Question 1- Law with German

[MedLinkAdmin]

Q: Recently I attended the Exploring Law Conference and Edge Session at Nottingham University and spoke to a Law with German student called Natalie who is currently studying at Nottingham, as part of the conference. Unfortunately due to the demanding schedule of the conference and the time allotted to speak to current law students I did not feel as though I had sufficiently gone through all of my queries concerning the transition from Sixth Form to university, what a law degree entails and specifically her choice of course. Would it be possible to have Natalie explain in detail her reasons for choosing such a course & what she feels she is getting most from it.

A: I chose Law with German because German was always one of my best subjects in school. Also, because law is so competitive, I felt it would give me an edge to have a language as part of my degree as so many law firms have international offices, and similarly because I think the 3rd year abroad element of the course would be a great opportunity to get back to Germany to live and study. Regarding what I'm getting from the course, first year German isn't a million miles from A level so they break you in gently which is definitely a good thing. A lot of the classes and marking etc is all done in German so it helps to be immersed in the language more. I also like the fact that my German classes give me a bit of a break from law, which I absolutely love, but it is heavy going and it's nice to be able to go back to something more familiar. Also, doing BA means you do compulsory German Language 1, which involves grammar, oral, etc, but also a choice of German subsides, a lot of which are examined in English so that essentially was a chance for me to do a bit of history as well (another one of my favourite subjects in school). This year I chose Sex, Gender and Society in Germany (which I would definitely recommend as the teaching was brilliant), and Hitler and the Third Reich. There's loads of extra grammar/speaking sessions etc and the teaching is in small enough groups for you to raise any issues you have, etc. I also don't feel like I've learnt any less law. German obviously replaces the tort module which BA students do in 2nd year instead of 1st, but I don't feel like my law learning has been compromised at all. On a more social note, you can join double the societies and double the friends you have when you study a combination of subjects so that's great too. Hope this answers your question.