certainly don't end up with the network you'll need (let alone friends who you'll need to keep you grounded) to survive and thrive in small profession like the Bar. Second, no regrets: You gotta be absolutely sure that you invested your money well, take risks and be willing to face the possibility of failure - so, don't have your head in the clouds and have a Plan B ready. You never know, sometimes, the journey to your new destination ends up being quite interesting!

PS: Snigdha's classes are awesome, and she is probably the best mentor you can ask for. So to the ones who will get to know her - consider yourselves lucky!! Good luck to all of you!!!”

Thanks for your advice, Prashant! And for the totally unsolicited vote of confidence!

Stephanie M's useful observations cover a number of areas:

“Wow. How to survive the first two weeks? Good question. First off, take everything you expect it to be and throw it out the window. Every person's experience is different.

Once you know who your personal tutor is, take advantage of that knowledge. Your personal tutor wants to help you. They aren't there just for show. If you are having an issue, let them know as soon as possible.

Understand that you will never get a full 8 hours of sleep every night. There will be a lot to get done in preparation for classes, but remember that you are one person. Tackle everything one task at a time.

Lastly. You are on a vocational course. Remember that. This is your chosen profession. Act like a professional at all times. The time for childish excuses has passed. Your professors expect the best out of you so give the best you can always. Some of them may appear terrifying, but it helps to remember that they once stood where you now stand. It is ok to make mistakes, just pick yourself up and start again. Don't give up when it gets tough. Keep trying and do your best.”

I am very pleased that Stephanie has pointed out that support mechanisms do exist on the BPTC. Personal tutors and the school office are always happy to do what we can to help. Don’t get bogged down struggling by yourself. Excellent thoughts, Stephanie!

Justine Mitchell, advocates getting organised:

“Hi new students! 

It may sound obvious so apologies for insulting your intelligence but, for me, the key thing was organisation - from the outset! You will receive many books, leaflets, booklets, power points, workbooks etc during the first week alone. It is crucial to get them into some kind of organisation because there simply won't be time later on in the course. 

Get into the habit of allocating certain folders to your topics in week one. Colour coded may be an advantage as highlighted by a very helpful former student.

Also, start filing your electronic PowerPoints into e-files on your memory stick/e-folders/ cloud etc from WEEK ONE! All PowerPoints were available from around 4pm Friday - get into the habit of downloading and storing them in the correct e-folder from week one. You do not want to waste time later down the line searching for the relevant PowerPoints from weeks before. Just a few pointers - hope it helps! Good luck peeps!!  Xx”

I absolutely endorse Justine's advice. Taking time to file work away each week will help prevent you losing your notes. It will also take far less time than trying to file things termly.

Philip Vasquez had similar advice to offer:

“Be organised from day one, do as much as you can and don't slack on the reading, meet as many people as you can, get to know the staff around the place - they're all nice people.”

Kerlern Ong advises note-taking and preparation for classes:

“I think the main thing to do is to prepare and attend all seminars and lectures! Notes are very important! I always highlight in different colours. Just missing one session will drag you down by a lot. Also, there's no point in going to a seminar if you haven't done the work or prepared before hand. If you're sick, always book a replacement class to go to ASAP.”

Note-taking is, to me, immensely important. Many students may be used to receiving handouts and downloading documents or slides. But nothing is better than a note you have made yourself during class, reviewed and filled in gaps after class and filed away later. It's half the battle when it comes to revision. 

Angelina Kok supports my advice on making notes: 

"Start doing your notes from Day 1 because there is hardly any time to play catch up later on. Organisation is key otherwise you will never be able to locate anything in the truckload of course material coming your way. Last but not least, don't worry if you're feeling overwhelmed for the first few weeks. It will get better." 

George Matthews suggests a form of consolidatory note-taking to help you remember things and have key points easily at hand. His advice is achievable, easy and makes perfect sense: 

"After a class, while it's fresh in your mind, write a one page summary of the key principles of the topic covered (e.g. time limits, routes of appeal, legal tests to be applied). This will make revision so much easier for the big knowledge-based exams like civil and criminal lit. It doesn't take long and you're in the best position to distill what you've learnt about that topic. This will prevent you having to go back and learn it all from scratch when revising because, chances are, you won't be revisiting the topic again before exams."

Jack Stephen had two pieces of advice: 

“Simply start as you mean to go on. And never underestimate the discipline that will help you succeed.”

"The other thing I would say is treat them like you treated your A-levels in terms of how you revise and learn. Assuming people did well in their a-levels!"

Discipline is essential. Don't slack off and don't fall behind. Once this happens, it can be extremely difficult to catch up on lost ground.

Cristen Tishae agrees:

"Try to keep on top of as much of the reading as humanly possible! Also try to keep on top of the paper, there will be mountains of it!"

Hasan Mahmud said: "Just follow Snigdha's guidelines...."

Short and simple advice, which I honestly have not paid money for…

Of course, there are always wags out there with a humourous take on advice to prospective students…

Alex Cisneros says:

"Drink heavily. And don't be afraid to work in the Inns' libraries."

I endorse using the Inn libraries; they are havens of peace and quiet. You can get away from the student stress often permeating the school's library and get more done without the distraction of other students. As for the drinking, please, students, drink responsibly!

Keerthi Tillekaratne says “Don’t go to Snigdha Nag's class. Go to other ones. Ha ha just kidding.” 

Thanks for the ringing endorsement, Keerthi! ;)

I hope you find this collection of advice helpful, students. Please do get in touch to let me know if this has helped you. 

Good luck on the BPTC!