FE1 Exam Thread (Mod Warning: NO ADS)

Jev/N

susanstanley wrote: »

I am a solicitor and I earn very little money and have huge resposibility, massive stress, and no job security. Don't waste your time and money doing FE1s, take it from me. All of my colleagues regret getting into this awful profession, there are easier less stressful ways of not making a living.

Sorry to hear about that, but that's not everyone's situation so I would have to disagree on people doing FE-1's. Not exactly the place for such a harsh, sweeping statement when people are working their asses off all summer for these exams.

susanstanley

People need to know what they are sweating all summer for, if you ask me the FE1s are by far the easiest bit, regardless of what anyone tells you, it's all downhill from there.

Take it as a warning, it's one hundred per cent NOT worth it. If I could turn back time and do something else, I wouldn't hesitate to do so, and I'm one of the lucky ones, I have a job. There are about a thousand solicitors, who have been through the torture of the FE1s, gone through Blackhall and now draw the dole. It may sound harsh but it's reality. It's not too late, don't waste your time and money on the FE1s. Do something different.

law_lady

While I acknowledge that you feel you would do things differently if you went back to our stage, that's for each of us to decide. Some of the people attempting FE1s have already pursued a different profession and subsequently feel this route is now for them. I, for one, feel I am realistic about the road that lies ahead and I know already from the contact I have had with the firm I will be doing my apprenticeship with that there are thankless long hours to be expected. But I'm still happy to go for it. Anyway, with respect, this thread is about FE1 exams, for us to help each other through this stage. You have given your warning, and thats fair enough, but that's not really what people subscribing to this thread are after.

As to exam study technique, I'm the same, I'm a little bit thrown by the amount of topics for each subject, and I'm scared to leave anything out! Its so unlike college law exams where you have your essays written out and you just learn. My technique so far has been to go through the manual I have, in conjunction with notes given to me by a friend who passed hers last year, and write it out in my own shorter form of notes for the subject. I cut it down to what I consider to be the minimum necessary, and I remind myself of each topic by reading through it at this stage. Often I'm pleasantly surprised at how much sounds familiar, I haven't totally forgotten all I was taught at undergrad!

Then I do a flash card with just little headings and reminders, and a case name or two. I intend to eventually be able to just whip through a stack of cards for each subject and know the relevant info for each heading without any further prodding. Then I also write out all the relevant cases for this topic with a word or phrase beside each to remind me which is which.

After all this, I go through the exam papers and jot down what I consider to be relevant to a question. Finally I look at the examiners reports and my notes and see what I missed. Its a shame I don't have any sample answers to go by, they would help a lot.

Anyone doing the exams this sitting try the mind mapping technique I read about further back in this thread? I might try it but don't know if its my style. Also, how many topics are people covering a day at this stage. Today for instance I only covered Adverse Possession. My concentration was non existent after it, though I should have tried to get another topic done too. What are other studiers thoughts/habits overall?:o

Ruby83

I too am struggling a bit with all of the topics. Property and Equity I'm finding ok as the topics are pretty much separate when they come up in the questions, Company isn't too bad either but I'm finding EU and Constitutional very difficult to take in. There's just soo much!!
Constitutional in particular I'm finding it hard to figure out whats being asked in the problem questions and the reports are very general compared to the other subjects which actually go into detail on what the examiner was looking for.
So far my study method is to do one subject a day (I'm doing 5) and try to get through the manuals. I'm pretty on track with equity and property but the others I'm very far behind in. Starting from next week I'm going to try to concentrate on 1 subject per week as if I had the exam at the end of the week and just cram. This is more experimental than anything else as I don't want to be stressing towards the end which was the case with the last set of exams.
I tend to read each chapter and then break it down according to the headings in the chapter and subheadings and then try to flesh it out. I list all the cases on a post it at the start of each chapter so I can just read that hopefully (in theory!) as the exams come closer and recall the chapter easily. Hopefully this will work!!

jacko1

lm_102 wrote: »

I am thinking of doing the FE1s in September. I have a BCL from UCC just finished there and I have all the current notes that 1st and 2nd years got this year. My question is are these enough? Do I really have to go and do another course or buy manuals and handbooks?

did FE1s straight from UCC no bother - once you have the stuff from Blackboard this year you'll be fine as Const Contract etc will have the uptodate cases since you did them and EU will also have the new Treaty numberings

Paul1979

The Journey technique is the best way to remember the course in its entirety, people seem to be afraid to stop making notes and try this diff approach, its 100% foolproof, i remember when i went to the memory lecture in griffith (and was sceptical), the lecturer (forgot his name) said that students need to forget writing out endless notes and focus on UNDERSTANDING ALL of the material and then figuring out a method of remembering them. it is an excellent method and once i tried it there was no goin back...it really works

give it a go

shaneybaby

Paul1979 wrote: »

