GDL Providers? Law?

morning anyone... has anyone else looked at getting a GDL in the UK?  I'm investigating this as an option.   unfortunatly, I live near peterborough, and my nearest provider is over an hour away.  i'm planning on going to a few open days, talking to students, etc, but wanted to know if anyone had any insights to this particular course or these particular uni/colleges.  i'm thinking that i'll have to get a bedsit/flatshare and stay near school 2-4 nights/week.  trying to factor in the true costs (train fare or petrol, accomadation, etc)....

College of Law               Birmingham
UCE Birmingham            Birmingham
Birmingham Law School    Birmingham
Anglia Ruskin Law School  Chelmsford
De Montfort Uni            Leicester
College of Law            London
BPP                         London
Nottingham Law at Kaplan London
Middlesex Uni                 London
City University            London
London Southbank            London
London Metropolitain       London
Thames Valley Uni            London
University of Westminster London
Brunel University            Middlesex
U of East Anglia            Norwich
Nottingham Law School   Nottingham
Oxford Brookes Uni            Oxford

I started a GDL at the College of Law in London, but quit as it was just too hard to do whilst holding down a stressful full time job.  The COL are a VERY good place to do it, but there are other places who will do it by correspondence if you are concerned about the travel time - I know a few people who have done it this way.  I also know someone who teaches the GDL at BPP.  I went Brunel, so know people who did LLB's there, but to be honest for prestige you are better off at COL.  I think that going there would increase your chances of getting a training contract / pupilage.

If you do go with COL, I think that going to Birmingham will be just as good as London.

Vicky

thanks vicky-  when i brought this subject up a few months ago on jobs section- i remember what you said about full time job + part time GDL = nightmare.

i will most likely do it full time, and not work.

i did a summer session at BPP last week.  it was a good introduction into the English legal system as well as BPP. 

i think the big distinction on my list is between providers (college of law, bpp) and unis.

i'm scared about the travel time, but also about my abilty to stay focused if i do it distance wise. 

oh meggles, I'm jealous!  I wanted to do a BPP summer school, but didn't have the funds this summer   I'm also thinking about doing the GDL in a few years, so I'll be interested to see how it goes for you.  (Noticed that the COL sets the same fees for both home and international students, so that's a definite plus!)

andrea- are you thinking of becoming a solicitor/barrister?  or just interested in law?  the course was very informative- there was such an age range- 16-45.  mostly interesting people.   

a few of the places set the same fees for home/overseas... but i will most likely sneak in under the wire as a home student (thanks for the reply in the other post).

it "seems" that the non-uni places are more flexible in terms of working with you to get a schedule that works for you- BPP said that usually it's a 4 day/week course.  however, since all the lectures are on DVD, you could come in 3 days/week.  but the train/cost of bedsit/ adds up!

Right now, I'm just interested in law (would really like to do information work for a law firm or train to be an official immigration adviser), but am open to the option of becoming a solicitor (definitely not a barrister!) later on if that seems like the right path.  If I did a GDL anytime soon, it would definitely have to be part time as I don't think I can handle being a poor broke student much longer!

edit- what about you, meggles? Solicitor or barrister (or neither)?

I know quite a few people who have done the GDL and LPC and the at the College of Law in London (including one of my roomates when I was a postgrad student) and they were all happy with the place, and have gone on to get very good jobs at some of the top fims in London.

My other roomate was just starting the BVC there when I left, but I have lost touch with him.

Is there an overview of the UK law school / degree process somewhere?  I understand it's a three year undergraduate degree, but what happens after that?  Do you take "the bar" like you would in the US?

Is there an overview of the UK law school / degree process somewhere?  I understand it's a three year undergraduate degree, but what happens after that?  Do you take "the bar" like you would in the US?

You might want to look here:

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/solicitor_job_description.htm

HTH!