Is it worth taking a drop year for CLAT?

A question that a lot of students are found asking after attempting CLAT once and not getting the result they desired: Should I consider taking a drop year and prepare for CLAT again next year?

Like every other decision that you have ever made, there can be two probable outcomes of your decision. One outcome is your decision might go just as you had planned it to go, the other one, not so much. There is no universal ‘Yea or Nay’ to this question as it is surrounded by a lot of subjectivity and particular circumstances. However, there is always a simple ‘Pros and Cons’ weighing mechanism that might help you figure out whether or not it would be a smart move to opt for a drop year. Here’s a shortlist of the advantages and disadvantages of taking a drop year, so that one can make an informed choice about one of the more risky decisions one has made:

Cons:

1. One year is not a small duration. One can learn and develop quite a lot of skills in this time period by joining a college and showing dedication towards Academics, legal research and mooting skills.
2. CLAT is a highly unpredictable exam. It’s quite a risk to put all the eggs in one basket, more so when there is no guarantee or surety of selection.
3. One year of dedicated preparation asks for a lot of motivation, sincerity and hard work. It doesn’t take much to distract a student from the preparation. Students failing to deliver to the maximum their calibre in CLAT is not something unheard of.
4. The competition is cut-throat. Even a difference of 1 mark out of 200 marks can make or break one’s chance to a top law school.

Pros:

1. The flipside to the one-year gap argument: one gets ample amount of time to prepare thoroughly throughout the year. The syllabus can be covered within a reasonable time, giving enough time for revision and attempting Mock Tests.
2. One year of sincere preparation gives students a boost in confidence and an in-depth study of all the five sections definitely provides an edge over other competitors who were busy with their board exams’ preparation along with their preparation for CLAT.
3. Statistically, a lot of students who are studying in the top NLUs today cracked CLAT after taking a drop year for preparation. So, it’s not something absurd. Every year, a lot of students make it to their dream law school after taking a drop year.
4. There is a pressure of making the drop year count, sure, but drop year gives students sufficient time not only to prepare for CLAT but also to learn other skills or pursue some certificate course or online course, which can help the students later in law school.

It is advisable that one should calculate the risk and be absolutely surethat whether or not they opt for a drop, they’ll be able to keep up with their decision. But ifone is passionate about the law and entering the legal field, one has the zeal to study and graduate from a top law school; one is willing to put all hard work and dedication that there is, to get into an NLU, it is definitely worth a try to devote entirely to CLAT for one year.