Online BPP LPC/GDL- Will you still move?

[Mia97]

BPP unlike ULaw have decided that for Sept 2020 ; all their courses will begin online virtually. For any future trainees or LPC/GDL'ers are you considering still moving to London/or the city of your course? Or are you planning on just staying at home as the course will be online?

As I'm so unsure myself...the financial benefit of staying at home is swaying me, but also fairly keen to move out now and start my life in the city....

 

[Alice G]

BPP unlike ULaw have decided that for Sept 2020 ; all their courses will begin online virtually. For any future trainees or LPC/GDL'ers are you considering still moving to London/or the city of your course? Or are you planning on just staying at home as the course will be online?

As I'm so unsure myself...the financial benefit of staying at home is swaying me, but also fairly keen to move out now and start my life in the city....

I think this is an important post and sadly something I’m not sure about how to answer. I’d be tempted to stay home and maybe speak to my firm if I’m being sponsored about that decision and also BPP. I guess they could speak to the benefits of being close and maybe, in time, the social side to studying and being in a cohort might mean you could feel like you miss out. Having said that, I’ve kind of accepted that sadly this year just won’t be how I imagined and maybe it’ll be the LPC that I get to meet new people and meet new friends. I wonder if the library services that are available to us physically are a matter to consider. I would suspect many things are digitally available and guess the odd train journey to london and a weekend Airbnb (based on how far you are) might be more financially expedient to do work which requires the books themselves than arguably moving here.

sorry I’m not being much help here but I’d be tempted to stay home in all honesty. I live 60 mins away from Waterloo where I’d be studying and can’t see myself going into the capital anytime soon.

Is there a BPP centre nearer to where you’re considering staying home instead where you could be transferred to? Not sure again if this is an option but just something to put out there in case!

 

[Romiras]

BPP unlike ULaw have decided that for Sept 2020 ; all their courses will begin online virtually. For any future trainees or LPC/GDL'ers are you considering still moving to London/or the city of your course? Or are you planning on just staying at home as the course will be online?

As I'm so unsure myself...the financial benefit of staying at home is swaying me, but also fairly keen to move out now and start my life in the city....

If everything is virtual - there probably isn't a real reason to come to London and pay higher rent, etc. It'd have to be purely based on your desire to be in London for its social experiences. Everything you will need to perform well on the LPC will be made available virtually.

 

[Romiras]

I think this is an important post and sadly something I’m not sure about how to answer. I’d be tempted to stay home and maybe speak to my firm if I’m being sponsored about that decision and also BPP. I guess they could speak to the benefits of being close and maybe, in time, the social side to studying and being in a cohort might mean you could feel like you miss out. Having said that, I’ve kind of accepted that sadly this year just won’t be how I imagined and maybe it’ll be the LPC that I get to meet new people and meet new friends. I wonder if the library services that are available to us physically are a matter to consider. I would suspect many things are digitally available and guess the odd train journey to london and a weekend Airbnb (based on how far you are) might be more financially expedient to do work which requires the books themselves than arguably moving here.

sorry I’m not being much help here but I’d be tempted to stay home in all honesty. I live 60 mins away from Waterloo where I’d be studying and can’t see myself going into the capital anytime soon.

Is there a BPP centre nearer to where you’re considering staying home instead where you could be transferred to? Not sure again if this is an option but just something to put out there in case!

No one ever uses the library services - everything will be online / virtual.

 

[Alice G]

No one ever uses the library services - everything will be online / virtual.

Thank you for clarifying!

 

[Mia97]

I think this is an important post and sadly something I’m not sure about how to answer. I’d be tempted to stay home and maybe speak to my firm if I’m being sponsored about that decision and also BPP. I guess they could speak to the benefits of being close and maybe, in time, the social side to studying and being in a cohort might mean you could feel like you miss out. Having said that, I’ve kind of accepted that sadly this year just won’t be how I imagined and maybe it’ll be the LPC that I get to meet new people and meet new friends. I wonder if the library services that are available to us physically are a matter to consider. I would suspect many things are digitally available and guess the odd train journey to london and a weekend Airbnb (based on how far you are) might be more financially expedient to do work which requires the books themselves than arguably moving here.

sorry I’m not being much help here but I’d be tempted to stay home in all honesty. I live 60 mins away from Waterloo where I’d be studying and can’t see myself going into the capital anytime soon.

