WHAT A LAW APPLICANT SHOULD DO IF THEY FAIL THE CLAT

One of the most competitive undergraduate entry tests for law is the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Students who aspire to attend the National Law Universities (NLUs) and other top legal institutions in India attempt it. Over 50,000 applications competed for just 3000 places in 2022, according to CLAT.

With such odds, it seems sense that many students fail to reserve a place for themselves, feeling lost and uneasy as a result.

If you are one of them as well, don’t worry; failure is a necessary part of every success. There are numerous other routes that might take you to success even though the road you were on led to a dead end.

How can you manage this stress?

In order to be in a better position to think about plan B, you must first realize that you are stressed and take steps to lessen it. Here are some tips for handling trauma related to your CLAT results.

Accept the Right Amount of Responsibility

The first step to moving on is acceptance. Recognize that you are to blame for your failure and that only you have the power to change it around. Once you’ve come to terms with it, be kind to yourself and make a concerted effort to get back up.

Recognize Negative Pain Management Efforts

The temptation to claim, “Oh, I didn’t need to pass this test in the first place” or “Oh, I wasn’t seeking for a career in law anyhow” could be strong. Giving yourself false solace or trying to fill the emptiness with booze, drugs, or narcotics won’t make your suffering go away. Recognize your harmful methods to cope with suffering, and make an effort to stop them.

Recognize Irrational Failure Beliefs

Many of us have erroneous ideas, such as the idea that failure indicates you didn’t try your hardest or, worse yet, that you lack the necessary skills to succeed. Failure is only a question of circumstances and conditions that may be altered. Don’t let failure define who you are.

Accept your Feelings

Failure always comes with negative emotions including shame, worry, sadness, fear, and rage. Although these emotions are normal, individuals find them overwhelming and will go to great lengths to avoid them. You must understand, though, that allowing oneself to feel horrible may be inspiring. It motivates you to exert more effort the following time and come up with greater strategies for success. So, feel free to accept your emotions.

Use constructive coping techniques.

Talking about this tension is the greatest approach to handle it. You may make a friend a call, take a warm bath, meditate, take a stroll, or anything else that helps you feel better. You must identify effective coping strategies that are good for you. The trial and error approach allows you to experiment and see what works best for you.

Here are some alternatives to think about if you couldn’t clear the CLAT test

Examine Complementary Careers

Company Secretary is an expert programme that prepares you for a career in legal studies, corporate policy, and arbitration (CS). They undertake a variety of tasks, including serving as the board of directors’ top counsel and advising the business on good governance procedures, arbitration, negotiation, etc. They are the company’s in-house legal professionals and are fully knowledgeable in business law.

The best aspect is that you may work in this sector without even having a law degree. For the professional programme in company secretary, you must successfully complete the Foundation Program, Executive Program, and Professional Program, then complete a one-year internship. After completing your 12th grade year, you can study this together with any other conventional degree programme; B.Com is the most popular option.

Consequently, even if you won’t be referred to as a lawyer, you will still practice law and be in a similar field. You don’t need to study for any additional admission examinations because B. Com courses are merit-based, which is another benefit of choosing this choice.

Follow the liberal arts route

Uncertain about law but eager to investigate it as well as other possibilities? Don’t worry; the liberal arts education system is available to assist you.

The Liberal Arts system is gradually changing the tides by encouraging students to take an interdisciplinary approach, whereas the previous Indian educational system could not imagine merging many courses into a single degree. Liberal arts education allows you to explore a variety of courses before deciding which one you want to major in, in contrast to the specialization method used by the majority of Indian colleges.

Instead, get a 3-year L.L.B degree.

Hold for a second if you believe that obtaining a 5-year degree is the only route to become a lawyer. You can pursue law through a 3-year L.L.B degree after graduating with a regular undergraduate degree as well. You might look at a few degree programmes that can serve as a foundation for you to study law in the future if you are unable to pass the CLAT exam.
A B.A. in Political Science, for instance, can be a fantastic entry to legal studies if you are interested in the subject. The topic will assist you in comprehending how political systems, regulations, and laws control the nation as well as how nations function internationally.

Take clat exam again(with proper preparation)

Reappear CLAT exam with good preparation and keep in mind that this time at any cost you need to clear the exam, if required and you are fine then you can take a year drop and prepare, that’s totally up to you

You must properly handle failure in the CLAT exam since it might negatively impact your mental health. It is healthy to pursue one’s goals and to experience disappointment when they are not realized. However, sometimes fate has a better plan for you, and as you move through life, you could even feel relieved that things didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. Simply put your best effort into whatever you do, without worrying about the outcome, and success will come to you on its own.