To those currently in Blackhall,read on

jdscrubs

I am creating this to find out the following from those who are currently in Blackhall so only those who are in Blackhall please reply. Was in Blackhall myself last year and going back at the end of April so want to know if things have improved.

Do you feel like you are getting value for money?.
Have the Lecturers and Tutors improved since last year especially for conveyancing?.
When Lectures or Tutorials are cancelled, are you getting sufficient notice or is it when you arrive into the lecture itself?.
Are the materials that you are given useless compared to the amount the 6 months cost?.

dats_right

jdscrubs wrote: »

Have the Lecturers and Tutors improved since last year especially for conveyancing?.

Unless somebody had been on both the PPCI 2007 and also the PPCI 2008 I don't see how they would know the answer to that question.

jdscrubs

dats_right wrote: »

Unless somebody had been on both the PPCI 2007 and also the PPCI 2008 I don't see how they would know the answer to that question.

That would be true in most normal colleges but in Blackhall, the same Lecturers and Tutors are used year in year out so those who are in Blackhall now and who read this would be able to give an assessment.

dats_right

jdscrubs wrote: »

That would be true in most normal colleges but in Blackhall, the same Lecturers and Tutors are used year in year out so those who are in Blackhall now and who read this would be able to give an assessment.

How exactly?

Remember you asked

jdscrubs wrote: »

Have the Lecturers and Tutors improved since last year especially for conveyancing?.

Don't you see that unless a student was on both last year's PPC1 and this year's PPC1 they couldn't possibly know the comparative standards of teaching on each respective course. For example, I like you was on 2007 PPC1 and can hence comment on my direct experiences of lecturing and tutoring for that year, but as I didn't attend the 2008 PPC1 I obviously can't for that year and nor can I therefore compare any differences between the two courses. I suppose I could try form an opinion based on hearsay from those that I know attending this year, but that would't be very reliable as they weren't there last year, and the reality would remain that unless somebody attended and has direct experience of both courses, no doubt only some sort of freak or perhaps a sadist would do so, it would be impossible for them to answer your question. Furthermore, even if there was such a freak or sadist who attended the PPC1 twice and could potentially answer your question, I know I certainly wouldn't trust their opinion rather I'd avoid them like plague!!

Also I fail to see what your point is about the same lecturers and tutors is? Well, unless of course you want the staff to give an answer to your question, but wouldn't that be entirely futile as you couldn't exactly rely on their opinions as being objective now could you? Turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind..

jdscrubs

dats_right wrote: »

How exactly?

Remember you asked

Don't you see that unless a student was on both last year's PPC1 and this year's PPC1 they couldn't possibly know the comparative standards of teaching on each respective course. For example, I like you was on 2007 PPC1 and can hence comment on my direct experiences of lecturing and tutoring for that year, but as I didn't attend the 2008 PPC1 I obviously can't for that year and nor can I therefore compare any differences between the two courses. I suppose I could try form an opinion based on hearsay from those that I know attending this year, but that would't be very reliable as they weren't there last year, and the reality would remain that unless somebody attended and has direct experience of both courses, no doubt only some sort of freak or perhaps a sadist would do so, it would be impossible for them to answer your question. Furthermore, even if there was such a freak or sadist who attended the PPC1 twice and could potentially answer your question, I know I certainly wouldn't trust their opinion rather I'd avoid them like plague!!

Also I fail to see what your point is about the same lecturers and tutors is? Well, unless of course you want the staff to give an answer to your question, but wouldn't that be entirely futile as you couldn't exactly rely on their opinions as being objective now could you? Turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind..

Dats_Right,great name by the way,yes you are right to point out the flaws in my initial query but hopefully since then things have cleared up. From what I have heard from my mates who were in with you in 2007, they had the same lecturers and tutors that I had last year in 2008. We were able to pick the same ones who were crap and couldnt believe that they were still lecturing and allowed to so. The reason as to why some do the lectruing and the turotorials is that they are only doing it to get their CPD points and to make money out of it. A good majority of them couldnt give a toss as to whether they are good or not. Blackhall dont care as they have gotten the money out of us. Thus we are left with substandard teaching and have to rely on going back to the office to find out what we should have learnt in college.

For example, conveyancing was badly taught and structured. I wasnt in the office before college. The course was aimed at those who were. In my class, only 1 or 2 had been in the office before college so we were all confused. The teaching didnt help. Hence the reason why so many of us failed. When I started in the office after the 6 months in college, doing conveyancing became a lot clearer for me. Blackhall shouldnt allow people in unless they have done a few months in the office before college but to do that would mean less students which in turn would mean less money for Blackhall so cant see that happening.

Went off on a tangent there. Hopefully you can see what I mean.

dats_right

jdscrubs wrote: »

Dats_Right,great name by the way,yes you are right to point out the flaws in my initial query but hopefully since then things have cleared up.

