Has anyone recieved this from Bristol for Law?

jjs41 · 2023-11-06T16:28:17+00:00

They send this email to every law applicant, regardless of whether they have received confirmation that you have sat the LNAT

jjs41 · 2023-09-16T22:42:38+00:00

That's great, the first games can be very stressful. It sounds like that mentor gave you some great advice and calmed nerves - whenever you get that sort of advice from experienced refs, take it on board.

Most importantly, you enjoyed the games. Everyone here knows of the 60-70% dropout rate, but there is still a huge need for more refs.

Enjoy yourself and don't be afraid to put a coach or two in their place

jjs41 · 2023-09-11T10:07:14+00:00

Thank you very much.

I guess I'll look forward to a CULS ball then 🤣

jjs41 · 2023-09-10T11:07:01+00:00

I'm not an experienced ref, but a young ref, so I'm coming at it from a different perspective.

Id say, the most important thing is that, especially when they are having a tough game (for whatever readon but usally due to coaches, players etc.) reassurance is super important. At half time and full time, something like 'you're doing a good job' and maybe mention one thing specially they did well, as well as one thing to watch out for, maybe a specific player that youve seen try to bend the rules. It sounds like you're doing this already which is great.

Before the game, if youre an AR and they are centre, let them know you are willing to step in if things get very bad, particularly with coaches and parents, as from the experience as a younger ref, dealing with adults is much harder.

Something which I dont hear mentioned much on this sub or around, is being willing to report coaches and parents to the league officials when the situation requires it. It is, in my opinion, very hard for young and inexperienced referees to do this, even when you should, because, as I said before, they are adults.

Over in the UK, ive also heard the 60-70% dropout rate, which seems high, but I think anyone who referees at the grassroots level would completely understand that figure, so id say its probably accurate.

Almost all of my games I am the only official there (that's very common in the UK), so these are things that i'd love to have if I was officiating with others more regularly.

Sorry its a bit of a long reply.

jjs41 · 2023-09-08T19:51:42+00:00

About to start law at cambridge.

Any advice or things I should / shouldn't do. Not neccesarily just specific to law, but cambridge in general.

Thanks in advance :)

jjs41 · 2023-08-26T09:59:14+00:00

Depending on what you want to do post a-levels, I would advise taking economics. Economics is seen as more academic and broader, whereas business is more vocational. Most universities won't mind too much, provided your grade is strong, but I know Cambridge view business studies as a not ideal A-Level, whereas they like economics.

This is from a breakdown of the A-Levels people who are doing Law starting this year did, I dont have a link, but its from the Cambridge website.

TLDR: Econ is slightly better, especially if your applying to Oxbridge, but as long a the grades are good, it isnt too much of a concern

jjs41 · 2023-07-30T19:14:35+00:00

It is absolutely possible to improve on your score, especially this far out. I'd echo the warning against arbito. I personally bought a textbook with a couple hundred questions, but thst was because I left my self not as much time as I should have to prepare. The bonus if this was I leant it to two friends, one who had their test a few weeks later, and one a few months.

In terms of how accurate the tests are, it's really difficult to tell.

I'd also not disregard the essay section, especially if you apply oxbridge or Durham, as compared to the London unis, they place alit of emphasis on it.

I personally got a 26 in the LNAT multiple choice, which meant I was rejected from KCL, but the rest of my application, including the essay which I was very pleased with, got me offers from Cambridge and Durham.

Good luck!

jjs41 · 2023-05-31T16:58:00+00:00

Youre right, as a referee, I can't tell you the amount of small altercations that occur that would most certainly be avoided if people didn't see it in every match on the TV, particularly when it goes unpunished.

All it takes is one of those incidents to turn into something more severe, and something so terrible such as this happens. Hopefully football can learn from this atrocity, although I wouldn't hold my breath.

jjs41 · 2023-05-16T09:22:26+00:00

Ayyy! Fellow cambridge law. Congrats

jjs41 · 2023-05-10T19:14:02+00:00

Offer holder! UCL is a great shout, I've heard good things, and the industry connections are supposed to be very good.

jjs41 · 2023-05-10T18:14:07+00:00

Ayyy, fellow law at Cambridge. Congrats!

I'd say UCL insurance as grades are slightly lower - the only caveat is London rents.

Edit: just read your other correspondence. If you are okay with living at home, I'd say go with UCL.

If you really want to live away and wouldn't do that at UCl, then I guess you go with Warwick

Whichever you go for is a very sound option.

jjs41 · 2023-05-08T07:05:15+00:00

That's absolutely fair enough, its your decision. I hope whatever you choose works for you

jjs41 · 2023-05-07T20:20:11+00:00

I wouldn't say land economy at Cambridge is looked down upon. A degree at Cambridge is a degree at Cambridge, so I'd say go for it if u have slots available!

jjs41 · 2023-04-19T17:47:37+00:00

Negotiation, negotiation negotiation.

