I guess Robert Frost while writing this had some sort of idea of what life is like. And this holds true for life in law school as well. There are promises to be kept, deadlines to be met.

When I was giving my entrances, I had a very rosy picture in mind about the life in the best of the National Law Universities. I prayed fervently and put in my best efforts to get into one of these. And finally, 8 months into one of these very National Law Universities; I wondered if it was all worth it.

I had a vague idea about what it would be like from an article in the editorial section of The Hindu which had made me rethink my decision which I had taken in a whimsical mood as a young teenager. This article mentioned the highly competitive environment of the NLUs and students falling into all sorts of inappropriate situations when they failed to perform well. In this case, I feel I am fortunate as the atmosphere is well moderated and the students can distinguish to an ample degree between right and wrong.

One of the things that I don't appreciate in my college is what we call the 'Law School Shark Syndrome' (LS3). This is typically characterized by people lying about their progress in studies, mooting and other fields to their peers to get ahead of them. I have come to realize that this might be the case in general and is prevalent in almost all law schools. But the situation, in my opinion is saddening. There are other aspects as well- intelligence is adjudged on the basis of your GPA and you will be branded dumb in no time if you fail to score well, or be tagged or classified in a world which is eager to define and group anything and anyone it comes across.

Standardized opinions, alienation, cut throat competition may as well be a sort of training for our future professions, but I feel differently.I don’t think backstabbing and pulling others down is the ultimate instrument for gaining ground in this profession.

If I am sure about myself, I’ll never have to pull back anyone to move ahead.

Intimidation may be natural in the first few months and you may come across people who would make you feel under confident or uncertain about yourself. Having faith in yourself and the belief that you can achieve your aim is the key to success and survival. You need to be at peace with yourself and the rest will fall into place.

It is one of the most crucial lessons I am in the process of learning while I am here at this campus. You never know what life holds for you after 5 years of Law School. You will never know what you are capable of until you try.

What others do or how well they do it should not occupy or worry us. Concentrating on our own performance will inevitably reap us better dividends.

The stress levels in Law School can be and will be very high. There is a lot of pressure that you might burden yourself with. This is where striking the balance comes into play.

Do not take your studies lightly even in the first semester (talking from experience) but do not overdo it as well. Do not burn yourself up. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Explore new avenues and build up on your USPs. Mooting and Debating is good but it is not the end of the world. You will be provided with ample opportunities to end up as a better person with a well developed personality.

Being in law school is rewarding experience as well. One will get to interact with illustrious personalities in the field and outside it. Eminent politicians, lawyers, academicians and journalists will make frequent visits. Interacting with them help you gain a better perspective and widen your horizon. It is a very enriching experience. There is a great amount of exposure and learning happening all through and also, they teach us how to work hard and keep our commitments.

You will make genuine friends and learn to enjoy life along the way. It would feel like a second home to you once you find your place in the sea of people that is Law School.

And in the end, I am sure you would have lived and it would all have been worth it.

I would like to end by saying that looking back now; I have the urge to quote these lines from Green Day’s song Good Riddance- It’s something unpredictable but in the end it’s right, I hope you had the time of your life!