Part 1: Written by a disheartened yet motivated second year law student.
Not long now!
Dear Law School,
The amount you have made me question my self-worth and intelligence is simply astounding. The inability to chose between two similar multiple choice question to memorising 1500 cases in less than half an hour, and throwing me into an awful job market which is embedded with a certain amount of racism and sexism, has simply not made me keen on finishing this course.
As I sit here today aiming to pass Con Ad, one of your many loopholes to enable a qualification out of someone who comfortably passed eight A-levels, is absolutely ridiculous. The lack of guidance and effective reaching you have offered in a subject that demands so much preparation, patience and perseverance is abysmal. But I will not let you win, for you have stripped me of pride, joy and happiness because of an alleged lack of ‘analytical critique’. It is but unfortunate that my perfectionist personality fell into your very welcoming arms, that fed almost every demon of mine for the past few years. But I remain determined to see you though, to not only pass but excel and as far as our relationship goes I am beginning to believe that I will take away a lot more than just an ‘LLB’ degree at the end of it. The most disheartening part of it all, is that every-time I open a book to read about the law, I am utterly fascinated by a subject that has the power to change and influence lives in a way that other professions don’t. Unfortunately your rigid marking scheme doesn’t seem to capture my appreciation, love or interest for the subject and reduces me down to a number that somehow has the ability to determine my self worth. But I will be defined by you no longer, for I am worth so much more and with only the final hurdle left for me to conquer, I will emerge victorious despite my former inability to distinguish between a ‘b’ and ‘c’ on a property law paper. I will no longer be brought down by the toxicity of this environment and remember why I decided to do law in the first place, to learn, to grow and influence change. You can try as hard as you like, Law School but you will not strip me of my dreams, desires or hope despite your greatest efforts because there is a light in me that shines too bright to be dimmed just yet. Call me an optimist, young or maybe even naive but I will achieve what I intended to with or without your support and I will do this with my morals intact and will rely on my gorgeous brain alone.
Despite rejections based on sexuality, or race or because I’m not the ‘perfect fit’ is simply insufficient to demotivate an individual whose moral compass almost always fluctuates to the right hand-side of justice! Despite my disagreeing with Aristotle on this one who publicly stated that the law is reason free from passion, I am sorry to say that, the law is reason but it is full of passion. And that is perhaps the only thing that is getting me through today as I stare at almost 2,500 pages before me on but a single topic that may or may not come up in an exam paper that may or may not have the ability to change my future career prospects. But I will no longer let myself be defined by your awfully ridiculous marking scheme and will strive to focus more on learning as opposed to ‘passing’.
I have conquered multiple academic hurdles in the past, through blood sweat and tears and I will find a way to conquer you too! Since despite the threats you’ve made to my happiness and peace of mind, I have still achieved all I wanted to outside of my degree and grew into a more all-rounded individual. I have seen friends morph into family, discovered a love for a new dance form and a new interest in aiding charities around the world. SO, as this feud between you and I draws to a close I am sorry to say, you will remain an obstacle no longer, for this is the last and final hurdle and you are going to watch me ace it!
Yours for not much longer,
Nitya.
Invictus 