Help4rmme2u:
Back then struggling to make first class, but ended up as the best in my department (Industrial Chemistry) Uniabuja. Still no decent job. Teaching in one glorified secondary school with a pay that cannot meet my needs.

What they won't tell you is how to make money while schooling.

Started my own firm in foodstuff supplies as a side hustle. God dey sha.

If you still have flair for academics and want to utilise your grade, I suggest you opt for further studies abroad. Preferably the US (you will be funded by the school to study). Although, it costs money to run the process but the end justifies the means.

I am not a first class graduate but let us try and get first class point first if it easy b4 underrating or condemning people that graduated with it.

observer2020:
In some universities, it is a guarantee employment opportunity, most especially if your department lacks first class graduates. But I knew a lady who made first class in the same university, but she is teaching in private secondary school. Though I complained in the school official Facebook page on behalf of the lady, they invited her for interviews and she refused to come, I later found out, that she used her toto to gain almost all the As in her result, she even dated the head of their department

Lol, nawa 4 u o

Bro wise up

Help4rmme2u:
Back then struggling to make first class, but ended up as the best in my department (Industrial Chemistry) Uniabuja. Still no decent job. Teaching in one glorified secondary school with a pay that cannot meet my needs.

What they won't tell you is how to make money while schooling.

Started my own firm in foodstuff supplies as a side hustle. God dey sha.

Wow, that's fantabulous! Quite interested in the bolded. So, how is the business doing so far so good?

First class why legit na for flight o. If no be first class flight wetin u gain?

Investnow2017:


Which University? My friends who made a first class in UNN and another in UNIBEN were boldly told, "my friend your mates that made first class 5 years ago are still pending on the list of those to be considered as graduate assistants".

Maybe in a private uni. In those good old days you got a job automatically as a first class graduate in the same University. Not now again dear.
.

University of calabar

You can only feel depressed about your first class certificate if all you aimed for was the grade. As for me, I just enjoy reading what scholars in my field have done, what they are doing and searching for a better way to look at their propositions. By that, I got good grades... And not just the grades, but the fact that I could relate with great minds. Well, if a good job is added to that, thank God... If not, I still feel satisfied that my mind produced something relevant to knowledge!

Oladayo12:
Academically i doubt if they are better than the 1st class, although there're some 4pointers that are also sound upstairs but comparing 2.1 expecially the 3pointers and even 2.2 to 1st class it's a no no for me.

oga I finished with a 2.2 but immediately I knew this I made sure any opportunity to learn gain practical experience about my course I made sure I was there whether dirty or clean, so when a first class come he knows the theory so well he can speak the grammar so well he has all the opportunity but when I begin to speak about the problems I have encountered not written In books, the pratical I have done it is easier for me to gain the job..No employer will employ you without you having the experience you need to have. Universities don't do praticals so you must be willing to gain this experiences outside cos the first they ask you is what have you done after school. Thanks to God almighty I am okay now. So get you praticals ... Let say you finish with a first class in music you don't go to the studio to learn some music skills some slangs and what people do you won't make it but that guy on the street singing going for studio sessions will get endorsed while your first class is wasting.

what can you do Ask yourself

ModestGal:

Thats one of the mistake I made in my life and still regretting it till now. First class is a waste of time and thoughts. If you are connected, not an introvert, then you have a chance, if you are not, please I beg you, while in university, concentrate on things you can do that would bring you money and make you happy in life. Just make sure you don't go below second class upper.
Nigeria is a failed country.
I wish I did this when I was in the university, I was busy making sure I was doing well in academics, I also registered for a 4years Arabic course which I finished. I wish I knew my advisors were merely myopic, I wish I had concentrated my energy on learning TECH skills.
I wish I had used my school fees to purchase Tech equipment and learn the skills, some of us fall into the category of bad advice. I regret the day I saw my result and it was full of A's in 100level first semester, that was my motivation and every body started telling me I would made a first class up and down, and telling me not to relent. I wish I had relented, but I was stupid to keep pursuing nonsense

Congratulations, you finally realised what life is all about but you realised late. You are not alone though, a lot of people walk this path.

