Zhou Li, Lily (Oriel, 2004 - 2007)

Time flies. It has been 3 years since I graduated from Oriel College, Oxford University. As I intended to be a solicitor in Hong Kong, I had to spend one year on PCLL in one of the three universities designated by the Hong Kong Law Society, one of which is the University of Hong Kong. After one year without Saturdays (I had to sacrifice all my Saturdays for criminal and civil advocacy) in the University of Hong Kong, my legal career finally started in 2008, which turned out not to be the perfect timing considering the famous financial crisis. However, volatile market means better work life balance. So, unlike William and Jason, I did not pull many overnighters in my two years' traineeship, one of the benefits being that I can walk as fast as I like without worrying about "falling and lying there forever".

Having said that, I still treasure the opportunity offered by the David and Jayne Education Trust for me to open my eyes to such different cultures, different education systems and different legal systems.

I will soon start my life as an associate, which is said to be fairly tough and manic. For those of you who plan to work in Hong Kong or plan to be a lawyer, be prepared for long hours and lots of stress! Taking a step back, even reading law in Oxford University is not just about punting or clubbing. As half of each year is holiday in Oxford University, the syllabus for law is very intensive. Essentially, law students must, within half a year, finish reading and digesting all the materials which are supposed to be for one year. So please make sure that you are indeed interested in law before you apply for the scholarship.

One final piece of advice from me would be enjoying your student life as much as you can!