The exams are DONE, the wigs are on hold, and the wait for that famous list is torture! We grabbed Odunuga Alexander, a fresh Nigerian Law School graduate from Lagos Campus, to get the real tea on the struggle, the survival, and the sheer madness of it all
SECTION 1: THE AFTERMATH – “IT’S FINALLY OVER!”
LawPedia: Welcome to LawPedia interview session, Please can you tell us your name?
Alexander: Thank you very much , my name is Odunuga Alexander
LawPedia: Moving on to the questions can you describe your entire Law School experience in 3 emojis.
Alexander:
LawPedia: What was the first thing you did after walking out of your final Bar Finals paper?
Alexander: I prayed and thank God for the success of the journey of Law School
LawPedia: Truth time: Do you actually remember anything you wrote, or was it a blur of pure adrenaline?
Alexander: I remembered most of it but not all, I remembered the drafting part and other answers also.
LawPedia: What’s the one “sacred” textbook you’re definitely never opening again, and will you burn it, sell it, or keep it as a war trophy?
Alexander: I used more of material and few textbooks, but there’s no way I’m opening any textbook related to Professional Ethics again, not that the course is hard but I’m not just opening it again
SECTION 2: THE ANXIOUS WAITING GAME
LawPedia: On a scale of 1 to “refreshing the NBA page every 5 minutes,” how anxious are you waiting for the Call to Bar list to drop?
Alexander: Actually I’m not anxious at all. I know I’ve passed the test for that period and by the grace of God nothing can stop them from adding my name to that list, so I’ve never checked it, until it’s out before i check.
LawPedia: What’s your planned reaction for when you finally see your name on that list?
Alexander: Just to kneel and thank God for the Success attained
LawPedia: Have you already picked out your Call to Bar outfit, or are you too superstitious to even think about it?
Alexander: It’s ready oh
LawPedia: What’s the most unhelpful but hilarious “advice” you’ve gotten from relatives during this waiting period?
Alexander: I doubt if I have received any advice from relatives yet.
SECTION 3: LAW SCHOOL WAR STORIES & MEMORIES
LawPedia: What was the most legendary “gist” or rumour that spread through your campus during a particularly stressful time?
Alexander: I think this was before externship when the pressure is much and people were saying we’ll most likely spend our Christmas holiday on campus.
LawPedia: Who was that one lecturer whose catchphrases and mannerisms everyone imitated, and what was their most famous line?
Alexander: I’m Lagos Campus, it’s our DDG and she has a list of lines like:
1. You are not empty check your brain you know the answer
2. By now it should be oozing (emphasis on the Oozing) in your head
3. Put on your thinking cap
LawPedia: What was the most bizarre thing you or someone you know survived on during exam season?
Alexander: Basically most people I knew never tried those stuff during exam, because you don’t want to have breakdown of any kind. The exam waits for no one and moreover they are back to back, six papers in six days.
LawPedia: Spill the tea: What was the biggest campus drama that everyone was talking about?
Alexander: I think this was when a guy was asked to take the mic to his girlfriend in the class help him out with a question he was asked, and the guy walked up to this lady and gave her the mic.
SECTION 4: NOSTALGIA & LOOKING BACK
LawPedia: If your Law School year had a theme song, what would it be and why?
Alexander: You know that Tope Alabi’s song Aye le ibosi oh, Aye ndorikodo ko ye mi mo
LawPedia: What’s the one thing about Law School you thought you’d hate but ended up loving (or at least not minding)?
Alexander: I think that’ll be the idea of not allowing students to cook, though it’s financially draining but I got used to it and moved on.
LawPedia: What useless law school habit do you need to break before you start practice?
Alexander: I think this will be me learning to make sure that if you’re to engage me in an argument it must be worth it, or else I’ll just agree with you.
LawPedia: Beyond passing, what’s your proudest personal achievement from your time there?
Alexander: I think this will be the satisfaction of knowing within me that I know what I’m doing and what I’m being taught.
SECTION 5: ADVICE FOR THOSE STILL IN THE TRENCHES
LawPedia: What’s the one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting Law School tomorrow?
Alexander: Know why you’re there, pray like you won’t read and read like you won’t pray. I think the advice is more than one
LawPedia: What’s the biggest myth about Bar Finals that needs to be debunked?
Alexander: Bar Final is extremely hard. If you study very well Bar Final won’t be extremely hard at all, you’ll even be like so these are the questions these people want to set and they are saying this whole thing is hard.
LawPedia: How did you really manage the pressure without burning out?
Alexander: First I did not allow anybody to pressure me unnecessarily, I read when I’m to read and if someone should say a new thing I haven’t read, I’ll be like I’ll read it when I get to that topic, I won’t just jump into that anxiety of me not reading enough or that it’s just too much that I can’t cover. I don’t jump to such conclusions.
LawPedia: Final words of motivation for the 500L students who are next in line for this struggle?
Alexander: Be prepared mentally, being mentally prepared for law school is very important though you can’t be fully mentally prepared but at least some things won’t shock you when you get there.
Also be prepared academic wise, be prepared spiritual wise and be prepared financial wise (law school get a lot of billings oh ).
LawPedia: That will be all for today, thank you very for taking your time to attend this session.
Alexander: Oh! Thank you, you’re always welcome
That’s a wrap on this inspiring conversation with Odunuga Alexander!
His story proves that with determination and the right strategy, anything is possible.
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