Joe Ayres is a postgraduate student at Leeds Law School who lives in Portsmouth and works as an Accommodation Manager. Joe studied the LLM Master of Laws of England and Wales to pursue his interest in law, after completing previous degrees in other subject areas. Studying through distance learning to balance work and home life was important to Joe, and on completing the course, Joe is now considering a PhD.

• Course: LLM England and Wales (distance learning)

Tell us a bit about yourself, why you chose to study your course and what interests you the most about Law

I’m 35 years old, live in Portsmouth and work as the Accommodation Manager at University of Chichester, where I graduated with my undergraduate degree in music. I also studied a Postgraduate Certificate in Housing Studies in 2014.

Clearly my career path had taken a different turn, but I had always wanted to study law and never had the opportunity to do so. I’d heard from friends that you could undertake the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) distance learning, study part-time, and combine it with a full master’s degree.

What have been your highlights of the course?

All the modules on the course were interesting and engaging. I love watching crime documentaries so I knew I would enjoy subjects such as Criminal Law, but I hadn’t realised just how much I would come away from subjects such as Public Law with so much enthusiasm for them!

The interactive lessons and the feedback from lecturers was amazing. It was such a great help to have the support available when studying through distance learning. Another highlight was the interaction with other students – it really does make a difference to be able to chat online, particularly if something doesn’t make sense when you go through it the first time.

Can you tell us about your experience of distance learning?

To be honest, it was all a bit daunting to begin with – I had some previous experience of distance learning courses but undertaking a master’s degree, even though it was part-time, seemed like it would be quite a challenge. However, when researching courses available at universities, Leeds Beckett really stood out for me – the information about the course was in-depth and it stood out as the place that would be best suited for me. I was right! From day one of accessing the learning materials, I was really pleased at how logical everything was laid out, how well everything is explained throughout all the modules, and how much help and support is available to all students and individually.

The sheer amount of resources available at your fingertips was immense. This really helps when you’re wanting to undertake further research into what you’re studying, especially because it’s so easy to access. The lecturers and support staff are brilliant at what they do, and they take the time to look after you throughout your studies and encourage you to do the best you can. It really puts you at ease knowing that support is there from people who are experts in their field.

What are your plans for when you complete the course?

Following on from the fantastic result I achieved for my Independent Legal Research Project, and my overall award, I am seriously considering undertaking a PhD. I could never have even dreamt of contemplating this, but I’m really excited about what the future may hold, and I am so grateful that I was able to study with Leeds Law School.

What would you say to someone who is thinking about studying a distance learning course at Leeds Law School?

Definitely study with Leeds Law School! There are so many different factors that make this a great place to learn, not least the wealth of resources available at your fingertips but also the experienced and dedicated lecturers. The online interactive learning environment (MyBeckett) is easy to use and understand. The structure of the modules and lectures are well thought out and clear. The interaction with other distance learning students is invaluable and really provides that all-round learning experience.