How Loren Adetutu Gomez Graduated as One of the Best Graduating Female Students at the Nigerian Law School

My name is Loren Adetutu Gomez. I graduated from the University of Lagos, where I finished in the top 5% of my class, and I recently graduated with a First Class from the Nigerian Law School. I was also honoured to graduate as the Joint Best Female Graduating Student and the Joint Second Best Graduating Student of the Nigerian Law School Class of 2026. 

Honestly, it still feels surreal to say that. Even now, a part of me still can’t believe those words are attached to my name.

Before law school, I had this grand plan of starting the curriculum early, so I’d have a head start. I think I lasted about a week before I got tired and told myself, “You know what? I’ll start properly when I get there.” 

I was posted to the Abuja Campus and had barely two days to prepare, so flying wasn’t even an option anymore. My friends and I took a bus from Ibadan to Abuja, and after what felt like the longest journey ever, we finally arrived on campus that night. 

Accommodation was not really difficult because rooms were assigned by the school and I was fortunate enough to choose my roommate. I stayed with my friend, Dolapo, whom I’ve known since 100 level in the University of Lagos and who also made a first class (twinsss). Having someone familiar around made settling in much easier. 

The following week was registration, and that same weekend we received our first pre-class assignment. I remember opening it almost immediately. Looking back now, I think that moment quietly set the tone for the rest of my law school journey. In many ways, you could say my law school journey started from Day One.

If I had to describe my Nigerian Law School experience in one sentence, I’d say this: Law school strips you down to your habits. 

You cannot survive law school by relying on motivation. You survive by building habits that carry you on the days you don’t feel like showing up.  Thankfully, I already had that culture before law school. At the University of Lagos, I had built the habit of going to the library almost every day, so sitting down for long hours to study wasn’t something I had to learn from scratch. That consistency became one of my biggest advantages.

Even before resumption, I had one goal in mind: First Class or nothing. I even quit my job before law school because I wanted to dedicate those eight months entirely to that goal.

Now, did I maintain that confidence throughout? Absolutely not. There were many moments where I told God, “Please, even if it’s a 2:1, I’ll collect it. I don’t want the First Class again.” I was exhausted. I never thought I would fail, but there were days when the work became so overwhelming that a 2:1 sounded perfect.

One thing I always tell people is that law school isn’t difficult, and the questions aren’t impossible to answer. What’s difficult is that there’s so much to read, understand, remember and apply within a very limited time. 

Because I understood that from the beginning, I made a promise to myself that I would never have a “zero day.” Every single day, I did something related to law school. If I was too tired to read, I’d answer MCQs. If I was sick, I’d read my drafts or revise a few cases. I just refused to completely disconnect from my books. 

But graduating as one of the best students was never part of the plan.  My friends kept telling me I’d probably win an award in one course or another, but I’d laugh it off because I genuinely felt like I was fighting for my life just to secure a First Class. 

Outside reading, my life was surprisingly simple. I ate a lot. I actually gained so much weight in law school because my routine was basically eating, reading, sleeping and repeating the cycle. 

I’m also a naturally quiet person, so I didn’t make many new friends. Most of the people I spent time with were my friends from UNILAG who happened to be on the Abuja Campus too. If you ask ten Abuja Campus students if they knew me, I’m convinced at least eight wouldn’t. I never asked questions in class; I barely spoke, and I mostly just minded my business. 

I’d attend classes, gist with my friends, buy food from Maami, go back to my room, read, sleep, and repeat.  Of course, I still had fun. I went to parties, visited Magicland, and hung out with friends, but I always made sure I’d finished my reading for the day first.

I think the biggest thing I did was set realistic goals. I never told myself, “I’m reading three topics today,” because I knew that wasn’t realistic. Instead, I’d say, “Today, I’m finishing one topic, doing MCQs on that topic, and if time permits, attempting past questions.”

For me, it was never about speed. It was about understanding. I didn’t mind spending two days on one topic if it meant I understood it properly because law school rewards understanding far more than cramming.

