Student Contribution: Zoe Ellis
Third-year law student Shivani Kaur was shocked to learn this week that knowing ‘the vibe’ of the Constitution will not be enough to get her through this trimester in Constitutional Law.
“I came into the subject excited and thinking I’d do well. But then the lecturer started going on about sections of the Constitution! Sections? I didn’t know there’d be anything to do with sections!”
Our correspondent met with Shivani outside the lecture hall at the end of her week two class. Oddly, Shivani didn’t appear to have a laptop, textbook, notebook or pen with her.
“I didn’t think it was necessary. It seemed like the sort of thing you could just vibe. The Constitution is about justice, it’s about the law and…yeah. I figured I’d just be able to rely on a gut feeling that something was wrong. Constitutional Law should just be about the vibe of each situation!”
Long-time lecturer Lawrence Hammill said this is not the first time a student has come into his class with the wrong expectations.
“I’d say there’s a few each year. There’s something about this subject that has people thinking they can coast through on vibes alone. But I just tell ‘em they’re dreaming.”
Our correspondent asked Professor Hammill if he had any advice for students who have been shocked by the reality of his subject.
“It’s all about having the right workspace to study in. This is a demanding subject and students will need to spend a lot of time dedicated to it. Find a spot with lots of serenity to study in, and you’ll get through.”
Shivani is unsure if she will take Professor Hammill’s advice on board. Despite the derailment in class, she’s prepared to give her ‘vibe’ approach another shot. Our correspondent will check back in after exams and update out readers on how that goes.
