School of Law

Coming from the University of Dundee to Glasgow to study the Diploma certainly placed me outside of my comfort zone. On the first day of the Diploma it felt like starting University all over again - walking around campus looking lost with my map on my phone, walking into a lecture theatre full of new faces! I was so nervous, but there was no need to be. Everyone could not have been friendlier. I plucked up the courage and sat beside someone who was on their own and the minute we started talking I felt relieved. I wish someone had told me then what I know now - you will not be the only one who knows no one!

The Diploma is full of people from all different Universities and people of all different ages: some studying for the first time at Glasgow; some coming back after completing their undergraduate degree years ago; and some who have always studied here. Regardless of your background, the Diploma is a perfect way to meet new people and to make great friends. Even those who have friends on the Diploma already will not always be in classes with them so don’t worry, everyone is in the same boat. I was in a tutorial group with a group of girls who also knew no one and three of them even went to the same University!

It is also much more practical than studying at undergraduate. You will be expected to participate in lots of group work and to work with a variety of people in different classes, which is a great way to get to know people. You will interact with people you have never met or worked with before. For me, this was one of the best aspects of the Diploma. Of course you are not always going to get along with everyone you come across or have to work with, but the Diploma makes you work with a variety of people and this means that you get a taste of the real working world and can work with people who might just become your friends!

I know I have made friends for life on the Diploma. It is a great opportunity to make new friends and network with people who are going into the same profession as you. The chances are your paths will cross in the future and you could even end up working closely with them! So pluck up the courage to sit beside someone new, put yourself out there, go to social events and enjoy your last year (well, 8 months) of University!

Ashley Hollis (Administrative Assistant and 2016/17 Diploma graduate)

After I finished my degree, the traineeship felt very far away and I couldn’t really imagine what day-to-day life would be like working as a Trainee. During the diploma, your skills and your way of thinking slowly develop from the way you thought during undergrad study and you start to see the law in a more practical way. The Diploma was quite a daunting prospect for me – I moved to a new city and I elected to take subjects that I hadn’t studied before – but it is amazing how much I enjoyed it and how ready I feel now for Trainee life! I can’t wait to start at the beginning of September.

During the Diploma, I started to see that this was my opportunity to learn new things and make mistakes ahead of starting my traineeship. The course isn’t very long and the pace is a lot quicker than undergrad study and that meant that it was a steep learning curve. I learned how to do so many new things and met a lot of new people. I think for me personally, the greatest thing I learned was how to conduct myself during oral presentations – the litigation courses were something entirely new to me and I learned how to manage my nerves, how to address a sheriff, and how to structure and present an argument. Trying these new things has helped me to broaden the possible career paths I see for myself in the future and to look forward to venturing further into the unknown during my traineeship!

Emily Shaw (2016/17 Diploma graduate. Emily is currently undertakin her traineeship with Maclay Murray and Spens.)