Undergraduate Laws praises students for record number of Firsts in October siting exams

This post has been contributed by Dr Yvonne Jacobs Associate Dean: Assessments and Student Lifecycle, Undergraduate Laws.

Congratulations to four outstanding students who completed their studies in the October sitting and obtained a First class degree. This is a record number of Firsts obtained from the October sitting and brings the total number of First class degrees awarded in 2018/19 academic year to 12.

Our standard entry First class students are Dona Rashmi Annmarie Perera from Sri Lanka, who studied at the Royal Institute Colombo, and Sana-e-Muhammad from Pakistan who studied independently.

Dona Perera

‘The LLB was a challenging and highly rewarding journey. Firstly, I would like to thank my family: my mother, for her unending kindness and patience during all the stressful times; my father, for not giving up on me even though I was struggling with the degree initially; my sister, for always encouraging me to be ambitious and advising me to select law in the first place, and my brother, for always giving me the strength to keep carrying on. Also, I would like to thank my friends, for being such a strong support network. Last but not least, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all my teachers, without whom I would not have been able to accomplish this goal.’ 

Sana-e-Muhammad

‘Let this be a message to the first-years and the second-years, and those that have yet to enroll in LLB: if you put your mind to a 1:1, if you really put your mind and muscle to it, you can do it!

Always cheering for the ambitious ones!’

Our graduate entry First class students are Wong Kar Man from Hong Kong, who studied at HKU SPACE, and Syed Zulkifil Haider Shah from Pakistan who studied independently.

Wong Kar Man

‘While there were times when I felt like quitting, I am overjoyed that I managed to hold on. As a working mom of two kids, completing an LLB degree seemed to be a mission that was impossible to me. The toughest exam I have ever had in my life was the one taken in May 2018, less than one month after I gave birth to my younger daughter. My heartfelt thanks to my family, especially my parents and husband who took care of my kids when I buried my head in my notes, and my study buddies who were always supportive and awe-inspiring along the way of my journey throughout the course. My best wishes to all law students – never give up and you can surely make it!’

Syed Shah

‘I’m very happy that I chose to study toward the University of London’s distance-learning LLB degree, which is truly a world-class qualification in terms of its intellectual rigor and fulfillment, as well as its prestige and recognition across the world. 

I’m humbled by the news of receiving a First Class award and to be considered among the very best law graduates in the world, though I know this achievement was not by my own efforts alone. As in all matters, I must first give thanks to God for the many blessings in my life and for opening up this path for me; to my parents and best friend, whose loving and steadfast support was a daily comfort; and to Dr. Malt, my mentor and former teacher, for her generous and unfailing support and encouragement while I undertook this degree as a self-learner.’

Congratulations to all of you who successfully completed your studies in the October sitting. For those of you who are still studying I hope that the words of our top performing students will provide encouragement and motivate you to succeed. It is possible to excel in your studies whether studying at an institution or independently and while balancing family and/or work commitments.