Dicta 2013 | Page 24

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.