The beginning of a new chapter

The past summer has been an interesting and enriching experience for me. Ever since I found out that I was awarded this scholarship, I have been blessed with plenty of opportunities to do things that pushes me to my potential and grows me as a person. To start off, Chandra, Iffah and I had the honour of being interviewed by the Straits Times. Through the interview, I was able to reflect and share upon the decisions I have made – in both choosing to study abroad and specifically at Warwick University, and in pursuing a degree in law. I also got the chance to express my gratitude at being awarded this scholarship and to dish out advice for those who might be interested in applying for this scholarship in the future.

Beyond that, I also attended the scholarship’s fundraising dinner held by the trustees. The event’s guest of honour was Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law & Ministry of Finance. Towards the end of the dinner there was a Q&A section and I got to ask her some questions to which she was able to draw on her breadth of experience in providing me with insightful and inspiring answers. As a pre-law student (then), getting personal interaction with her was definitely the highlight of my night, and I am really so lucky to have gotten such an opportunity through this scholarship.

Over the same dinner, I was also exposed to plenty of different people from the legal industry. From the fundraising event, I met a partner from Allen & Gledhill and by following up with him and sending my CV and personal statement in, I managed to cinch the spot for a brief internship stint before I left for Warwick. Although the internship only lasted for 2 weeks and hence was a very short one, it was a valuable learning experience. It gave me a better idea of the day to day workings of a legal firm and demonstrated to me the grit of work that takes place in a lawyer’s career. As the internship took place directly before I left for Warwick, I feel that the internship put me in the right mental frame to get started on life in university and has given me the opportunity and privilege to begin with the end in mind.

It is currently week 3 of school, and I can definitely attest that the motivation garnered from the internship has carried through. So far it has been an excellent experience on campus and everyday has posed different kinds of challenges – but each of them has enabled me to learn and grow as an individual. I have also been trying to get involved with many different things on campus. For example, the arts scene here is really vibrant and I have already gotten the opportunity to attend an arts exhibition opening as well as 2 theatre workshops. Aside from engaging with the arts scene, I have also been trying out different forms of sports on campus - I tried trampolining, I went for a horse riding session, and I scheduled myself for an archery taster session. Balancing these external and non-academic exploits amidst figuring out my hectic law schedule has been a challenge, and will probably continue to be a point of contention but I know that in getting as involved as possible in both the realm of academia and in societies, I will be maximising my student experience.

So far, I have also been getting along really well with everyone- such as my schoolmates, flatmates and even other Singaporeans that I recognise from back home. I even got the opportunity to take a day trip to Birmingham and I do plan on exploring my surroundings and grabbing every possible travelling opportunity that comes my way. Essentially, this entire experience has been enriching in ways like no other and I am very grateful to be here, and am excited to continue making the best of my time.

Hayati Kamaludin : 19 Oct 2017 14:00 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem