Erin Theobald is currently studying the LLB at our London Bloomsbury campus. Erin didn’t discover her passion for law until she had a conversation with her dad that inspired her career ambitions. After that, she applied to study with us through Clearing. We caught up with Erin to see how the process worked out for her and to get her advice for students who will be looking for a university place through Clearing.
By Cara Fielder. Published 10 July 2020. Last updated 23 November 2022.
I decided to go through Clearing as I did not get my A-level grades to get into my firm and insurance choices due to extenuating circumstances which were out of my control.
I remember being really lost and confused during my A-levels because I got to a point where I had to begin thinking about applying to university and I didn't know what to study. I knew I had always wanted to get a degree but I didn't know what degree that was. I had contemplated taking a history degree for a very long time but had no idea what profession I would go into with it. I was talking with my father about this and explaining my situation and he bought up the idea of doing a law degree and it was as if something just clicked inside me. I had never even considered it as a possibility before but after he said it, it made perfect sense. I absolutely love reading and writing and there are elements of history in it too and a law degree also opens so many doors for you as it is such a highly regarded degree.
I had several concerns before entering Clearing. Mostly, I was worried that because I wanted to do law, my grades would not be good enough because it’s a tough degree. I was also worried that all the places could be taken up and that no one would be able to accept me.
I went into my school after finding out my results on UCAS and after my grades were handed to me, I met with the teacher who was helping students with their Clearing options. He took me to a computer, sat down with me and we went through UCAS to look at the universities that would accept me with the grades I had achieved. We wrote down a small list but I had previously looked at ULaw and originally applied there as one of my five options, so I knew beforehand that it was somewhere I definitely wanted to try and get into. As a result, ULaw was the first university I called. I spoke to the lady who would become my head of year (for the Foundation Year) and she asked me some questions such as "why have you chosen ULaw?" and "why do I want to study law?" etc. After this, she explained how the course would work, what would happen and offered me a place then and there over the phone. All I had to do was wait for the offer to come through on UCAS and accept it. The process is so much easier than I thought it would be; I did not find it stressful at all.
The Clearing process definitely worked out a lot better than I thought it would. There is so much support and help put in place for students, not only at school but on the UCAS website. The process is so easy to follow and going through it was the best decision I made.
I chose ULaw due to the great employability programme they run and the high rate of graduate employment after the first year. Furthermore, the campus I study at is in the heart of London. I love studying in the city and it is so easy to get to. I have also made many friends already from all walks of life and some of my peers live halfway across the world. Lastly, I cannot fault the teaching at the law school. The lecturers are friendly and explain everything well, it is so easy to go to them if you are confused or need some help.
I would love to work for a big law firm in the future, which I'm sure is a career goal for most law students. The fast-paced, competitive work environment appeals to me massively. I would also like to venture into the world of journalism at some point in my career. I have my own blog and I am always keeping up to date with current affairs and big news stories. I think being a journalist for a large newspaper would be amazing.
One area of law that has appealed to me the most is medical law. It is something I read up on a lot in my spare time and I find the topics of morals and ethics around it so fascinating. I attended several lectures on it during different university summer schools and open days. I am also very interested in intellectual property law and the laws around new products and inventions, this area of law is something I will definitely look into as a future job prospect.
As soon as I graduate, the ideal scenario would be to have a training contract lined up with a firm so I am able to go and do my LPC (hopefully at The University of Law) which will then enable me to begin my training contract the year after. Fingers crossed.
If I had to give one top tip for someone going through Clearing, it is to make sure you research all of your options before Clearing has even opened. It will make the process so much easier and less stressful if you have a list of universities to call with a range of entry requirements so that all of your options are covered.
Have you got questions about Clearing? Check out our Clearing FAQ to learn more.
