It seems that University applications, so far this year, have risen by 23% according to UCAS (570,556 applicants). This is against a background of there being 6,000 fewer places for 2010-11 than in 2009-10.

What is clear is that you need good quality grades if you are to obtain a place. So, my advice is that you should be taking all the steps you can to maximize your UCAS points (i.e. doing an EPQ, re-sitting an AS etc). See BBC News article.

St Valentine's Day 14th February 2010 is the final day for the submission of an EPQ (see your EPQ Supervisor about whether you need to hand in on the 12th February 2010).

 

Students who attend my extra class on a Friday at 12 noon must undertake the following work and submit it to me for Monday...   more »

Politics and History students visiting Washington in March 2010 will have the opportunity to meet with John G Roberts the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, at the US Supreme Court, in Washington.

Chief Justice Roberts met some of our students at the Opening Ceremony of the UK Supreme Court in October. He has responded to a request to meet and greet our students in the US.

Due to the January examinations there will be no Debating Class//Society until 12 noon on Monday 8th February 2010.

Debate: Is Valentine's Day a waste of money?

Debate: Binge drinkers 'should pay for hospital stays'.

ALL LAWS students are required to attend the Grand Final of the Department of Laws Mooting Competition. This is being held in Coopers' Hall at 10am on Tuesday 20th July 2010. (the end of term is on the 21st July).

This event is also a prize-giving event for many Laws students. All current first year students (AS Law, AS Politics, and AS Citizenship) are required to attend. There can be no excuses - put it in your diary now.

As discussed in Class this is the additional work question that I would like AS Politics students to complete.

'How successfully does Parliament perform its representative functions?' 

Students should be advised that the Principal has agreed that staff, in the Tercentenary Building, should make it clear to students that they should not eat food in the building, sit on the floor in the corridors, sit on the floor and block the lift, pathways, doors, stairs (or under the stairs in the dark) etc.    more »

 Please follow this link for details of the UCAS Tariff. http://www.ucas.com/students/ucas_tariff/tarifftables/

What the information indicates is that an Extended Project Qualifciation A* grade is worth 70 UCAS points. This compares favourably with an AS subject grade, which is worth a maximum of 60 UCAS .   more »

It seems that a small number of AS Laws students (Law, Politics and/or Citizenship) may not have answered the correct number of questions in the January examination. If you are one of those students (or you had other problems) and wish to discuss options - please see me asap.

Congratulations to those students who passed the Extended Project Qualification. There were some excellent A and B grades, with fours students being the first in the College to be awarded an A*.   more »

Students should be aware that they need good AS/A2 grades to get into a University - since "applications are surging" Please read this BBC News article.

Why not consider doing an 'Extended Project Qualification' to boost your academic profile and UCAS points?

I am impressed by a range of quality resources called 'Issues' from a small publishing company called 'Independence'. Please follow this link for a list of titles (cost of £7.45 each). The subject areas range from: Abortion to Sport. These books could help a student doing an Extended Project.

We carry a small stock of 'Issues Books' in TRA-15 (bookshelf), but books cannot be taken from the classroom. There is a fuller supply of 'Issues Books' in the Library. There is also an 'Issues Online' facility within the Library - see the Librarian for a password.

We will shortly have some information on Tony Buzan's 'Exam Success with Mind Maps'. In the meantime, please visit http://www.examsuccessfast.com/ for some online information.

iMindmap is a software program that is great for planning/analysing essays/projects etc. It can also be used to make notes, for revision, and to evaluate issues/topics. Using iMindmap software will improve your analytical skills. You can use iMindmap on College Computers (under Main Programs):

 Please see my Guide to the LawsBlog rules ...

Laws students have the following Christmas and New Year vacation homework.

Thank you to the Law, Citizenship, and Politics, students who submitted their Xmas Day homework on time (you now need to do the New Year Homework).

Those, students that did NOT hand in their Christmas Day homework on time now have a change in homework. You now need to PLAN and WRITE (by hand) ALL (each and every question) of the questions on the Christmas examination paper (see below). All such work needs to be handed in (along with the New Year homework) at the first Laws lesson of term.   more »

If you want to revise, there are a number of Laws lessons that are available as a Podcast/AudioBook and which can be played on a computer (via Quicktime or iTunes) or on an iPhone/iPod Touch.   more »

Students interested in Criminology are encouraged to research this topic area as part of an Extended Project Qualification. The idea is to link the research to aspects of the proposed WJEC course on Criminology which could start in September 2011.

Undertaking Criminology research via an Extended Project has the advantage of providing up to 70 UCAS points. Please see Mr Bunce, or myself, if interested.

Lord Neuberger, the Master of the Rolls, recently spoke to the Young Legal Group of the British Friends of the Hebrew University about the newly established UK Supreme Court. Recommended reading for AS Law and A2 Politics students ...   more »

 The deadline for submission of your proposals to me via email has now passed. Thank you for some interesting ideas - I will be discussing these with you in more detail after Christmas and their viability.

May I remind ALL students that NO Citizenship activity may go ahead within College without the written approval of myself and/or Dr Jepson. For instance, certain events must be co-ordinated across College (particularly for a fund-raising event - which we would aim to have on one day to ensure greater success).

The Christmas period and January thereafter is most important for your exams and you should be focussing soley on those at this time - revision is vital.   more »

I require all students with an attendance of below 80% to attend a special Essay Writing Revision class each Friday at 12 noon in TRA-14. If you have a lesson at that time then you must see Mr Bunce before 12 noon each Friday to pick up an 'additional work' essay.

The purpose of this class is to ensure that you make up for the lessons you have missed. The writing of past exam questions will assist you. If you think you should be exempt from this requirement - please see me asap.