Law at the Jagiellonian University: The Most Difficult Subjects

Civil Procedure

A fourth-year procedural subject that for many is the final verification before defending their master’s thesis.

• Form of classes: Lectures, seminars.
• Exam: A very difficult multiple-choice test or oral exam with the professors of the department.
• Difficulty: 9/10.
• Material volume: Code of Civil Procedure (over 1000 articles) plus laws on court costs, bailiffs, etc.
• Risks: The civil procedure is extremely casuistic. Confusing the deadline for filing an appeal by one day or incorrectly indicating the competent court in the case results in an immediate unsatisfactory assessment.

Administrative Law

Often underestimated by students at the beginning, it turns out to be a barrier due to the dispersion of statutory matter.

• Form of classes: Lectures, exercises.
• Exam: Written (test) or oral.
• Difficulty level 7/10.
• Material volume: A huge number of legal acts – from the Acts on Local Government to the Law on Civil Status Records.
• Problems: The need to efficiently navigate the maze of administrative regulations and administrative procedures (KPA).

Table: Summary of the difficulties of key subjects at the Jagiellonian University

When do the most students drop out?

The analysis of the didactic cycle at the Jagiellonian University allows us to identify specific critical moments when the greatest sifting of students of the Jagiellonian University Law occurs. Statistically, the first year is the most difficult, and in particular the first winter session. This is when students first encounter the need to master material of several thousand pages in a short session period.

1. First semester (Logical and Historical Filter): Although logic is not the most difficult subject, it requires a specific way of thinking. Combined with Roman Law and the history of the political system, it creates a barrier that about 10-15% of the year does not overcome in the first term.
2. End of the second year (Civil Barrier): This is the moment when many students decide to resign or are crossed out. Civil law requires regularity, the lack of which is manifested at this stage.
3. September Campaign: The retake session at the Jagiellonian University, which takes place in September, is for many “to be or not to be”. The accumulation of two or three retake exams in one month often leads to failure and the need to apply for the Jagiellonian University Law or repeat the year.

Deletion from the list of students is most often not due to a single mistake, but to the accumulation of countless colloquia and exams. The USOS system rigorously monitors the deadlines and limits of ECTS, and exceeding the permissible point deficit is an automatic prerequisite for initiating the deletion procedure.

Examination specificity of departments at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University

In order to fully understand why the screening of students of the Jagiellonian University Law remains at a constant level, it is necessary to analyze the autonomy of departments. At the Jagiellonian University, each department (e.g. the Department of Civil Law, the Department of Criminal Procedure) has a lot of freedom in shaping the syllabus and the form of knowledge verification. This means that the student does not prepare for a general exam in a given field, but for a specific vision of law presented by a given scientific team.

The role of the “Krakow School” in the selection process

The Krakow School of Theoretical, Legal and Criminal Studies emphasizes dogmatics and linguistic precision. In subjects such as Theory of State and Law (often in the first year) and Criminal Law, students are accountable for the ability to use a specific conceptual apparatus. An error in the definition of a legal norm or provision may result in the interruption of the oral exam.

• Theory of State and Law: This subject is often underestimated, but it is the foundation for later course courses. Failure to pass the theory colloquia makes it impossible to take the exam, which in the USOS system generates a lack of ECTS points necessary to pass the first stage of studies.
• Constitutional Law: It generates a significant percentage of people referred to a retake session. The exam requires not only knowledge of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, but also hundreds of rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal and the mechanisms of functioning of state bodies. The specificity of the questions often concerns procedural details (e.g. the procedures for appointing members of the National Broadcasting Council), which can be an insurmountable barrier for students focused on general principles.

Why are tests harder than oral exams?

Many students wondering whether it is difficult to stay at the Jagiellonian University Law are not aware of the technical side of written exams. At the Faculty of Law of the Jagiellonian University, multiple-choice tests with a system of negative points or a very high passing threshold (e.g. 70-80% of correct answers) are commonly used.

1. Negative point system: It introduces an element of risk. A student who is unsure of the answer must calculate whether casting a vote will not lower his overall score below the threshold of 2.0. This makes written exams a test not only of knowledge, but also of mental resilience.
2. Cases of high complexity: In subjects such as Civil Law or Commercial Law, the written part often consists of a case study. This is the described factual situation that needs to be subject to legal analysis. The most common reason for failing is the so-called “critical error” – adopting an erroneous assumption at the beginning of the analysis (e.g. incorrect qualification of the contract), which makes the entire solution considered incorrect, regardless of the correctness of further arguments.
3. Inquiries (supplementary exams): In some departments there is an institution of inquiry. If a student has scored at the pass mark on the test, they may be invited to the oral exam. This is a high-stress situation where the final assessment depends on the ability to quickly associate facts under time pressure.

