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student experiences
Maureen Adjei
Non-law background, Graduate Diploma in Law graduate, now studying SQE1 with the College
I’m Maureen, a recent graduate of the Graduate Diploma in Law with The College of Legal Practice. I studied psychology as an undergraduate in Ghana, then moved to the UK in 2022 and built a career in financial services. I decided to convert to law through the GDL, and I’ve now finished the course and am preparing for the SQE.
Why did you decide to take the GDL?
I’m coming from a different jurisdiction, so I wanted a broad foundation before moving on. You don’t strictly need the GDL to sit the SQE, it covers the same modules, but I wanted the wider knowledge, and a fair experience of what everyone who did an LLB goes through.
The other reason was the skills. The SQE is based on multiple choice questions, so it doesn’t test research and writing in the same way. On the GDL I wrote case scenarios, analysed them and gave advice, even though they were simulated. Coming in with no legal background at all, that experience mattered to me - it was the writing, the research, and broadening my knowledge that made it the right route in.
Why did you choose The College of Legal Practice?
I was looking for two things: cost and convenience. I work full-time, and most courses run in person, so I wanted something online, and the College gave me that. A few weeks before I started, I got an email to say the assessment had changed to multiple choice. I thought, good: this will prepare me well for SQE1.
What was the teaching and support like?
I didn’t expect the kind of one-to-one, personal tutor experience I got. You could ask questions any time and get feedback any time, message any of the tutors and get a personalised answer. For someone with no background in law, that made a real difference.
My supervisor and I had a session once a month. If something was struggling or finding something difficult, she’d point me in the right directionIn a big cohort, having that personalised, one-to-one support was something I valued. It was good to have a listening ear, and to see that someone cares about your journey.
The flexibility helped too. If I ever missed a class, it was always recorded, with a transcript, so I could go back and find exactly what I needed.
How did you balance work and study?
At the start, balancing full-time work with full-time study was hard. As time went on, I settled into it, using my weekends and evenings. The full-time course expects 30 to 35 hours a week; I didn’t always hit that because I was working, but I found my rhythm. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.
How has the GDL prepared you for the SQE?
I start the SQE officially in August 2026, and I’ve been doing practice questions online to get used to how to read a question and find the single best answer. Every workshop on the GDL ended with a few multiple choice questions, and the tutor would walk through why one answer was best and why the others didn’t fit. The questions are designed to tempt you, they all look plausible - so learning to fish out the right one is a skill. That’s one thing I’d commend the tutors on.
What are your plans now?
I’m preparing for SQE1 and SQE2, and I’ve given myself two years to sit both. I’m looking for a paralegal role to build my qualifying work experience. Putting the GDL on my CV has already helped. I’ve landed legal interviews, because firms want to know you have at least some legal knowledge. A lot of qualifying work experience comes down to transferable skills too: communication, writing, and how you present yourself at interview. You can build those before you sit the SQE, or while you’re doing it.
What advice would you give someone thinking about it?
p>If there’s a voice in your head saying do it and another saying don’t, listen to the one that says do it. Before I started, when the timetable came out, I told my husband I thought I needed to cancel. I was so scared. I asked Student Services about moving to part-time, but that would have stretched everything out, so I listened to the voice that said do it. I’m glad I did - I’d have regretted wasting that time. It wasn’t as easy as I expected, but it wasn’t as difficult either. Listen to the positive voice, and it’ll be worth the journey.