FE1 Exam Thread (Mod Warning: NO ADS)

colonel1

brian__foley wrote: »

Not to advertise, but the purpose of these classes is better served with smallish numbers. Hence places are limited and last year people were turned away in the last few days run-up.

Unfortunately I only get paid this coming Friday, so hopefully there might be 1 place left in the contract law day course on Saturday!!

law_lady

Hi all, hope study is going well.

I'm really worried about EU Law, I think its going to be my worst FE1 of all.

I'm hoping to have the following topics covered, and I was wondering whether anyone could tell me whether I'm doing something unnecessary or leaving something vital out.....

- Institutions
- Fundamental Rights
- Direct Effect
- Supremacy
- Member State Liability
- Free Movement of Goods
- Free Movement of Workers
- Citizenship
- Equality
- Competition (Art 101 + Art 102)
- Preliminary Reference Procedure


So far I've done all of the above except Citizenship and Fundamental Rights. I'm also seeing a lot of talk about this "Brussels I Regulation" - is this worth doing?

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks and best of luck to the rest of ye.

steph86

This really is an endurance test. Anyone else living in a library and feeling incredibly tired? first time doing these! studying going well on the bright side tho. all notes written just learning off main points and cases and practising questions.

AnnAh1986

steph86 wrote: »

This really is an endurance test. Anyone else living in a library and feeling incredibly tired? first time doing these! studying going well on the bright side tho. all notes written just learning off main points and cases and practising questions.

I would say feel very happy and proud of yourself as it is quite early to have all notes written and be on just learning stage!

JCJCJC

steph86 wrote: »

This really is an endurance test. Anyone else living in a library and feeling incredibly tired? first time doing these! studying going well on the bright side tho. all notes written just learning off main points and cases and practising questions.

Well I'm living in a house that has looked like a messy library since Christmas. Fatigue setting in lately as well. All I can say is sleep when you need sleep, and go for walks, swims etc every day if possible to get your brain oxygenated. I'm taking one night off per week for music, havanas and porter with people who don't talk law too. Next week is going to be a killer for me, I have three GCD intensives and I think I'll do that TCD constitutional conference as well. If our examiner is talking about the twenty most important cases, I want to hear wnat he says. There's a cost in effort, time and money for all these antics but anything beats a six-month repeat.

Hogzy

+1 on the fatigue,
I usually find myself going for a snooze around 5-6 for 30-45 mins. Wake up bright as a daisy then and back into some study. I try eat a big lunch and a small dinner. I find a big meal in the evening will hit me like a tonne of bricks in terms of tiredness.

Kamilat

Hi guys,

Hope the study is going well. Was wondering if anyone who has a copy of examiners report for contract law for September 2010 could pm it to me pls? or at least tell me what is says for Q 4 of that paper, getting confused at this stage.....

Thanks

cd.galway

law_lady wrote: »

Hi all, hope study is going well.

I'm really worried about EU Law, I think its going to be my worst FE1 of all.

I'm hoping to have the following topics covered, and I was wondering whether anyone could tell me whether I'm doing something unnecessary or leaving something vital out.....

- Institutions
- Fundamental Rights
- Direct Effect
- Supremacy
- Member State Liability
- Free Movement of Goods
- Free Movement of Workers
- Citizenship
- Equality
- Competition (Art 101 + Art 102)
- Preliminary Reference Procedure


So far I've done all of the above except Citizenship and Fundamental Rights. I'm also seeing a lot of talk about this "Brussels I Regulation" - is this worth doing?

Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks and best of luck to the rest of ye.

EU was my worst subject last sitting but this time I'm doing the griffith online course and its a big help...it seems silly but its actually great to have something explained to you rather than reading through reams and reams of notes and still feeling what the F*$€K, as it's the first course ive done.
Company is now my worst however and I thought it was my best. wish now id done the company course!!!

