SQE LLM student Jennifer Wang discusses teaching, support and preparing for legal practice at BPP
From tackling a demanding syllabus to developing practical legal skills, Jennifer Wang has found plenty to keep her busy on BPP University’s LLM SQE 1&2. Born in China and raised in Canada, Wang moved to the UK to study law at King’s College London before working as an in-house paralegal. Now a BPP student ambassador, she sits down with Legal Cheek Careers to discuss her SQE journey, the teaching and support on offer, and preparing for life as a solicitor.
Her time as an in-house paralegal helped cement Wang’s interest in becoming a solicitor. Working closely with business teams, she enjoyed finding legal solutions to commercial challenges, from reviewing non-disclosure agreements to helping with the company’s insurance renewal. The role also gave her an insight into how businesses operate, an interest she had previously explored through her work with educational charity Speakers for Schools.
While Wang could see the appeal of becoming a barrister, the solicitor route ultimately felt like a better fit. “I like working in teams and I like working close to businesses,” she explains. She was also drawn to the detail-oriented nature of solicitors’ work, particularly analysing documents, reviewing clauses and identifying potential issues.
When choosing an SQE provider, Wang was drawn to BPP following recommendations from friends and former colleagues, alongside her positive experience attending the university’s SQE webinars. She was impressed by how clearly the course was explained, describing the presenters as “very friendly and approachable”. Receiving a scholarship from BPP also played a significant part in her decision to enrol.
The transition from her LLB to the SQE required Wang to adapt her approach to studying. “You just have less time and more material to go through,” she explains. However, BPP’s emphasis on independent learning suited her well, with weekly workshops replacing the traditional combination of lectures and tutorials. “That really worked for me because I felt like it streamlined my learning a lot more,” she says, appreciating the flexibility to focus on areas requiring more attention.
A typical week on BPP’s SQE1 course involves five workshops, totalling around ten hours, covering practice subjects such as Dispute Resolution and Criminal Practice. Students complete preparatory reading before putting their knowledge to the test through interactive exercises in class. “I like how the workshops only cover the practice subjects,” Wang explains, noting that this makes the workload more manageable while leaving students to study the underlying law independently.
The tutors delivering these workshops have also made a strong impression on Wang. Her personal tutor, who also taught Criminal Practice, provided pastoral support and drew on her own professional experience to bring difficult concepts to life. “She didn’t just go off the slides; whenever a topic was difficult, she provided contextual examples,” Wang recalls. Meanwhile, her Property Law tutor used “fun quizzes” and helpful acronyms to make procedural requirements easier to remember, particularly under exam conditions.
That support extends to helping students manage the pressures of SQE preparation. “Your tutors are very realistic about the process, they are there to support you, and they are not going to judge you if you are struggling or need extra support,” Wang explains. With 13 subject areas to cover in four months before SQE1, tutors also offer practical guidance on prioritising key material. “They gave us tips pointing out what was important to understand and learn,” she adds.
For independent revision, Wang has found BPP’s formative and summative multiple-choice questions (MCQs) particularly useful, describing the latter as “time-pressured” assessments that “served as very good mocks of the actual exam”. Students also receive physical textbooks covering all the practice subjects and underlying law, alongside digital access through BPP Adapt, which breaks the material into manageable sections with frequent MCQ practice.
The course also helps students develop skills they’ll use in legal practice. Wang highlights BPP’s SQE1 pre-workshop “Apply Tasks”, which often involve drafting client emails – something she notes is part of the “day in and day out” work of a law firm or in-house legal team. SQE2 builds on this through skills workshops, when she would, for example, draft board minutes or conduct a client interview, with the latter involving “learning how to interview clients in a structured way to extract pertinent information” before seeking instructions and giving legal advice on the next steps. Students also have access to legal AI platform Harvey, which offers feedback on SQE2 mock assessments.
Support at BPP also extends to the student community. “Everyone in class was aware that this was a rigorous exam, so we were all looking out for each other,” Wang explains. Preparing for SQE2 oral assessments together proved particularly useful, with classmates role-playing judges, clients and solicitors, and offering feedback on each other’s performance. “It was also motivating to know I wasn’t alone,” she reflects. The wider learning environment has been another positive, with Wang praising BPP’s modern library, spacious desks and natural light, as well as nearby cafés and green spaces for breaks between workshops.
As a BPP student ambassador, Wang helps prospective students get a feel for university life through campus tours and law fairs, including events at Kingston and Reading. She has also attended Legal Cheek’s LegalEdCon, sharing her SQE experience with aspiring lawyers and legal employers. For Wang, the biggest reward has been “being around motivating and ambitious people”, with fellow ambassadors and enthusiastic prospective students providing some welcome “positive energy” during the demanding SQE preparation period.
Away from her ambassador role, Wang has made use of BPP’s careers service, receiving an “exhaustive, line-by-line review” of her CV from the university’s online careers team. “They picked up on subtle points I had missed,” she recalls. BPP also offers mock interview, preparation for vacation schemes, industry talks, including sessions on AI led by sector experts, and a jobs portals ‘BPP Futures’, which advertises training contracts, vacation schemes and other opportunities in legal practice.
Wang has also valued the breadth of subjects covered throughout the SQE, from Property Practice to Criminal Practice, which has given her the opportunity to explore different areas of law before specialising. “That breadth of variety is harder to mimic later on in your career,” she explains.
For those considering their own SQE journey, Wang encourages researching different course providers before making a decision. “Go to different insight days and webinars to find what suits your personal needs and learning style,” she advises. She also recommends looking beyond the teaching itself, highlighting BPP’s “pro bono opportunities and career support network” as examples of the additional support worth considering.
Once enrolled, Wang recommends treating SQE preparation like a full-time job, an approach informed by her previous work experience. She also emphasises the importance of finding effective revision strategies. “I read the textbooks once and dedicated the bulk of my time to working through MCQs, using and reviewing them just like flashcards,” she explains. Setting personal deadlines for independent study also helped her stay on track ahead of the exams.
Amid the demands of SQE preparation, Wang has one final piece of advice: make time to switch off. She recommends setting aside time each week to step away from revision, get outside and recharge. After all, taking a break can leave students feeling refreshed and ready to tackle another round of MCQs.
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