Student Blog

Second-year LLB (Hons) Law student, Teodora Nizirova shares her experience at Bournemouth University so far in this guest blog post.

My experience of studying Law, so far, has exceeded my expectations. At the start of the degree, I anticipated lots of reading and memorising of facts, which is still the case. However, the style of teaching strikes a fine balance between studying law efficiently and putting that knowledge into practice.

Some of the modules are structured in a way where we learn what the law is and then how to apply it. For example, one of the units in the second year has a practical assessment in the form of a moot. There’s lots of preparation involved and we get to experience what barristers do daily.

The skills we learn are not usually taught until law students start preparing for the bar but having this experience sooner allows us to decide whether we’ll be better suited to be a barrister or a solicitor. A decision most law students will face at some point.

Being an international student created some additional challenges for me. For example, in the beginning, I was worried about participating in my seminars and being able to express my opinions. I challenged myself to work on my language skills and pushed myself out of my comfort zone, making sure to talk in every seminar.

‘Women in law’, was an event organised by the university, where I and other students could interview law practitioners about what it’s like to be a female in the sector. This helped to boost my confidence and now I am better at public speaking. The experience encouraged me to sign up for a client interviewing competition organised by the faculty with the help of Lester Aldridge. Lester Aldridge is one of the leading law firms in the area, which is recognised by The Times Best Law Firms 2022.

By participating in this competition, we get to practice public speaking and are also introduced to the techniques law firms use when working with clients. Lester Aldridge has been very involved in the legal journey of BU students. Their partner participated as a judge in BIUCAC 2020, which was an event organised by the Law Society. Their involvement allowed us to meet solicitors and expand our connections in the legal sector.

The legal profession requires you to be a good communicator, ready to meet new people. Meeting and working with the team of Lester Aldridge helps to widen the narrow doors towards a successful career in law.

I am looking to further expand my legal knowledge by completing a Master’s degree. The extra year of study and dedication to understanding the law better will enable me to choose the best career path for myself. This last year and a half dedicated to law has shown me it’s a subject I enjoy learning about, as well as a good career match for my personality.

If you are considering law as your future, ask yourself the following question, ‘Am I ready to work hard?’ Many people study law, but it’s the hard workers who make a successful career.