You've enough covered anyway...but maybe have a look at state aid as eventhough it came up in october it is a fairly topical issue and worth having a look at. I haven looked at chapters 10/13/14 and haven looked at Brussels Regulation either seems he likes this so It may also be worth having a look at.

cd.galway

steph86 wrote: »

This really is an endurance test. Anyone else living in a library and feeling incredibly tired? first time doing these! studying going well on the bright side tho. all notes written just learning off main points and cases and practising questions.

Ive become a face in the library...
All my friends have moved on so dont really know many around college. I was in the SU shop the other day and the guy behind the counter struck up a convo with me...adding at the end, you come in here everyday, Ive noticed you!! You study alot!!
Fair play on the learning off stage, im still answering exam papers!!

cd.galway

JCJCJC wrote: »

Well I'm living in a house that has looked like a messy library since Christmas. Fatigue setting in lately as well. All I can say is sleep when you need sleep, and go for walks, swims etc every day if possible to get your brain oxygenated. I'm taking one night off per week for music, havanas and porter with people who don't talk law too. Next week is going to be a killer for me, I have three GCD intensives and I think I'll do that TCD constitutional conference as well. If our examiner is talking about the twenty most important cases, I want to hear wnat he says. There's a cost in effort, time and money for all these antics but anything beats a six-month repeat.

I still take Sat and Sunday off...for my sanity!!!!! However as of next wk its 9-9 including wkends...last month now
That TCD talk seems brilliant wish I could go as it'd be of huge help for those of us sitting Constitutional, especially as its the examiner himself.

steph86

JCJCJC wrote: »

Well I'm living in a house that has looked like a messy library since Christmas. Fatigue setting in lately as well. All I can say is sleep when you need sleep, and go for walks, swims etc every day if possible to get your brain oxygenated. I'm taking one night off per week for music, havanas and porter with people who don't talk law too. Next week is going to be a killer for me, I have three GCD intensives and I think I'll do that TCD constitutional conference as well. If our examiner is talking about the twenty most important cases, I want to hear wnat he says. There's a cost in effort, time and money for all these antics but anything beats a six-month repeat.

yeh i tend to forget about the excercise side of things except for a spinning class on mondays. Im attending two of the gcd revision classes to, eu and tort. I think it would be a great help seeing as they are large subjects. travelling from donegal is going to be a disaster tho but will def be worth it. From what i have heard the one day revision is excellent.

JCJCJC

steph86 wrote: »

yeh i tend to forget about the excercise side of things except for a spinning class on mondays.

That'll be handy when you become a lawyer, you can spin yarns for the judge ;-)

(Sorry, couldn't resist!!)

frustratedTC

Hey just wondering if anyone could flag the issues for me Q5 Oct 2010 for equity, its william and his will. Im i completely off in thinking its certainty of intention

dynamokev

cd.galway wrote: »

Ive become a face in the library...
All my friends have moved on so dont really know many around college. I was in the SU shop the other day and the guy behind the counter struck up a convo with me...adding at the end, you come in here everyday, Ive noticed you!! You study alot!!
Fair play on the learning off stage, im still answering exam papers!!

All this talk is making me feel incredibly guilty about training twice a week with both my football and soccer teams and playing matches at the weekend. Also go to the gym most mornings too but to be honest I think I would crack up without these outlets to vent the FE1 tension.

Really am looking forward to getting my life back to myself after this. Like I think I will appreciate the small things in life a lot more like day time tv and not feeling guilty about going for a drink. As they say win lose or draw with these exams I'll be the smiling lad at the bar in Coppers come the 31st March ... I'll buy you a drink if you say hello!

lawladdie

cd.galway wrote: »

I still take Sat and Sunday off...for my sanity!!!!! However as of next wk its 9-9 including wkends...last month now
That TCD talk seems brilliant wish I could go as it'd be of huge help for those of us sitting Constitutional, especially as its the examiner himself.

UCD! I wish it was in TCD for convenience but its a hike out to Donnybrook unfortunately.

frustratedTC

TBH lads i think were all losing it, we need to have breaks etc otherwise we'll lose it with stress!

