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student experiences
Matt Cleary
Trainee solicitor at Brabners, passed SQE1 & SQE2 with the College
I’m Matt, and I studied the LLM in Legal Practice which includes SQE1 and SQE2. I have passed both the SQE1 and SQE2 and I'm now working as a trainee solicitor at Brabners. I completed my first degree in Law in Newcastle, then went on to work full-time as a cost draftsman for 18 months. I really enjoyed the work and also found that it can count as qualifying work experience, so I decided to take my studies further and full qualification with the College of Legal Practice. I wholeheartedly recommend the college and I have had a fantastic experience.
I chose to go for the LLM with the College of Legal Practice alongside SQE prep, instead of the SQE prep-only route. For me, I was fortunate enough to be able to study full-time, and I was certain I wanted a career change, so I was able to leave my previous role before starting the course. I also benefited from a postgraduate loan while studying. I feel the LLM will give me an extra string to my bow when it comes to applying for competitive training contracts; it offers me a breadth of skills to support my future work as a solicitor. I like that the college allows me to study both in tandem.
I found in comparison to friends who studied with other providers, The College of Legal Practice really sets you up for success in terms of SQE prep. You’re working on practice questions from day one, and they really do have that end goal in mind in all course content.
The College of Legal Practice is set up perfectly for SQE1. To start with we were sent four manuals to introduce us to the course, so you could clearly see how the work would be pitched. That helped me get off to a good start. Once the course begins, you don’t spend lots of hours in lecture theatres like you perhaps would have in previous undergraduate studies. It’s all about cracking on and getting stuck straight in with highly relevant teaching and consistent applications to the final exam.
I really liked the fact that I was working on multiple-choice questions from day one, as that truly is what the SQE exam is all about. It’s a big, multiple-choice exam, and learning how to excel with this format is a skill in itself. The college really works on prepping you to handle that format in all its learning materials and I thought that was great. You apply your knowledge straight away so you are always seeing the purpose behind what you are being taught. You also work on mock exams from the get-go - though you do this in a gradual way. You start with shorter exams, say 20-question assessments, and you gradually work your way towards 90-question versions. It means you aren’t thrown in at the deep end but are consistently building up your stamina - so when the real exam comes it’s a very familiar format and experience.
The course finishes a month before the exam, so you have a good space of time to go back over any elements you find more challenging, too.
For me I really appreciate how practical and relevant all teaching is. You are always returning to the exam format so you’re constantly seeing how what you are learning will be used in order to qualify. The end goal is always in sight. I found that in comparison to friends studying elsewhere the college really stood out in getting you prepared in both knowledge and practical exam experience, as the SQE exam requires stamina!