Interviewee: | Sahajveer Baweja (Final year student at RGNUL) |
Interviewer: | Naman Singla (Associate Editor at RGNUL Cosmos) |
Introduction: Hello, my name is Sahaj that means calm, easy and sorted. The name is totally opposite to my life because nothing has been easy till now for me. Decided to become an engineer, ended up being a criminal law enthusiast; planned to be fit and healthy, but every morning failed to hit the gym; barely able to pass my English writing exams in school, but now have citations at Harvard University; eagerly waiting to complete my five year law course, but now advancing myself towards Cambridge. I would call myself a person full of surprises.
Q.1) Firstly, congratulations on securing an offer letter from University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, University of Edinburgh, QMUL and 7 other top universities. Please tell us about the course you will be pursuing and what drove you to pursue this course?
Answer: Thank you so much! Right, so I’ll be pursuing something unconventional that is an MPhil in Criminology at the University of Cambridge. I have applied for a similar course in 10 other universities where I have also secured an offer to study. I wouldn’t lie but my interest has always been in criminal law. My interest got deeper when I interned at litigation offices followed by Committee for Criminal Reforms, MHA. The generic yet challenging nature of criminal law is something that has fascinated me a lot and thus, made me fall in love with the subject matter.
Q.2) What are your future aspirations and how do you think pursuing Masters from a foreign university will help in achieving your ultimate goal?
Answer: Currently, I am keeping two options open that are after completion of postgrad, either to come back to India and enter into the domain of litigation or, to stay abroad and pursue my Doctorate. Both the options are quite dynamic and are clearly associated with studying transformative growth of law very closely and are known for intensive research which I really enjoy doing. I believe that pursuing my masters in this particular course would certainly make my task easier to choose a career because of the exposure that I would be getting while studying in a cohort of the best minds all across the world.
Q.3) Could you tell us about the entire process of applications that you underwent and the challenges you faced along the way? And did you have a mentor or any alumnus who guided you throughout?
Answer: So, the process entails the art of writing a good Statement of Purpose which is an important element in any masters application abroad as it has a high value in application decisions. Therefore, my maximum time has been spent crafting a good SOP that can actually show me who I am as a person and what is my purpose to undertake this specific course. Other documents are generic which include letters of recommendation, CV, IELTS exam, academic statement, etc.
Q.4) Could you give the students some tips as to how and what to do in order to prepare the desired application?
Answer: As I mentioned, the documentation part is generic in nature but at the same time, it is very tedious and time-consuming. The thing that one has to remember while applying is that many college applications open and close at the same time with a window of two months to apply. So, in a restrictive time, applying for multiple colleges becomes a painstaking task and you may run out of time or may send half-hearted applications. Therefore, time management is the key to having a successful application. Plan your things wisely. Start working on your SOP whenever you get the time to think and do not procrastinate until the last minute.
Q.5) Did you have a backup plan, if not Masters and how was this second option necessary as a backup plan?
Answer: Yes, of course I did have a backup plan. The application outcome is so uncertain that you cannot solely be relying on the same to have a good and safe start to your career. You have to think wisely and not as someone who is undefeatable. You have to consider and weigh the odds and then think of your career because no one can afford to waste a year and reapply next year. It’s good to have a backup plan handy and prepare yourself accordingly.
Q.6) What according to you are the most important activities that every law student should focus upon while being at law school? And what according to you are the key skill sets that you think a foreign university looks for in a student while shortlisting the candidates?
Answer: Research writing and community service are the two important components that one should not miss out on. You have to show a passion for serving society and the same has to be evident from your past activities. Do not end up doing everything at the last moment because then it is easily understandable that it has been done to craft a good application. Imbibe these two qualities and work passionately on these elements. Moreover, try to figure out your area of interest as it may help you to make your application impactful because it gives the impression to the evaluator that the person is serious about the course that they want to undertake.
Q.7) Do you think our university and faculty members played a major role in your entire journey? If yes, how?
Answer: Certainly Yes, the university and the faculty members here had a lot to play in who I am today. The competitive atmosphere here accompanied by the pool of knowledge that students carry is something that keeps you on your toes and does not let you sleep. It’s the powerhouse of the motivation and zeal wherein you are compelled to work hard to be at least a good version of yourself. And yes, the faculty members are the ones who enlighten you with this concept so it wouldn’t be even possible if faculty members didn’t provide with such spirit. Moreover, the accommodating nature of faculty members in helping with LORs is salutable.
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