From AMU student to bagging Commonwealth Scholarship, Wardah Beg shares her journey

Wardah Beg recently secured the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship to pursue Masters in Human Rights at the University of London. She will be pursuing her Masters Degree in Understanding and Securing Human Rights at the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London.

1 To begin with, kindly tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Wardah. I took my undergraduate law degree from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). It was a five-year integrated BA LLB programme. I am now taking a master’s programme in human rights at one of the research institutes affiliated to the University of London. It is called the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the School of Advanced Study. My academic interests lie in the concepts of citizenship and nationality, especially in the context of ethnic and religious minorities in India. I also find myself very passionate about migrant, refugee and asylum laws in a global context. While I do love to study, I also love to pursue the demands of the right hemisphere of my brain, so I often end up developing, redeveloping and forgetting some short-lived hobbies [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)]. I pursued baking as a career for a couple of years during and right after my college ended, and want to look into getting back at it at some point in my life again. I love baking. I like cats over dogs; print over digital; snowy over sunny; and Leonard Cohen over Bob Dylan.

2. When did you decide to pursue law and what were your motivations? Did you always want to pursue higher studies abroad?

While preparing for NEET very intensely in 11th grade, one day I absolutely lost my mind and threw my books on the wall in front of me almost subconsciously, in sheer frustration. This radical emotional moment was the manifestation of a long time of knowing and realising that I never actually liked what I was studying and almost felt quite forced to study medicine and become a doctor. I wanted to study political science and/or history and naively thought that an integrated degree would allow me to study both at the same time and that would mean a win-win for me. You know how disappointing it must have been to realise you just do not get to read enough humanities in an integrated degree programme. It does set up a base though, and I do not have any regrets about my course. I ended up falling in love with law (although after 5 years I am still unsure if I do understand the law as much as I should).

3. What did your law school journey look like? Looking back, would you have done things any differently?

I would definitely have benefited from pursuing my law programme from NLU. It would perhaps have set me up for better opportunities, or so I am led to believe with the obvious ways NLU students get certain privileges and opportunities that non-NLU students do not. But at the same time, I am inclined to say that it is in fact better that I went to AMU instead. Apart from my academic journey into an interest in human rights, I learned and acquired things from AMU that I possibly would not have been able to do elsewhere. It gave me a sense of belonging, community and an eternal membership, at the university. It is quite right when they say, you can leave Aligarh, but Aligarh does not leave you. I made lifelong friendships, a companionship, and a larger camaraderie with so many intellectual, genuinely curious and kind people. I would not exchange it for the world.

One thing I would have done differently would be to have much, much more work experience, voluntary or otherwise, related to my field of interest.

4 You have a diverse portfolio. You were the SCC Student Ambassador for your college. You have also dabbled in journalism and activism. You have also managed to successfully run a home bakery. How would you say these activities have shaped you as a person?

I feel like every individual is an accumulation of the thoughts, interactions and experiences he/she has had. As for my experience at the University, I pulled myself out of one thing and pushed myself into getting something else, all the time. I feel in life, generally, as well as in particular aspects of it like your career, you just have to be in motion to be considered alive. I derive this philosophy from a beautiful couplet by Allama Iqbal:

Thahartā nahÄ«ñ kārvān-e-vajÅ«d

ki har lahza hai taaza shān-e-vajūd

samajhtā hai tū raaz hai zindagī

faqat zauq-e-parvāz hai zindagī

(The caravan of life does not halt anywhere,

For every moment life renews itself.

Do you think life is a great mystery?

No, it is only a desire to soar aloft.)

I understand the reader of this article might want to know if jumping from one field to another, or having dynamic interests has any effect on your application to study abroad. From my experience, evaluators look for people who have not just stuck to their academic interests, but also took their time to engage in extra-curricular or even better, volunteering activities. My limited experience interacting and liaising with human rights practitioners and organisations and internship experiences at varied organisations helped me craft an application that probably evoked the evaluators’ interest. I do highly recommend getting as much and as diverse experience as you can in your undergraduate programme, but it is also at times a good idea to streamline those very interests in one particular direction or field. For me, this was human rights.

5 In your estimation, which particular factor helped you crack the scholarship? What would your advice be to any student particularly applying for a Commonwealth Scholarship?

I have absolutely no idea what helped me crack it. It confuses me to this date why they would select me, having neither commendable grades or an outstanding CV, but I will try to answer very truthfully. I applied to many scholarships and received many, many rejections until the Commonwealth result came through. I believe what it took was a well-worked-upon application and essays. You should be able to tell the story of who you are, through your essays. And each part of your story should connect to the previous and the next one, like beads in a nicely strung necklace. Apart from how interesting, readable and worthwhile your essays are, it is also important to take the time to write and rewrite things until you are at least half satisfied by the outcome. It is never a good idea to keep waiting until the last moment to make your submission. I would say, write early and edit and edit until you submit. For Commonwealth Scholarship, just make sure that your answers to the questions in the application are very well written.

6. Of the whole process of applying for a masters degree in the UK, what do you think are the most overlooked aspects?

I think people often tend to overlook the patience it requires to wait an entire year before knowing whether you will make it or not. I would say it is not as difficult a process as it is lengthy and tiring. Patience is the key.

7. Looking forward, what are your career plans after you complete your master’s degree?

I am just drifting through life, without planning too much in advance. But if I have to say it, I would love to be able to work for an International Human Rights Organisation sometime soon. Either that, or a PhD. Personally, I find it best to have an idea and leave the rest of the things on fate.

8. Finally, what would be your words of advice to your juniors?

For my juniors at AMU Law Faculty, I would say, I understand how isolating and depressing that place can be. And it is such a long course too. But do not waste your time lamenting. Rather, grab any relevant opportunity you find with all your limbs. Keep doing something – Whatever it may be! Study well and focus on your grades to be able to be eligible for further academic advancement, but also do not miss out on experiences outside of your own class. The essential idea of a university is that it is a multidisciplinary space. So go attend lectures at the Art Faculty. Take that calligraphy course. Make friends with students of literature. Form both personal and professional relationships that last. Drink orange juice at the library canteen as much as you can. You are bound to miss it when you leave. Also, do as many internships and get as much work experience as you can. Get as much writing and research experience as you can and learn to use SCC OnLine.