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Where to study the PGDL?

A
I'm currently looking to study the PGDL (PG Dip) in Northern Ireland, to then qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales ( and maybe NI). I wanted to ask if firms really care about where you study it?

My options are to either study my PG Dip at either Queen's University Belfast or the University of Ulster. The Queen's course is exams based, whereas the Ulster course is coursework based. I essentially haven't done a closed book exam since my A levels in 2019, as my degree was essentially all course work based (we had one exam that became open book, really a timed essay in first year due to strikes).

. QUB is very highly rated for law and has excellent teaching, however I would be worried about sitting exams, especially in something as difficult as a law conversion, essentially I am a bit worried about not doing well considering I haven't sat an exam in so long and due to the sheer volume of content. I am far more used to coursework and do well in it, so Ulster's course would be more my speed, as I feel it would allow me more time to get used to law and just general not feel pressured to do exams, giving me a degree more control.

However, I am worried about the prestige factor, because law firms can be quite selective about universities. Even here in NI, QUB still dominated the corporate law profession (if I did want to stay here). My cousin who's a corporate lawyer in England even said to choose QUB because it's better ranked, but I'm seeing mixed things on line stating that where you do the PGDL doesn't matter, and the overall grade matters more.

For added context - I'm from Northern Ireland, studied for my non-law undergrad in England (think Sheffield, Leeds, York, Newcastle type RG university) and got a first in social sciences degree. It works out to be so much cheaper for me to study at home and live essentially rent free, rather than complete my conversion in England and pay rent (I know you can do online learning, but I hated it during covid). I'm also a career changer, as I worked for an IB in market operations and then for a large corporate firm in business services (AML, conflicts etc), so have some industry related experience too going for me too.


Any advice would be great, as I really do not want to make the wrong decision and have it bite me years down the line. Thanks for any and all advice
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Update Forum redesign - TCLA's new look

Jaysen
Hey everyone,

This year, we'll be making the biggest changes to TCLA since we started.

The goal is to bring you the best information and training to get you a training contract.

Early next week, we kick things off with a brand new forum redesign.

Here's a sneak preview:

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As with all of our launches, it is expected that there will be some bugs. If you notice anything isn't working correctly after launch, please reply to this thread and we'll fix it :)

Have a great week.
Jaysen
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SQE Advice - What I Wish I'd Known Before SQE1 & 2

Dana Altunisi

TCLA helped me a lot when I was applying for vacation schemes and training contracts, so I thought I'd pay it forward and share some advice on the SQE.​

About Me​

  • 21-year-old future trainee at an international law firm.
  • Graduated with an LLB in 2024 and an LLM in 2025.
  • Studied full-time on BPP's LLM Legal Practice (SQE1 & SQE2) course from September 2025 onwards, sponsored by my firm.
  • Sat SQE1 in January 2026 and passed in the first quintile.
  • Sat SQE2 in April/May 2026 and am currently waiting for results (fingers crossed!).
Like many people sitting these exams, I often felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content and spent far too much time worrying whether I was doing enough.

What I Wish I'd Known Before SQE1​

1. You do not need to know everything​

At some point, you have to accept that nobody walks into SQE1 knowing everything. The goal isn't perfection. It's knowing enough law to consistently identify the best answer.

2. Question practice is SO important ​

Looking back, I would have started question practice much earlier, instead of waiting till 'I was ready or knew everything'.

I used the following question banks:
  • OUP
  • Revise SQE
  • QLTS
  • The 100
  • ULaw question bank
The more questions you do, the more familiar the exam starts to feel, and you will start identifying patterns.

3. Getting questions wrong is part of the process​

Some of my biggest improvements came from reviewing questions I'd answered wrong.

Don't panic if your scores aren't where you want them to be at the start. You are likely to score quite low in more difficult mocks such as QLTS and the100. Bad scores tell you where to focus your revision.

4. Don't neglect your weaker subjects​

It's very easy to keep revising the subjects you enjoy because they make you feel productive. The biggest gains usually come from tackling the subjects you hate. For me, I dreaded constitutional law revision and scored quite low on it in the exam

5. Don't compare yourself to everyone else​

There comes a point where another ten hours of revision won't magically transform your result. Trust the work you've already put in and don’t compare yourself to the amount of work others are doing. This will stress you out.

What I Wish I'd Known Before SQE2​

1. Structure solves most problems​

Start by laying out an email start and end, then structure the body around the actual issues identified in the task.
Even when you don't know the law perfectly, structure helps keep you stay organised and give you marks under the skills criteria.

2. You will probably never feel fully prepared

SQE2 felt much more open-ended, and because of that I never really felt "ready" and could not necessarily track my progress with scores. I walked into several assessments feeling underprepared and later realised that was completely normal.

3. Don't wait until you've revised everything before attempting mocks​

This is probably the biggest mistake I nearly made. I kept feeling like I needed to cover more content before attempting full mocks. In reality, I learned far more from doing mocks than I expected. Especially practicing under times conditions.

Most of my mock practice came from BPP workshops and inhouseW mocks.

4. Don't obsess over individual assessments afterwards​

At least one assessment will probably leave you convinced you've failed (speaking from experience!) That's normal. The exams are cumulative and one bad station is very unlikely to ruin your overall result.

If I Could Give One Piece of Advice​

Everyone feels overwhelmed. Everyone thinks everyone else is doing more revision than they are. Everyone has moments where they think they're going to fail. Focus on your own preparation, trust the work you've put in, and try not to compare your journey to anybody else's.
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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2026-27

Abbie Whitlock
Hi everyone!

Welcome to the TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread for the 2026-2027 application cycle.

This thread is for all discussions relating to vacation scheme applications throughout the year. Whether you are looking for advice on submitting written applications, online assessments, interviews, assessment centres, or simply want to share updates on your progress, feel free to post here!

