Antonia Hyacinth

What motivated you to pursue postgraduate study?

Completing a Bar course (Bar Vocational Studies at City St George's) is a professional requirement to be called to the British Bar. I wanted to do this alongside an LLM because I am also interested in doing a PhD at some point during my career.

Doing an LLM at City St George's was also an incredibly enticing idea because doing the course full-time allowed me the opportunity to do a Clinical Legal Education (CLE). I chose Amicus ALJ and have been working on it with a small team of three other students and our absolutely fantastic supervisor/Director of the clinic.

Had I chosen to just do the BVS without the LLM I would have missed out on the opportunity to learn about US state and federal law and all of the practical/ procedural considerations that surround capital cases that people often do not know or recognise.

What were you doing before applying for a postgraduate degree?

Prior to my postgraduate studies, I was working and creating - I have always loved to make clothes and design things so I spent a lot of time doing what makes me happy before taking the next steps in my career. Although many people are ideologically against gap years and academic hiatuses, they can be very enriching. They allow you time to focus on what you want and mentally replenish and prepare yourself for the journey ahead.

I was often asked if I still intended to pursue a career at the Bar, or was told that if I took a break I would not come back. The reality is, a career at the bar is competitive. I have always known this was what I wanted to do, so regardless of how much time I took to do other things I knew, I would always come back. Further, I knew that when I did return it would be with more energy and passion because I did not work myself past the point of exhaustion.

Were there any challenges affecting your decision to study a postgraduate degree? If so, how did you overcome them?

Definitely, like many students, finances were a huge consideration. The course is not cheap, or easy, so it requires a lot of commitment. I worked for a few months before my course and worked every weekend through my first term which was incredibly intense, but it was necessary. In hindsight, starting work earlier definitely would have helped, but I am happy with my decisions as it made me realise my own strength and determination.

Why did you choose City St George's?

The BVS is not available everywhere; I wanted to stay in London and do an LLM and this provided the perfect fit. I did also look at university rankings and had friends that previously attended and loved it, which helped finalise the decision. Honestly, I did not do as much research as I should have done into the day-to-day life of a BVS student at City St George's, but I am very happy. The City Law School’s staff and tutors are welcoming and supportive, the community is very open and there are a lot of truly incredible opportunities to get involved with. I am very happy with the decision I made and would highly recommend City St George's for anyone considering doing an LLM with the BVS!

How are you funding your studies – did you secure any financial support such as a scholarship or bursary?

Doing an LLM meant that I was eligible for the standard SFE post-grad loan. However, this loan did not cover the cost of my entire course. I worked incredibly hard to fund my course and continue to do so. There are a few students that also work whilst on the course and despite the difficulties with scheduling, it can be helpful in demonstrating your ability to manage time and shows dedication to the course.

Note to prospective BVS students: Inns provide scholarships and if you obtain pupillage you may get a drop-down to fund the BVS. There are many other organisations that offer sponsorship depending on the area of law you want to get into, your background etc. - so really do your research. Even if the scholarship is small, it looks good on your legal CV, so apply to as many as you are eligible for!

What does a typical week at university look like for you?

I have tutorials three times a week, luckily my schedule is Monday-Wednesday, so my Thursdays and Fridays are free. Well, I say free, they are usually spent preparing for the week ahead. In terms of preparation, there is a lot. The BVS at City St George's does not have any traditional lectures. You are provided with learning materials, reading lists, podcasts and questions to complete for class. These questions must be done prior to attendance to get the most out of the tutorials.

The workload involved in preparation varies. Sometimes it can be quite easy, other times it is incredibly heavy, and it is hard to balance everything all at once. However, that is where your motivation comes into play - if you want to excel, you will find a way to get things done. I always recommend working a week in advance to try and alleviate the pressure of trying to prepare during the journey in. However, if for whatever reason, you have been unable to prepare, you can rearrange your tutorial to attend an alternative class.

Classes are held within your tutor groups, so at the beginning of the year you will make 11 or 12 new friends and you will see them almost every week for the next 8 months or so of your life. Make friends within your group, support each other and cheer each other on - it makes a difference!

I have Qualifying Sessions spaced out throughout the year. They are not a weekly occurrence, but there are other events/ activities my Inn holds that I do attend weekly e.g. Inner Temple Debating Society. I try to keep in touch with and make friends in my Inn because there are people at all different stages of their careers that are usually more than happy to advise/ support you on your journey. Attending Debating Society is also a fun way of utilising and demonstrating skills that I can rely on during my advocacy performances. What is my social life like - well, that is a hard one.

