What did you find most challenging during your time at the Law School? 

Studying law at Bristol is demanding in a variety of ways; making a ‘most’ challenging aspect tricky to pinpoint. However, without being overly general, finding the right balance between being ambitious with my further reading and maintaining clarity in my expression was something that I often struggled with. Although an expansive attitude towards research should not be discouraged, such an approach must be both targeted and underscored by a solid understanding of the topic. No amount of further reading will boost your marks unless you understand it to a level where you are able to think critically about it – research is very much an active rather than passive process.  

I often found that an effective way of testing whether I had done this successfully was to attempt to explain my argument as concisely as possible to a friend. Irrespective of whether they studied law, if they were able to get a ‘gist’ of what I was saying then it more often than not stood me in good stead. If I couldn’t explain an argument orally, expressing it in greater depth at the writing stage was often an impossibly difficult task.  

Congratulations on winning the Debbie Phillips Best Final Year LLB Student prize. Other than this, what has been your proudest moment since starting your course?  

Although I am of course over the moon with my results, I think there is something to be said for being proud of merely completing a law degree at Bristol. In spite of what I have achieved, there were many occasions throughout my time at Bristol where I felt like giving up. Of course, marks are important, but I think it is equally crucial not to reduce the value of a law degree from Bristol to statistics. The resilience that I have gained from learning to cope with vast amounts of pressure is something that I will take with me throughout my life. Therefore, I would stand fast to my proudest moment being walking out of my last exam.  

What has inspired you most during your time here?  

As I am sure most students would agree, we have been very fortunate to be exposed to countless inspiring individuals during our time at the Law School. Yet, beyond the teaching that we have received in formal contact hours, one thing that has struck me as most inspiring has been the readiness of tutors to dispense fantastic advice both with regards to their subject and potential careers paths. For someone who has found it difficult to decide on their future, the opportunity to listen to the experienced insights of law school staff has been invaluable to me and I would urge others to make use of such opportunities during their time at Bristol.  

However, equally I would stress the inspiration that can be drawn from fellow students. Although such a large cohort can be a daunting prospect at first, it can easily be turned into a fantastic opportunity. Primarily due to the sheer variety of careers that those who occupy it are likely to pursue. Again, for anyone who is unsure of their future plans, I would urge them to explore the thoughts of those closest to them. Often other students are as up to date as anyone on the more niche opportunities that are available to those leaving Bristol Law School.   

Certainly, what is undeniable here is a mutual respect that exists between students and staff and it is this characteristic that I hope to reflect going into the future.  

What are your future aspirations following graduation?  

After an incredibly intense twelve months, I am taking the year to consider my options. Being very conscious of the amount of time that is spent at work I want to make sure my next steps are the right ones for me. However in the long-term, I think I am becoming more inclined to pursue a career as an academic. As I think was reflected in my unit choices, I work well with variety and the multi-faceted opportunities associated with such a career – be it in teaching, research or advice – is something that truly excited me!  

What advice would you give to students about to start their journey into Law at Bristol?  

• Don’t be afraid to take risks. Particularly when it comes to writing coursework, if you find yourself deliberating between using an idea (or set of ideas) that are potentially more perceptive, but skirt close to the boundaries of the question – or present a risk in another respect – don’t always play it safe. Of course, you MUST remain tightly focussed to the wording of the question. However, don’t be afraid to push boundaries when it is appropriate to do so. You will reap the rewards.  
• Build your knowledge from simple foundations. It is better to know a little very well than a lot without any accuracy. Remember that your aim should be to get to a position where you can use your knowledge to draw critical, nuanced ideas from your reading. Reading for the sake of it is a waste of your time. Start with the textbook and use supplementary materials to build your understanding from there.  
• Learn how to effectively prioritise. Especially at ‘pressure points’ during the year, where you may have large amounts of coursework due at the same time, it is important to accept that you may not be able to be quite as prepared for EVERY seminar as you would like. Of course, you should not neglect certain units, but it is important for both your mental and physical health to accept that covering absolutely everything that you would like to at these times is simply not possible.  
• Be disciplined. Not only in the way that you study, but also in the way that you govern your life. Again, at times of high pressure don’t be tempted to drastically shorten your sleep or neglect to give yourself time to relax. Law is often complex and requires an active brain. Attempting to engage with the material effectively on minimal sleep is simply not feasible.  
• Explore and take advantage of the many opportunities that are available to you. I always tried to keep at least one continual activity going throughout the year – be it through working for the Human Rights Law Clinic or as an Editor for the Bristol Law Review. First year is a great time to sample a range of activities in order to find out what suits you best. Don’t overburden yourself though. It is very easy to tip the balance too far and feel overstretched.  
• Accept the setbacks – they happen to everyone.