Hogzy

lawladdie wrote: »

UCD! I wish it was in TCD for convenience but its a hike out to Donnybrook unfortunately.

Its even more of a hike from Cork. Consider yourself lucky

bob_lob_law

I'm going 9-9 with ten minute lunch break and doing alternate bicep curls every ten minutes. Only joking, might try and pick the pace up a bit for the last month and stay off the swall.

Usually I have serious problems getting to sleep with all the stuff that's running around my head but I've been using meditation tapes these days and they really help me drop off. Here's one from the Guardian website that some of you worriers might find useful: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/audio/2011/jan/28/headspace-sleeping?INTCMP=SRCH

glengirlie

I've signed up for the contract one day revision course in GCD on Saturday. I have no idea of the GCD campus, was just wondering does anyone know where AF 301 is abouts on campus as I dont think Il have much time to spare in the morning and need to know where I am going. Cheers. PS: Hope study going well

coco13

bob_lob_law wrote: »

I'm going 9-9 with ten minute lunch break and doing alternate bicep curls every ten minutes. Only joking, might try and pick the pace up a bit for the last month and stay off the swall.

Usually I have serious problems getting to sleep with all the stuff that's running around my head but I've been using meditation tapes these days and they really help me drop off. Here's one from the Guardian website that some of you worriers might find useful: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/audio/2011/jan/28/headspace-sleeping?INTCMP=SRCH

Very Funny re the bicep curls!!!! Hope your doing super sets too!!!
Im the same re sleep....Cant switch the brain off at night! Might try a stint of meditation between the bicep curls! Cheers!

law girl

Hi, I'm finding tort really stressful...can anyone offer advice, important aspects to focus on. For some reason it's just not just not connecting with my brain!! Thanks amill

brian__foley

glengirlie wrote: »

I've signed up for the contract one day revision course in GCD on Saturday. I have no idea of the GCD campus, was just wondering does anyone know where AF 301 is abouts on campus as I dont think Il have much time to spare in the morning and need to know where I am going. Cheers. PS: Hope study going well

Behind the football pitch / park, there is the AF building. AF 301 is up the top of it, to the right and at the peak as the building tapers into a point where the seminar is (executive education suite).

It sounds silly, but look at the building and just ask "where would I stand if was trying to re-create that silly 'top of the world' scene from Titantic" and it should be obvious.

Kamilat

frustratedTC wrote: »

Hey just wondering if anyone could flag the issues for me Q5 Oct 2010 for equity, its william and his will. Im i completely off in thinking its certainty of intention

Q5 Oct 2010 is a question on tracing, just have a look at past papers and questions on tracing seem to be in the same style

glengirlie

Thanks a million for that.

Dylan123

law girl wrote: »

Hi, I'm finding tort really stressful...can anyone offer advice, important aspects to focus on. For some reason it's just not just not connecting with my brain!! Thanks amill

I think its a good idea to get an exam paper and jot down what you think are the main points for each of the 8 questions, for, lets say Oct 2010. Then look at the model answers from griffith, or Independent to compare.

I found that i was repeating the same points for a lot of the questions (general negligence) and not properly distinguishing the relevant key areas, or the niche of the question. (I think/ hope i know a lot of info, its just knowing what info to put where, and not going of on a tangent on what you would like the question to ask....... Also especially for Tort, i think u need to be really tuned in - and know what your gonna put in the answer straight away after reading it!

Pass or fail! there is learning in it all! i think you need a lot of time to prepare for these exams and a lot of the courses in my personal humble opinion are to short!

Anyone who passes 8 of these in one go after a few month study to me is a genius and prob far to intelligent to become a solicitor... perhaps astrophysics would be a more suited area for them! I would be happy out deferring and deferring but unless i win the euro millions tonight ill be taking the first set reluctantly next month.

frustratedTC

hey just looking for advise regarding equity, is there anything i can really leave out and what are the must know topics. Hope study going well>does anyone know if the gcd intensive revision courses are better than indo?

law girl

brian__foley wrote: »

Behind the football pitch / park, there is the AF building. AF 301 is up the top of it, to the right and at the peak as the building tapers into a point where the seminar is (executive education suite).

