Five years. One dream school. Here’s what GNLU is really like.
Meet Pari Bhansali, a BA. LLB student at Gujarat National Law University, Gandhinagar. Someone who just made it through her first year with strong opinions, sharper instincts, and absolute honesty about what law school life is really like.
As she steps into her second year, we sat down with her to talk campus culture, the things nobody warns you about, and what it genuinely feels like to live the GNLU experience — not the brochure version, the real one.
- To begin with could you please briefly introduce yourself and share a bit about your journey so far.
Hi! I’m Pari and I am pursuing BA. LLB at Gujarat National Law University. I am currently about to enter my second year of law school. I secured a rank of 1585 in CLAT 2025
🧑🎓 Life at Law School
- How would you describe your daily life at law school ?
Ans: My daily life for the first two months of the semester are quite relaxed. After classes, I take a break, study for a while and then spend time with my friends for the rest of the day. The second half of the semester gets quite hectic as all the submissions and tests are conducted in this latter half.
🍽️Food (Mess/Canteen)
- How is the food at your law school in terms of taste, variety, and hygiene?
Ans: I would describe the food as average in terms of the taste. The variety of food is pretty good on most days. There are complaints about the hygiene every now and then, but the mess committee is amenable to demands and there have been noticeable improvements.
- Are there good alternatives to mess food nearby (cafes, delivery options)?
Ans: Yes, there are a variety of cafes in Gandhinagar and food delivery options like Swiggy and Zomato are all accessible.
- How do students usually manage food when mess food isn’t good?
Ans: When the mess food gets repetitive, most people order from nearby outlets. There are two food outlets on campus which serve a variety of different meals which are great for cheap and quick meals.
🏡 Hostel Life
- What is the last entry time for hostels? How strict are the hostel rules regarding timings and permissions? Does one need their parent’s permission to go out of the campus
Ans: There is no last entry time by which you absolutely need to enter the hostel. If you are extremely late, suppose after 2 AM, they would only note down your name. There is no action taken for a student entering late into the hostel.
No, students do not need their parent’s permission to go out of campus.
- How are the hostel facilities overall (rooms, cleanliness, Wi-Fi, common areas)?
Ans: The hostel facilities are pretty decent. The rooms are sized decently, the Wi-Fi is spotty in some areas but works well otherwise. There is a common room with air conditioning where people usually study or use for recreation.
- How is the hostel infrastructure? Are the rooms single, double or triple sharing? Is AC facility available? And the washrooms are shared by how many people?
Ans: The hostel infrastructure is good. The rooms in the girls’ hostel are mostly double and single occupancies. There are attached washrooms. However, in the boys’ hostel, rooms are mostly double or triple occupancies and the bathrooms are common.There is no air conditioning in both hostels, however, coolers are allowed
- What’s the social life like in hostels — are there events, gatherings, study groups?
Ans: The overall student culture at GNLU is great, There are a few events scheduled from time to time in the hostel to promote senior-junior interaction,
📜 Rules and Regulations
- What are the major academic rules and regulations — especially regarding attendance and exams?
Ans: The minimum attendance policy is 70%. Students are mandated to physically attend at least 50% of the classes. The remaining 20% can be covered by a student through medical and centre/club exemptions.
The administration is relatively balanced and reasonable regarding the discipline and code of conduct.
- Are there specific dress codes for certain activities like moots or presentations?
Ans: There are specific presentations which require you to wear formal clothes. Moots also mandate formals. Furthermore, students are required to wear formals every Monday to classes.
📝Academics: Internals, Assignments and Unit Tests
- How frequent are the internals, assignments, and UTs (Unit Tests)?
Ans: The internal tests are spread out across the semester, the dates of which depend entirely on the professor. Most professors schedule internal assignments towards the last two months of the semester.
- Are assessments heavily weighted towards exams, projects, or continuous evaluation?
Ans: Yes. All assessments are heavily weighted towards exams.
