By Julia Guerrein JD'22
My name is Julia Guerrein, and I am a Juris Doctor/Masters of Philosophy (MPhil) student completing the University of Cambridge dual degree with Vermont Law School (VLS). The VLS/Cambridge dual degree program is one of several at VLS. I chose the Cambridge program because my focus is environmental law, and I wanted to go to a different country.
I found out about the dual degree program while looking at study abroad opportunities on VLS’s website during my 1L fall. After looking at the MPhil in Environmental Policy curriculum, I decided it would be a good fit because of the interdisciplinary nature of the program. My bachelor’s degree is in environmental science, and VLS has given me a strong legal background. The MPhil covers economics, statistics, international law, and environmental policy courses that I felt would round out my scientific and legal backgrounds.
Getting to Cambridge was no small feat. After deciding I was interested in the program, I talked to Environmental Law Center associate director Anne Linehan about the program. During my 1L spring, I sent an application form to Ms. Linehan because VLS only allows two students to apply for the Cambridge dual degree program each year. VLS approved me in May of my 1L year, and I started my Cambridge application in September of my 2L year.
Students who do the Cambridge dual degree program need five semesters at VLS, and then credits transfer back to VLS from Cambridge to count as the sixth semester of law school. I decided that I wanted to finish my VLS courses before going to Cambridge (even before I knew if I would be admitted), so I accelerated my degree and did a summer semester. I made sure to finish all of my degree requirements, such as taking Evidence, completing my advanced writing requirement (AWR), and working in one of the clinics. Some of the other students who have done the dual degree have come back to VLS after Cambridge to finish their JD requirements.
I submitted my application to Cambridge in October of 2020, and in March of 2021 I received a conditional offer. After that, I had to submit a series of paperwork to Cambridge, such as my final VLS transcript. I also had to prove that I was not taking classes at VLS while studying at Cambridge since my VLS degree is not conferred yet. Once all that was approved, I received my visa paperwork from Cambridge, applied for my visa, received my visa two weeks before classes began, and flew across the Atlantic to the UK. Before coming to the UK, I also had to find housing in Cambridge because my college (i.e. Hogwarts house) ran out of housing for postgraduate students.
This is my first time living abroad. I have done short trips (no longer than two weeks) to several different countries, but moving for a 10-month degree has been fundamentally different. Rather than focusing on the sights to see, my focus when preparing was thinking about what I would need to live. I searched what stores were near my flat, how my health insurance works, and where I could buy a bicycle. I brought only two suitcases with me, so I had to be very selective with what I decided to bring.
Cambridge works on trimesters that are each eight weeks long. This first term, I’m taking international environmental law, comparative environmental policy, research methods (statistics), a dissertation class, and environmental economics and policy. So far I am enjoying economics and international environmental law the most. Next term I am taking international environmental law (part II), environmental economics (part II), energy and climate change, and National, Comparative, and European Environmental Law and Policy. The third term is reserved for writing a dissertation. I think I am going to write about economic mechanisms to reduce water pollution. I decided to use this degree as an opportunity to learn something new, i.e. economics, rather than focusing more on law.
My favorite part about this degree is the opportunity to meet so many people from all over the world. My fellow Environmental Policy MPhil students and I have a group chat where we plan get togethers at pubs and study groups. Last week I participated in a “running dinner,” organized by one of my German classmates. For the running dinner, there were two groups of us, and each group was divided in half. Half of the group made dinner while the other half made dessert. The dessert group traveled to the dinner house to eat, and then everyone is supposed to travel to the dessert house to eat dessert. After that, everyone met up at a pub. I was in the vegan dessert group, and we made peanut butter mug cakes.
My other favorite part about this degree has been exploring Cambridge. I bought a bicycle, so I cycle everywhere I go. While cycling through the twists and turns of Cambridge, I will happen upon history or sights to see, like randomly coming across the Mathematical Bridge. I have also been to London twice, and I am lucky enough to have family who live there that I can visit. While COVID-19 restrictions have put most of my classes online and made traveling difficult, I have still been finding ways to connect with my classmates and explore England.
I can really see how I have adjusted to life in Cambridge. I had a difficult first month getting used to being 5 hours ahead of my boyfriend, friends, and family. I also realized I have a hard time understanding certain British accents, but I am getting better at that. Every time I am in a new situation, it’s just another reminder that I need to be patient with myself and give myself time and space to adjust and learn. This is especially important at a place like Cambridge because of the pressure and stress that comes with attending one of the best universities in the world. Not even because of the rigor of the academics, but just because of the weight of the name “Cambridge.”
I never imagined coming to Cambridge before I learned about the VLS dual degree program. Especially as a first-generation college student, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, and I am doing my best to make the most of this experience.