Thanks and sorry I was perhaps being a bit pedantic anyway. As it happens, I agree with everything you say. Especially regarding the conveyancing side of things. From what I've heard though this year's class aren't doing any of the private client subjects (EU, Human Rights, Employment and Family) but do spend the whole year doing 'Skills' sessions. I don't know what your thoughts were on the two ridiculous, compulsory weeks early in the New Year that were wasted playing make believe court and other equally silly games that were somehow supposed to make us better solicitors!! But the Law Society in all their wisdom obviously thought that these 'skills', and I use that word loosely, were somehow worthy of devoting considerably more time too at the expense of growing areas of practice such as family and employment- the mind really baffles!!

I have also heard that rather than having to do 5 assignments as in the past the current crop only have to do 2 assignments. I suppose by the sounds of it, it's all great for trainees on current course i.e. 4 less subjects to study for exam, 3 less assignments and more touchy feely skills stuff the course has gotten considerably easier. I believe moves are afoot, on account of the alleged dumbing down of the course, that next year there are proposals to include a Skills Course on 'potty training'!!

EC1000

I'm currently on PPC1 and with regard to the OP, I haven't had a lecture cancelled so far so that seems to be an improvement (I assume given your comment that you experienced some cancellations). As for the standard of lecturing, it's like pretty much any other teaching institution in so far as you have a huge blend of people who are excellent lecturers and people who are hopeless and lots more in between. To be honest, if you read through all the lecture materials you would not need to go to lectures at all so at least if the lecturer is poor, you can just read the materials and keep up to date that way anyway - wouldn't recommend it though. However, there are some people who do not go to lectures at all....!

Some negatives imho: No civil lit manual till PPC2 (working off temporary ones). No lectures in family, eu, employment etc which is great for exams but absolutely crap when going back to work in a general practice office in 2 months!

The skills classes that you referred to are actually quite good in many respects - however, they did cause timetable chaos for the first few weeks because the tutorial groupings are different from the skills groupings. It all got sorted out after a month or so and has been going smoothly since.

Amazotheamazing

EC1000 wrote: »

Some negatives imho: No civil lit manual till PPC2 (working off temporary ones). No lectures in family, eu, employment etc which is great for exams but absolutely crap when going back to work in a general practice office in 2 months!

The skills classes that you referred to are actually quite good in many respects - however, they did cause timetable chaos for the first few weeks because the tutorial groupings are different from the skills groupings. It all got sorted out after a month or so and has been going smoothly since.

No worries, it's not like litigation and family are important parts of law, and sure, employment, never need that in a million years...

I think the skills are vital though, you won't appreciate how important they are at the time.

jdscrubs

EC1000 wrote: »

I'm currently on PPC1 and with regard to the OP, I haven't had a lecture cancelled so far so that seems to be an improvement (I assume given your comment that you experienced some cancellations). As for the standard of lecturing, it's like pretty much any other teaching institution in so far as you have a huge blend of people who are excellent lecturers and people who are hopeless and lots more in between. To be honest, if you read through all the lecture materials you would not need to go to lectures at all so at least if the lecturer is poor, you can just read the materials and keep up to date that way anyway - wouldn't recommend it though. However, there are some people who do not go to lectures at all....!

Some negatives imho: No civil lit manual till PPC2 (working off temporary ones). No lectures in family, eu, employment etc which is great for exams but absolutely crap when going back to work in a general practice office in 2 months!

The skills classes that you referred to are actually quite good in many respects - however, they did cause timetable chaos for the first few weeks because the tutorial groupings are different from the skills groupings. It all got sorted out after a month or so and has been going smoothly since.

EC1000, I would have to disagree with Dats Right but I actually liked the Skills module. I liked it because it prepared us for being in a courtroom which is after all one of the reasons I wanted to become a solicitor&not being stuck in the office looking at boring booklet of titles. I would agree with Dats Right that other classes that werent skills or tutorials on a subject were stupid. By the way the timetable chaos you referred to at least you got it sorted in the end. I can remember being in the skills week and I,like many others were confused as to what group we were meant to be in cos they,blackhall staff hadnt a clue. Great Management.

They still havent got a proper civil lit manual for you. Is it like what we got last year, in that it comes in bundles with no index at the back. Its been over a year, you think they would have had enough time to come up with a book for you.

Not sure if I agree with them moving Employment&Family to PPC3 next year for you cos a lot do them in their firms. Cant see why they put them in the same bracket as EU or Human Rights Law. Plus if the amount of time is going to be reduced to 6 weeks for you next year, then I cant see how everything will get done in 6 weeks. For us this coming April, its been reduced by 3 weeks. From what my friends told who were there last year, they said a whole three months wasnt enough time to cover everything

dave1350

Could someone please tell me what the PPC1 is actually like? Im starting it in september. What is the format of the teaching/ exams etc? How many hours a week is it? How big are the classes? What sort of work does one do? Thanks

sitric05

Hello folks,

Random question - anyone know the exact dates that the Blackhall PPC1 exams start this month? I know its shortly and finishing up around the end of the month but anyone know anything more specific?

Cheers