As always, this thread is a space to ask questions, exchange insights, discuss firm processes, and support fellow applicants. The recruitment process can be both exciting and challenging, and we hope that this community continues to be a helpful resource for everyone navigating the cycle. Please remember to keep discussions respectful and constructive, and where possible, share information that may benefit other applicants.

Finally, last year's thread can be found here: TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26.

Wishing the best of luck to everyone applying this year! We look forward to following your journeys and celebrating your successes along the way :)

Abbie
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Should I accept a Training Contract at a high street firm even if deep down, that is not what I have ever wanted?

R
Hello all,

I've been facing a dilemma and would be grateful for some advice.

Background:

I currently work at a high street firm as a paralegal whilst studying for the SQE. My firm has offered me a Training Contract, and I'm unsure whether I should accept it.

Pros
  • Job stability - This would be the biggest reason to accept the TC. The job market is terrible right now and it's worrying to read about rising unemployment, especially among young graduates.
  • Culture - The firm is really nice. Everyone is really friendly and employees are treated well.
  • Low stress and good work/life balance - I don't take work home with me, I don't think about my work at home nor is there an expectation to work beyond my contracted hours.
  • Decent quality of work - There are some interesting matters and there is one department in particular that I would be eager to have a seat in.
Cons
  • Low salary - Perhaps one of the biggest turnoffs is how low the salary is. One of the main reasons I chose to purse a legal career was due to the prospects of high earnings. I am also worried about how accepting this TC could affect my long-term salary progression. Of course, money is not everything but I would like to afford the finer things in life and this job won't allow that.
  • Seat choice - I am really only interested in three of the seven seats offered. My interests ultimately lie within corporate/commercial law, and I think that if I trained in a big city firm, I would be able to focus on this area. My current firm offers a corporate seat, but also offers seats in personal law, which don't interest me.
  • Less busy - This obviously varies by department, but in mine I am often extremely bored and left with nothing to do despite asking. I am not sure if this could be due to me being quite junior, or also because the department already has enough staff and simply do not need me.
  • Location - London is closer to me and more convenient to get to than my current firm, which is a pain to commute to.
  • Settling for less (than I actually want) - Of course, this firm is a lovely place for the right person. I think it would be ideal for someone who is looking to settle down soon and wants a good work/life balance, especially great if you have a family. However, I have decided that I would rather grind hard in my 20s and 30s while I have few responsibilities, than live the slow life. The fact of the matter is I have never wanted to work at a small firm and worry that I will regret settling for something that I never wanted.
  • Type of work - I would really like to work on the mega deals that we see in the large city firms. In particular, I would like to do large-scale international work, which my firm obviously does not offer.
Other considerations
  • My family and friends think I'm crazy for wanting to reject the TC. This makes me worry that I would be making the wrong decision by turning down the TC, although deep down, I don't feel like it would be right to accept it.
  • I am not a big risk taker in all honesty. I have always played it safe, but rejecting this TC and potentially facing indefinite unemployment would obviously be extremely risky.
  • I have saved up money for my SQE exams and an Emergency Fund to get me through at least six months of unemployment.
  • I am hopeful that I will be able to secure a TC at a top city law firm, although at times I feel put off by the competition.
  • I am aware that I could train at my current firm, and then try to move to London later on in my career. However, I think it would be much harder to move up and I am worried that the quality of training would not be so good at my current firm. As mentioned, I am willing to work hard now whilst I'm young rather than when I'm older.
You can probably tell that I am reluctant to accept this offer, but what would you do?

TL;DR: High street TC offer vs. ambition for City corporate. Low pay + wrong seats vs. risk of having no TC at all. What would you do?
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Should I quit my LLM after having completed the PDGL section?

lawyer wannabe80@
Hello everyone,

I would really appreciate some advice regarding my current situation.

Before starting my LLM Law Conversion with SQE1 at BPP, I was working part-time at McDonald’s. I intentionally chose the online, part-time course because I have ADHD, and I knew studying remotely without commuting to London would give me the best chance of succeeding academically while also allowing me to receive Student Finance funding.

During the PGDL stage, I actually did quite well overall, achieving mostly merits and distinctions, with a few passes at the beginning while I was still adjusting to studying law for the first time.

In March, I started working at Octopus Energy. I was initially very happy about this because I believed the role would help strengthen my CV and improve my chances of securing a training contract compared to my previous job at McDonald’s. The higher salary also meant I could contribute more towards household bills and university costs.

However, I underestimated how demanding the role would be alongside the SQE1 preparation course. The workload has become extremely difficult to manage with ADHD, particularly because the SQE content is much heavier than the PGDL. During the PGDL, we focused on two modules at a time, whereas now we are covering four modules simultaneously. I have fallen behind significantly, and I’m struggling to dedicate enough time to law despite genuinely enjoying it.

Financially, I also cannot realistically leave my current job, especially given the current job market.

Because of this, I’ve started considering whether it may be wiser to exit the LLM now and receive the PGDL qualification instead (assuming BPP awards it separately once completed, which I still need to confirm officially).

Part of my reasoning is that I feel a strong PGDL result (high merit/low distinction range) may ultimately look better than completing the full LLM with a pass overall, or potentially struggling further academically.

I’m also thinking that, if I leave the LLM, I could redirect my time and energy towards building my legal CV in other ways — for example researching firms, applying for vacation schemes and training contracts, networking, and gaining more legal work experience.

Has anyone been in a similar position, or does anyone have advice on whether this would be a sensible decision career-wise?

I’ll also be speaking to BPP and careers advisers, but I would genuinely appreciate any insight from others who may have experience with this path.

Thank you so much in advance.
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