Are you curious to know what it is like to study Law at King’s College London?
Reading about a course only tells you so much, you do not get the reality that those who are studying it can provide.
Second-year student Daria Popa talks us through what life as a Law student at King’s College London is really like.
Life at KCL As A Law Student
Curious about how a day looks in the life of a King’s College London Law student? Then you are in the right place!
My name is Daria and I am in my second year of the LLB Politics, Philosophy and Law (or, as most people know it, PPL) course at King’s.
I am going to offer you a breakdown of an average day in my life, with the mention that there are, of course, variations across the week.
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My PPL Classes At KCL
In terms of classes, I have one lecture lasting between one and three hours for each module I am taking, as well as a one-hour seminar for Politics and Philosophy modules and a one-hour tutorial for Law modules.
There is a lot of choice when it comes to modules. In first year, PPL students can only choose two Philosophy modules out of the five they are taking that year, but in second year they can choose two for Philosophy and two for Politics.
For example, this year, I am taking Criminal Law and Government and Law, Political Economy, The International Politics of Energy, Ethics and Modern Philosophy (Locke and Berkeley), but my friends have different options. This is exciting, as we can always discuss with each other about our work in the seminars and go beyond our chosen subjects.
7 AM: Starting My Day
I am an early bird, so I like to start my day quite early. I wake up, choose an outfit for the day and have some breakfast.
This is usually just cereal with milk. While eating, I will also be reading one or two pages of a book or watching a YouTube video.
I treat the first part of the morning as “me-time” and it is a great way of starting your day.
8 AM: Studying at KCL
I will leave home sometime between 7:30 AM and 7:45 AM, so as to get to the library and get some work done. There are quite a lot of study spaces options at King’s.
The most popular is, by far, the Maughan Library, on Chancery Lane. It is an impressive building with a lot of rooms to study.
On the ground floor, you will also find the Round Reading Room, a quiet place for study. The only distracting part might be that nobody can resist taking a photo or a video while there and posting it on Instagram. The room is magnificent.
Some other favourites are Waterloo Library, Bush House, Somerset House, and some of the coffee shops around Strand Campus. And there are a lot of them!
Depending on the weather and on how I feel, I walk or take the bus to the library. London is a big city, so there is really no escaping when it comes to the bus, but I love walking and seeing the city over and over again.
In order to get to Strand Campus, I have to cross Waterloo Bridge, and the view never disappoints. Law students most usually have classes on Strand and Waterloo only, but King’s has two more campuses, namely Guy’s and Denmark Hill.
As for what I am precisely studying, PPL is an amazing programme. While it is a qualifying Law degree, you also get to do Politics and Philosophy.
My work is heavily based on reading a significant amount of academic material and writing essays. I like the balance the programme offers, as it gives you the chance to explore more areas and adopt different approaches to how you write essays for each. A change is welcome from time to time!
12 PM: Lunch at KCL
This varies according to my classes. There are days when I have morning classes and days when they take place in the afternoon, but it is a rough estimate.
What I eat will depend on the day. If it is a day when I am studying alone, I usually pack my own lunch. This can be anything from sandwiches to slightly more elaborate meals. If it is a day when I am in a rush and I have a lot to prepare or write, I will most probably buy a Tesco Meal Deal.
Eating Meal Deals in the library courtyard when you have a lot of work to do has its own charm. However, I am sometimes meeting my friends for studying, so we will go and eat somewhere together for lunch break.
We usually go to the university’s canteen, King’s Kitchen, but sometimes we like exploring places around the Maughan. One of the best we found is called LebanEats, and it serves the tastiest Lebanese food in the area.
Take a look through our collection of Day In The Life articles for more insight into university life:
2 PM: Back To The Library
Again, this is a rough estimate. I will be back in the library or wherever I was studying in the first place and get back to work.
With Law especially, readings are endless. After some time at university though, you will learn how to choose the readings that are truly important, how to skim read, and, essentially, how to make the most out of your study time.
Eating Meal Deals in the library courtyard when you have a lot of work to do has its own charm. However, I am sometimes meeting my friends for studying, so we will go and eat somewhere together for lunch break.
Before coming to university, I was a bit scared of my lack of knowledge in the legal area. I thought I would be expected to at least possess some notions related to what I was studying.
Being an international student, I did not have the option of taking an A-Level in Law in high school, so I felt like I was coming in blindfolded. However, that turned out to be an unfounded worry, all professors, tutors and seminar leaders start with the most basic elements, to make sure everybody has a fair start.
6 PM: Socialising
Around 6 o’clock, I will leave the library to either go home or meet my friends.
If I go home, it will probably be to do my grocery shopping, and I might even cook something for dinner. Morrison’s is just ten minutes away from where I live, but there are some smaller ones like Sainsbury’s which are even more conveniently located.
Sometimes, my friends and I decide to go out after a long study day. London has a lot to offer, you just have to make sure you make the most out of it. Some of our favourite places include Chinatown, where you can get really good food for good price, Covent Garden (especially during the festive season – Christmas lights look so good), Oxford Street in case we want to do some shopping and just take a stroll.
Sometimes, we go bowling or to the cinema, and we are rather good at finding deals. For example, we often find cinema tickets for just £6.
Sometimes, we will just have a pancake night and go to one of our flats, or watch a movie on Netflix. The options are endless.
I think having time for socialising is very important, be it going out with friends, or attending Society events. Student Societies at King’s host a lot of social events where you can meet people and have fun with your friends. There is something for everyone, so you can be a music lover, or a board game lover, there will be people who share your interests.
11 PM: Bedtime
I try to go to bed early as I know another packed day awaits me!
Final Thoughts Of A KCL Law Student
Studying Law (or, in my case, PPL) at King’s is an amazing experience.
I thoroughly enjoy my course and I met some amazing people here, both students and teaching staff. If I were to give you some advice, it would be to explore your options. Do not limit yourself to your university modules.
They are, of course, very important, and you should be dedicating time to studying and getting good grades, but make sure you get involved in societies and university competitions (Law students are fans of moot courts, debates, negotiation and commercial competitions etc.) They will certainly help with your personal and professional development.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and spending a day at King’s, studying Law, with me!
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