MY ‘DEATH-LIKE’ APPROACH TO GETTING A FIRST CLASS AT THE NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL
No. ‘Death-like’ is not an exaggeration. I did not coin the phrase either. People who witnessed the journey and those that I related it to tagged it as a toxic approach that they would not dare try.
To those who do not know me, my name is Aishat Omolade Lawal, a lawyer (that feels so good to say) who was just recently called to the bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. I am one of the 251 students who made a first class at the 2022/2023 Bar Finals Examination. In addition, I was the only First Class Lawyer in my class from Al-Hikmah University and one of the two pioneer First Class Lawyers recorded by the university setting a great record amongst my peers.
As expected, my journey at the Nigerian Law School was riddled with lots of challenges, obstacles, tears, hunger, depression, loneliness, arguments, panic attacks, and A LOT OF STUDYING. This journey began when I was posted to Nigerian Law School, Yola Campus, Adamawa, a place that is not only at the edge of the country but also very far from home. I resumed the first week with two main goals:
1. Make a First Class at the Law School
2. Remain as quiet and unknown as possible throughout my stay on the campus.
Sadly, I only achieved the first goal as I was already “collecting the mic” and standing in front of the class by the second week. But I digress.
To make this story easier to read, I will break the journey into four phases; Pre-Externship Phase, Externship Phase, Post-Externship Phase, and Exam Phase. At the end of this story, I will share 10 tips that helped me achieve my goal during my stay in the law school. I hope you enjoy reading.
PRE-EXTERNSHIP PHASE.
As I said earlier, I resumed Law School determined to finish with a First Class. This determination motivated me to start my studying from the first day of class. I will not bore you with the stressful details of the registration week. The first class week was overwhelming as it was filled with an introduction to new people, new topics, and a new environment. It was during this week that I was introduced to a quote that will end up guiding me through the academic year and beyond.
“A little learning (knowledge) is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring; Their shallow draughts shall intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again.”
Alexander Pope 1709.
It was first recited to us by our Property Law lecturer Mr. Appollos Dimas and it resonated with me so much that I ended up memorizing it and leading the class through it during our second week of lecture. The weeks after that were filled with a lot of Pre-Class Tasks and Nights of Studying aided by coffee. It did not matter that the exam week was very far away. I started my mornings with reading and ended them with more reading. I also attended every group meeting and joined the ‘Typist Group’ for my group. We were responsible for preparing the Group’s PowerPoint Slides before each class. This helped me to stay connected with Pre Class Tasks by attempting them before the class. In addition, I created a timetable that started at 5:00 am and ended by midnight. I went to the library every day after class to study what was taught that day or what would be taught the next day.
Soon after, we went home for the election break which I used to revise the previous topics we had done before the break. Upon resumption from the break, I was refreshed and ready to take on new challenges. It was during Ramadan and I had to create a new timetable and read more than I was previously doing.
It was not easy balancing fasting with the harsh Yola weather and studying at the same time. However, my determination to succeed motivated me to read more every day. I studied every day and attended all the classes. I missed my first class during Ramadan when I had to go to the school clinic. I was having heart palpitations and hypnic jerks due to my excessive coffee intake. I was shaking so badly that I could not stay still and ended up in the clinic. The solution to that was to stop taking coffee and resting which cut off part of my reading time. The fact that I was not reading as much then made me depressed. Alhamdulillah I was supported by friends and my family.
Soon enough, it was time to go home for the externship so I packed all my books and bid farewell to my friends and acquaintances.
EXTERNSHIP PHASE
If you have ever been to the NLS, you will know or you must have been told that the externship period is the time to prepare for the bar finals examination. That was exactly what I did. I made the perfect timetable, divided the topics among days, and got to work. My court externship was a blessing because my court rarely sat and I just needed to go to another court to get one or two cases for my logbook. This made it easier for me to use the cozy court library in the High Court area. I was in the library almost every day until 6:00 pm reading or rubbing minds with students from other campuses. After reading, I would always attempt past questions and do MCQs to test my knowledge.
The law firm attachment was similar to the court attachment. I interacted with the lawyers, sought advice, watched them work, and more. I also utilized the library several times. A funny thing to highlight is that even though the other externs were leaving the office by 3:00 pm or earlier, I always stayed back because of the desire to reach my reading goals for the day. I am glad my efforts paid off. Reading in the office was not the end, as I would always do past questions and MCQs every day I got home.
This way, I was able to finish reading the topics that were taught before the externship, learn new topics that would be taught post-externship, and build a strong and disciplined reading routine. This was how I survived the externship phase.
I also used this period to perfect my drafts and study past questions.
POST EXTERNSHIP PHASE
This is where things started getting real. The knowledge that the bar finals examination that would determine my grade was only a few months away amplified my reading and my anxiety. I read every day as usual and avoided any distractions. I also joined a study group where we discussed past questions and shared ideas. This way, I was able to learn more about topics I already knew and learn new things. There were a lot of challenges with food, my roommates, my reading space (which was not on campus), and many other things.
