Friday 29 May 2009

One exam down – one to go

This morning saw me take the first of my two exams on the LLM - company law. Despite the exam room being incredibly hot, the exam itself was ‘textbook’ with barely a curve ball thrown at us throughout the entire paper. In fact, two of the three questions I answered on the corporate veil and directors’ duties respectively, were incredibly similar to the practice essays we had done throughout the year. Our tutor had informed us that attempting those practice questions would stand us in very good stead and she certainly wasn’t kidding! Thank God I duly completed both and looked them over yesterday as part of my revision.

Despite prepping my statute book with the requisite plethora of page markers, I reflected on leaving the exam that I didn’t refer to it once. Still, I rarely thumbed through a statute book during all of my exams as an undergrad either. If you’ve revised properly, I’ve always said that statute books are more like security blankets for law students; you don’t really need one but you’re comforted that it’s by your side. Under pressure of exams, law students are sometimes prone to ‘tizzies’ when that section number obstinately evades them.

I’ve been understandably focussing on revision of late (and had booked the entire week off of work, though that was at the time when BOTH of my exams were scheduled for this week). That said, it hasn’t been all work, as my girlfriend and I ventured out on one of our (increasingly rare) trips over the Bank Holiday weekend, engaging in a little retail therapy and checking out the movie ‘Angels and Demons’ - amongst other things. Having just finished the book, my girlfriend spent the rest of the day bemoaning the inaccuracies and inconsistencies between the book and film, concluding as is so often the case, that the book was infinitely better. She isn’t much of a lover of fiction but that was one book that she barely put down.

Anyhoo, while I won’t be back to regular posting for another 10 days or so – my competition law exam is on June 9th – I thought I’d generously brief the blawgosphere with a Law Actually update. I’ve always feared the competition law exam and I’m praying there won’t be any curve balls in that paper either.  Until the next time, then.

Try not to miss me too much! :p

Oh, I almost forgot: for the first time in my life I also had to ask for extra paper in the exam.  How the hell did that happen?  Has my handwriting suddenly swollen or have answer booklets gotton thinner?

8 comments:

  1. Hi Michael!

    Good to hear the exam went alright.

    I love Angels and Demons (the book) and have resisted going to see the movie precisely because no movie will ever beat a book... when our own imaginations are far too wonderful (albeit fueld by the mastery of some amazing writers)! That and the fact that I still cannot understand why Robert Langdon is played by Tom Hanks (who is a great actor... but just isn't the best Robert)... I just imagined him to be slightly more sexier... Hugh Jackman or even Harrison Ford... Hugh Jackman more.

    Goodluck fo the other one!

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  2. Thanks AW and Gyges.

    Yeah, there was a distinct lack of anything sexual in the film.

    I was bracing myself for the closing scene of the book where Vittoria 'straddles' Robert which my GF had described. Alas, it never happened in the film, nor the 'fondling' scene with Vittoria and (some other character) earlier on. Perhaps that was just as well!
    ;-)

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  3. Well done! Not long left now til it's all over!

    I read Angels and Demons about 4 years ago so the movie was a good reminder as to what actually happened...but I was told there were inconsistencies too...not that I remember!!

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  4. Good to hear that your exam went well. I'm sure you'll fly through your competition law! (just don't waste too much paper there :P )

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  5. Statute Books = PHENOMENAL waste of money and time, encouraging chunks of padding and regurgitation that only fill up the answer book and, if negative marking is practised, loose you valuable brownie points.

    Competition is a bit fiddly in an exam, needs a bit of careful analysis and answer planning, I think, but the key thing is not to panic. I took the subject as an undergrad and enjoyed it immensely. The exam was tough, but the hard work done in preparation for it made the whole endeavour WELL worth it, so GOOD LUCK, Michael, potential Legal SUPERSTAR of matters competitive!!!

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  6. Re: extra paper - In my PSC Financial exam I had to ask for extra paper, which is an exceptionally rare event (I think I've asked once before, maybe)

    Turns out they gave us the supplemental answer books first, then the larger proper answer books when we all inevitably ran out of room.

    Don't you just love visiting invigilators?

    GOod luck for the 9th

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  7. Thanks for the encouragement everyone. Just over a week now and it'll all be over! :D

    Minxy: I sampled competition law as an undergrad and thoroughly enjoyed it. My experience of it on the LL.M has been less than pleasurable, though. I'll be glad when it's over!

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