Spotify couldn’t wrap this shit, but it’s a wrap.😌

Yeeeeeeeee! Yeeeeeeeee! Yeeeeeeee! 😱😱. I’m sorry I just had to scream. The year was a lot. Now let’s begin.

2024,

Hhhmmm🥲

Sigh 🤧

Sighlas😔

Sigheed😣

The first quarter began with the weirdest birthday, but definitely not the worst. The worst was 2023. Imagine celebrating your 18th birthday with #100 popcorn and a bottle of sadness in the form of Nutri-milk to step it down. That was the worst. Guess this year’s own wasn’t that bad at all if you look at it.

School resumed, and the war for my life and Sanity began. The pride of being in the 2nd year came with mental cramps and occasional psychotic breakdown. Lecturers who most definitely come to class after sniffing a little ****, and course-mates who kept calling you a scholar when you knew you were most definitely one of the dumbest student in the class. However, the 2nd year was also my time of embracing all I could do.

I started my public speaking back and even represented the school at a National competition. Preparation for the competition was brutal. Research work during the way, writing during the nights, and rehearsing throughout the midnight. Sometimes I’ll send in my work and Wura would just put a total red on the best part of all I wrote😂😂😂. I literally almost broke my phone one day in frustration.

God! I cried the first day of the competition. My first time and I went totally blank. The biggest disgrace of my life. After preparing so much, it was time to deliver and I became a lifelong stammerer. I stammered so well I’m sure I get an Oscar for perfecting the role. I left that place in shame. Funmi and even President Tomi joined Wura in encouraging me but I felt like a fraud. I felt like an embarrassment. Like a disappointment.😭😭

That was my breaking point. I promised myself to stop ignoring the things I can do before it is too late. I decided to embrace my writing and reading skill and all my multiple talents. Don’t fret guys we made it to the semi-finals. LASU who even beat us had nothing on us that day. I was on fire and Olamijulo brought in the heat. We didn’t win but I clearly give us the award for best speakers. We went for another competition that semester again and we beat LASU. Even though we came in 2nd runner up, I felt more joyous than I would have been if we won. It was freaking LASU.💃💃💃🤭🤭

During this constant visit to Law Clinic building for rehearsal and competitions, I met Salaudeen AbdulRasheed. God that guy is smart. Frustrated him, annoyed his ass, and even pissed him off once or twice to test him, and yeah he went all out. Even have a few deleted voice notes as evidence. However, he never left, never ignored. I apologized and he gave me the cold shoulder for a few days but later accepted my apology. He can’t live without me (Delulu)😂. Thank you for being my Mentor unconsciously and pushing me out of my comfort zone Rashidi (he must not know this is how I saved his number).

Also in search of answers to question above my pay grade to win a competition I met Olufolajimi Lawal. Man I miss this guy. Now a graduate so he doesn’t have my time but I really stressed him out. Asked him the weirdest of questions. Pried weird information out of him and disturbed him so much. He will keep saying “it’s fine”, “it’s not a disturbance”. I never knew he was a close friend of my cousin then oo. When he found out, it made our convo weirder, but a little deeper sha😔. Thank you for becoming the first Brother-in-law I got Folajimi (Very soon I’ll be Lawal-Ipadeola. That is my man guys.💃💃). 😂😂

The same semester was when Osifeso joked with us a night before our exams for over 2 hours or so. I’m sure the man was there to deter us from reading and it worked. Sent new things to read the midnight of exams. Gosh that man was the weapon fashioned against us in 2nd year. The same semester I met and fell in love with MOJ. Our only mummy🤭. Majek was literally after my life in class and even in exam hall. Dr Salau, well if you know you know😌. For me, Dr Johnson kept me on my feet. All these lecturers made the year interesting, and very, very life threatening but I survived🤧💃.  

After surviving the first semester with a few mental illnesses, and a load of emotional and relationship problems, I ran home hastily. The holiday was short but needed. I picked up writing again. I started using Social media more, and I even deleted TikTok twice. The holiday was memorable.

Results came out and i was broken. With a shattered CGPA and broken dreams I resumed the second semester late. As usual if I don’t resume late, who am I?

Second Semester began with a bang. Went to the medical center and I must say, those people should have their license revoked. Poor Customer Services, deplorable treatment and shitty drugs. They should change it from medical center to murder house🤧. All lecturers resumed and I went back with the intent to boost the CGPA back. Just in time Tobiloba Onaselu did a meeting where he advised us to read to pass, and permute. I took the advice seriously.

God abeg, I was occupied that semester. Barely had time to read. From church to school, to classfon, to everywhere. Programs were falling on each other like stampede. My guys were busy with projects, and my colleagues were fighting for their lives. I lost a lot of friends during that period. Leave the hostel 8am and arrive at 8pm everyday of the week. The semester was rushed so we got more lenient and accommodating versions of our lecturers. Wrote a few poems, songs, essays, and even started writing official informations for my parents as a full time unpaid employment.

