Joelsa Domingos joined the LLB Law degree at Leeds Beckett in September 2023. In this interview, she shares some highlights and learnings from her first semester.

Course: LLB (Hons) Law

Why did you choose to study law? 

I chose to study law after participating in a competitive mock trial in high school. I loved the group work that went into structuring arguments and statements with my peers, and then being able to showcase our knowledge in front of actual judges and other students. 

This moment made me realise that I wanted to pursue this as a career and be able to help people who go through the judicial process.

What was your first week like at Leeds Law School? 

I spent my first week getting to know everyone in the Law department who would be with me throughout my degree, and familiarising myself with the resources available to help me excel in my studies. 

Being able to meet your academic advisor and some of the module leaders before classes started eased the transition into university, and helped a lot with calming any anxieties I might have had beforehand.

What have been your highlights of your first semester? 

Meeting new people and finding out what brought them to Leeds Beckett, and being able to go on this next journey with people who have similar aspirations and goals to me. 

What have you found most challenging? 

The independent work takes a while to get used to. You go from being chased for your assignments and homework at school and college, to now being responsible for adding to your own knowledge by doing the reading and listening to the recorded content. It is definitely a skill that will help me in my future career and everyday life. 

What are you most looking forward to for your next semester? 

Learning! There are so many areas of law that I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge on, and the law is always changing so there is always something new to explore and challenge.

What are your career ambitions? 

I don't know yet if I want to be a solicitor or barrister, but my heart is set on human rights law, criminal law and family law. These areas are where I feel I can make the most impact on people and my community.

Choose three words to describe your first semester at Leeds Law School 

Exciting, hopeful and reassuring.

Thank you to Joelsa for sharing her story. If you are a student who needs support settling into university, please visit the Student Wellbeing pages of our website, or speak to your friendly academic advisors.