Critical moments: Load distribution during the 5-year study

By analysing the screening of students of the Jagiellonian University’s Law, it is possible to determine a map of the hotspots where the largest number of deletions from the list of students occur.

Year I: Cognitive Shock and Roman Law

This is where the most people drop out (estimated 15-25%). The reason for this is the lack of material selection skills. Students try to read textbooks from cover to cover, not understanding that at the Jagiellonian University it is important to analyze specific legal institutions. Roman law is the “guardian of the gate” here – it teaches discipline, the lack of which takes revenge in the following years.

Year II: Block Accumulation

The second year is the time of Criminal Law and Civil Law (General and Material Part). This is the moment when students are first exposed to such a large number of recipes to master. There is often a phenomenon of “debt transfer” – a student passes one subject at the expense of another, which ends up with a condition from the other.

Year III: “Great Commitments”

Civil Law Obligations is a subject that is considered to be the most difficult in the entire course of study. The material is abstract and voluminous. It is in the third year that many people decide to change their direction, feeling that they are not able to master civil dogmatics at the required level.

Year IV and V: Procedures and seminars

Although it seems that the worst is over, procedural subjects (Civil Procedure, Criminal Proceedings) require great precision. Here, the mistakes result from fatigue with the material. Cancellation in the 5th year is rare, but it happens due to failure to meet the deadlines for submitting a master’s thesis in the APD (Diploma Theses Archive) system or failure to obtain a credit from the seminar.

Detailed analysis of procedures: Condition, commission and reactivation

If a student fails in the retake session for the Jagiellonian University Law, he or she enters the mode of administrative procedures managed by the USOS system.

The principle of the point deficit

Each course has an assigned ECTS weight. To pass the year, you need to get 60 ECTS. The regulations allow for a certain deficit (usually up to 12 ECTS), which allows for conditional enrolment for the next semester. However, if a student fails two “major” subjects (e.g. Civil and Criminal), the sum of points will exceed the allowable limit, which automatically blocks the possibility of enrolment for the next year.

Repeating the subject vs. repeating the year

It is worth distinguishing between these two concepts:

• Condition: The student continues his education in the higher year, but must re-attend classes in the failed subject and pay for them.
• Repeating the year: If the deficit is too large, the student remains in the same year of study. He can do it only once at a given stage of study. Another failure to pass results in a definitive deletion from the list of students.

Board exam – statistics and realities

Contrary to student myths, a commission for the Jagiellonian University Law is rarely successful for a student who has a lack of knowledge. The committee is made up of experts, and the atmosphere is very formal. It is a tool to protect the student from injustice, not a “third term” for the unprepared. Statistically, only a small percentage of commissions end up changing their rating to a positive one.

Reasons for deletion from the list of students (non-substantive analysis)

Apart from the lack of knowledge, there are a number of technical and organizational reasons leading to expulsion from the university:

1. No entries in USOS: It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that all grades have been entered into the system. Failure to assess the minutes by the deadline for closing the minutes is treated as a failing, which may trigger the deletion procedure.
2. Failure to sign the oath or no fees: In the case of part-time students, tuition arrears are the most common non-academic reason for cancellation.
3. Failure to submit the diploma thesis on time: At the Jagiellonian University, there are fixed dates by which the work must go to the supervisor and the system. Exceeding these deadlines without obtaining consent for an extension results in the removal from the list of students of the last year.
4. Loss of student status due to inactivity: Long-term absence from compulsory exercises (seminars) results in a lack of passing, which, in the absence of a reaction on the part of the student, leads to deletion.

How to avoid sifting?

In order to stay in law at the Jagiellonian University, it is necessary to change the learning strategy:

• Use of the Jagiellonian Library and cathedral libraries: Independent analysis of case law is crucial. Textbooks are just a base.
• Activity in scientific circles: It allows for a deeper understanding of the matter, which makes oral exams easier. TBSP (Law Students’ Library Society) is the oldest student organization at the Jagiellonian University, which offers access to unique materials and trainings.
• Syllabus Monitoring: Each examiner is obliged to specify the scope of requirements. Sticking to the syllabus allows you to avoid learning unnecessary things, which is crucial when time constraints.

Critical schedule of a student of Jagiellonian University Law

Organization of studies in Krakow and the effectiveness of learning

Krakow, as an academic city, imposes a specific rhythm of work. For a law student at the Jagiellonian University, two aspects are crucial:

Access to scientific resources

The center of Krakow (near the Main Market Square, Gołębia and Bracka Streets) is a library area. A law student spends most of his time there between lectures. The effectiveness of learning depends on the ability to use the Main Reading Room of the BJ, where the latest commentaries by publishers such as C.H. Beck or Wolters Kluwer are available. The cost of purchasing all textbooks is enormous, which is why libraries are the only real source of knowledge for most students.