📚 Classes and Timings
- What is the daily class timing like?
Ans: Classes are conducted from 9:30 to 2:15.
- Are Saturdays working days at your law school?
Ans: Most Saturdays are not working days.
- How hectic is the weekly schedule?
Ans: The schedule is pretty relaxed since classes run from Monday to Friday and post classes, there is nothing extra which is mandated by the administration.
🎉 Semester Breaks
- When are the semester breaks scheduled? And how long are these semester breaks? Are breaks enough to take internships or refresh properly?
Ans: Semester breaks are May and June for even semesters and November and December for odd semesters. Semester breaks last 2 months and are adequate to take internships and refresh.
🌍 Diversity and National Representation
- How is the national representation at your law school — do students come from all over India? How inclusive and diverse is the campus culture?
Ans: The representation is pretty diverse. There are students from all parts of India. The campus culture is very inclusive- there are celebrations for every festival (Onam, Eid, Ganesh Chaturthi etc.)
🛎️ Day 1: Registration and Admission
- What was the Day 1 experience like during hostel registration and college admission?
Ans: The Day 1 hostel and college registration was pretty smooth. You do need to wait for some time in line for the document verification but the hostel registration is very quick since you need to only fill out a form.
- Are there any important tips for a smooth admission/hostel registration process?
Ans: The process is quick as it is, but it definitely better if you reach a day prior to the orientation as it would make the document verification process smoother.
⚖️ Moot Court Activities
- What is the culture around mooting at your college? Are the moot courts sponsored by the college?
Ans: There is an active moot court committee which promotes moot participation. Most moot courts, however, are not sponsored
- How early can a first-year student start participating in moots?
Ans: A first year can start participating in moots from the 2nd semester.
- Are there internal selections for moots?
Ans: Yes. Internal selections are conducted every semester and external moots are allotted based on these ranks only.
- Is there any special training or mentorship available for moots?
Ans: Yes. Internal selections are conducted every semester and external moots are allotted based on these ranks only.
🎯 Extracurriculars
- What extracurricular activities are available at your law school? Which activities would you recommend to a 1st year student?
Ans: There is something for everyone at GNLU. There exists a variety of clubs like theatre, dance and music. I would recommend a first year to try their hand out at everything. Since, the first semester is pretty relaxed, they can try different things and see what they like best.
- How do extracurriculars help in career building or internships?
Ans: Extracurriculars are increasing in importance as it displays strengths outside of academics. Even a one or two strong extracurriculars can add to your CV’s value
- Are there any limitations of participating in extracurriculars?
Ans: Not really. If you manage your time well, you can do great at both academics and extracurriculars.
- How do you personally balance academics and extracurricular activities?
Ans: I personally like to divide my time to I can contribute to each of these as needed. The first two months of the semester are dedicated to both extracurricular and academic activities. I try to reserve the last two months of the semester solely towards academics.
👥 Committees
- What are the major committees and societies in your law school? Which committees should a first-year student definitely try to join?
Ans: The major committees in GNLU are SAC (Student Activities Committee), MCC (Moot Court Committee) and the LSC (Legal Services Committee). A first year should join LSC. It organizes various drives which gives you practical exposure and helps you to fulfil the 20 hour pro bono mandate for each student.
- What is the process of getting into a committee? How competitive is the selection for these committees?
Ans: The selection process usually involves filling out forms and interviews depending on the committee. Some committees like MCC and SAC can be quite competitive because many students apply for them, while others are comparatively easier to get into if you show genuine interest and consistency.
🎊 Fest and Campus Life
- How vibrant is the cultural and sports scene at your law school?
Ans: The cultural and sports scene at GNLU is quite active, and there is usually something happening on campus throughout the year. Students participate a lot in sports, music, dance, debates, moots, and other extracurricular activities alongside academics.
- What are the major college fests?
