A best graduating student at Obafemi Awolowo University and the Nigerian Law School, Freedolyn Ani, discusses her academic success and life’s hurdles with BIODUN BUSARIWhat was your childhood like?I was born and raised in Akure, the Ondo State capital. I had both my primary and secondary education there. I attended King’s and Queen’s Nursery and Primary School for my primary education and Fiwasaye Girls’ Grammar School for my secondary education. From there, I proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, for my undergraduate studies.My childhood was not characterised by luxury. I grew up in an average family where everyone was basically trying to make a living. But one thing that stood out was that my dad ensured my siblings and I did not lack the basic necessities of life. It wasn’t that we had everything, but because he instilled the virtue of contentment in us, we were able to appreciate and manage what we had. The kind of upbringing my dad gave me made me feel as though I had everything I needed.In what way did his upbringing shape you?What he did moulded my mindset from a very young age. I learnt that I had to put in effort to become better in everything I did. That strengthened my zeal and desire to become a better person as I grew older. It fuelled my determination to be the best I could be in whatever I did and wherever I found myself.How did you end up studying law?There were two or three major factors that inspired me to study law. When I was in junior secondary school and preparing to move to senior class, I told my father I wanted to go into the arts class when I got to SSS1. But he disagreed. He insisted that it should be science class because all my siblings were in science. He asked what I intended to do in arts class and said that, apart from law, there was no other lucrative course in the arts.My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. What was your childhood like?I was born and raised in Akure, the Ondo State capital. I had both my primary and secondary education there. I attended King’s and Queen’s Nursery and Primary School for my primary education and Fiwasaye Girls’ Grammar School for my secondary education. From there, I proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, for my undergraduate studies.My childhood was not characterised by luxury. I grew up in an average family where everyone was basically trying to make a living. But one thing that stood out was that my dad ensured my siblings and I did not lack the basic necessities of life. It wasn’t that we had everything, but because he instilled the virtue of contentment in us, we were able to appreciate and manage what we had. The kind of upbringing my dad gave me made me feel as though I had everything I needed.In what way did his upbringing shape you?What he did moulded my mindset from a very young age. I learnt that I had to put in effort to become better in everything I did. That strengthened my zeal and desire to become a better person as I grew older. It fuelled my determination to be the best I could be in whatever I did and wherever I found myself.How did you end up studying law?There were two or three major factors that inspired me to study law. When I was in junior secondary school and preparing to move to senior class, I told my father I wanted to go into the arts class when I got to SSS1. But he disagreed. He insisted that it should be science class because all my siblings were in science. He asked what I intended to do in arts class and said that, apart from law, there was no other lucrative course in the arts.My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. I was born and raised in Akure, the Ondo State capital. I had both my primary and secondary education there. I attended King’s and Queen’s Nursery and Primary School for my primary education and Fiwasaye Girls’ Grammar School for my secondary education. From there, I proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, for my undergraduate studies.My childhood was not characterised by luxury. I grew up in an average family where everyone was basically trying to make a living. But one thing that stood out was that my dad ensured my siblings and I did not lack the basic necessities of life. It wasn’t that we had everything, but because he instilled the virtue of contentment in us, we were able to appreciate and manage what we had. The kind of upbringing my dad gave me made me feel as though I had everything I needed.In what way did his upbringing shape you?What he did moulded my mindset from a very young age. I learnt that I had to put in effort to become better in everything I did. That strengthened my zeal and desire to become a better person as I grew older. It fuelled my determination to be the best I could be in whatever I did and wherever I found myself.How did you end up studying law?There were two or three major factors that inspired me to study law. When I was in junior secondary school and preparing to move to senior class, I told my father I wanted to go into the arts class when I got to SSS1. But he disagreed. He insisted that it should be science class because all my siblings were in science. He asked what I intended to do in arts class and said that, apart from law, there was no other lucrative course in the arts.My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. My childhood was not characterised by luxury. I grew up in an average family where everyone was basically trying to make a living. But one thing that stood out was that my dad ensured my siblings and I did not lack the basic necessities of life. It wasn’t that we had everything, but because he instilled the virtue of contentment in us, we were able to appreciate and manage what we had. The kind of upbringing my dad gave me made me feel as though I had everything I needed.In what way did his upbringing shape you?What he did moulded my mindset from a very young age. I learnt that I had to put in effort to become better in everything I did. That strengthened my zeal and desire to become a better person as I grew older. It fuelled my determination to be the best I could be in whatever I did and wherever I found myself.How did you end up studying law?There were two or three major factors that inspired me to study law. When I was in junior secondary school and preparing to move to senior class, I told my father I wanted to go into the arts class when I got to SSS1. But he disagreed. He insisted that it should be science class because all my siblings were in science. He asked what I intended to do in arts class and said that, apart from law, there was no other lucrative course in the arts.My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. In what way did his upbringing shape you?What he did moulded my mindset from a very young age. I learnt that I had to put in effort to become better in everything I did. That strengthened my zeal and desire to become a better person as I grew older. It fuelled my determination to be the best I could be in whatever I did and wherever I found myself.How did you end up studying law?There were two or three major factors that inspired me to study law. When I was in junior secondary school and preparing to move to senior class, I told my father I wanted to go into the arts class when I got to