Logistics and fatigue

Although the buildings of the faculty are in the center, it takes about 10-15 minutes to walk from Collegium Novum to the Auditorium Maximum at Krupnicza Street. During the session, when every hour counts, this logistics becomes a burden. Students living in dormitories (e.g. in the AGH UST student campus, where Jagiellonian University students are often accommodated) have to take into account the travel time, which is important for regeneration with a 12-hour day of study.

Condition, commission and retake session on the Law of the Jagiellonian University

Administrative procedures related to didactic failures are strictly formalized at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University. A student who fails a course in the first term is entitled to one revision as part of the retake session (the so-called September campaign for the summer semester).

Condition (Conditional Entry)

The Jagiellonian University Law requirement can be obtained when a student fails a course, but his/her ECTS credit deficit does not exceed the limit specified in the study regulations (usually it is about 10-12 ECTS, but this value may vary depending on the year of study).

• Conditional entry involves the need to pay a fee for repeating the item.
• The student must attend classes in a given subject again in the next academic year and pass it on general terms.
• Failure to pass a conditional course during the year usually results in the need to repeat the entire year of studies or deletion.

Commission (Board Exam)

The Jagiellonian University Law Commission is an extraordinary procedure. A student may apply for a board exam in justified cases, e.g. if they believe that the examiner was biased or the questions went beyond the syllabus.

• The application for a commission is submitted to the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs within 7 days of the announcement of the results of the amendment.
• The exam takes place in front of a committee (chairman, examiner and other specialist in a given field).
• This is the ultimate chance; The assessment from the commission is final and is not subject to further appeal.

Consequences of failing the amendment

Failure to pass the second term (and possibly for the commission) while exhausting the ECTS limit leads to deletion from the list of students. The student then has the opportunity to apply for reactivation for studies, which, however, is associated with the need to complete the curriculum differences.

Why do students drop out despite good results from the matura exam?

People who get into law at the Jagiellonian University are usually high school graduates with high school results in the 90-100th percentile. Still, the rate of graduates within 5 years is rarely 100%. The causes of this phenomenon are multi-layered:

1. Difference in Learning Methodology: The matura exam tests the ability to solve turnkey tasks. Studying law at the Jagiellonian University requires building independent mental constructions and interpreting ambiguous regulations.
2. No content selection: Students try to learn everything from the textbook, not being able to distinguish the key from the marginal issues. During exams, Jagiellonian University professors are often asked questions about the nuances that determine a positive grade.
3. Excess material: The amount of text to be absorbed (often over 5000 pages a year) paralyzes people who have not developed regularity.
4. Mistakes in preparation for colloquia: Partial colloquia are often treated in a stepmother’s way, while they are the basis for the final exam. Failure to obtain a credit for exercises does not allow the exam to take place on the first date, which automatically pushes the student to revise.

Internships at the Jagiellonian University Law

Internships are a mandatory part of the course of study, usually carried out after the 3rd or 4th year. Although they are not “difficult” in the academic sense, they have a significant impact on the passing of the year.

• ECTS: For internships, the student receives ECTS credits (usually 4-6), which are necessary to settle the stage of study.
• Documentation: The student must submit an internship log certified by a law firm, court, prosecutor’s office, or office. The lack of formal settlement of internships in the USOS system results in the lack of credit for the year, which in extreme cases may lead to the need for conditional entry due to the lack of ECTS credits.
• Impact on Learning: Often, students combine internships with study for a retake session, which is a strategic mistake that leads to fatigue and failing exams in September.

Organization of studies in Krakow (impact on science)

The location of the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University in the centre of Krakow has a direct impact on the effectiveness of science.

1. Building Dispersion: Classes take place at various points (Collegium Novum, Larisha Palace on Bracka Street, building on Krupnicza Street). Having to move between buildings in short breaks can be a nuisance, especially when a student has to get from a lecture to an exercise where full concentration is required from the first minute.
2. Access to libraries: The Jagiellonian Library and cathedral libraries are of key importance. In the pre-exam periods, finding a free place in the reading room borders on a miracle. Students who do not book materials early enough have difficult access to the latest editions of commentaries.
3. Cost of living and labour: The high cost of living in Krakow forces some students to take up gainful employment. In the field of Law at the Jagiellonian University, especially in the full-time system, it is practically impossible to combine full-time work with education without the risk of being removed from the list of students. Most people decide to work only in the 4-5th year, when the number of contact hours decreases in favor of master’s seminars.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the condition for the Jagiellonian University Law cost?

