The Laid-Back Life of School of Legal Studies, CUSAT [AND] Lessons Beyond the Rat Race, the CV

By Saipooja, School of Legal Studies, CUSAT

My college is not  one of those law schools where every student is forced to enter the rat race even if they don’t want to. It is a college that exemplifies the laid back attitude widely prevalent in Kerala. Yet I would say  that I have learnt  and  will learn a few good lessons that  will keep in in good stead for the rest of my life.

We are  expected to sit in the class from 9 AM to 4 PM , each class is taken over a continuous stretch of two hours.

This system is  psychologically challenging. Especially for the ones who are used to the 40-45 minute period duration at school. Maybe they are training us to become good listeners. Or are they testing our patience?

Whatever be their intention I have become a better listener, more patient and have learnt to pursue my hobbies in the back bench whenever the situation is favourable ( mostly I make it favourable).  This has made me a more  flexible . I can adapt to any new situation. Oh, I’am so grateful!

We are also victims to the recently inducted system in which a major factor that decides our eligibility to appear for the semester exams is a minimum percentage of attendance. It is 80 percent in our college. If you attend all the classes, i.e. if you have 100 percent attendance, you get a bonus of five marks.

This system is an unreasonable curtailment on one’s creative freedom. For instance this forces you to witness the daily ceremony of reading out the bare act  in the class. One thing that I will vouch for is that if the classes are worth it, each one of us would attend it without expecting a reward in the form of  a tick mark in the attendance sheet.

Coming to the brighter  part, I was a consistent latecomer at school. I see this as a reason  for me to cultivate the habit of punctuality and consistency.( for that last attendance that will make me eligible to appear for the exams)

It is necessary to be in the good books of the lecturers to score decent internal marks. This might not look like a  genuine attempt on the part of the law school to teach us how to manage people and situations.

If you are an optimist you will see this as an opportunity  to hone your people management and diplomacy skills. After  all a good lawyer is excellent at managing people and situations.

If you are  studying in  School of legal studies, you are in direct contact with  petty politics. Yes! budding leaders and student political organisations.

You see petty egos ballooning into large ones and finally exploding. You will not want to be a part of it.  I believe  this place might be a microscosm of the contemporary Indian politics.  It is fun observing. I get to see a handful of good leaders here and there. God bless us!

When you have a college atmosphere that is closely entwined with politics, you may get many days  off . Strikes, bandhs, hartals, boycotting classes and so goes on the list.of reasons that puts  an instant smile on my face.

To make the  best use of such occasions it is advisable to keep a list of all  the theatres and restaurants close by. The industrious ones can go to their hostels/homes or library  to do their  stuff.

My life at ‘law school’ has been an interesting so far. Still keeping my eyes and ears open for more lessons and experiences.

Some of the important lessons that I learnt: take responsibility for your own life, do everything that keeps you happy and lastly be smart enough to distinguish between situations which you can control and those which you cannot.