The realities of studying abroad… and no, I’m not talking about England.
Hey collegelah readers! I’m Sofiyah and I’m a 2nd year (sadly virtual) LLB Law student at Cardiff University. As a creative kid who really liked business -paradox, I know- it was pretty difficult for me to attach myself to law before starting the course. With that being said though, once I did start, I really liked it. Cardiff law was super welcoming and kind of funny at times. Except the amount of readings and essays. Still don’t like those but I’m getting there.
Before leaving to the UK, I had chosen Cardiff because it was a town-like city full of lots of students. There was also something old-timey about it. This makes it super easy to study. There are no temptations, really, none… at all. But… upon arriving it was easy for me to find things I liked to do whether it was strolling in the park or walking to… basically everywhere, a concept foreign to my sit-in-a-car-to-all-destinations-Malaysian-ness. Cardiff also had an established law and politics program which was important to me as law isn’t an easy course to navigate alone.
Aside from my course, there were a lot of extra-curricular activities on offer and a bustling Student Union. I sort of dabbled in a little bit of everything. Pretty early on into my first year I joined ICMS, a professional student body organisation that spans across 5 (6 this year!) chapters. Although I was in Cardiff, ICMS helped me meet Malaysian students from all over the UK which was really fun as being in Wales can feel a little isolating at times.
An aspect about Cardiff law that I really liked was the support system when it came to my career. There are career related events hosted almost everyday with weekly emails about what’s happening in the law school. The law society is also pretty active and keeps us up to date on what’s going on in the ‘real world.’ AKA law firm job applications and opportunities outside of Cardiff. For anyone considering law at Cardiff, or just thinking about Cardiff in general, it’s definitely an option worth considering. I believe all law applications are pretty standard across all unis, really just demonstrate why you’ve decided to pursue this course. Happy applying and the best of luck to all of you high school/college kids (Now that I’m in uni I feel really old and think that it’s fitting to address you guys as kids 
).
Sofiyah Rohaizi is a 2nd year LLB Law Student at Cardiff University expected to graduate in 2022. She’s currently a director at the International Council of Malaysian Scholars (ICMS) and pursues very mundane hobbies in her free time such as reading and painting.
P.S. This is a photo of her looking veeerryyyy happy because she found rendang…in the UK… during winter.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiyah-rohaizi/