The cost of conditional enrolment at the Jagiellonian University is regulated by the Rector’s Ordinance and depends on the number of ECTS credits assigned to a given subject. In the case of key subjects, such as Civil Law or Roman Law, which have a high point weight (usually from 8 to 12 ECTS), the fee can range from several hundred to over a thousand zlotys. This amount is calculated as the product of the rate for one ECTS credit and the number of credits of a given subject. It should be remembered that the fee is paid for repeating classes (exercises and lectures), and not for the mere fact of taking the exam on a different date. Students must make a payment through the USOS system after obtaining approval from the Dean for conditional enrollment. Failure to pay on time may result in not being allowed to attend classes or problems with settling the semester.

Is it possible to have two conditions at the same time for the Jagiellonian University’s Law?

The rules regarding the number of admissible conditions are strictly defined in the regulations of studies at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University and depend on the total limit of the ECTS credit deficit. Theoretically, it is possible to have two conditions, provided that the sum of ECTS credits in these subjects does not exceed the permissible deficit in a given year of study. For example, if the limit is 12 ECTS and a student fails to pass two courses of 5 ECTS each, he or she can apply for two conditions. However, the situation becomes more complicated in higher years, where the subjects are “heavier” in terms of points. It should be noted, however, that having two difficult subjects to be passed in conditional mode in one academic year drastically increases the risk of final failure and deletion from the list of students, due to the need to study material from two years at the same time.

What happens after failing the third exam (commission)?

The board exam is treated as the absolute last chance in a given didactic cycle. If a student receives an unsatisfactory grade from the committee, he/she exhausts all appeals and options for passing the course in a given year. In such a situation, if the ECTS limit allows it, the student may apply for repetition of the course next year (condition). However, if the limit of the point deficit has already been exceeded or the course has already been repeated conditionally, the Dean issues a decision to remove it from the list of students. This decision can be appealed to the Rector, but the chances of a positive review are small, unless there have been gross procedural irregularities on the part of the university. After the decision to delete becomes final, the student loses his/her rights and can only apply for reactivation for studies in the future.

What does the commission on the Law of the Jagiellonian University look like in practice?

The board exam at the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University is official and takes place in front of a panel of several people. The committee usually consists of the Vice-Dean as the chairman, the examiner who gave an unsatisfactory grade, and another academic teacher holding at least a habilitated doctoral degree in the same or related field (the so-called subject specialist). At the student’s request, a representative of the Student Government may also participate in the exam as an observer. The exam is most often oral, even if the original dates were written. The student draws a set of questions or answers questions asked directly by the committee members. The committee evaluates not only the substantive knowledge, but also the manner of argumentation and the logical correctness of the argument. The exam report is drawn up immediately, and the result is announced immediately after the committee deliberates.

Does the dean’s office help with problems with passing subjects?

The role of the Dean’s Office at the Jagiellonian University is primarily administrative and technical, not protective. The employees of the Dean’s Office deal with processing applications, keeping track of deadlines in the USOS system and issuing administrative decisions. In case of problems with passing, the student should contact the Dean’s Representative for Student Affairs or directly with the Vice-Dean during on-call hours. It is these people who have the competence to make decisions about extending the session, granting a condition or dividing the fees into installments. The Dean’s Office can only instruct on the form of submitting the application, but it has no influence on the substantive decisions of lecturers or the results of exams. It is crucial to comply with the deadlines for submitting letters; Being one day late in submitting an application for a condition often results in its automatic rejection for formal reasons.

Where to get questions for colloquia and exams (question exchange)?

The main source of knowledge about the specifics of exams for specific professors are the so-called question exchanges, i.e. databases of questions from previous years collected by students of higher grades. These are available on yearbook groups, social media, and dedicated material exchange platforms. However, great caution should be exercised: the chairs of law of the Jagiellonian University (especially the Department of Civil or Criminal Law) are aware of the existence of stock exchanges and regularly modify the legal status and case studies to make it impossible to pass the exam solely on the basis of archival questions. The most effective method is to combine stock market analysis with learning from the textbooks recommended in the syllabus. Often the questions are repeated in their logical structure, but the details of deadlines or specific amounts change, which is to be caught by the learners “by heart”.

Is it possible to work and study Law at the Jagiellonian University at the same time?

Combining professional work with law studies at the Jagiellonian University is extremely difficult, especially in the first three years. The system of classes (exercises are mandatory) and the huge volume of material require the student to be fully available. The average number of hours needed to prepare for one course exam is from 150 to 300 hours of pure study, which is physically unachievable with a full-time job without neglecting teaching duties. Most students decide to take part-time jobs or internships in law firms only in the fourth and fifth year, when the schedule becomes more flexible and the number of exams decreases. Working full-time at the beginning of your studies is one of the most common causes of falling behind, retake sessions, and eventually being struck off the student list due to lack of time to study.