Mayowa Olagunju (LLB)

Knowing how way leads on to way, my decision to study Law at The University of Buckingham (UoB) was a product of careful thought. I wanted something challenging with no long breaks between terms; a ‘home away from home’, being an international student; and yet, I refused to budge on my desire for quality teaching as well.  UoB ticked all my boxes and reflecting now, I made the right choice. I achieved a First Class Honours, scoring more than 70 in all relevant modules.

UoB wears the sash that marks it the “Home of the 2-year degree” with pride.  The structure of the law degree impressed me: four terms in a calendar year; the terms were intense, and the breaks were short. Of course, almost all my degree was done in the middle of a pandemic; the switch to online teaching by the school was impressively seamless, ensuring there was no pause in my education. The course works were demanding; they required hours upon hours of research, poring over articles and cases to come up with a critical analysis. All assignments were usually due on the same day.  There were weekly recommended readings and further readings as well and the exams were no tea parties.  To stay on top of everything I learnt to manage my time effectively, giving every module its required attention.  I did not expect anything less in terms in terms of the challenge; it is, after all, a law degree.

Further, UoB enjoys global popularity, particularly in Nigeria. This has created a diverse, yet tightly knit student population. Consequently, I did not experience a culture shock when I started the degree, ensuring I settled in faster than I had thought; and I got to learn about the beautiful cultures of both nationals and other internationals.

Finally, the law school’s teaching quality is very good. The reasonable staff:student ratio meant that lecturers had more time for one-on-one meetings than most lecturers in other universities. At no time did my request for a meeting with a lecturer to clarify a point of law get turned down. The lecture contents were impressive too.  Indeed, there were many occasions in which the lectures had far better explanations than the textbooks. What I saw was a teaching staff whose sole aim was to equip us to be the best. I took advantage of this in every module; a first-class in all relevant modules was the only natural outcome.

Studying law at The University of Buckingham was hell, swell, and fun. I enjoyed every moment and I look to the future with good cheer