Is there a BPP centre nearer to where you’re considering staying home instead where you could be transferred to? Not sure again if this is an option but just something to put out there in case!

Hey thank you for your response! It's nice to hear others thought processes about this. Yes, I agree I think I just need to accept this year is not how we all may have planned. Hard pill to swallow sometimes Holborn would be my nearest; I live about 45mins train away so may do the odd weekend airbnb.

It's just a shame I won't get to bond with my cohort before we start next year. BPP also have not been helpful at all, I still don't even know exact term dates, if they will still provide physical books to us, registration cards etc. Oh well, just going to focus on being grateful I have a TC regardless despite all of this and stay positive.

 

[Alice G]

Hey thank you for your response! It's nice to hear others thought processes about this. Yes, I agree I think I just need to accept this year is not how we all may have planned. Hard pill to swallow sometimes Holborn would be my nearest; I live about 45mins train away so may do the odd weekend airbnb.

It's just a shame I won't get to bond with my cohort before we start next year. BPP also have not been helpful at all, I still don't even know exact term dates, if they will still provide physical books to us, registration cards etc. Oh well, just going to focus on being grateful I have a TC regardless despite all of this and stay positive.

You’re absolutely right- it’s definitely good to keep things in perspective and I’m so beyond grateful to have a TC and that I’m able to start my study to enter my dream career with my first choice firm! I think legal practice requires resilience and adaptability so hopefully this just develops us further as people as well in terms of navigating these challenges. I’d hope that we can all maybe commit to trying to get to know each other remotely like maybe doing social things online like quizzes or something instead of maybe going for coffees/other social aspects you’d do in person. I’d definitely be up for suggesting something like that if we all feel the same I’ll be doing the PGDL at BPP Waterloo and not sure if you’re doing the same or maybe the LPC since you said Holborn but do keep in touch!

 

[amb98]

Although teaching may be online, centres are expected to open

https://www.legalcheek.com/2020/06/what-law-school-will-look-like-after-lockdown/

 

[todareistodo]

Im starting the LPC at BPP this September (Holborn campus). Even though its starting online and I will miss some of the social interaction you get with being in the classroom, I think on balance with everything going on right now its given me some certainty for September which is helping me plan and organise.

Hoping that we can all be back in the classroom early October, or at least have the option but appreciate how uncertain things are at the minute.

 

[todareistodo]

Hey thank you for your response! It's nice to hear others thought processes about this. Yes, I agree I think I just need to accept this year is not how we all may have planned. Hard pill to swallow sometimes Holborn would be my nearest; I live about 45mins train away so may do the odd weekend airbnb.

It's just a shame I won't get to bond with my cohort before we start next year. BPP also have not been helpful at all, I still don't even know exact term dates, if they will still provide physical books to us, registration cards etc. Oh well, just going to focus on being grateful I have a TC regardless despite all of this and stay positive.

Not sure if this helps but just on the materials, I checked with the person I have been dealing with in the Admissions team last week and they have assured me that everyone will be getting physical materials this September ahead of their course.

 

[cgs97]

It's just a shame I won't get to bond with my cohort before we start next year. BPP also have not been helpful at all, I still don't even know exact term dates, if they will still provide physical books to us, registration cards etc. Oh well, just going to focus on being grateful I have a TC regardless despite all of this and stay positive.

