Law

Law is one of the most sought-after of careers, and it's therefore no surprise that it's also one of the most sought-after degrees in British universities, with more than 14,000 students applying to study it every' year. If that weren't competition enough, anyone with a good first degree can take a law conversion course after graduation and go on to become a lawyer. It is even possible to bypass university; start work in a law firm and take professional exams, although this is hardly a short cut.

However you do it, it's a slog at times, you need dedication during your course, and even after that, it's at least two years before you're fully qualified. So think long and hard about whether you're ready for it.

Legal education is split, broadly, into two stages: the academic stage and the vocational stage. The academic stage usually comprises a three-to-four-year law degree (normally' three years in England and Wales, but four in Scotland-four-year degrees in England and Wales are usually combined with another subject). Students should ensure that they study a qualifying law degree if they wish to proceed directly on to courses that allow them to become barristers and solicitors. Those who take different degrees can take a year-long conversion course, known as the Common Professional Examination (CPE).

Then the decisions come. To qualify as a barrister requires a year-long bar vocational course (BVC), followed by another year's pupillage in an approved training organisation, usually barristers' chambers. Solicitors take a Legal Practice Course (LPC), followed by a training contract usually lasting two years, before being admitted to the roll of solicitors.

An increasing number of joint degree courses are now on offer at universities, often combining law with sociology, business and politics. You'll generally be graded by a mixture of continuous assessment and exams, although some do expect a dissertation as well.

Once you've graduated, you will, at the very least, have a good solid professional qualification that your parents will approve of. From that base, you have a degree which can lead to an interesting career within the profession, which, if you get picked up by one of the big city law firms, can be very lucrative indeed. Some of you may even see it as a noble calling, and feel the need to take up the shield of justice and fight for what is right (though without being cynical, you'll be in the minority). Most will settle for a comfortable career inside the profession either as barristers or solicitors, while some will take their training and skills into different arenas, such as the media, marketing or business consultancy.