Because I had to stop taking coffee during the pre-externship period, I had to switch to energy drinks, which is not the healthiest option. I read every day and every night just to make sure I covered the syllabus before the exams. This method worked because I was able to read Corporate Law(which was a little challenging) THREE times before the exams.
In addition, I used this period to memorize the RPC, cases, and sections.
BAR FINALS EXAMINATION PHASE
I was not sleeping! As the exam date got closer, so did my anxiety increase. I was reading more and crying more because I felt like I did not know enough to get my desired grade. I do not know if this is a good thing but the anxiety and panic attacks whenever I thought about not knowing the answer to a particular question in the exam pushed me to do more and read more. I was taking at least two energy drinks to stay awake and read daily. Sleeping meant putting my head on the table for a 20–30-minute nap. During this period, my feet were swelling like a pregnant woman due to the constant sitting and I could barely fit into my shoes. Although, that did not stop me from reading all day and all night.
The night before our first paper was one of the hardest nights I have ever gone through. This is not because I was not reading or I did not know what to expect. The pressure to read all of the topics across all the courses for the MCQ examination almost broke me. However, I persevered. After the MCQ examination, I was tempted to mark my answers that same night to know my scores but I was advised against it. I was told to channel that energy into preparing for the next paper instead, which is what I did.
The rest of the papers were good because I prepared well. I challenged myself to read every topic in each course before the exam which I successfully did. I also did not relent in studying past questions and revising sections and drafts.
This and more is how I got through the examination stage.
In conclusion, although I did not reveal some things that happened because of personal reasons, this is a vague but accurate account of my Nigerian Law School experience.
10 TIPS TO ACE THE BAR FINALS EXAMINATION.
I am only giving these tips based on my experience. This is not a manual but these tips worked for me and they might work for you too.
1. SET YOUR GRADE GOAL
Setting your grade goal before getting into anything in law school is very important. Your grade goal determines how much studying you will do to achieve it. For some people, it is a first class or 2:1 and for some, they just want to pass the exam. Both goals are valid because it is important to know what you want to determine what to do to achieve it. It will also determine how hard you will work and the company you will keep.
2. HAVE A MENTOR
Having a mentor who has recently gone through the NLS process and is well-informed enough to advise you is very important. From the beginning to the end, my friend and mentor Atanda Abdulhakeem advised me and supported me. He believed in me even when I did not believe in myself and it helped me in pushing myself to study more. A mentor you can always reach out to for help and answers and advice is essential.
3. ALWAYS HAVE A TIMETABLE
My experience in law school was mostly regulated by a timetable that I rarely strayed from. I had a timetable for everything including prayer and eating. This way, I was extremely organized and focused. A study timetable enables you to reach your goals and study more.
4. ATTEMPT PRE-CLASS TASKS AND ATTEND GROUP MEETINGS
Pre-class tasks are very important. Always attempt all the pre-class tasks before the class to be familiar with the topic before class. Group meetings give you a chance to interact and discuss the topics with other students.
5. ATTEND ALL THE CLASSES
This tip is there for obvious reasons. Apart from meeting the 75% attendance required, attending classes allows you to learn directly from the lecturers. It also gives you the chance to interact with them and ask questions on any area you are not clear on. They will also tell you how to answer exam questions and give you other tips on the bar finals examination.
6. MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
I will not dwell on this because obviously, I did not take this advice but making time for you is important. Life is more than studying and it is important to take care of your mental health. It is one thing I regret not doing more of in law school.
7. PRACTICE YOUR DRAFTS AND PAST QUESTIONS
Drafts make up a large percentage of exam questions and cut across all the topics. You will probably learn a new draft every week so it is important to learn them and keep practicing in order not to forget them. The trick I used was to buy packs of A4 paper and pencils to practice my drafts. This way, I had a personal drafts collection that I used to read for the exam. Practicing past questions will give you an idea of how to answer the exam questions.
8. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START READING
If after reading this, you feel like you have not been doing enough or that you can put in more effort, Please do. It is never too late to try to do more.
9. READ IT, READ AGAIN, READ MORE, AND READ IT AGAIN
I always say that law school is not a place where you read once and stop reading. The workload is bulky so it is very easy to forget previous topics you have already read. Constant reading and revising ensures that you stay balanced with each course and topic.
10. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU
Different people will have different approaches to studying. Once you find a method that works for you, make sure you stick to it. Avoid copying other people as this may affect your assimilation or focus. There is no competition in law school.
Bonus tip: REMEMBER TO PRAY
I have never prayed as much as I did in law school. Put God in everything and pray for ease and brilliance. It will help you. I hope these tips help you to make a good grade in law school.
I hope you enjoyed reading and learned a thing or two. If you have any questions or clarifications, you can reach out to me on these platforms:
LinkedIn: Aishat Omolade Lawal
Twitter: aisha_omolade
Gmail: aishaomolade140@gmail.com
I also have a folder filled with the materials and documents I used that may be of help to you. I am not putting it out here for personal reasons. You can message me to get the folder.