Unfortunately, from my experiences, that's something you'll have to get used to with BPP! I had a complete lack of information from them, from start to finish, and their admin is notoriously unreliable - most of my class finished the year with no student ID cards, and that was without a pandemic! As for the cohort, that's a shame, especially as the sponsored students generally seem to bond pretty well, but for the non-sponsored students, I'd say not to worry about missing out on the 'student life' as there isn't much of one amongst general students at BPP. Hope this doesn't sound *too* negative, it's not to put you off them - generally, I'd say the teaching and resources are great, and that's the most important thing IMO, just letting you know that you're not actually missing out on that much!

 

[Nicktim]

Not sure if this helps but just on the materials, I checked with the person I have been dealing with in the Admissions team last week and they have assured me that everyone will be getting physical materials this September ahead of their course.

Have you been told much about registration, term dates, class schedules etc? Starting the PGDL in September and have heard 0. Well aware that it's a difficult time for them but makes planning living arrangements, work schedule and other things really difficult.

 

[Mia97]

Have you been told much about registration, term dates, class schedules etc? Starting the PGDL in September and have heard 0. Well aware that it's a difficult time for them but makes planning living arrangements, work schedule and other things really difficult.

They have FINALLY released start dates on the VLE. Also I saw on VLE it said registration starts from the 20th July but believe that is for accelerated only as I haven’t heard anything. BPP really are not providing the best impression-just over a month to go and have no formal emails about anything. They have also been super vague about how long online class will last. Quite a contrast to Ulaw, wish sponsored students could pick between the two lol

Also apparently their online classes are 60+ so definitely won’t expect much social interaction there.

 

[Nicktim]

They have FINALLY released start dates on the VLE. Also I saw on VLE it said registration starts from the 20th July but believe that is for accelerated only as I haven’t heard anything. BPP really are not providing the best impression-just over a month to go and have no formal emails about anything. They have also been super vague about how long online class will last. Quite a contrast to Ulaw, wish sponsored students could pick between the two lol

Also apparently their online classes are 60+ so definitely won’t expect much social interaction there.

Thanks. Is that for the LPC? I’m starting the PGDL in September and there is nothing on VLE.

 

[Mia97]

Thanks. Is that for the LPC? I’m starting the PGDL in September and there is nothing on VLE.

Yes that was in reference to the LPC

 

[Karin]

Such a good idea to set this up! I am not yet going to do my LPC, but I am starting LLM in London in September and while they say that there will be in-person teaching, they also offer online Term 1 for people who are reluctant/cant come to London. While I want to do the LLM partly to get to know other like-minded people & connect with the professors, I decided to do Term 1 online and see how it goes as I dont think there will be that much social interaction anyway so it would justify me spending more money on London rent..

 

[todareistodo]

Have you been told much about registration, term dates, class schedules etc? Starting the PGDL in September and have heard 0. Well aware that it's a difficult time for them but makes planning living arrangements, work schedule and other things really difficult.

The Admissions person I spoke to had all of the term dates when I asked and said time tables were due out shortly. I will try and dig out the email. They have been really good to be fair.

 

[todareistodo]

They have FINALLY released start dates on the VLE. Also I saw on VLE it said registration starts from the 20th July but believe that is for accelerated only as I haven’t heard anything. BPP really are not providing the best impression-just over a month to go and have no formal emails about anything. They have also been super vague about how long online class will last. Quite a contrast to Ulaw, wish sponsored students could pick between the two lol

Also apparently their online classes are 60+ so definitely won’t expect much social interaction there.

They assured me that its around 20 in a class as I was concerned about that as well. Good question about the length, never crossed my mind to check this.

 

[Remily]

BPP have finally released term dates for the PGDL. Its on their website but I still don't have any information in the VLE!

 

[Blue cacti]

I’ll be at the Leeds branch of BPP this September studying the PGDL and registration opened about a week ago, but I’m aware London students haven’t received anything about this yet. We were told at the virtual open evening we would be getting access to materials a month before - so hopefully soon!

I am still unsure about moving out. I can see the financial benefits of staying at home but I may be able to focus better somewhere else/it will be good to start this new chapter!