DICTAadvice
Alumni Reflections
Words
of Wisdom
Leen Zaza reflects on
her time at university and
her endeavours since.
A
s young, wide-eyed freshers preparing to embark on
a new educational adventure, we have all, undoubtedly, been in the situation where our loved ones shower
us with goodbyes and advice to guide us through our upcoming university years. I still remember the various words
of wisdom family members, neighbours, friends, and even
friends-of-friends made available for my use and benefit before I left to study for my LLB, and later on my LLM, at the
University of Bristol. These ranged from the caring (“make
sure you get your five-a-day!”), to the informative (“heat
escapes from the top of your head, so make sure you pack
a warm hat!”), to the just plain weird (“make sure you stock
up on cotton buds!”).
Nevertheless, there was one thing that was said to me,
in particular, which had remained lurking in the back of my
mind: “make the most of your time at university, because
that will be a very interesting time of your life; but afterwards, not so much.” Now, after spending four wonderful
years at the University of Bristol, and almost six months
after graduating from my LLM course, I can share my own,
humble afterthought on the aforementioned advice: that
last person was only half-right (and no, you do not need to stock up on
cotton buds).
The thing is, one reason which renders time spent at university ‘very
interesting’ is the very same process I have just described above: from the
very first day on campus, all the way through the late nights spent writing
coursework essays—and up until that very last day at graduation when you
step out of Wills clutching your shiny new degree—the people around you
constantly guide you by placing various tips and tricks at your disposal.
What you choose to do with such guidance is completely up to you; you
are left to your own devices to consider either taking or completely ignoring it, and consequently, learning from your mistakes or successes.
The bouillabaisse of people and experiences you are exposed to as a
university student can lead to a range of opportunities being made available to you. Once you get that shiny degree, however, some of that may
change. Of course, your tutors, friends, and family remain by your side
with their abundant supply of advice; what differs is that you are in the
driver seat. The guidance you receive now comes after you have taken
a decision about your next step in life. Similarly, opportunities may no
longer be readily presented for you to pick and choose from; rather, the
onus becomes on you to go out and seek them yourself. What remains the
same, however, is the importance of persistence and being pro-active in
seeking such opportunities which you deserve.
I am now working as a Trainee Associate at the associated office of
Allen & Overy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the time I have spent work-
24 | DICTA 2013
ing as such has definitely been not any less interesting than when I was
at university. I have experienced, first-hand, the typical corporate-lawyer
complaints in relation to the tough working hours and tight deadlines;
however, the learning curve is so steep, that it makes it all the more worthwhile. Practicing law, rather than approaching it from an academic dimension, provides a different feel and perspective of understanding on how a
legal system operates. Business has become globalised to the extent that I
find it utterly fascinating how much English law I find myself using whilst
working on regional Middle-Eastern deals each day, and vice versa.
I am very thankful for the opportunities I have been presented with,
both during and after my time at university. Nevertheless, I also feel responsible for making sure that I make the most out of them – not least
because I owe it to myself after the hard work I have been putting in
over the past four years, as I am sure you have as well. As aptly summed
by Kyoko Escamilla: “Your 20’s are your ‘selfish’ years. It’s a decade to
immerse yourself in every single thing possible. Be selfish with your time,
and all aspects of you.”
So, my own words of advice for future graduates? Be brave and make
the most of your time, because it is what happens afterwards that can get
very interesting.
Leen is a former Bristol LLB and LLM student, and the previous Editor-in-Chief
of Dicta. She is currently working as a Trainee Associate at Allen & Overy in
Saudi Arabia.