Doing an A'Level without a college?

[mountainboo]

I am currently studying for an English Literature A'Level with Oxford College (distance learning), for which I paid £315, excluding exams. I want to study Law as well and my Brother in Law recently advised me to use the examining board website as a point of reference for the syllabus and, with the help of textbooks, to do the A'Level without the help of a tutor or course material which would save me another £315. I would only need to pay for the exams then. Has anyone ever done this before? Is this feasible? TIA

[mike11111]

Perfectly feasible - but inadvisable for the following reasons:

1) Irrespective of what subject you are studying, it is a good idea to have an experienced tutor to check that you are on the right track. It is all too easy on occasions to get hold of the wrong end of the stick from a book and make a fool of yourself in exams.

2) Law textbooks are notoriously expensive. You always need to have the latest edition as the law changes so quickly. Those available in public and university libraries tend to be earlier editions. I graduated in law with distinction in 1995 but much of what I remember is probably now redundant.

3) If you are contemplating a career in law requiring further study there is little point in doing law at A level, as the course is basically a watered-down version of the first year undergraduate syllabus, so you would spend one or two years learning the same thing twice.

[mountainboo]

Thanks Mike, strangely enough my Brother in law did also say that the Law A'level was pointless (he also has passed his Law degree with first class honours, just this year). I was just concerned that I would find the law degree perplexing if I jump straight in without the A'Level. I plan to study at University of London which would require me to do the Diploma in Law first (which is equivalent to the first year), followed by the LLB. Would you suggest going straight into it? Fortunately me Brother in Law has some text books for me.

[mountainboo]

Sorry, that was mean't to say "fortunately for me".

[mike11111]

I would say just go straight into it. Not sure what a diploma in law is (is it just the first year with a further 2 years for the LL.B.?) Anyway you will be no more perplexed then as now. Remember what I said earlier though, make sure your textbooks are the latest edition, because that is what you will be examined on.

[mountainboo]

Ok Mike, thanks, I will ensure I have the most recent editions. Yes, the Diploma is the first year and then the LLB is the final 2 years. I am going to finish my A'Level English and begin the Diploma in June of next year.

[bushbaby_de]

The LLB is a three year course. Some places teach it so that if you leave at the end of the first year you get a Diploma in Law - they aren't actually two different courses. If you can spare the time and cash you may feel more comfortable/ahead of the pack if you've done the A level first - if you go straight into the degree you'll just spend a bit more time studying outside class to keep up with the workload.

[mountainboo]

Thank you Bushbaby. As much as I would love to do the A'Level Law first, I can't begin to tell you how difficult it is to find an exam centre that accommodates for private candidates. It seems places like ICS and Oxford College (where I am currently doing an English A'Level) are only interested in taking your money. I am torn between English, Law and Philosophy.

[mike11111]

As I think I indicated earlier, much of the A Level Law syllabus is covered in the first year of the LL.B., only in more depth. The danger of doing A level first is that you may become bored with hearing the same stuff twice; also that you think you know it all already, but you don't. Much better to take a fresh approach as an undergraduate, you will lose nothing. I suspect that the vast majority of law graduates do not have an A level in the subject. I don't!

[mike11111]

I should have added that there are a substantial number of solicitors and barristers who do not have a degree in law. The terminology may have changed since my day but there was what was called the Common Professional Examination, whereby graduates of any discipline could take a course in the 6 core subjects (Crime, Tort, Contract, Constitutional, Equity & Trusts and Land Law) thereby qualifying for entry to the Diploma in Legal Practice Course (solicitors) or the Bar Vocational Course (barristers).