The semester ended with I, Aishat Oshiopekai, and Racheal Adetola representing Faculty of Law at the Inter-faculty debate put together by SUG in collaboration with OOULADS. Those ladies I mentioned were phenomenal speakers. The preparation period was so short and I had fun throughout. They came up with mad lines and delivered it so well. I felt intimidated by their skills. The D-day finally came and it was a whole box of shit and can of rubbish opened. First the problem was location, then we didn’t even get our presents. I pitied those who came from Shagamu the most that day, but it turned out to be fun. We won by the way. Who else could beat us😌?

The weekend of that I had a praise evening at church. That week I made a new friend. We just started chatting and we just bonded. I needed where to stay off campus (as per hostel boy.), told him about it and he lived just around the corner. He housed me for the rehearsals, and even after the praise evening. The idiot fed me, after stressing my life. Since then he became one of my closest friends. He became my little baby. Thank you for always hosting me whenever church calls Victor. You are a life saver.🤭🤭

The following week I faced my examinations full time. Started reading like my life depended on it. Well it really depends on it. The night before my first exam was when I realized failure was knocking at my door. Out of the 8 topics we had for the semester I only knew 3 of them well. What will I do? It’s freaking Human Rights Law😱. I prayed and started to pick out the parts of the topics I would read. The Holy Spirit directed me and I successfully read those parts before the exam the next morning. No sleep for the wicked they say, but this day there was no sleep for my unserious, procrastinating ass too. The exam paper came and I almost screamed in excitement in the exam hall. All I read was the questions. I proudly chose my best 4 and left the exam hall smiling. Sharrrp😌. Went home during exam with no fear. Exam can do whatever it wants. Did the same permutation for all my other courses and it worked.

I survived that exam period and I decided to stay behind and not rush home with pride like a mummy’s boy (which I am). I’m done with 2nd year, let me enjoy it. Election period was then and everyone was always coming. Coming from where to where? The billion dollar question😂. They finally came and it was a funny period. Had so much deadlines during that period that I could barley focus on the process but I didn’t miss the banter. The sticker wars. I even got a few DMs and attack during that period. Election Day came and I was lucky to be an agent. Spent the whole day with a few of my classmates. I finally found out Usman is not dumb🫨. I was amazed he could speak🙂. Wow he converses😱. And he was manageable funny😂. What an awakening😌. Don’t let me even start about the election Palava. I learnt that Tinubu should really come and learn from politicians of Faculty of Law. He is just playing. To count the votes of only 1000 people for over 6 hours is a record I’m sure only Faculty of War, OOU has broken😩.

The person I was even an agent for made matters worse leaving me stranded late in the night, with no way to get to the hostel, where my law dinner clothes were. I would have decapitated him if I saw him that moment😒. Loving Seniors helped out, and Seun Ogun finally found out my detest and hatred for animals that night. Thank God he came that night, I would have slept away my 10k.

Law dinner was beautiful. I can’t gist you. What happens at the dinner, stays at the dinner🤭. After a journey with few psychotic breakdown, terrible migraines from lack of sleep, and my best friend (motion sickness) spending the whole time with me, I got home. I ate and got ready for the after-election war🤭. It was fun watching the people we call mentors drag one another. That period was the pictorial depiction of aura for aura😔.

My holiday started with lounging at home for weeks. At a point I felt like I was a fraud when everyone on LinkedIn started posting “I’m thrilled to announce I started internship today at…..”, and “First day at so, so, so Firm.” I finally decided to push myself off my ass and started internship.

I got connected by a loving boss, Barr Grace Alaba. Such a wonderful woman. I love her to the ends of the earth. She taught me so much during my period there and even took me to the Lagos New Legal Year Event, which became one of my biggest motivations to become this Dee Law everyone is calling me. She will always tell me, “As a lawyer, even if your village people are doing you, you cannot be poor. Too much sources of income.” Thank you for making me love Law more ma😌.

Met another wonderful soul in Barr Ugochukwu. She was a picture of balance. Always told me to never let extracurricular affect my CGPA. “The first thing interviewers would check is your grade.” She would say with a smile. She took me to court repeatedly and I loved the whole process of litigation seeing it through her POV. Being Dee law is not easy but she made it feel like that. Thank you so much for being a constant support throughout my time at Emmanuel Umoren & Co, ma.

Honourable mention, Miss Chioma. My gist partner at the firm. We were always the only ones together most times. Taught me filing process, showed me arrangement of files, even taught me the practical part of law no textbook will show you. Thank you for making my time there memorable.

There is no way I will write about Emmanuel Umoren & Co, and not add Mr Emmanuel Umoren himself. My Oga patapata. My boss on top. The most humble man I have ever met. The realest man I have seen. The best litigator you could ever ask for. At some point I could see law was not just a profession to him, it was a lifestyle. In the folder list, you could see many cases of him against certain people who wronged him. He knows the law and applies it excellently well. This man taught me to read more. He helped me sharpen my legal writing skills. He would take me out to multiple places and show me the process of law in real life, not the fake we see in Moot and Mock. Sir, thank you for being the first person who took me to a court. Thank you for taking me as a son instead of an intern, sir. I’ll forever be grateful for the time spent with you, sir.

