My name is Aanuoluwa Odole, and I am a double first-class law graduate from the University of Ibadan and the Nigerian Law School. What an intro; it feels really good to say that. I want to say that I am a very curious and expressive person, the kind of girl who loves YouTube video essays and seeks out spoilers for her favourite shows because she just has to know what happens next.
When it was time to decide which law school campus I wanted, my first choice was Abuja. I had heard it was the prime spot for anyone who wanted a relatively stress-free experience while still doing well. I got assigned to the Lagos campus, which I had heard was the complete opposite. I remember not having enough time to even process it, and my parents telling me to just trust God.
I resumed pretty early on the second day of registration and got a room with two of the best people a person could have as roommates. By the next day, I was settled in and spent the rest of the orientation week mentally preparing myself for the journey ahead. Despite the stories I had heard, I was just trying to psych myself up to make the best out of it, regardless.
At the beginning of my academic journey, I really had no reading routine, but I realised that my usual “procrastinate till a month or two before exams” system would not fly here, so I adopted a system that would allow me to increase the intensity as time went by. I really took each day as it came, and when I had done my best, I left the rest till the next day, until I couldn’t anymore.
With law school, I knew I could stretch myself. Prior to then, I had never gone through such a rigorous training programme; university felt like a walk in the park compared to this. But at the core of it, I still wanted to stay true to myself. For example, I knew a mentorship programme was not something I could commit to, so I didn’t join any. When I realised the library wasn’t working anymore, I stopped going, same with the reading room. I did not get any textbooks because it had never been my thing. It was really knowing what truly works for me, just me and nobody else. I promise it can be harder sticking to your methods in a somewhat homogeneous environment, but I made that my priority early on.
I switched things up a lot, changed reading materials, redirected my focus from pre-class tasks, and started past questions during my second externship. However, I think one thing I consistently did was read in a chronological manner for most of my courses. Most of the courses, like Civil Litigation, felt like stories, and I didn’t want to pick and choose what I studied. I made a Notion tracker to monitor my understanding of each topic. I would attempt MCQs after studying each topic and give myself a percentage based on my score. This way, I knew the topics I needed to pay attention to during subsequent readings.
I can’t count how many times I cried because of Corporate Law Practice. I was fully convinced it was after my life, and then they made me write it first. I remember calling my sister and my friend so I could crash out. Even after the exam, I was convinced I had bombed it. I think it was the only exam I had stayed up most of the night for, because if anything, I did sleep a lot. In my latter years of university, I had picked up the habit of sleeping a lot, and I brought it into law school. On a bad day, I averaged about five to six hours of sleep.
Some of the most important things I got out of law school were the relationships I left with. I honestly think I should have made more connections and tried to be more social, but maybe if I had, the outcome would have been different. Butterfly effect and all.
Personally, I am excited for the opportunities (read money) a double first class will bring. Five years from now, I want to be excelling at a job I absolutely love. Getting a first class two times in a row has to mean something, right? To quote a friend, “It’s not a fluke.” It just makes me confident in my success. I honestly can’t wait for all the doors and rooms I get to be in soon. I am extremely grateful to God.
If I could advise anyone desirous of a first class from the Nigerian Law School, it would be to stay true to yourself and your methods. If you are experimenting with something new, drop it the moment it stops working. No crime in that. Also, prioritise your health. Take it from someone who fell terribly sick in law school. It is not fun, but above all, try to enjoy yourself. Keyword: try.
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