"I was able to connect with people from all over the world and gain an insight into how they were working for their legal jurisdictions."
Year of graduation: 2022Name of programme: Laws LLMCountry: Pakistan
The renowned faculty and QS ranking of the university helped me finalise my decision to study at CCLS, as I knew I would be able to receive teaching and support during my studies. Another factor that played an important part was Queen Mary being one of the biggest hubs for international students in the world, as this would encourage me to interact and connect with people from all over the world.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, most of my lectures were hybrid, I initially felt that online lectures would be a disadvantage compared to in-person lectures, however, over the course of the semesters I felt that the hybrid mode helped me manage my time in a better way and made it easier to complete readings for lectures.
Besides this, I felt that the teaching and learning worked side by side, lecturers provided an understanding and introduction to a topic, and the learning would have to come from the effort students put into readings or researching beyond the classes.
The highlight during my LLM was selecting the dissertation, as I did not specialise I had the opportunity to select my dissertation from a variety of areas.
Yes, I combined a variety of modules including those from the corporate, intellectual property, and international law areas. The advantage of this was that I received a wholesome understanding and perspective of various disciplines and was able to broaden my knowledge on different areas.
I truly enjoyed the student life of London, and I believe I was able to experience activities and explore my interests in a way that would be impossible to do in a year in another city. London always has something going on, so it was exciting to experience the opportunities.
Yes, I was able to connect with people from all over the world and gain an insight into how they were working for their legal jurisdictions, especially those who planned to go back after their degree ended. This was insightful for my journey at Queen Mary and provided depth into what areas of law are prevalent in different areas around the world, and why people chose to pursue careers in those fields.
Yes, I believe pursuing an LLM has opened doors for me in my career and helped me understand what areas of Law I am inclined to practice.
I would advise students to take it slow, one year feels like a lot when you first start your masters, but it goes by fast. Every day counts so make the most out of it, try to understand what study patterns work for you and how you can benefit from the resources you are given at university, while also making time to step outside your comfort zone or enjoy the activities/hobbies you like.
I really enjoyed the access I had to different study spaces on campus and those linked with Queen Mary. Having the option to study in different settings was helpful in making me feel comfortable during the process.