The overall programme is very intense and I often find myself so bogged down with preparation, revision, qualifying sessions, and extra-curricular activities, that I don't really find the time. I am very grateful that I have made friends in my group and so I often spend time between classes or just after with them. As the year progresses, the workload decreases so I like to go for a coffee or dinner with my friends on the course after a long day as it helps us all to unwind. I especially find this useful with my CLE colleagues, as due to the nature of our work we are not permitted to discuss our case with anyone else, so it can be really nice to talk through things with them in person.

I also use events as a time to see my non-BVS friends. Most recently, I invited my best friend to join me at a society's social. We had a fantastic time seeing each other after so long and as the only paralegal and solicitor-to-be in the room, she had a great time meeting all of my barrister-to-be friends.

Overall, I would say there is no typical week, everything varies. Being on the BVS requires flexibility and the ability to adapt. I have found a schedule/ balance that works for me, but it is different for everyone. As long as you know why you are doing the course and what is important to you, you will find time to fit everything in.

What has been your favourite module or aspect of your course so far?

Advocacy modules are my favourite by far. I love the acting and getting into character; it is really fun but it also makes you realise how to better your performance as an advocate. Sometimes we think our questioning is clear, but then the actor will give an unexpected answer or is clearly unsure of what is being asked and we immediately have to reformulate. That experience of having to think on your feet and learn as you go is really enjoyable. You put into practice everything that you have learned and must demonstrate so many skills all at once, it really puts into perspective what you are working so hard for.

What knowledge and skills has your course helped you develop?

This course has helped me develop in so many ways. I would primarily say it has helped me with my confidence when advocating and it has also helped me to understand structures. The course has many modules which are adjacent and complimentary. Recognising which modules go together helps to elevate your overall performance because you can see how everything comes together. For example, I found that Opinion Writing and Conference were the written and oral versions of each other. I used this to guide how I approach writing an opinion and what was necessary to adduce in Conference.

The full-time course really encourages students to take a step back and consider how each module fits together as a component of a larger structure. Using this understanding of the BVS, principles and methods can be translated and applied in new and interesting ways to enhance your understanding and performance of each module.

What opportunities and experiences has City St George's offered you so far?

City St George's has many opportunities available to students. However, being on the BVS, students tend to reside in The City Law School and predominantly engage in School activities because they are typically held within the School’s own building. The School sends round emails about opportunities specifically for law students, which are available to see on the Lawbore calendar. There are different talks and networking opportunities which are helpful, along with a lot of support from the Pupillage Advisory Service (PAS).

I am hugely biased, but I think the best opportunities are the CLEs I have spoken about. There was a wide range to choose from for my cohort and they give you the opportunity to work on real cases, with real clients. Every student doing a CLE loves talking about it so I would highly recommend having a search for what students have to say (including myself) to get a more in-depth understanding of why the CLEs are regarded so highly amongst BVS students.

What are your career plans and how has City St George's prepared you for them?

I am going to be a barrister, so doing the BVS has helped by way of giving me access to completing this stage of training. I am also immensely passionate about words. It is a very niche passion, but in the world of law, words are everything so it fits very nicely within my career path.

Since doing the BVS, I have been thinking more and more about my future plans and have recently been considering doing a PhD. Throughout the course, I have learned so much about words, how they are used and how meanings are determined which has encouraged me to consider this option.

What advice would you give to someone considering a postgraduate degree?

There is a lot of advice I could give but I will try and keep it simple. Firstly, motivations – don't do a course that you don't like or aren't that interested in or you cannot fully commit to just because it is available and you meet the criteria. Postgrad can often feel like the natural progression, but you can talk to careers advisors, friends, family, City St George's staff and students (on platforms like Unibuddy) to get an understanding of what you may be getting into.

Secondly - institution (specifically for the BVS) - the BVS is intense and all providers teach it differently. Figure out which provider is for you by looking at: the specifics of the course content, structure, teaching, assessment: some courses may allow online study, and some are in-person; next, some providers do the centrally set exams in December, while others do it in April; some providers only provide the BVS, other providers do it with LLM; some providers may have CLEs or similar opportunities, consider what they are and how they appeal to you.

Finally, passion - find a course that makes you happy, find an institution that makes you happy, and make friends. Use the available platforms and open evenings to build networks to help yourself ease into City St George's and BVS life.

Your studies will be whatever you make of them. If you work hard and contribute to the many communities you will be a part of as a BVS student, you will find your efforts are returned tenfold. People want to help and see you succeed, so if you have the drive and passion to do so take the leap!