Our parents are the main cause of this, they projected their failures into us and made us feel a First Class or education will elevate us and make us SUCCESSFUL. The problem with SUCCESS is that it is solely defined as how much you have.

Sometimes legacy you built is also defined as SUCCESS, but money still tops it mostimes.

if one gets a first class or something, searching for a job is just plain stupid, job creation should b the next thing unless na cramming win am

First Class was everyone's wish. I wished for it back then too, but I couldn't get it, tho I graduated as the best student in my class. Most of my friends who are first class don't really have much to offer aside their knowledge of books.

They've got no Skills, there most times are spent only in their class books. I know one in her final year who doesn't know how to operate a computer. If not that I advised her, she would have regretted her first class cos it's obvious that school didn't pass through her.

I did my best back then to have graduated top of my class and I am very good at the following skills;
Microsoft Office (Excell, Word, PowerPoint etc)
Programming language (Python)
Css, HTML, xhtml
Graphic Design(Corel Draw, Photoshop, etc)
Crypto currency trading and investment
Matlab and Scilab.
etc.

pls if you're an undergraduate and you have a first class I beg you to learn all the skills above. If you're also not on first class, I'll advise you also learn them. They help to augment or complement your Grade. Graduates are not left out too.

I'll end this by saying that a First Class Student with no skills has nothing much to offer aside the knowledge of his class books.

Help4rmme2u:
Back then struggling to make first class, but ended up as the best in my department (Industrial Chemistry) Uniabuja. Still no decent job. Teaching in one glorified secondary school with a pay that cannot meet my needs.

What they won't tell you is how to make money while schooling.

Started my own firm in foodstuff supplies as a side hustle. God dey sha.

You still have the spirit of excellence bro, that was why you started the side hustle !!! Keep hustling bro, your breakthrough would come Insha Allah!

Abyima:
That was then and not now in Nigeria. Not only first class students this days but 2:1 find it difficult to get a job in Nigeria. Even Lecturing job in Universities for students with first class is man no man.

Back then, If one graduates with first class, on the day you convoke, u get automatic employment. Different companies, e.t.c will be there just to give you a job. But not now.

I am a first class student who graduated in 2018. When i was looking for a job, it was difficult for different company to take me. Any company i entered, after hearing my degree, they will be afraid to ask me a question. Some will say they will get back to me. I waited and no way. But there were some company that were happy and told me to give them my certificate.

Managers who has 2:1 will be afraid to employ a first class student. They don't want first class student to outsmart them.

So, it is good for first class student not to get carried away with their degree. They should not depend on their degree. They should learn skills so as to benefit from it. First class are meant to create jobs for people. But many of them lack this knowledge but get blindfolded with their degree.


For me, I have thrown my certificate one corner. I am happy i got the first class, cause i worked for it. My next step now, is to employ people. Who knows, my certificate will be useful tomorrow.

First class is not a disease. We are teachers, we are boss.

Your perspective challenges your certificate.
Which kind useless oga go be afraid of you because u get first class na pure water company

Jarus:
All the first class in my circle are doing well, except one that chose not to be materially inclined so opted to be an alfa.

From Shell to Chevron, they are there.

One of them was struggling to raise N17k school fees in our final year in 2005/2006. He now owns at least 3 houses, one in Lekki.

Let nobody deceive you that first class is a waste. Hustle for it, but make sure you can defend it.

U have nailed it.

Sherlock5577:

Unfortunately, I disagree with you@Modestgal. @steve0979 Please, get a first class if you can, but definitely not at the detriment of building relationships and learning other skills that would help you. A First class may not guarantee you a job (where merit isn't considered), but opens you to many other opportunities not only within Nigeria. Nigeria may be a truly failed state, but that doesn't stop you from exploring opportunities from other countries.
You have to keep hustling in this life especially when you have a great result like that. I got a First Class in undergrad and I can tell you it has blessed me with so many opportunities (scholarships, Jobs, etc) and life lessons (like keep working hard and hustle pays). I am still reaping these benefits four years after . First Class was not easy,

I sincerely envy you bro, pls can you help me with any sure scholarship? i'm a fresh graduate.

Genset:



Please what tech skill can u advise me to learn that will be beneficial to me?

