Pamela Chirinos Montoya

What motivated you to study at university?

What motivated me to go to university was getting a chance to experience student life and it was the only pathway I could take in order to study my chosen subject. The career I wanted to pursue, at the time, was primarily only accessible through university.

Though it may not be the only path now, I am glad I studied at university because it gave me an opportunity to develop myself as a person and gain skills.

There is much more to university than going to class and studying like participating with the student community and being involved in extra-curricular activities. I was aware of this when I made the choice to go to university and it is for this reason that I made my decision. My motivation to go to university was also partially personal as I am the first generation to go to university in my family and it was definitely an experience I was not willing to let go of for my own learning and my family.

Why did you choose City St George's for your LLB (Hons)?

While I think City St George's seemed like a good choice of study based on its location benefits for a law degree, I did not know much about the university before adding it to my list.

However, it was thanks to a masterclass I attended that I got to know City St George's much better and ended up listing it in my top two choices.

The masterclass I attended was a law masterclass because I thought it was the best way for me to get a good idea if this was the right place for me. On the day, we were given short lectures by five different professors who all gave us brief ideas of different modules that we might study in our degree there.

One professor in particular stood out to me, who was teaching medical law in the masterclass, and he ended up being my lecturer for Foundations of Tort Law.

The way this professor explained the law and the teaching at City St George's was so understandable that it made me excited to start learning about law.

Throughout the rest of the masterclass, I sat in that lecture room and could genuinely imagine myself attending lectures at City St George's and I did (in that very same lecture hall). It was simply the good energy I got from everyone at the university that day that convinced me that City St George's was a good option for me.

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

A typical week at university usually consists of having at least four lectures a week and two or three tutorials a week. These contact hours are all spread out throughout the week and I usually come onto campus four or five times a week; this means I am usually at the university every day.

Outside of my timetable, I am also involved in pro bono volunteering as part of one of my modules. These volunteering hours are outside of university hours and can spread between one to three days of about one to three hours of volunteering depending on how much work I have.

On some days where I have longer breaks between classes, I try to go out with my friends to have lunch somewhere nice. This is usually once a week. Alternatively, if we have an early class on a Friday, we spend the rest of the day going out to central London to walk around and eat out.

How are you finding studying in London?

London is my home city so it is where I am comfortable, yet attending City St George's has given me the opportunity to get to know other parts of London that I was not so familiar with before attending. I knew I wanted to stay in London as it was the best option for me in regard to my chosen career path since most firms are based in London.

I also believe that studying in London has its benefits when it comes to opportunities available, whether that be job opportunities or just opportunities for learning. There is also easier access from London to other parts of the country if one needs to go outside of the city - I think as a student the best and worst part of London is the transport.

Best in the sense of the accessibility it provides in how useful all transport methods are but the worst because as a student in London transport is expensive. I can acknowledge this even as someone who has lived in London all their life. London is such a diverse city that it provides a lot of chances to grow.

If you could do any job related to law in the world, what would it be and why?

If I could do any job related to law it would be any legal role within a business where I would have the chance to work with other professionals from different departments.

I would like to work in a legal role where I am not just surrounded by lawyers but different people from different fields. This is because I highly value the lessons you can learn from others that have different experiences.

While a career in law is what I want to pursue, I would ideally like it to be within the range of having access to work with other sectors such as marketing where I could also contribute my creativity to the work I do as a lawyer.

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

As it stands, I am interested in pursuing a career as a solicitor. The City Law School has prepared me for this in various ways, both academically and personally.

First, City St George's prepared me by giving me the foundation knowledge required about the law, now in my final year this has developed with my own choice of electives where I have considered specialising. Knowledge-wise, City St George's has given me a strong foundation.

Second, through some academics and extra-curricular activities, City St George's has given me opportunities to grow my personal brand and develop the necessary skills to go into the workforce.

For example, taking on a micro-placement and participating in Pro-bono volunteering. Now I am also a brand ambassador for the university. Through all these experiences at City St George's, I have been able to grow as a person that can be considered as a competitive candidate that stands out from others when looking to get hired.