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[Edited by oxstudent on Jul 21, 2024]

It is indeed. A BCL from Oxford is an impressive achievement. You should be proud and confident as you move into your career. Please disregard the previous snark.

[Edited by balloonlaw on Jul 26, 2024]

Hiya oxstudent, fellow 2023-24 BCLer here! I feel compelled to write to you after reading the deeply repulsive "answer" by balloonlaw, who should hang their heads in shame for such a toxic (and not to mention, deeply untrue) response.

Not only have you gotten into one of the toughest and coolest (⌐■_■) postgrad law courses in the world, but you managed to actually get one with a Merit!

Let's not forget how utterly insane your achievement is—you fought your way through the gates of hell (or, if we wish to be formal and use its official title, the "BCL/MJur Admissions Committee"), beating hundreds and hundreds of applicants who would kill to get a BCL Merit. You worked so hard in your previous institution to get the baller first law degree you did in order to step foot in this place.

While you were here, you were likely put under intense workload pressure. You did all of that to gain your Merit, and by doing so, you gain the privilege of sprinkling the letters "BCL (Oxon)" in every single correspondence you will ever write (although you don't actually have to do this, of course, lmao).

I often tell people that there are two different types of people in Oxford: the competitive and the ultra-competitive (if you weren't competitive at all, you wouldn't have bothered applying to study here). I am not surprised that there is some level of disappointment that you didn't get a Distinction (particularly if you were working towards one). That comes part and parcel of being competitive lawyers.

But have no illusions. Your BCL has flung the gates of careers wide open. A vast majority of barrister chambers, law firms, and companies do not demand a BCL Distinction. You are way ahead of so many people by virtue of even studying in Oxford, let alone having a BCL under your belt.

What you did was amazing, and I hope that you can positively look back on your achievements in months and years' time (✿◠‿◠)

[Edited by Selective Memory on Jul 22, 2024]

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[Edited by balloonlaw on Jul 26, 2024]