So what is law school like?

It’s that time of the year when every CLAT aspirant ever has finally started preparing for the exam. I took the CLAT twice myself, and while I did make it to NALSAR the second time around, my preparation too was largely done in the last month. For me, law school was a conscious and deliberate choice. While I had no idea what it was going to be like, my assumptions and expectations were romantic and I thought it was the perfect undergraduate experience for me. CLAT was the means to reach that dream, and my motivation came from religiously stalking seniors from school who had made it to where I saw myself.

Now, three years into the law school of my dreams, most of those conceptions have changed. The daydreams crashed, but I also built new ones as I went along. I learnt about the law, but as I studied more, I only felt the minisculity of my knowledge. Every day, I am a little more aware of how little I know, and how much more there is to know. I have had the richest, most varied experiences, met people from everywhere, made and broken friendships, and learnt quite a bit about myself. Sure, there have been some very harrowing moments, and these have been more frequent than I’d like them to be. I have had my moments of detestation, and wanted to simply pack my bags and go back home, but these are only passing. Looking back, these moments are insignificant. What I do remember fondly are the times I discovered people who shared the same interests as me, the passionate conversations about our opinions, the excited feeling when I did a piece of research for a paper or project and stumbled upon something incredibly fascinating! I have worked with inspiring and passionate people, discovered an interest in public law and politics, travelled places I never thought I’d see, made friendships I know I can rely on, met peers who have held my hand through it all and taught me things I had no idea about. These are the experiences that count, these are the memories you’ll take away, the learnings you’ll look back at. I have two more years to go before I graduate, and I look forward to all the opportunities ahead, and all the experiences waiting to be had.

But with the little insight that I have gained, I promise you that law school is everything you think it is, but it’s also not. It’s a little universe in itself, it will crush you and you will have a hard, hard journey, but it’s also a space that can be everything you want it to be. Your five years, for better or for worse, you decide. But before you get there, let me pull your feet back to the ground and ask you to take a look at the top right corner of this screen. Already, you’ve lost time! The exam that will take you to all the experiences I’ve narrated above, is 25 days away. What are you doing to reserve your five-year spot at your dream law school? Are you working ten hours a day, taking as many mock tests as you can? There isn’t time for comfort, but there is time enough to salvage some much needed preparation. Make it count.

If you have doubts and queries, we’re always here to help. Shoot us a mail, or get yourself some mock tests and talk to a mentor who’ll be your law school friend.

Lots of love,

Raji