FE-1's: The first block of 4

chops018

Planning on sitting the first block of 4 exams next Spring, still plenty of time to study and gonna get going on that now the end of October hopefully.

Anyway was wondering if anyone ever put loads of effort into 3 subjects and didn't bother too much with the 4th (knowing they might fail doing this but if they had a job etc, would it be better in order to ensure the passing of 3 subjects, and then be able to do the rest in one's and two's). After getting through 3 of the first block of 4.

This is just an idea bubbling around in my head.. I'll still probably divide my study equally to all 4 subjects at the start and when I see what one's I'm weaker at I'll split the time accordingly (although I've a fair idea what one's I'm decent at and what one's I'm not due to studying law in college).

brian__foley

This happens all the time. Many, many people do a "ghost fourth".

Its not something I think is a particularly good idea (planning to fail never is), but if you can only focus on three, and you must sit four, its really the only option.

Another point that ought be made on this is that this "ghost fourth" option may be a partial contributor to very high failure rates. If, there is a large portion of people simply taking a ghost exam, then high failure rates have to include that and, in truth, the level of "real" failures isn't as high as some of the statistics in the exam reports say.

So, if you're worried about the work level and failure rates, don't be put off because, really, those rates are a partial product of the notion of doing the ghost fourth and many, many people do all four and get all four. Just choose your subjects well and note the overlap between, say, contract and equity and the size of EU and constitutional (good idea to split them) and so on.

Brian

GCD

chops018

brian__foley wrote: »

This happens all the time. Many, many people do a "ghost fourth".

Its not something I think is a particularly good idea (planning to fail never is), but if you can only focus on three, and you must sit four, its really the only option.

Another point that ought be made on this is that this "ghost fourth" option may be a partial contributor to very high failure rates. If, there is a large portion of people simply taking a ghost exam, then high failure rates have to include that and, in truth, the level of "real" failures isn't as high as some of the statistics in the exam reports say.

So, if you're worried about the work level and failure rates, don't be put off because, really, those rates are a partial product of the notion of doing the ghost fourth and many, many people do all four and get all four. Just choose your subjects well and note the overlap between, say, contract and equity and the size of EU and constitutional (good idea to split them) and so on.

Brian

GCD

Cheers for the reply Brian, some good info there!!!!

NoQuarter

Chops, do yourself a favour, you said you're sitting them in spring? That gives you 6 months to study 4 subjects, its MORE than enough time to do pretty well in all 4, the ghost exam option is for when people run out of time, you would be MAD to consider that now!

Just pick your 4, make your mind up that you are going to pass all 4 and not pull out and start studying now, and never let the ghost exam thought come into your head again and you can pass them!

chops018

NoQuarter wrote: »

Chops, do yourself a favour, you said you're sitting them in spring? That gives you 6 months to study 4 subjects, its MORE than enough time to do pretty well in all 4, the ghost exam option is for when people run out of time, you would be MAD to consider that now!

Just pick your 4, make your mind up that you are going to pass all 4 and not pull out and start studying now, and never let the ghost exam thought come into your head again and you can pass them!

Cheers for the input, kinda thinking that now again.. gonna figure out my four subjects and get the material over the next few weeks then get cracking I'd say!!

NoQuarter

Two ways I'd look at it:

1. Pick 4 relatively easy topics (contract, equity, property, criminal) and that way you have the best chance to get the all important first 3. yes it leaves 4 toughies but they are still doable.

2. Pick 2 relatively easy ones (contract & equity (there is some crossover in these two)) and 2 harder ones like EU and Constitution. The downside is the greater risk that you will miss 2 and be left with none at all.

Seeing as you have to pass them all at some stage anyways option 1 might be better as it just gives you the best chance of getting those first 3 under the belt.

BUT, if I was in your shoes, with 6 months to go before you sit them, I would go for the 4 "easies" AND one hard one like company or constitution. You are not going to get another 6 month straight run at exams now because after you sit your first 4, the results dont come back for 2 months so you cant really start studying anything else until you know where you stand! So if you pass 4 first, and you want to try the next 4, you only have less than 4 months to study for them. Would be a much easier task with 5 done and only 3 to learn in those 4 months.

Its easily doable too as ive just passed all 5 KI entrance exams with about 6 month study and I passed them all very comfortably!