The Journey technique is the best way to remember the course in its entirety, people seem to be afraid to stop making notes and try this diff approach, its 100% foolproof, i remember when i went to the memory lecture in griffith (and was sceptical), the lecturer (forgot his name) said that students need to forget writing out endless notes and focus on UNDERSTANDING ALL of the material and then figuring out a method of remembering them. it is an excellent method and once i tried it there was no goin back...it really works

give it a go

I went to keith Barry last night in the olympia and he learned the bible off using the method. Pretty daunting at first but so much quicker when you get used to it.

ananas

Is anyone working off a 2008 Griffith Contract manual? I'm a bit concerned that it's not covering everything..

liam2716

hi!!!

havin same proplem at mo! didi u manage 2 figure it out??! can t make head or tail of what current stuation is!

thanks

ananas

liam2716 wrote: »

hi!!!

havin same proplem at mo! didi u manage 2 figure it out??! can t make head or tail of what current stuation is!

thanks

I take it you're having issues with the 2008 manual, I'm so unsure as to whether its covering everything, some topics are fine but I'm a bit confused about the "Parties to a Contract" chapter, it seems to be a bit all over the place.

If anyone can help, please do!

Hogzy

shaneybaby wrote: »

I went to keith Barry last night in the olympia and he learned the bible off using the method. Pretty daunting at first but so much quicker when you get used to it.

Which method are ye refering to, sorry bout im not in a position to trawl through the previous pages. On a phone and have crap signal so it takes ages to load.

lawman14

Hi

Have 2009 Manuals form Independent Colleges for Eu, Constitutional, Company and Property.

€30 each or €100 for the 4.

All in excellent condition.

Pm me if interested.

ananas

lawman14 wrote: »

Hi

Have 2009 Manuals form Independent Colleges for Eu, Constitutional, Company and Property.

€30 each or €100 for the 4.

All in excellent condition.

Pm me if interested.

Please use the other thread, its better to keep this one only for discussing the exams!!

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055100192

Paul1979

Hogzy wrote: »

Which method are ye refering to, sorry bout im not in a position to trawl through the previous pages. On a phone and have crap signal so it takes ages to load.

The Journey Method

here is a website that explains it, get on to GCD re the class they do on it

http://www.happychild.org.uk/acc/tpr/mem/0898jour.htm

Paulywalnuts

Interested in eu,how much for eu manual & notes?! In Dublin. Thanks

Paulywalnuts

lawman14 wrote: »

Hi

Have 2009 Manuals form Independent Colleges for Eu, Constitutional, Company and Property.

€30 each or €100 for the 4.

All in excellent condition.

Pm me if interested.

Interested in eu,in Dublin & happy to pay asking. Paul

liam2716

lads,


if rule in wheeldons and burrows has being replaced by new act, does this mean it is non-examinable?? same with lost modern grant, etc...... easements is hard 2 figure out with the new act

layzee

susanstanley wrote: »

People need to know what they are sweating all summer for, if you ask me the FE1s are by far the easiest bit, regardless of what anyone tells you, it's all downhill from there.

Take it as a warning, it's one hundred per cent NOT worth it. If I could turn back time and do something else, I wouldn't hesitate to do so, and I'm one of the lucky ones, I have a job. There are about a thousand solicitors, who have been through the torture of the FE1s, gone through Blackhall and now draw the dole. It may sound harsh but it's reality. It's not too late, don't waste your time and money on the FE1s. Do something different.

I'm sorry but what kind of a ridiculous and pointless post is that? For the majority of people doing these exams they won't be fully qualified for at least another 3 years by which stage we hope the economy will have turned around to some extent and there will be more work out there, plus it very much depends on everyone's individual experience and what type of law they are practising - maybe you're sick and tired of your job but we all know solicitors who DON'T feel that way so why bother coming onto this site and trying to dampen everyone's spirit, as if the study isn't bad enough already...talk about kicking a dog when it's down! The point of this forum is for people to encourage and advise each other - not to tell us all we're idiots for going into the profession we've chosen.

Jev/N

susanstanley wrote: »

Take it as a warning, it's one hundred per cent NOT worth it. If I could turn back time and do something else, I wouldn't hesitate to do so, and I'm one of the lucky ones, I have a job. There are about a thousand solicitors, who have been through the torture of the FE1s, gone through Blackhall and now draw the dole. It may sound harsh but it's reality. It's not too late, don't waste your time and money on the FE1s. Do something different.

Sorry, what?

brian__foley

ananas wrote: »

Is anyone working off a 2008 Griffith Contract manual? I'm a bit concerned that it's not covering everything..

Hi,

When I started at GCD I reached similar conclusions on the then-in-use manual. It was entirely re-done and has been so re-done for the last three or four courses. Entire areas such as "how can you recover loss for damage done to a non-party" and construction of contracts would not be in that manual and prompted my desire to re-write the whole thing.

Regards

Brian

brian__foley

ananas wrote: »

I take it you're having issues with the 2008 manual, I'm so unsure as to whether its covering everything, some topics are fine but I'm a bit confused about the "Parties to a Contract" chapter, it seems to be a bit all over the place.

