Grace's Law Blog

Law is a highly competitive course in Nigeria. Thousands of students apply to study law in Nigeria and only a few students will eventually be accepted into the universities to study law. Are you aspiring to study law or you have just been offered admission to study law and are curious about what to expect? This article is for you:-)

First things first, have a good WAEC result with at least 5 credits. It would pay you better to strive for As and Bs though. Also, try to know the cut off mark for the course you wish to study and strive to score above or at least the exact cutoff mark. The cutoff mark for law varies from one university to another and could also vary from year to year.

Now that you’ve successfully scaled through the hurdles and gained admission to study law. Here are a few things for you to know before you dive into the world of law.

First, I want to know that studying law can be quite tiring and you’d feel like the whole world is on your shoulders on some days. This is why it is necessary to have some form of passion or drive that keeps you going. Considering the stress and workload attached to studying law, it is important to develop a source of motivation to keep you going even when you feel like giving up (trust me, there’ll be days like this). It could be your passion for law and justice, or something other source of motivation.

Reflect on this and remind yourself of this constantly as you journey through your academics

Second, I know this might sound a bit harsh but, “You know nothing”. Do not come to school with the mindset that you know enough already and do not need to read as much as you used to again. Prepare your mind because you sure are going to need to read a whole lot. See yourself as a child who is just learning his ABCs.

Third, you have to follow a dress code. Law students are mandated to wear black and white for the rest of their lives (this is an exaggeration though). So start stocking up your wardrobe with white shirts and black skirts or trousers. Make sure to find out more about the dress code of your school so that you aren’t the odd one out on your first day:-)

Fourth, Learn to study smart. If you’re the kind of person that studies a night to exam and still performs well in the exam, well, kudos to you but that’s NOT going to work anymore so toss that method in the bin. Why, you ask? Law courses are quite broad and bulky and they require constant revision and sound memorization of legal principles and authorities. You certainly cannot memorize about a million legal principles and authorities a night before a test or exam except you’re a genius robot with photographic memory:-D. Plus, cramming is a really bad method of studying and I do not recommend it for any student at all. Know that you’re not just studying to pass that test or exam because you’ll still need all these knowledge in subsequent years. How can you retrieve a knowledge you never even stored in your brain? Don’t let your notes pile up to the extent it seems insurmountable. Study in bits and you can do a general revision of your notes with ease (divide and conquer). Never underestimate the effectiveness of practicing past questions too.

Lastly, make friends. As cliché as it may sound, it is a really important thing in the legal profession. Network, join clubs, societies, participate in extracurricular activities although not at the detriment of your education. You might think these things don’t matter but they help in building your resume and bring you different opportunities.

So, here are the 5 simple things to know as a new law student. Have any questions? Feel free to ask in the comments section or send an email to thegracelawblog@gmail.com

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