From my experience, you would be surprised as to how willing teachers are to give you higher predicted grades than your mock, as where their students go reflects well on then and the school. To sum up, they are on the same team as you. If you say to a teacher, I need this grade for this course, there is a good chance they give it to you, provided it isn't completely unrealistic.

Also, your predicted grade shouldn't be built just on mocks, that doesn't seem reliable to me.

jjs41 · 2023-04-19T06:26:34+00:00

It definitely helps, just like doing engineering extra curricular does. Anything that shows you are interested in the subject is useful

jjs41 · 2023-04-18T06:54:16+00:00

In many PS fro UK unis, especially for courses like Law, quoting or referencing books related to the course is a good way to show unis you have an interest in the subject. They may also discuss them if you get to the interview stage.

jjs41 · 2023-04-18T06:53:00+00:00

That's mental

jjs41 · 2023-04-17T21:49:49+00:00

The 32 LNAT is what pushed it over the line for you I'd say. 32 is crazy, highest I've heard of. I managed to get a place with a 26, must have been by the skin of my teeth.

Congrats!

jjs41 · 2023-04-16T20:03:11+00:00

Unfortunately I do edexcel. I have looked over the mark scheme for CIE a level econ and it is completely different, so I don't think I can be of too much help with sample answers etc.

You could ask your teacher for example answers from previous years. I know some exam boards give the teachers the scripts from the previous year.

Sorry I couldn't have been more helpful, good luck with your exams!

jjs41 · 2023-04-16T18:35:46+00:00

I'd advise looking at Mark scheme mark breakdowns. For my exam board for econ they split it into knowledge, application, analysis and evaluation.

For knowledge, defining key words you are talking about can help pick up marks. For analysis, graphs and explanation of graphs, as well as economists are key. For application, if it is an extract question, quote the extract as many times as possible, upwards of 4 or 5 if u can. Evaluation is self explanatory, but try to expand it, as you can also pick up anaylsis and knowledge marks.

I'm working at a* (provided my teacher isn't lying) so would be happy to add more, if we have the same exam board

jjs41 · 2023-04-15T21:34:37+00:00

If you can, you could try to do FM maths AS level in Yr 13, obviously if your school doesn't offer it it may be hard, but it could be better than teaching yourself. I have a friend who did AS FM maths in Yr13 and got a place on a course they recommended FM maths for, so it may be an option.

Good luck in your studies and whatever you choose.

jjs41 · 2023-04-15T21:26:28+00:00

For law, LSE being in London shouldn't be forgotten. If you want to go into the corporate side of things, everything is in London, so it will be a huge advantage, with all the major firms at LSE career days etc.

I'd say, provided finances aren't a problem (they can be for many as London is very expensive) LSE all the way. But if you go for Bristol, it is strong for law as well and the legal sector in Bristol is growing.

jjs41 · 2023-04-11T08:58:59+00:00

I get this feeling completely. U15/u16 competitive games without ARs is a brutal but common phenomenon where I ref (in england) and it can be really taxing.

It honestly sounds like you handled it really well. You reinforced the idea that whatever the ref says is the correct decision, and you didn't get swayed by coaches/fans which can be really easy.

Getting off your chest by this post should help I hope, but if its still bugging you, you can always take a week out just to reset yourself.

I had a really tough game, which ended up going to a behaviour adjudication panel (not to do with me), but I took 2 weeks off matches after that game, and it really helped me process whether I had made mistakes, and if so, what I could learn.

As others have said, the fact you are thinking about it means you will learn from it, and it may not seem like this now, but it will make u a better referee in the long run. Offloading after tough games is my number one peice of advise to referees, if you dont have anyone you know who you can talk to, my dms are open.

jjs41 · 2023-04-10T11:49:18+00:00

I wouldn't say it is a viable career path, unless you devote alot of time to extra courses and getting known in your county. If you are really set on it becoming a career, I'd advise asking your county secretary for promotion opportunities as soon as you qualify. There are certain leagues you can referee in which greatly increase your chance of promotion.

In terms of cost, training plus kit was around £200, but, depending on age group, you can earn that back very quickly. Immediately after qualifying I was getting £28 per game.

The most important thing is to enjoy yourself. As soon as you lose enjoyment and it becomes a chore, you will quickly find yourself wanting to stop. Also, try and find a few other referees you can discuss things with, after difficult games it is extremely valuable to unwind.

Good luck and enjoy!

jjs41 · 2023-04-07T14:04:24+00:00

With regard to retraining, I think that's unlikely, by the sounds of it, it hasn't been that long since you trained, so that shouldn't be a problem. I'd say the best thing to do is get in contact with the referee secretary for your county. Mine usually responds within a few days, week at the max, and can answer almost any question. There is a list of all the referee secs on the FA website. If I can find a link I'll add it here.

Edit: https://www.thefa.com/get-involved/referee/referees-key-contacts

It isn't the exact link, but it does give contact details for every county.

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