If anyone can help, please do!

See above. It didn't cover everything, hence it's been re-written and the re-written manual has been in use for a good while. Aside from excluding Jackson and Albazero etc, I didn't think the old Chapter 3 (i.e. Parties), however, suffered from too many issues. It covered privity in the manner which its been examined a good bit (save obviously the Jackson - Albazero materials) and capacity in a manner which would lend itself to how its been examined recently. There wasn't any discussion (in privity in the 2008 manual) of the 2008 LRC report, and you could look at that from the LRC web-site (it's quite well written). The examiner has been pretty clear about students needing to have a critical insight into areas such as privity.

brian__foley

liam2716 wrote: »

lads,


if rule in wheeldons and burrows has being replaced by new act, does this mean it is non-examinable?? same with lost modern grant, etc...... easements is hard 2 figure out with the new act

As a general guideline something can only be classed as non-examinable if the syllabus says so or if you get a clear indication from the examining body or examiner to that effect. Anything else is guess-work.

Otherwise what is fair game is what the syallabus says and what the examiner says in reports etc and those would be your first port of call.

ananas

brian__foley wrote: »

Hi,

When I started at GCD I reached similar conclusions on the then-in-use manual. It was entirely re-done and has been so re-done for the last three or four courses. Entire areas such as "how can you recover loss for damage done to a non-party" and construction of contracts would not be in that manual and prompted my desire to re-write the whole thing.

Regards

Brian

Thanks for the reply Brian, do you think that I'd be able to use the 2008 manual if I supplement it with nutshells? Or would I be better off buying a more up to date one?

Thanks !:)

brian__foley

ananas wrote: »

Thanks for the reply Brian, do you think that I'd be able to use the 2008 manual if I supplement it with nutshells? Or would I be better off buying a more up to date one?

Thanks !:)

Depends on if you know what you're looking for in the nutshells. I don't know, but can't imagine nutshells can really explain contract interpretation or the intricacies of Dunlop v Lambert etc, and I'd think you'd be better working from a "serious" text like Trietel on some points, and maybe the examiners case-book with Robert Clark for others/updates. Overall, nutshells may be enough to pass sometimes, but they really shouldn't be!

So long as you can do every question the examiner has asked in the last eight exams, you should be fine for the future.

I'm not commenting on buying manuals!

ananas

brian__foley wrote: »

Depends on if you know what you're looking for in the nutshells. I don't know, but can't imagine nutshells can really explain contract interpretation or the intricacies of Dunlop v Lambert etc, and I'd think you'd be better working from a "serious" text like Trietel on some points, and maybe the examiners case-book with Robert Clark for others/updates. Overall, nutshells may be enough to pass sometimes, but they really shouldn't be!

So long as you can do every question the examiner has asked in the last eight exams, you should be fine for the future.

I'm not commenting on buying manuals!

I wouldn't expect you to flog buying manuals but I'm just a bit worried that I won't have all the necessary info to pass in the manuals! Has there been many changes since the 2008 manual, sorry for all the questions!

brian__foley

ananas wrote: »

I wouldn't expect you to flog buying manuals but I'm just a bit worried that I won't have all the necessary info to pass in the manuals! Has there been many changes since the 2008 manual, sorry for all the questions!

Quite a bit...hence it being re-done!

You should really just be ensuring you can do the syllabus and past questions. If you find the 2008 manual doesn't let you (which it won't) then you have your answer.

You'd pick up all you need to know at one of the one-day courses, whether ICD (I assume) or GCD.

mags.galway

need asap griffith manuals, contract, constitutional and tort 2010

law_lady

Quite a depressing moment, posting off a bank draft for so much money to the Law Society when I'm so broke!! Just wondering, how long after the closing date for applications do the acknowledgements of payment come out, does anyone know? Have this horrible feeling somethings going to go wrong and I won't get to sit them!!

Hope study's going well for everyone, wish I knew people in real life as well as on borads, doing these damn exams, my friends don't understand why I've suddenly turned into a hermit who won't go out!

Ruby83

law_lady wrote: »

Quite a depressing moment, posting off a bank draft for so much money to the Law Society when I'm so broke!! Just wondering, how long after the closing date for applications do the acknowledgements of payment come out, does anyone know? Have this horrible feeling somethings going to go wrong and I won't get to sit them!!

Hope study's going well for everyone, wish I knew people in real life as well as on borads, doing these damn exams, my friends don't understand why I've suddenly turned into a hermit who won't go out!

I got my aknowledgement pretty quickly. I'd say within a week.

I know what you mean about hermitville! Bank holidays mean nothing to me anymore and no one can understand that! Saying that though I'm going to take a break this evening! Getting a bit worried though about the amount I have left to cover. Wish I had done these exams after my finals when everyone else was doing them. At least I would have had a support network then. Thank God for boards though!

Rocksteadykk

I have the 2008 student tottel edition for sale...€40 if anyone is interested? Just trying to get rid of them at this stage!