SSS1. But he disagreed. He insisted that it should be science class because all my siblings were in science. He asked what I intended to do in arts class and said that, apart from law, there was no other lucrative course in the arts.My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. What he did moulded my mindset from a very young age. I learnt that I had to put in effort to become better in everything I did. That strengthened my zeal and desire to become a better person as I grew older. It fuelled my determination to be the best I could be in whatever I did and wherever I found myself.How did you end up studying law?There were two or three major factors that inspired me to study law. When I was in junior secondary school and preparing to move to senior class, I told my father I wanted to go into the arts class when I got to SSS1. But he disagreed. He insisted that it should be science class because all my siblings were in science. He asked what I intended to do in arts class and said that, apart from law, there was no other lucrative course in the arts.My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. How did you end up studying law?There were two or three major factors that inspired me to study law. When I was in junior secondary school and preparing to move to senior class, I told my father I wanted to go into the arts class when I got to SSS1. But he disagreed. He insisted that it should be science class because all my siblings were in science. He asked what I intended to do in arts class and said that, apart from law, there was no other lucrative course in the arts.My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. There were two or three major factors that inspired me to study law. When I was in junior secondary school and preparing to move to senior class, I told my father I wanted to go into the arts class when I got to SSS1. But he disagreed. He insisted that it should be science class because all my siblings were in science. He asked what I intended to do in arts class and said that, apart from law, there was no other lucrative course in the arts.My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. My dad believed in studying what he called “big” courses because he had the mindset that law was the most prestigious course in the arts. He said I should either go into the science class or do something else with my life.At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. At that age, his stance motivated me to choose the science class. But when my results came out, I qualified for the arts class, and I appealed to him to allow me to switch. He agreed on one condition: that I would study law. I accepted, and once I got into the arts class, he became impressed with my academic performance.What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. What other factors influenced your decision to study law?Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Another factor was that, while growing up, I realised that the law is a powerful tool for promoting social cohesion and social reform. I observed how people behaved and how some were treated, and I realised that the only thing capable of maintaining order in society is the law. The only thing that can make a system work effectively is the law. I knew I needed to study it so I could contribute meaningfully.Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Another factor is how studying law has shaped my character, integrity, discipline and work ethic. There is a way legal education transforms those qualities in an individual. Those are the three major reasons I decided to study law.Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Would you have studied another arts course if your father had not insisted on law?If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. If I had not gone into the arts class, I would have remained in the science class and probably studied medicine or engineering. But if I were to study any course in the arts, it would have been law. I didn’t have any other option. For me, it was law or nothing.Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Before you started studying law, did you already plan to graduate with a first class?Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Yes, I had already made up my mind to graduate with a first class even before I started my undergraduate studies. Before gaining admission, I enrolled in OAU’s pre-degree programme. My number one goal then was simply to gain admission to study law.At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. At the end of the programme, I emerged as the best student among thousands of candidates. I finished as the overall best in my subject combination. That achievement convinced me that if I entered the university with the same mindset, I could graduate with a first class.At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. At the time, I was simply hungry to study law. It was law or nothing else. Since I had already committed myself to the arts and excelled in my pre-degree programme, I believed I could carry the same determination into my undergraduate studies.Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Did you have any study strategies that contributed to your success?I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. I wouldn’t describe them as secrets or strategies because they are things everybody knows. They are well-known principles for academic excellence, although some people choose not to follow them.For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. For me, I simply read every day. The difference was the consistency and intensity. Throughout my time at the university, I read every single day. If I wasn’t reading, I was probably sleeping or eating. Reading every day was demanding, but it was necessary.Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Another thing was that I understood my reading pattern. I never studied at night. Throughout my undergraduate years, I never bothered to read at night because my brain simply doesn’t function well then. Once it was midnight, I packed my books and went to bed.Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Did you participate in extracurricular activities?Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Initially, I wasn’t involved in any physical extracurricular activities. Most of my extracurricular engagements were virtual. I volunteered for programmes that promoted the Sustainable Development Goals. So, I balanced those virtual activities with my studies.Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Apart from that, I focused on my studies and made sure I attended my lectures. I hardly missed any class.What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. What challenges did you face?The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. The biggest challenge was the moments when I felt I wasn’t going to make it. There were times I doubted myself and told myself I should just graduate with whatever class of degree I could get. But somehow, I always found the motivation to keep giving my best.Related NewsHistoric rise of Nigeria’s most powerful women in lawNANS urges UNILAG to reopen fees portal[ICYMI] CJN bans use of ‘Barrister’ title as name prefix at Supreme CourtAnother challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Another challenge was financial. There were times I didn’t have enough money to meet some of my needs. Even then, I kept going because I knew the situation was temporary. I understood that challenges are part of life and that they don’t last forever. That mindset helped me persevere.Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Which year did you realise you would graduate with a first class?It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. It was in my first year, specifically in the second semester. Ironically, I didn’t make a first class in my first semester at the 100 level. But in the second semester, I worked hard, and my cumulative grade point increased drastically. From that moment, I told myself it was an opportunity I had to hold on to. I didn’t let it slip through my hands. I built on that momentum and eventually graduated with a first class.How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. How did you feel about your final results?I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. I felt victorious. My dad was the first person I called because I had been keeping my results from him. I kept my CGPA a secret, although I always told him my grades. For instance, I would call and say, “Daddy, I got an A in this course. I got an A in that course.” But I never told him my actual CGPA.So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. So, when I eventually called him, I told him I had graduated with a first class and that I was also the best female graduating student. It was as if he thought he was dreaming because I broke the news to him over the phone. I was still in school sorting out my clearance when I called him. Before I knew what was happening, he had already told his friends and people in our village. I kept it from him because I wanted to surprise him.How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. How was law school different from the university?I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. I had heard so many things about law school, and most of them were not positive. I was told it could be draining and exhausting. But I knew I just had to go through it because that was how we would develop resilience. Before I resumed, I was scared and anxious.As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. As I was preparing to resume law school, I lost my dad. That period was one of the worst times of my life. He couldn’t attend my convocation because he passed away a month after I told him about my grades. After my convocation, I had to begin preparations for law school. So, I was dealing with the anxiety and fear associated with law school while mourning the loss of my father.How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. How did you survive law school?I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. I survived and overcame the challenges because I told myself I would continue to make him proud, even though he was no longer alive. That was what kept me going.Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Honestly, I was shattered after my father’s death. It was my mum who stepped in to encourage me. My dad and I were very close, so she tried to fill that gap. She kept reminding me to make the family proud.Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Were the challenges in law school different from those at the university?Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Yes. At law school, the learning environment and the teaching system were different. I first had to understand the environment and the system before I could adapt.At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. At the same time, I was still nursing the pain of losing my father. There were nights when I would wake up around midnight and be unable to go back to sleep. I would remember how I had tried to save him before he passed away. I didn’t have enough time to heal emotionally before resuming law school.I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. I should also add that the law school environment was very tense. You woke up with tension, slept with tension, ate with tension, and even drank with tension. Everything was filled with pressure. Those were the major challenges I faced in law school.How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. How did you overcome them?I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. I didn’t allow my problems to overwhelm me. During those difficult moments, I knew I had lost my dad, but I had not lost my dreams of becoming the best version of myself. I kept fighting because I believed that, in the end, the results would compensate for all the challenges I faced at the Nigerian Law School.Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Did graduating with a first class at law school feel different from graduating with a first class at the university?When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. When I saw my law school results, I was shocked. I wouldn’t say I never believed it was possible because I knew I had put in the hard work. I made sure I crossed all my Ts and dotted all my Is in terms of my academic preparation.But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. But considering everything I had gone through, I knew I hadn’t achieved those results by my efforts alone. So, when I saw my results, I felt a mixture of shock, happiness and sadness.I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. I was shocked because law school was intense every single day. I was happy that my hard work had finally paid off. The sadness came from knowing that it would have been the greatest news my dad could have received in his lifetime. Sadly, he wasn’t there to celebrate with me. We had so many plans together.Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. Later, when I found out that I had graduated as the joint best graduating student at the law school, I was even more shocked. I never expected that. Some friends called me and said, “Once a BGS, always a BGS.” I asked what they meant, and one of them took a screenshot of my result and sent it to me. It was a joyful and unforgettable moment. I can’t remember the last time an OAU law graduate graduated with a first class from the Nigerian Law School.What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. What lessons have you learnt from your academic and life journey?The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. The first lesson is that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. That has always been my philosophy. It was something my dad constantly told me—that whatever you find yourself doing, as long as it is legal and legitimate, give it your best. You never know where it will lead you.The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. The second lesson is that challenges are part of life. Progress will always come. As long as we are alive, we are bound to face challenges, but what makes the difference is how we respond to them. Do we allow challenges to consume us, or do we overcome them?My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life. My journey has taught me these important lessons, and I encourage others to reflect on them and see how they can incorporate them into their own philosophy of life.