Never in my life have I ever imagined myself being able to graduate with a Masters degree, neither have I ever expected that I would have completed a research thesis on a Criminology course.
Being able to fly back to the UK and visit London + Cardiff after a good 6 months of leaving my second home was surreal and it brought back feelings of familiarity and nostalgia. I mean, I've always loved London (albeit hating that place when I first visited during my first year in the UK because I often got lost, missed my trains and hated the crowd). But I got used to it and eventually got the hang of the pace, as to which I am extremely proud of.
When I walked towards the Vice Chancellor to shake his hand, it was the first time where I wasn't too nervous (as compared to my undergraduate graduation). I felt prepared and I shook his hand with confidence, knowing that I've made it through.
I would say, that my experience as a whole was different as compared to my other previous undergraduate coursemates. While the most of them decided to take the bar, I did not (as mentioned in previous posts). I opted to take Masters instead because I didn't see myself entering the legal professional world anymore, some would say I took the easy way out because the Bar is an extremely rigorous program, but for me, I felt I owe it to myself to do something else with my life. However, I am not criticizing the BAR program, I know plenty of my friends who has done it and they have nothing but good things to say about the course. I simply didn't want to do law anymore.
Then why did you take Law as a degree?
I'm not going to lie. I have always wanted to be a lawyer ever since I was 11 years old when my relatives told me that I would make a great lawyer because I would often argue back. It dawned upon me that I was going to be this big shot criminal lawyer who defend people. I kept this dream until college and that's when I realize, that there's more to things in life. I have the freedom to choose on what I want to do. Nevertheless, I still kept the dream of being a lawyer because you know, what's there to lose? I went on to HELP University to do my transfer program there, I loved my lecturers, the modules and my coursemates.
However, the one thing that did struck on the back of my mind was 'Do I really want to be a lawyer?' when I started my internship at the High Court during my first year before I transferred to the UK. In the UK itself, I had strong doubts about myself - the challenges I had to face whilst juggling with my studies and getting used to the system over there was not easy. It was overwhelming, infact. I wanted to do my best for my studies, at the same time I hated everything and I just wanted to go home.
I couldn't do that.
Not after the sacrifices my parents had made for me and not after how hard I've worked to get to where I was.
So, I did what any normal student would do - do my best to study. I stayed in the library for hours (Lol, I was so unproductive at certain times), discussed with a few course mates about things I don't understand and what they don't understand. I sincerely did enjoy the modules I studied (Land law's an exception).
I somewhat made the decision in the back of my mind that I didn't want to be a lawyer when I was interning at a reputable law firm during the Summer back in Malaysia before I entered third year but I couldn't tell my parents. I told myself that I should atleast try and apply for the Bar to see what would the results be.
When the time to apply for the Bar came, I refused to apply. I could see my peers flocking around everywhere, asking one another if they have applied but all I could think was 'I don't care'. I started doing research on other courses, things that would get me interested - Journalism, History and so on. I met up with counsellors and asked for their advise and opinions.
Ultimately, I chose Criminology.
Entering a field where I have no clue about during the start of the semester was an unsettling situation and feeling for me. I knew nobody, we only had 9 people in the course. The modules were new, I had no experience whatsoever in social science subjects - I only had my law degree experience with me and I feared that I wasn't able to use it at all.
Boy, was I bloody wrong.
Regardless of whatever degree you receive, the soft and technical skills you have attained during then would help you in whatever situation that applies. It just depends on how you use it and when you could apply it. Fear not, if you think your degree is worthless. No bloody degree in this world is worthless or useless. I enjoyed being able to learn new things, also applying what I have learnt into my new course.
People often have the perception that doing Masters is easier as compared to other courses or they would often compare it to their own course. It triggers me everytime someone says 'Ya your Masters course damn easy la'. While I don't deny that we do have more free time as compared to probably other courses, but I wouldn't say that we have the easiest times as well. Putting those free time hours in doing research, getting courseworks and tutorials done, pre-readings and post reading materials. Understanding the topics because your lecturers would question EVERYTHING you say.
Never ever compare your course with another person's course.
Me, Sofea - the noisy girl who is extremely opinionated in certain things (trying to mellow this down tbh!!) has completed her Masters degree and will be fighting against Education Inequity under the Fellowship Program by Teach For Malaysia.
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