Today my friend Susie, visiting from Canada, braved the early hours (up at 6:30am) to come with me to Precious Blood and talk to the girls about law. Of course, having any young lawyer come and talk to the girls is fantastic because they can relate to the pressure, confusion, and general anxiety that comes with having to work harder than you’ve ever worked to perform well on standardized tests (LSAT for law, KCSE for Kenyan Secondary School).
Having Susie in particular was very special because she is a gold scholar, which means she graduated first in her year at law school. She was also the only articling student from her year asked back at her firm, which means that whatever advice she has to give should probably be applied.
Susie’s strategy was clear and simple: understand what the teachers/markers want, and give it to them, and study as.much.as.possible. Do all the reading. Don’t stop your work until you have finished what you should have finished. Don’t get distracted. At law school, she shared a few stories about how it was difficult to stay in and study when others were out having fun. But her most important lesson for the girls?
“When I look back, I don’t remember all of those things I thought I was missing out on when I was studying and other students were having fun. I don’t remember what they were, or where they were. What I remember is winning. I know what it feels like to win and come first. That is what I remember.”
I hope when the Precious Blood girls are looking back, that is what they will remember as well.