Looking back. The year that was, at NUSRL.

It is probably the urge to take a peaceful break from this exhaustive moot research in a surprisingly humble June evening which spurred me to go about writing this piece. Nevertheless, as the desire to write about the past year of my life ensued, I could not distinct it from NUSRL and thus this piece acts as an insight into the life here; that was and that will be..

I remember my first day, entering into the castle of my dreams. Blimey! Law School finally! The feeling was a spitting image of how the protagonist felt in Alice in Wonderland. Verbatim. It was like, the ending of the first chapter of my life and beginning of a new one. Everything was different. It wasn't school anymore and above all, it wasn't home anymore.. I'm not much of a sobby cry-baby who'd weep at the name of leaving home and being away from parents. Instead, this is what excited me, to be away, with new people, in a new city and under my own 'jurisdiction'. I felt like eighteen. I knew we'll be in touch over the phone and I'll visit them in the break. Taking into account, as excited as I am always for everything, I'll have to admit I had my moments. Nevertheless, as every hosteller would tell you, the key part of your hostel life is your roommate. Luckily enough, I got someone with matching interests and 'decent' room-habits, that I never had any issue. But, I've seen people having most issues with their room-mates. People, this isn't home anymore. You used to live in your manor, this is a labour's deck. This is hostel. Learn the art of adjustment. Period.

As in any law school, you will find people from all caste and creed here. Not going by the literal meaning, the friendly ones, the reserved ones, the mooters, (Read Denny Cranes and Alan Shores) and non-mooters, the brainy, the sloggers, ones who will volunteer for everything from stick to stone and ones you will see in the library only, the party people, the stoners, the sobers, Consti law experts, the research experts, ones with internships from the top law firms under their sleeves and the ones quite away from all of it. And well, then there'll be you. Remember Legally Blonde? How Elle Woods flashed in that Pink attire in a crowd full of Black Coats and Gowns. Well, that may be the feeling at the first instance. You might feel a bit out of place, a bit different from the rest. If you do, I will say hold onto that feeling because you know what gets Elle a job at the most prestigious law firm in the end of the movie.

With compulsory CREs and Research Papers from the first semester itself, you wouldn't know when the semester will end in between all those committee meetings, trips, seminars, and well, god bless the compulsory attendance and 30 CATs per semester, you won't even have the time to care.

Talking of lectures, well nothing will sound obvious to you anymore, you would start questioning the most fundamental things there are and defending the controversial ones. You will love some subjects and loath some. You won't love all of the professors here but you won't hate all either. The whole minus the former is the reason you are here. There is this professor I used to make fun of, and one person I knew I would never respect, in the first semester, he stands to be my favourite at the moment because the person has knowledge of everything that comes under the ambit of sun. The way he relates law to a thing which seems grossly unrelatable is impeccable. You name it, he has it. Nevertheless, there will be some you will choose for the vital purpose of completing the sleep you couldn't grab last night due to the new episode of Suits. Oh, to tell you, endless movies and season after season of any show that's on the hit are exchanged here like candies.

The only reason I was reluctant to go to a city like Ranchi was due to the location. And going by the location-determines-the-weather logic, trust me it's the reason I love it the most. The pleasant winds and humble sunrays of July are the most welcoming. Ranchi would never fail to surprise you with a few water drops here and there, every now and then. The first two months, I used to be most amused by its weather. Given that I've spent good amount of years in places like Tripura, Srinagar and Assam, Ranchi still continues to be my favorite when it comes to the weather:  A moderate city: Never too hot & never too cold. Then add to it all the places you get to visit. A half of the trips to all of those famous falls and dams financed and facilitated by the University (devil's grin). Then you'd be seen spending your Saturdays in Floats (the students' favorite bar) and Sundays hogging at Brunch.

Being here, in a city known primarily for  developing its educational hub, you'll naturally acquire acquaintance with students from BIT Mesra, XISS & Xavier's to name a very few, and life would start to get even better with all of those fests you will attend. As time will pass, you will book outings for eating and hanging out and exploring new places on your inside-Ranchi expedition. For the rest, as lazy as it may seem, we flipkart everything from pin to Pullock & earplugs to whole ensemble. The flipkart guy is so much a part of NUSRL now as are the stray dogs.

I can go on for a considerable length, but to sum it up for you, being in NUSRL has changed my perspective towards a lot of things, I thing that is what any law school does to you, it untangles the prejudices in your mind and then presents before you the atrocities of life and of law. But, as a great man has said, "Change can only be brought to a person who is willing to change" therefore, the best advice I can give you is to come to the law with a free mind!

PS: This is one year old, introductory piece. Alot has changed since then. Period.

PSS: Nothing! Too excited to shift to the campus!