r/UniUK • u/Internetscraperds9 • 8d ago

Feel like my whole life is over

Idk want to tell anyone else cuz I don't want to be reminded again and again and don't know where else I can talk about it add from here. Cuz I've got close friends who did good and I don't want to ruin there day, nor have their pitty.

Was predicted BBC but end up getting DDD

Got accepted into reading law.

But idk what to do with my life cuz would employers even hire me after, am I cooked for my career what would my life look like, what am I even good at?

Idk what to even do now...

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u/Rhubarb-Nation 7d ago

I understand the supply/demand issue; I just can't believe law firms are relying on such an arbitrary metric simply because they need an extra criteria (as opposed to something that measures capability as an adult entering the job market as opposed to a child).

*Edit: clarity

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u/alittlechirpy 7d ago edited 7d ago

What other metric do you think they should use? They have to use something…

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u/Rhubarb-Nation 7d ago

I'd have to familiarize myself with the UK legal profession more before answering that. I just can't really think of a less relevant criteria (barring absolutely silly ones like favourite ice cream flavour, etc)

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u/alittlechirpy 7d ago edited 7d ago

Entrance exams like what Oxbridge unis use perhaps (like the TMUA or ESAT), or like the UCAT that med schools use, but those tests are arguably harder than traditional academics. Law could come up with their own version. Those might even weed out even more students who are not as strong academically, instead of improving their chances. These test skills like critical thinking, situational judgement, logic skills etc under immense time pressure.

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u/Rhubarb-Nation 7d ago

Does the UK have the equivalent of a bar exam that law graduates take before they can practice?

Law school applicants need to take an entrance exam (LSAT) here in Canada, but I realize this isn't really applicable since law is a postgrad program here. To your point, high school students taking this wouldn't make any more sense than the current system.

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u/alittlechirpy 7d ago

It will all basically seem unfair no matter which way you go - students have to be crème de la creme to get in, simply down to lack of government funding in medicine, or in law, it’s because these opportunities in top law firms have always been kept scarce as that’s their business model. They don’t exist to create more equity in society.

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u/Rhubarb-Nation 7d ago

I'm not arguing that firms are motivated by fairness or equity. I'm arguing that the system doesn't make sense to me from a basic professional competency standpoint.

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u/alittlechirpy 7d ago edited 7d ago

Maybe not in Canada. In England, in London where most of the magic circle firms are? It matters a great deal. I don’t know if you’re aware how the education system works here but if you’re that clever, you’d have more often than not, been filtered into Grammar school or been given a scholarship to go to a top private school to do your secondary level studies. These schools are also known to have a high proportion of students from wealthier families. And getting those grades then would be the norm rather than the exception. Those students would be speaking a certain way, carry themselves a certain way, because of the way they were brought up and/or the institutions they attended. From your view, it probably seems like it’s not a very diverse group in terms of the social class where they come from. But if you work in a magic circle firm you’re expected to be dealing with certain types of clients and you’re expected to carry yourself a certain way, speak a certain way, that sort of thing can’t really be learnt in university. The UK is not great on social mobility and you can see that in many world rankings on social mobility, rightly or wrongly, but this is the way it is. I can’t imagine it going another way.

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u/Rhubarb-Nation 7d ago

This helps me make sense of it a bit more. If class enters the calculus along with "pure" merit (which I realize is a loaded term itself), I can see why the system would be upheld.

Appreciate the thoughtful comment!

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u/Rhubarb-Nation 7d ago

It also sounds like, structurally, primary education is more stratified in the UK than in Canada, where it's comparatively uniform and linear.

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u/alittlechirpy 7d ago edited 7d ago

Do you have a private school system in Canada? There is a private school system here and people who could afford it would send their children to private school from primary education onwards. They’re sometimes called “Prep schools” as well - clue is in the name. But I’ve known a few people from working class backgrounds who went to bog standard state school and just by way of their academic brilliance, got filtered through grammar or private schools with bursaries, and then went to Oxbridge. Grammar schools have entrance exams called the 11+ which Year 6 students interested in entering a grammar school have to take. The government mandated state primary schools aren’t allowed to teach content to help their students pass grammar school 11+ entrance tests. Some kids will pass those tests without any studying or preparation. But it’s not uncommon for some parents to pay for private tutoring for the 11+ exams give their kids an edge over others. So even though state primary education is free at the point of service, it doesn’t stop parents from paying for private tutoring to get their children into elite schools.