BPP student Charlotte Marshall discusses distance learning, qualifying work experience and why she values flexibility
For all the criticism the SQE has faced since its introduction in 2021, it is offering a new, more flexible pathway to qualification. One SQE candidate making the most of this new route is Charlotte Marshall. Whilst completing BPP’s online LLM SQE 1 & 2 course part-time, Marshall is completing her qualifying work experience (QWE) at a private client firm based in South West London and Surrey.
“With the SQE, you need two years of qualifying work experience to qualify and that doesn’t have to be a traditional training contract,” Marshall explains. “I started at my firm in September 2023 as a paralegal so I’m already a year and a half through my qualifying work experience.” She continues, “That’s the great thing about the SQE. You can do your QWE before, during or after your exams — you can even complete it with multiple companies — so it’s really flexible.”
“One of the main reasons I chose BPP was the flexibility of their online courses,” Marshall tells me. “I didn’t want to be rushing to get to a campus from work or spend hours commuting. It is already tight having to manage my time with revision, lectures and work!”
Marshall works fulltime and attends lectures and workshops with BPP on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-8pm through Adobe Connect. Marshall’s experience of distance learning has been very smooth she tells me, “If you do happen have a technical issue, you can call up the tech team and they’ll fix it instantly. The team at BPP are very supportive, especially of online learners.”
Despite learning online, Marshall has found her studies very interactive. “You can turn your mic on and ask a question or type in into the chat during workshops,” she says. Marshall has also found ways to connect with her lecturers and classmates. “I’m in workshops with 15-20 people and it feels like we’re in the same room,” she jokes. “We talk to each other live and have a joke with our lecturers too.”
Working and studying side-by-side clearly has its benefits for this aspiring lawyer. I ask Marshall about her favourite topic on the SQE prep course so far. “Oh, I’m biased,” she smiles, “I’ve loved studying wills and the administration of estates because that’s what I do at work.” This has made Marshalls work life and her studies easier. “Anything I learn in my lectures, I can bring with me to work and the practical experience I’ve had at work helps me understand the academic side,” she explains.
However, balancing this busy schedule is not without its challenges. When asked for her advice for studying while working, Marshall says. “As soon as you can, create a study plan. I honestly cannot stress that enough.” She goes on, “Without my study plan, I would be completely drowning in work. It’s very possible to manage it all, but you need a plan!” She would urge anyone beginning the SQE prep course while working full time, “The minute you get your prep course outline, work out how many hours you want to put in and when. From there, you can create a plan.”
The SQE has shocked students with its low pass rates, dropping to just 48% nationally for SQE1 first time sitters in July 2024 (although BPP’s SQE pass rate for that assessment sat at 74%). These are definitely tough exams and I’m curious to know what Marshall considers most challenging about the course. “The workload is definitely challenging” she begins. “The most difficult part of the content for me is the underlying law, the topics you learned during your undergraduate degree like public law, contract law and tort law.” She continues, “While you’re learning new lots of new information for the SQE, you also need to make time to go and revise what you learned back in your undergrad degree.” She also stresses the importance of keeping up with the changes that have occurred since you originally studied these topics, “Laws change! You need to make sure your information is up to date.”
So, who can BPP students reach out to if they’re struggling with a busy schedule or challenging course content? “Every student is assigned a personal tutor who can help with problems outside of academics” Marshall responds. “If the work is getting too much for you or you need someone to talk to, all you have to do is email your personal tutor and ask for a chat over Teams.” Marshall’s experience with her own personal tutor has been overwhelmingly positive:
“My personal tutor is amazing. If I send her an email, I often get a response within 5 minutes — she’s absolutely great. It’s nice to have a member of staff that’s there for you”
For questions about course content, Marshall has found the academic staff equally supportive. “My lecturers have also been very happy to help and support,” she says. “Almost all of my workshop leaders hold extra sessions outside of the timetabled workshops for tricky topics which we might find confusing. During lectures, they often say ‘private message me or stay behind if you have any questions, we’ll get through it together’,” she concludes.
Join us on the afternoon of Wednesday 19 February for The Legal Cheek Pre-SQE Student Summit — in partnership with BPP University Law School. The summit will take place in both London and Manchester. Apply now.
About Legal Cheek Careers posts.
