Second-year Law student Hind talks about what having a Futures Scholarship means to her and how it has helped her studies.
I have always wanted to do a degree which allowed me to gain a range of skills, and Law appealed to me because I like the idea of fighting against injustice and helping people. I would watch videos of lawyers and was fascinated by the way they think carefully about the language they use before speaking. I love everything about my course – it is so varied, and gives me many opportunities to improve my skills and broaden my knowledge, through attending seminars or doing reading outside of my lectures. The Futures Scholarship means a lot to me and has helped me so much. Without it, I would need to take a job working 20 hours a week or more to cover my living costs, but having these funds means that I can work fewer hours and focus my time and energy on my studies.
The Futures Scholarship also means that I have more time to dedicate to career development opportunities. Work experience is so important, but even just filling out the applications can be time consuming. I’m taking on a lot of work experience opportunities at the moment, including online internships and events, to explore my options and see whether I’m making the right decision about what I’d like to do in the future. I’m trying different things to gain as much experience as I can, and the scholarship has really helped me with that.
Until recently, I didn’t have any business attire, so I used some of my funds to buy work clothing and shoes, which made me feel more confident and able to present myself better at events and interviews. Using my scholarship employability funding, I participated in the Sutton Trust Careers Plus Programme, which is an eight-month programme offering different skills sessions and work experience opportunities. I got to meet a variety of lawyers and talk to trainees about their pathways into law, and I’ll be taking part in a two-week experience in London in the summer.
Having to work fewer hours in my job has also given me the time to enjoy extracurricular activities. I’m a member of the Women in Law Society, as well as the Conversation Club, where I help teach English to refugees and immigrants. For the last two years I’ve been a tutor with Zero Gravity, which is a platform for students looking to go to university, particularly those facing challenges including social mobility barriers. I really enjoy helping these students reach their potential.
I would like to thank the donors for the support they give me and many other Scholars. At university, it’s so important to be able to grab opportunities that come your way, and I wouldn’t have been able to do that without this scholarship.
For more information on the Futures Scholarship, click here.