Explore opportunities, have faith in their potential, believe that everything is achievable – GNLU gold medalist, Arunima Chandra

The Gujarat National Law University in Gandhinagar recently organized its 5th Convocation on February 16, 2014. Justice Anil R. Dave, the Chief Guest and judge of the Supreme Court attended the ceremony where a total of one hundred and forty-five degrees, both undergraduate and postgraduate, were awarded to the graduating Class of 2013..Bar & Bench spoke to Arunima Chandra, from the undergraduate Class of ’13 and winner of seven gold medals, about her years in GNLU, the importance of mooting and what kept her motivated through the five years..Bar & Bench: Seven gold medals including one for Best Student overall – How did you keep the motivation levels up for five years?.Arunima Chandra: The subjects that I received gold medals for were amongst those that I was keenly interested in. I believe if something interests you enough, the motivation automatically follows from your desire to know more about it. Also, the realization that in order to be able to reach my goals and realize my ambitions, I had to make myself visible amongst my peers, kept me motivated..B&B: Were you a bit of a nerd?.AC: I would not call myself a nerd, though my friends would quite disagree. I was not a student who kept studying throughout the semester. I involved myself in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities such as writing research papers, being a member of the moot court committee of GNLU etc. There are numerous opportunities and experiences that a law school offers, and I wanted to make the most of them..However, I wouldn’t deny that I paid attention and took notes in the classes and stuck to a schedule during the end semester exams..B&B: What do you think was the best part about GNLU?.AC: The best part of the GNLU is the absence of any unnecessary pressure. Though GNLU promotes competitiveness amongst students, the atmosphere is a sociable and friendly one. There is constant support and guidance not only from the faculty, but also from your seniors and peers..B&B: You were also one of the principal students behind the GIMC competition – How important do you think moots are for a law student?.AC: I think that every law student ought to moot once during their five years at college. The thrill and challenge of working around unsettled questions of law, arguing out both sides and finally being able to convince the panel is unique. The mooting rounds themselves give you numerous perspectives through which an issue can be looked at..Moots are also in several cases an excellent mode of undertaking in-depth research in those areas of law that do not form a part of the curriculum. It is definitely an experience you do not want to miss out on..B&B: Looking back, if there was one thing you could have done differently through the 5 years, what would it have been?.AC: I would have taken up the opportunities of going on an exchange program or participated in an international moot court competition..B&B: Lastly, any advice for those students who are struggling to get through the course?.AC: The advice that I can give to them is to make the most of these five years, explore the opportunities, have faith in their potential and truly believe that everything is achievable. Obviously there are no substitutes to hard work, but one must have a social life – any extremes being precarious..(Image provided by GNLU)