Just a thought!

chops018

NoQuarter wrote: »

Two ways I'd look at it:

1. Pick 4 relatively easy topics (contract, equity, property, criminal) and that way you have the best chance to get the all important first 3. yes it leaves 4 toughies but they are still doable.

2. Pick 2 relatively easy ones (contract & equity (there is some crossover in these two)) and 2 harder ones like EU and Constitution. The downside is the greater risk that you will miss 2 and be left with none at all.

Seeing as you have to pass them all at some stage anyways option 1 might be better as it just gives you the best chance of getting those first 3 under the belt.

BUT, if I was in your shoes, with 6 months to go before you sit them, I would go for the 4 "easies" AND one hard one like company or constitution. You are not going to get another 6 month straight run at exams now because after you sit your first 4, the results dont come back for 2 months so you cant really start studying anything else until you know where you stand! So if you pass 4 first, and you want to try the next 4, you only have less than 4 months to study for them. Would be a much easier task with 5 done and only 3 to learn in those 4 months.

Its easily doable too as ive just passed all 5 KI entrance exams with about 6 month study and I passed them all very comfortably!

Just a thought!

Fair play for passing KI and thanks for the info!! I found criminal and contract handy enough in college alright, I did a masters in criminal justice and international law so that would help with criminal. Then the international would help with EU (which I also didnt mind in college). So maybe criminal, contract, EU, and equity. Equity seeing as you said there's an overlap with contract and it's an "easy" too.

Well once I get through the first 4 I plan to relax a bit and take them easy, so probably 2 at a time after the block of 4 I'd say!

NoQuarter

chops018 wrote: »

Fair play for passing KI and thanks for the info!! I found criminal and contract handy enough in college alright, I did a masters in criminal justice and international law so that would help with criminal. Then the international would help with EU (which I also didnt mind in college). So maybe criminal, contract, EU, and equity. Equity seeing as you said there's an overlap with contract and it's an "easy" too.

Well once I get through the first 4 I plan to relax a bit and take them easy, so probably 2 at a time after the block of 4 I'd say!

Id do what you said but just tag property on too, its really quite simple, theres not loads to study and succession law alone is 2 questions. Even if you fail one, you still have the groundwork done for the next set, well worth doing 5 first!

Just my 2cents though and i've done a few fe1s last year before i changed my mind!

chops018

NoQuarter wrote: »

Id do what you said but just tag property on too, its really quite simple, theres not loads to study and succession law alone is 2 questions. Even if you fail one, you still have the groundwork done for the next set, well worth doing 5 first!

Just my 2cents though and i've done a few fe1s last year before i changed my mind!

I'll have a look into tagging property but I did find that difficult in college to get my head around, but could be different going back at some of the areas in it now!!

I have a friend who is going to let me have a look at some of his manuals that he used and you can buy them on here.

Plan is to get the relevant and most up to date text (have the relevant text for criminal and contract already), get the latest manuals I can buy, get the recent exam papers off the law society website, use the internet and nutshells and just get into studying the topics and getting familiar with the questions that are asked. Then closer to the time practice the questions. Then nearer the time maybe see about doing the seminar/revision courses that are offered.

Might not have the money to go at 5 either, and plus some weeks I could study every day for 3-5 hours but other weeks I might only be able to study one or two days for 3-5 hours so that could be another reason to stick with 4. Plenty of time to decide anyway, but I may get started now in the next few weeks on studying, even if it's only going back over some topics to start off with!

Do you need to buy the texts it says on the reading list from the lawsociety website, I saw that some of them listed 4 or 5 books for one subject and me personally, I prefer having a look academic articles and cases provided in the footnote of a text rather than going through many different books that give similar material.

NoQuarter

chops018 wrote: »

Do you need to buy the texts it says on the reading list from the lawsociety website, I saw that some of them listed 4 or 5 books for one subject.

Absolutely not! I only used the manuals, nutshells and any book I could grab in the library only if I got stuck on a point and I done very well.

chops018

NoQuarter wrote: »

Absolutely not! I only used the manuals, nutshells and any book I could grab in the library only if I got stuck on a point and I done very well.

Sounds good to me, I was thinking the texts would be just more of an anchor than something to be used lots.. they would lead you in the right direction if a topic is troubling.

Thanks for all the advice! Been great to read your experiences!