Ans: Some of the major events at GNLU include Pentagram, which is the cultural fest, and Justice League, the sports fest. The college also hosts various moot court competitions, academic conferences, and committee events during the year.
🎓 Class Representative (CR) Selection and Responsibilities
- How is the CR (Class Representative) selected?
Ans: The CR is usually selected through elections or voting within the batch, so students choose someone they feel is responsible and approachable.
- How much influence or say does a CR have regarding student concerns?
Ans: A CR does have a decent role in communicating student concerns to professors and the administration, especially regarding academics and scheduling issues. They may not have complete authority, but they act as an important link between students and faculty.
- What are the main responsibilities of a CR?
Ans: The main responsibility of a CR is to coordinate between the class and faculty, share important updates, and raise concerns on behalf of students. They also help organise academic communication and sometimes assist during events or administrative work.
🏛️ Student Union
- Is there a Student Union at your college?
Ans: GNLU does not have a conventional student union as such, although there have been proposals and discussions regarding forming a more formal student body. Right now, a few student representatives are selected from each batch to communicate student concerns and coordinate with the administration.
- Can first-year students get involved with the Student Union?
Ans: First-year students can still get involved in different committees, events, and student activities even though there is no formal union structure.
- How active is the Student Union in addressing student issues or organizing events?
Ans: Even without a conventional union, the student representatives and committees are fairly active in communicating concerns and helping organise events
🧑💼 Key People in Administration
- Who are the key people in the administration that students should know about? (Dean, Registrar, Warden, etc.)
Ans: Students usually end up interacting the most with the Dean of Academic Affairs, Registrar, hostel wardens, and faculty coordinators. Apart from official authorities, seniors and student committee heads are also very helpful for understanding how things work in GNLU.
- Whom should students approach for different issues like academic help, hostel problems, or disciplinary matters?
Ans: For academic issues, most students approach professors and seniors while hostel-related problems are generally handled through the wardens or hostel administration. Disciplinary matters usually go through the administration, but seniors often guide students on the proper process first.
- Is there any unwritten advice about how to approach professors or administration to get help more easily?
Ans: It usually helps to be polite, professional, and clear about the issue instead of sounding demanding. Professors and administrators are generally more approachable when students communicate respectfully and reach out on time rather than waiting until the last minute.
🛠️ Internship and Placement Guidance
- How does the college support students in finding internships?
Ans: GNLU has a decent internship culture because seniors are usually very helpful with guidance and contacts. The placement and internship cell also shares opportunities regularly, but a lot depends on how proactive you are yourself.
- What should a first-year law student do to land good internships? What types of internships are recommended during the first year?
Ans: In the first year, it’s better to focus on building basic research and communication skills and staying active in college activities. Most people start with internships under advocates, NGOs, legal aid organisations, or small law firms
- How strong is the placement cell at your college?
Ans: In the first year, it’s better to focus on building basic research and communication skills and staying active in college activities. Most people start with internships under advocates, NGOs, legal aid organisations, or small law firms
- What kind of firms, companies, or organizations usually recruit from your campus?
Ans: Mostly corporate law firms, litigation chambers, consulting companies, and some banks and corporate legal teams recruit from GNLU.
❤️ College - Likes and Areas of Improvement
- According to you, what are the three biggest strengths of your college?
Ans: I think the biggest strengths of GNLU are its academic environment, strong mooting and extracurricular culture, and the opportunities students get through internships and competitions. The campus life and student community also make the overall experience quite engaging.
- What do you like the most about your college?
Ans: What I like most about GNLU is that the campus is quite big and peaceful but at the same time it is not too far from Ahmedabad, so you kind of get the best of both worlds. The hostel rules are also comparatively relaxed regarding curfew, which gives students a lot more freedom and flexibility.
- Where do you think the college can improve?
Ans: I think the college can improve in certain administrative and infrastructural aspects to make things more efficient for students. Sometimes students also feel that communication between the administration and students could be smoother.
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