Leaving Singapore to study law at Sydney

Meet Rohit Thadani and Prashaanth Rajandran. They left their home country of Singapore to pursue their undergraduate degrees at Sydney Law School. We spoke to them about why they chose to study abroad, the challenges they experienced, and the opportunities that opened up to them.

For Rohit and Prashaanth, Sydney Law School was their first choice as it allowed them to study at one of the world’s leading universities with world-renowned educators, while still being in close proximity to Singapore.

Further drawcards were the Instagram-worthy campus, and easily accessible hikes and beaches in and around Sydney.

Prashaanth: “Sydney Law School stood out from other universities because it was a world-renowned university with an excellent track record of producing exceptional academics and practitioners.”

Rohit: “There is no doubt that Sydney Law School has a cache of world renowned educators and it was an absolute honour to be taught by such highly-respected practitioners. The unvarnished truth though is that I remember seeing the Quad for the first time and deciding that Sydney Law School was the place for me!”

Being in a new city with little to no friends, the first few weeks as international students were naturally daunting for Prashaanth and Rohit.

However, they embraced the challenges and used the many opportunities available to international students to meet fellow students and grow their networks.

Rohit: “I am proud to say the friendships I forged during those first few weeks lasted me throughout my time in University. And I am confident that these friendships will continue for the rest of my life.”

Prashaanth: “Being an international student can be tough at times. However, there are many opportunities to learn and grow academically and as a person. Opportunities that one would not be able to experience in their home country. Further, as work becomes increasingly cross-border in nature, having the experience of interacting with students from other cultures, who at times may have very different views from your own, is a good way to widen your perspectives and prepare oneself for the working world.”

Since completing their undergraduate degrees at Sydney Law School, both Prashaanth and Rohit have returned to Singapore and are building successful careers in law.

Prashaanth: Prashaanth is admitted as an advocate and solicitor in Singapore, and practiced in a corporate law firm, Eng and Co. LLC (a network firm of the PwC global legal network) before moving onto his current role at Singapore Airlines where he focuses on data protection.

“One intangible, but important, benefit of studying overseas and in a law school like Sydney Law School is the opportunity for growth and interacting with students who are like-minded and willing to challenge your perspectives. At work, there will be occasions when your views are challenged and the ability to safely navigate these interactions while communicating your views will be key.”

Rohit: The pandemic derailed Rohit’s final year of studies. “Making the decision to leave Sydney in the midst of my final year was one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make, as amongst other things, it meant I had to give up getting admitted as a lawyer in NSW for the time being.

However, coming back to Singapore opened many more amazing opportunities.”

Upon returning to Singapore, Rohit received an opportunity to work at the Ministry of Law. Appreciating that such opportunities are rare, Rohit decided to juggle his final semester of law online and work full time.

Today, Rohit is an established accredited mediator, and sits as a volunteer mediator in his free time. He continues his work at the Ministry of Law in a COVID dispute resolution tribunal and as a policy specialist, with a keen focus on domestic and international Anti-Money Laundering policy in Singapore. 

Rohit plans to one day come back to Sydney and be admitted as a lawyer in NSW, thereby enabling him to practice in Australia. “This would hopefully provide me with an edge, given how important Singaporean and Australian relations are.” 

Sydney Law School assists Singaporean students in applying for an exemption from the dual and combined law degrees rules with the Singaporean Ministry of Law.

Prashaanth: “The double degree program helped me broaden my understanding of the problems in today’s world.”

Rohit: “Australia was on my top list as it’s one of the only places in the world that offer dual degree programs.”

Studying at Sydney Law School will give you the skills in research, analysis and persuasive communication to become an outstanding lawyer, and expertise that will be highly transferable in the global marketplace.

Find out more about studying a Bachelor of Laws at Sydney Law School.

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