CA or UK?10 points?

Question

hey im a student in england and doing my GCSE's at the moment and i am going to studying my a levels in england as well i want to study law at university but i am unsure wether to study in CA or stay in the UK and then go to CA and practice law there

but the thing is i don't know how i would live if i chose CA or the expenses of the university fees or living accomidation please help i am really confused

thanx

Answer 1

Living in England is probably cheaper. UC Berkeley in California can cost anywhere from 17-25 thousand dollars (living on campus), or in euros, 12-17 thousand. I dont know if that is high priced or very low for Britain but if its better money-wise to stay in England then stay.  I hope you come to California though, Disneyland is awesome. :)

http://www.californiacolleges.edu/

Answer 2

Stay in UK if you have no one you know in CA

Answer 3

Okay, a few observations ...

1) The cost of attending a UC or CSU as an international student is three times the cost of normal tuition.  At a UC you're looking at close to $25k (13,000₤) per year in tuition alone, and a CSU it will be about $18k (9,200₤).  And that doesn't even factor in rent, food, transportation, books, etc ... If money is no object, or you're independently wealthy then more power to you.  

2) It would be very hard to earn a law degree in England, and then come to California and practice.  You would have to pass the California Bar Examination (which English law school would not adequately prepare you for), and you could possible have to remediate law school in California just so you could take the Bar Examination.  An obvious exception would be if you were to practice international business law, but you would not be a lawyer per se ... more like a legal counsel than anything else.  You would not be going into court in the United States, and representing clients in court ... you would merely advise.  

If you really want to practice law in the traditional way in California you will have to go to a California law school.  

3) California is the second most expensive place to live in the United States, and depending on what part of California you live in (i.e. San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego areas) living expenses can be on par with New York (the most expensive place to live in the US).  Granted, the United Kingdom is expensive as well, but if you're counting on working in the United States to support your studies thats just not going to happen.  On a student visa you can only work up to 20 hours a week legally.  Beyond the fact that if you are a full-time student you don't want to work any more hours than that or your grades will suffer proportionally.  

Finding a place to stay can be just as hard ... sure you can find abundant cheap housing in the sketchy areas, but I doubt you really want to live in Barrio Logan or Watts (just an FYI ... those are not nice places to live).  Probably your first year you're going to be living in dorms, so say goodbye to your privacy, and say hello to a hefty spartan lifestyle.  

All in all you can could potentially need anywhere from $20-35k in living expenses and other necessities per year ... add that into the tuition costs and you can quickly see how expensive just one year of study can cost.

Answer 4

Well Ca is super expensive if u have money then go for it cuz Cali rocks!!! Im sure u can find a way to live here if the money is there.