One thing I learnt very quickly was that there is no universal study method. What worked for someone else might not necessarily work for me, and I had to become comfortable changing my strategy whenever I realised something wasn’t serving me. 

At the beginning of law school, I tried writing detailed notes because that’s what had worked for me at UNILAG. Very quickly, I realised it was slowing me down. There was too much material to cover. So I stopped forcing it. Instead, I printed all of SA Badmus’s materials and used them alongside my class slides and the notes I took during lectures. That allowed me to spend more time understanding the material rather than rewriting it. 

I also experimented with where I studied. I thought the library would be my ideal environment because I’d spent so much time in the UNILAG library, but for some reason, it just wasn’t working for me. I found myself concentrating much better in my room and later in the common room whenever it was empty. 

Even my approach to pre-class preparation changed. After the first week, I stopped reading the topics before lectures. I realised I actually learnt better when I came into class with a completely blank slate. Listening to the lecturer explain a topic from scratch helped me build a stronger understanding than trying to piece together what I had read beforehand. During the break afterwards, I’d go back to the pre-class materials and attempt the questions using what I’d learnt in class. 

I also relied heavily on repetition and active recall. By the time exams came around, I had gone through the entire syllabus about four times. That repetition helped me because there was no time to revise everything again during exam week. 

Another thing I consciously worked on was removing fear from the process. Whenever I couldn’t remember a case or a statutory provision, I didn’t panic or beat myself up. I’d simply go back to my notes and check. My friends and I always used to say, “So far we haven’t entered the exam hall, we can still check our books.” 

About four months before exams, I deleted every social media app on my phone except WhatsApp because I realised my attention span was almost non-existent. I also downloaded an app called Focus Tree, which locked my phone for two-hour intervals so I could study without distractions. 

At the end of the day, consistency was my greatest strategy. There wasn’t anything magical about it. I simply kept showing up every single day. I realised that: Don’t be afraid to change your strategy. Learn from other people’s methods, but don’t feel pressured to copy them. Your goal isn’t to study like everyone else; it’s to find the method that allows you to learn best.

But omo, law school was the ghetto. I actually fell sick twice, which was very unusual for me because I hardly fall ill. There were also so many moments where I genuinely told God, “Please, I’ll gladly take a 2:1. I don’t think I have the strength to keep chasing this First Class anymore.” 

Thankfully, I wasn’t doing it alone.  My friends carried me through. We prayed together, read together, encouraged each other and constantly reminded one another why we started. I don’t think anyone should attempt law school without a solid support system. 

A few months before exams, my friends and I developed a routine where we’d answer past questions from 11 p.m. until about 1 a.m., sleep for a few hours, and then be up by 6 a.m. to continue reading. During exam week, I was surviving on about three hours of sleep every night. It was exhausting. 

But I kept reminding myself that the sacrifice had an expiry date. After those eight months, I’d have all the time in the world to sleep, binge movies and rest. For now, I just had to keep going.

Graduating as one of the best students with a First Class means more than I can put into words because I genuinely never imagined this outcome. When our results came out in April, I was so nervous that I was scared to even open mine. When I finally saw “First Class,” I cried because that was everything I had prayed and worked for. 

Then, three days before the Call to Bar ceremony, I saw the official brochure listing me as the Joint Best Female Graduating Student and the Joint Second Best Graduating Student Overall. 

I still didn’t believe it. 

Even during the ceremony, I kept thinking there had probably been a mistake somewhere. Until my name was called, it finally became real. I honestly laugh looking back now because while I was crying over my First Class result, God was probably saying, “You have no idea what’s coming.” 

This achievement has reminded me that sometimes our own vision for ourselves is so much smaller than what God has planned. 

For anyone aiming for a First Class, my biggest advice is this: Don’t let your past determine what you believe is possible. I didn’t graduate with a First Class from university, yet here I am today.

Most importantly, understand that faith without works is dead. It’s okay to pray for a First Class, but your habits also have to reflect someone preparing for one. Show the workings of a First Class. And one final piece of advice, especially for anyone currently in or heading to the Nigerian Law School: Learn how to answer law school questions. If you know, you know.

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