Northern Child

Hi all, I know this is a question that I have seen on many discussion boards in the past- but I am going to ask it again- I am thinking about doing all 8 next spring: is this a good/or even viable? I don't have an Irish law degree but do have a 6 month free block between now and the spring exams. Could I have some advise? Thanks for your help.

shaneybaby

Northern Child wrote: »

Hi all, I know this is a question that I have seen on many discussion boards in the past- but I am going to ask it again- I am thinking about doing all 8 next spring: is this a good/or even viable? I don't have an Irish law degree but do have a 6 month free block between now and the spring exams. Could I have some advise? Thanks for your help.

get a good study routine going, it's a full time job especially if you have no law degree. 6 months is ample time for 5 or more.

Northern Child

Thanks for this. I will do. I have a law degree from the north, much of the same stuff but never seen Irish company or constitutional for example.

chops018

Northern Child wrote: »

Thanks for this. I will do. I have a law degree from the north, much of the same stuff but never seen Irish company or constitutional for example.

I have an Irish Law degree but I'm still a bit hazy as to where to start etc.. my plan is to have the relevant text (to use as an anchor), then get the exam grids, the manuals (probably second hand), and past exam papers and just take it from there and start the study for the 4 exams.

Should really get into it now, to be honest I keep putting it off, if I get the materials over the next few weeks and get a plan going with regard topics and questions etc I should be fine once I get 15 ish hours a week study in.

Maybe I'll get the nutshells aswell but not too sure about them as I thought they were crap in college! Nearer the time those day seminars could be useful too.

wallst

Hi All,
I was thinking about buying the following nutshells, secondhand.
However, I have 2 questions.
1.What are nutshell's value over the recommended texts?
2.What are nutshell's value over the manuals?



Francis Rose,Company Law (Nutshells)
Robert Duxbury,Contract Law (Nutshells)

Ralph Tiernan, Vera Birmingham,Tort (Nutshells)

Marianne Giles,Criminal Law (Nutshells)

Michael Haley,Equity and Trusts (Nutshells)

234

Never, under any circumstances, use a nutshell to replace a textbook. Nutshell have a limited use in revision and getting a brief overview of the area. They are not enough to study on their own and should only be used to supplement the other work that you have done.

wallst

A straightforward answer. Politics is something you should avoid. I appreciate the frankness. Textbooks and manuals,
How do they compare?
Could you use only a good quality manual, exam papers and sample answers to prepare for the FE-1 exams?

Lawstud

YAWN, these type of threads and the ones on the New York bar exam (ffs lol) so many clueless peeps on this legal discussion forum. It is both pointless and depressing. Also all the dudes that just give their opinion on posts when they clearly have no legal training just makes this forum a fooking joke. So many idiots that just love to spout uniformed shxt.

shaneybaby

Lawstud wrote: »

YAWN, these type of threads and the ones on the New York bar exam (ffs lol) so many clueless peeps on this legal discussion forum. It is both pointless and depressing. Also all the dudes that just give their opinion on posts when they clearly have no legal training just makes this forum a fooking joke. So many idiots that just love to spout uniformed shxt.

thanks for sharing.

Northern Child

?

trypod13

Hi folks, this question has probably been asked many times in the past, but is there a good system for studying for the FE1s. is the best option to go through four subjects and then use the past papers and reports to revise or to do one at a time and know it really well before moving on. When do you have to have covered all of the four subjects and be just revising, with about four weeks to go or even earlier. Getting through my first topic of contract, as a non-law degree holder, has taken me longer than i had hoped!!!

Northern Child

At the minute I am also going through contract. Its hard to say, but I am also trying to get through some of the others at the same time- I think for the first time revising you should revise the main principles of law and the most basic number of cases- then when you go over it a third and fourth time you can start to look at more detailed revision notes. the pastpapers are also key and people seem to put a major emphasis on studying the more for the more testable topics- such as in contract offer, acceptance being perhaps the of of them more important ones. I initially had intended to do them all but think a lesser number 4 or 5 would be best. Going to leave EU and const out of this sitting as they seem the biggest. Hope this helps.

234

Lawstud wrote: »

YAWN, these type of threads and the ones on the New York bar exam (ffs lol) so many clueless peeps on this legal discussion forum. It is both pointless and depressing. Also all the dudes that just give their opinion on posts when they clearly have no legal training just makes this forum a fooking joke. So many idiots that just love to spout uniformed shxt.

Oh, the irony.