It sounds silly, but look at the building and just ask "where would I stand if was trying to re-create that silly 'top of the world' scene from Titantic" and it should be obvious.

nothing like a Titanic reference to point you in the right direction!!!:D

law girl

Dylan123 wrote: »

I think its a good idea to get an exam paper and jot down what you think are the main points for each of the 8 questions, for, lets say Oct 2010. Then look at the model answers from griffith, or Independent to compare.

I found that i was repeating the same points for a lot of the questions (general negligence) and not properly distinguishing the relevant key areas, or the niche of the question. (I think/ hope i know a lot of info, its just knowing what info to put where, and not going of on a tangent on what you would like the question to ask....... Also especially for Tort, i think u need to be really tuned in - and know what your gonna put in the answer straight away after reading it!

Pass or fail! there is learning in it all! i think you need a lot of time to prepare for these exams and a lot of the courses in my personal humble opinion are to short!

Anyone who passes 8 of these in one go after a few month study to me is a genius and prob far to intelligent to become a solicitor... perhaps astrophysics would be a more suited area for them! I would be happy out deferring and deferring but unless i win the euro millions tonight ill be taking the first set reluctantly next month.

I think if you can get an understanding or something in terms of the actual application of the courses then the learning and exam ability will follow. Having said that...when I look at Tort I become mildly bewildered, I can't quite put my finger on it, I blame my college lecturer, I did not like him and as a result hate tort and my brain refuses to allow me to grasp it! It's always better to blame someone else for one's short fallings!!:D

steph86

Is anyone else having difficulty with th eu questions on direct effect?
Im finding the prob q hard, have been looking at the examiners report on the prob questions and its the same detail more or less in each problem q tho. Hate the way the party is referred to as "FE-1 Cars" for example. Just find you end up having to read the q a good few times to see what the examiner is looking for. Would be great if an essay on supremacy came up instead.
Unsuccessful day for me! Apologises for the rant.

JCJCJC

law girl wrote: »

Hi, I'm finding tort really stressful...can anyone offer advice, important aspects to focus on. For some reason it's just not just not connecting with my brain!! Thanks amill

Dylan123's advice is fine - no problem there. I found tort ok - had to pass it twice, unfortunately. It breaks down into discrete areas that don't have any commonality - eg your negligence cases share nothing with defamation etc. It's a bundle of legal precedents that fall under the general heading of 'wrongs'.
Pick an area you find some way interesting - let's say professional negligence.
1)Read a chapter in a textbook - just to get the concepts in your head. McMahon & Binchy is superbly written with some wry comments here and there but it's 11 years old now, Quill is the FE1 examiner and he has a recent edition out - your call.
2)Read something more condensed, like a prep college manual or a nutshells. Last, read a recent big Irish case, maybe Fitzpatrick v White - at this stage be making some rough notes, and really concentrate on noting the law cited in the case.
3)Now reduce your rough notes to two pages or less and look at a past exam question and draft an answer -just a structure. You'll be structuring - intro/issues/ case law-statute law-academic comment/ advice.
4) put away the books and notes, go for a 15-minute walk and tackle the question when you come back, trying to visualise your page of reduced notes.

Do that in a few areas, say general negligence, defamation, nuisance etc and bit-by-bit you'll get more confident. The trickiest areas I find are the differentiation between tort,contract and equity - be careful of those, and damages. Essentially in tort, damages are restitutionary - the court tries to put you back where you were before the tort was committed. However, in contract, the court puts you where you ought to be if the contract was performed flawlessly.
Suppose your client had a cowboy builder putting an extension onto his house, and he screws it up - floods the house, causes a structural collapse etc, and thereby expels client to live in a tent in the garden for three years. The house is now worth 1/20th of peak-tiger value. Think about whether you would sue him in tort or in contract? That'll get you straight on the difference.