Student Contribution: Zoe Ellis
It’s every student’s worst nightmare. Showing up on the first day of class and being called out for not knowing content. But Shivani Kaur was shocked, just days into her degree, to learn that she had somehow already missed an entire subject.
Our correspondent caught up with the distraught first year on her way out of Criminal Law, to find out more about how this all unfolded.
“I thought I was prepared,” admitted Shivani. “I had all my books, I’d read through Cloud Deakin, but suddenly they were speaking a language I’ve never heard before, or seen outside a Percy Jackson book. The lecturer was going on about ratio and actus reus like I should know what they mean!”
Our correspondent also spoke to Matt Kalsi, another student exiting the Criminal Law lecture hall. He seemed much less confused than Shivani.
“Well, obviously, I took Latin in high school. Everyone knows you just need to know Latin to get through law.”
When we last saw Shivani, she was hurrying towards the law library.
“There must be a Latin course in there somewhere! I’ll just study up and be ready for next week.
Our correspondent noted, in obiter, that they still do not know any Latin…
