I was born in America but have lived in Drumcondra in Dublin for almost my whole life. I’m in my second year of the Masters of Common Law in UCD. For my undergrad, I studied European Studies in Trinity, graduating in 2014.
In between my undergrad and starting the MCL, I worked for the best part of a year. I had always intended to do a Masters however, and law was always in the back of my mind, even back when I was filling out the CAO.
I wasn’t sure about how I would manage with getting back into the rhythm of studying and not working, but as soon as I started class that September I absolutely loved it. Going back to college gives you a new perspective, and has made me a lot more focused as a student.
Having been born in the States, my goal is to go back and practice law over there. If I were to stay in Ireland, the MCL is a great boost in terms of job prospects. UCD is fantastic about developing links between students and prospective employers, and there are always workshops on offer to help you develop your professional skills, or writing CVs and cover letters. The Law School has made some great opportunities and connections in America available to me and has been very helpful with my future applications.
The course is certainly challenging but not unduly so. In first year you’re doing many of the “core” subjects, whereas this year there’s a good freedom of choice. Last semester was a lot of work for me personally as I had seven subjects, but I feel once you get a bit of momentum going and get on top of the workload you just get through whatever work you have.
Practical experiences
Between lectures and seminars I normally have about 18 hours a week, and there’s a fair bit of reading on top of that. However, I have found the time to do a few other things; I’m lucky with my timetable in that I’m able to intern at the Community Law & Mediation Centre, as well as being part of the UCD Vis Moot Arbitration team. These extracurricular things mean my timetable is pretty heavy but it’s more than worth it, as the practical experiences dovetail very well with what we’re doing in class.
My favourite thing about the programme is how they challenge you to think differently, not just inquisitively but also adding structure to how you approach a problem. It’s a skill that is transferable to many areas of life. I would have to say my least favourite thing is the cost of textbooks! To be fair, our lecturers do everything they can to ensure we have access to as many sources as possible in the library.
I would certainly encourage others to do a master’s following their undergrad. While it may seem daunting to undertake further studies, it has been a really enriching experience and I have grown a lot as a student, a prospective employee and as a person by doing it.