After a long and amazing period at internship I had to resume. Not negotiable bruv, I resumed late😌. Shout out to those who make sure I attend all the classes when at home, even if I didn’t step there🤭.

The semester started with me as an executive of 4 different organizations, preparing for a Dramathon in church, and trying to catch up with my course-mates who have resumed earlier. Met a new sets of lecturers. Tort lecturers made me reconsider law as a course, they tested my thought process. Commercial law felt like a commercial bargain, stressful. PRL was Oh well, Accounting; well I never attended a class, and criminal law was a class for criminals. Dr Osunubi made me love criminal law. Men I forgot Ogunsakin, a constant reminder of how poor we are in Family Law.

During this period, I was still getting used to living off campus which was a rigorous process, I was going to church almost everyday, trying to balance being a chorister and a dramatist at the same time, and you said I’m ignoring you? Baby I don’t even have the time to ignore you. In all I still had to make time to function in my positions as an executive, and also still face my primary assignment, read my books. I felt like I was crashing. I was literally falling under the weight of everything, but I just kept praying and God kept providing me with strength.

During this period I started the FLLC and I met new writers and poets. I found out one of my course-mate who I don’t talk to writes and speaks😩. I was shocked🫨. In my mind, I was like he is too short to be seen when speaking, and he is too quiet to speak confidently😔. Yeah very subtle of me to look down on him😌. I felt a pull towards him and I got to know him. He was so down to earth😏.

Let’s just say he opened up another part of me I killed when I resumed Law. He awoke the reader in me, stirred the philosopher to existence. He just knew a lot about everything, was very critical, and tried too hard not to be mundane. Let’s not talk about his writing. He is so good I felt like I was shit. Thank you Dessy😎 for tasking me intellectually, most people can’t. You made me think more and deeper, you made me see life is beyond what I already knew, that there is so much knowledge out there. I know our blossoming friendship is still going places. Let’s just hope my insecure self has not spoilt all my chances at that. Time like you will say, has all the answers.

December came and I went to Shiloh. It was life transforming. Every words session hit a spot in me that changed my whole perspective of life and relationships. I learnt so much from Papa’s journey that made me realize, my journey is rough, but there is really light at the end of the tunnel. Came back home and thought a lot till now.

Christmas Oblee with Jamiu was amazing by the way. 💃💃🎄

Now here we are, the big guns. There are certain people I didn’t just meet this year that made my year. I want to say a very big thank you to my family. Oluwatimilehin, thank you for being an amazing big brother and making my introvert lifestyle less depressing (don’t tell him I said so, he already has a bloated ego😏). Itunuoluwa, thank you for being the most thoughtful and loving younger sister anyone can ask for (God when did I get this touchy feely😔).

To my amazing Mom and Dad, there is no me this year without y’all. Thank you for sponsoring my lifestyle. I see your daily struggles just to provide for us. I see your love for us in every singe intentional decisions and action you take because of us. Thank you for the days you sleep hungry for us to eat. I know we are not living the life yet, but I’m grateful you at least gave us a life. One we can be proud of. Thank you for being my rock throughout 2024.

To my amazing Cousin, Ebunoluwa Johnson, thank you for being the big sister I never had. You made my first and second year so amazing and stress free. I didn’t notice how lonely and stressful Faculty of War can be until you left. Thank you for being there always, even after you graduated, you always made time.

To my family in school, the craziest, most toxic, loving and annoying circle you can ever be in, thank you all. Opemiolopin (my bestie), thank you for the encouraging words, the support in everything I do, the love you share, for being the DM I rant into all the time, thank you for listening. Bad Influence 1, thank you for being the call out friend. Thank you for always reminding me I have to make money, for the constant checkup even if I don’t reply message or return the energy. I’ll try harder next year. Bad influence 2(bush baby), thank you for always being an ass. Thank you for the constant jokes. The study of law feels less strenuous with you by my side. Sweet🤭, thank you for being the one motivator to read hard in the crew, thank you for being a case dictionary by the way. I love y’all. Next year will be more amazing.

To my second circle in school, Eyitayo, Eniola, China, and others. Y’all made my stay in the hostel memorable. I won’t share any memories so we won’t disgrace ourselves. Thanks for the constant reminder that I made steak in 100 level 1st semester. Y’all need to do better next year😌.

To my amazing roommate, I can’t even begin to say it. You impacted my year so much I can’t put it in words. Thank you for being a friend in need and indeed. Thank you so much, FA. Ashidi, I don’t forget you asshole. Thank you for being you. You don’t know how much that helped me through a whole lot this year. The scholars who made me a good student, Deborah, Favour, Victor, and many others. Thank you so much for the intentionality, and materials. I promise to try to be like you in 2025. Thank you everyone who made my year, If I didn’t mention you here, expect my mail🤭.

In the end, 2024 came with a load of lessons. I can’t share them here, maybe in another writeup before the end of the year.

I’ll leave you with these few words,

Remember the existence of time, the memories it created, the friendships it built and those it lost, the wars it fought and won, because when time is gone, that is all we will be left with.

With so much love❤️,

CADEM⚖️