Dan Abel

Dan, from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire was the first in his family to move away from home for university.

Why University of Cumbria?

I always had an ambition to go to university. It appeared to be, and was, the perfect place for personal development and gaining invaluable employability skills.

What was special about it?

UoC appealed due to the small class size. I had always disliked the idea of being another student (or number) to staff members. The smaller class size here allowed your tutors to properly get to know you.

Another great aspect was the location. Being so close to the Lake District is perfect. It also helped that the law course received 100% student satisfaction (unistats).

Why law?

LLB Law meant I could go on to study the LPC to qualify as a solicitor. The LLB is a qualifying law degree, recognised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, for the purposes of satisfying the academic stage of training.

What were the best parts of the course?

Law at UoC provides so many amazing opportunities to get involved.

In the three years I studied there, I was able to take part in mooting (mock court trials) competitions, organise a mooting competition, organise a national law conference and a law ball.

I was also able to volunteer outside of my degree at Citizens Advice Carlisle and Eden, which gave me the best practical experiences alongside the academic aspect of the degree.

University forces you to learn how to effectively manage your time. Most importantly, you make friends for life.

How did you find staff and tutors?

It does not take long to notice how passionate the staff in the law department are about helping their students.

Did university change your life?

It provided me with a lot of personal development. I would say I have become a lot more confident. University forces you to learn how to effectively manage your time. Most importantly, you make friends for life.

Your advice to new students?

Don’t be nervous about getting involved in the extra activities – it is the most useful part of developing yourself alongside studying.

What are you particularly proud of?

The opportunity to be President of the Student Law Society. I was, and am, very passionate about helping law students develop their skills. Also, going straight into employment as a money advice caseworker / general advice worker at Citizens Advice Carlisle and Eden.

My degree helped me to realise my passion for social law/justice.

Future ambitions?

I intend to continue working with Citizens Advice and will be looking to do a masters LLM or LPC soon. In time, I think I will look to go down the teaching route.