Every serious student that gains admission into tertiary institutions has the
aim of graduating with a first class/distinction degree but the reality
shows that the number of first class students in Nigeria’s tertiary
institutions is on the decline. Earning a First Class Honours is, invariably,
a by-product of self-application. I do not believe that anyone is pre-
programmed to make a third class, or a bare Pass, provided the individual
was qualified in the first instance to be admitted into the university (even
otherwise).
The class of degree a student earns in the university is also a function of a
point scoring system. That is what is called the Cumulative Grade Point
Average, (CGPA) which is a weighted scoring system with maximum of
5.0. You make a first class when you score a CGPA of 4.50 and above
upon graduation.

This article gives steps which if diligently followed will enable every
student who aspires to make a first class in school to do so with ease.


1) Know Thyself: The problem with many students is they try to ‘copy-cat’.
While it is good to learn from the method of another high performer, it is
important to know how to adapt it. Some students don’t need to read for
more than 3 hours a day before they pass, indeed do excellently well and
top the class. Some must read for at least 7 hours a day. I know First Class
students that watched football and participated actively in campus
religious activities. Some even get involved in departmental politics. Its
about knowing one’s self. But for most First Class students I know,
reading the notes while still hot, and not waiting till they accumulate, is a
common denominator.

2) And Know thy teacher too: Knowing how to approach a question in an
examination is an art itself. How do you organize your answers? It goes
beyond just picking the answer script and writing down what you think is
the answer. Know what the lecturer wants. Does he want ‘lengthy story’?
Or he wants it ‘short and snappy’? You may have a clue into this through
your seniors who had taken the course earlier. First class students study
not only the course, but the course-taker.


3) Get serious from the first day: It is common for students to get carried
away with the euphoria of gaining admission into higher institution that
they forget the major reason why they are in school. It is essential to start
building your grade point from the first day so as to avoid playing catch
up afterwards. The first semester vis-à-vis the first year in school is
usually the easiest academically so its best you take advantage of it.

4) Attend Lectures: While attending lectures may not be so important in
your first year in school as most courses are what you must have already
learnt previously in your secondary school and the large number of
students in lecture rooms in your first year may not make attending
lectures enticing however after your first year, attending lectures must be
a priority, this is enable you mark attendance in class which may be the
difference between an A or a B, pick salient points which the lecturer may
mention in class and to pick instructions and tips which lecturers usually
give in class.


5) Begin Studying For Tests and Exams EARLY: Between academics and
your social life, time is not something you will have in ample quantity
throughout your stay in University. One cardinal act you should always
make time for is studying early for exams. There’s nothing worse than
leaving all of the studying for the night before an important test or exam.
The stress causes you to panic and you won’t perform as well as you
normally would if you had studied early enough. Studying a little bit
during the semester will not only make you better prepared but will also
remove most stress you’d have if you leave your studying for the last
minute.
Early exam studying allows a student to identify weak spots in their
understanding and to prioritize their studying accordingly. Just imagine
studying until the early morning of the day of your exam only to find
you’ve completely ignored a section that you have little or no
understanding in. Don’t let that happen.
Use Your Time Wisely in between classes as well as before and after
school. There are many opportunities to sneak in some studying or
homework that many students either don’t realize or just don’t use. I’ve
known people who would study on the keke during the ride to and from
school. I’ve also known people that would combine the time waiting for a
lecture to begin with their study time! Just bring your notes and instead of
pinging or chatting endlessly with friends. You get a workout for your
body and for your brain! Always keep your notes handy and use any spare
time for simple review to make sure you’re on top of the material. All of
those small moments you fill with studying will really add up to a solid
understanding. You’ll discover that you will require less studying when
exam time arrives. That’s huge.
6) Obtain Old Exams Question papers and Assignments: from your senior
colleagues to procure a satisfactory idea of what subject matter the
instructors are most likely to test you on. They are even more useful
because you can attempt the exam/assignment as a check of knowledge,
identifying weak areas that you must take into further consideration or re-
study. I heard of a scenario where a guy was studying gluconeogenesis in
Medical Biochemistry and his senior colleague of his happened to pass by.
He appeared interested and proceeded to supply him a couple of past
questions. One was
“Gluconeogenesis is not necessarily the reversal of Glycolysis. Explain”.
Propitiously, in the end of his semester examination, it was asked exactly
as he was given in Number 2. It was worth 10 marks.
One common tactic many students use for science laboratory classes is to
find a graded laboratory notebook from a previous year. Laboratory work
is notoriously difficult with respect to time limitation and what is
expected from a student’s lab report. Having a format to follow along with
is a phenomenal help. Knowing where to avoid mistakes is fundamental as
well.
7) Optimistic Mentality: Some students die many times before their
academic death. How can a student gain admission into a school and the
first thing he hears is
“you can never make a First Class”, “they won’t give you”.
Well, I don’t believe this. This is what kills many students. How can you
go to battle with a defeatist mentality and expect to win? Many First Class
students defy these “messengers of doom” and pursue their target
optimistically. As a Jambite, what you hear are stories of one Lagbaja that
shattered school records, or one Saka that effortlessly broke any record
breakable. You even hear of stories of students that had graduated since
the 1970s. These are stories that motivate you, not some tale by moonlight
about a sadist lecturer denying you First class. This is another very vital
feature of First Class students. They don’t believe cock and bull stories.
Put God first: Ultimately, God is very important. Always remember that
God is the owner of all knowledge and gives only to those who he wishes
to. Learn to always put God first before every lecture, test or exam. He is
the only one who can see you through. The above are just helpful human
factors.

These are just the most important attributes one needs to make first class.
There are more factors to be considered which may have been omitted.
Feel free to share your opinion in the comment section.

very motivational I just gained admission and Ur post really inspired me I pray and wish God will give me the ability to abide by it

Wow!

Nice one.

Noted

Just came to represent the space bookers.

They are on their way

Rexhenrex:
very motivational I just gained admission and Ur post really inspired me I pray and wish God will give me the ability to abide by it

Amen!!! same here too....

Nice tips

100% correct and valid.
Also, its never too late to start applying all points above. Just believe...

Absolutely true

You have boasted my morale sir!!!thanks sir as I just gained admission wish mysef all the best as I stand out amongst the crowd....

What an inspiring post OP,


SMALLPENIS as you don book space so, sha no forget vote 4me 2moro

nice

tosyne2much:
What an inspiring post OP,


SMALLPENIS as you don book space so, sha no forget vote 4me 2moro

No worry, you've got my vote