So the online study commitment is exactly the same as those who study in person- the course requires about 45 hours of study per week although you can often find yourself doing more or less depending on the topics you study that week and whether you get stuck on a concept. The only thing I find different to studying in-person is that you are
completely responsible for your workload, the work you have to do each week is asynchronous and so it is up to you whether you complete it on time (i.e. there are no scheduled seminars or workshops). All the help you need is still available, however, you have a personal tutor as well as your subject tutors you can contact, plus a weekly live support session for each subject.
You need to be able to maintain a high level of drive and self-discipline which I struggled with at some points if I'm honest 🤣 .
The best thing I've found about asynchronous learning is that I don't have to miss out on any events because of uni commitments. I was able to attend loads of open days and online events as well as maintain a part-time job to fund my studies alongside it (about 16 hours a week, I've tried to do more and noticed I fell behind but it's different for everyone).
In terms of extra reading, the only thing I would suggest is just reading around the stuff that interests you. I read the Secret Barrister just so I could get a taste for it but the courses themselves are basically
designed for people who haven't studied law before so the concepts are structured and introduced very clearly. You also have to complete a pre-course study module which gives you a really good grounding in all of the basics. I'm honestly so shocked with how much I've learned in just a few months, it's crazy.
My top tips would be:
- If you're used to studying with books (e.g. I did an English Degree) and learn best through tabbing and colour-coordinating text then purchase the hard-copy manuals if you can, they have made my life so much easier.
- Find your nearest in-person campus as you're allowed to use the facilities there. Mine is London and it's been really nice going up there to use the library every so often, as an online student you can sometimes feel a bit alienated from the studious buzz of campus uni, although it does reduce a lot of the stress-by-osmosis you get from studying in-person🤣.
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Always ask if you're unsure about something, you're responsible for keeping yourself up to date on exam details and course progression etc, I know someone who studies in person so it was always helpful to ask them if I was unsure of something but your personal tutors are also really helpful.
- You need to invest a lot more time taking care of yourself! Make sure you know what keeps you happy and helps you to de-stress, being in charge of your own workload can often mean you put extra pressure on yourself.
Let me know if you have any other questions