Graphic design is good

Thank God people are beginning to see that having just a first isn't an end in itself. What it can do at best is to get your foot in the door among the ever-growing pool of job applicants.

A lot of factors are responsible but chief among them is probably the graduate's inability to demonstrate requisite skills at par with their class of degree. In simple parlance, prove your first class with something other than your certificate - professional certifications, related skills, projects, patents, name it.

I finished with a first class degree and I can tell you without mincing words that alone, it isn't enough. It will never be. Even if you plan to work in academia, you would still need that little icing on the cake, especially if you're in a STEM field.

Don't make the mistake of thinking to yourself 'Maybe I probably need an MSc?'. You'd waste all that time and money and may still not be relevant, especially if you repeat the same mistake of focusing strictly on curricular affairs.

On the flip side, if you actually have solid industry-relevant skills, it will take very potent voodoo for you to be ignored by recruiters. I don't know of anyone that had a first plus topnotch skills to go with, who isn't gainfully employed or successful. Many of them go on to positions in Fortune 500 companies and the Big Boys. For example, this guy from my uni (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bellanaija.com/2013/04/not-resting-on-his-oars-nigerian-mit-grad-student-chidube-ezeozue-works-on-app-to-predict-power-outage/amp/). Finished with a first, went to MIT for Masters, and now works at Google. Brilliant chap.

Moreover, it can be a game changer for people interested in graduate studies abroad.

I know most people like to stress the connection factor, but nothing beats skills. There are some job roles that can never be given solely on the basis of connection, unless the organisation is planning to run down.

If you are reading this and are still in college, please and please, endeavor to learn skills: coding, software, tools, and whatnot, or any tech related to your discipline and prospective industry. If you can afford to, add necessary certifications (ACCA, Comptia A+, CCNA, etc.).

In the long run (after you graduate), you'd be glad you did.

P.S: If you're interested in robotics, artificial intelligence, or machine learning, visit https://www.rainigeria.com. They've got everything you need, from bespoke hardware to expert facilitators plus you get to be certified after the training.

Why did you have to post someone’s certificate here?

Help4rmme2u:
Back then struggling to make first class, but ended up as the best in my department (Industrial Chemistry) Uniabuja. Still no decent job. Teaching in one glorified secondary school with a pay that cannot meet my needs.

What they won't tell you is how to make money while schooling.

Started my own firm in foodstuff supplies as a side hustle. God dey sha.

Another angle we should look at is : how many job tests have you written, passed and didn't get an interview session?
Are you still within the graduate trainee age (27max)?
Truth is, people are still getting good jobs regardless of networking or people within their circles.
I wrote about my roommate in uni, my elder brother is a testimony too. He made a 2.1 in Business Admin from a state university, wrote several job tests after NYSC and got a breakthrough a year later . He's a credit admin officer at Wema bank.
We were raised in a small town, attended the community school. Our parents didn't have shit, so the breakthrough started with him.
Don't give up bro, if you're still within the age limit, keep on applying and put your ears to the ground , information is the key .

Asour:


I am not answering for her but I think I get the perspective.

Bill gates once said (to paraphrase) that ...Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year BUT underestimate what they can achieve in 10 years.

It's not effective to regret but if you really understand what bill said above you then begin to appreciate the mastery level you've had if you had taken the decision to begin learning a particular field/subject — in a focused manner— 8/10 years ago.

Paul Randal (one of the world's top authorities in SQL) once said that expertise typically requires reading 100 pages of a subject daily. (hard right ?). true.

But even though you stuck to 20-25 pages a day. For the past 8-10 yrs. You probably would be amongst the World's top 1% in your field (barring other limitations).
That's why most of the world (myself included) consists of mediocres.

Your sincerity know no boundaries
You are mature beyond measures
I want to be in the midst of people like u...

Oladayo12:
I sincerely envy you bro, pls can you help me with any sure scholarship? i'm a fresh graduate.

Send me a PM. We can talk more from there.

@ Steve0979 : Congrats on your first class degree achievement.
The certificate/degree it self will not necessarily get you a job or help you grow in your career. Instead the skills and knowledge you have gained while working to attain that certificate. Good luck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClrqP9J_d5E

[quote author=OJURONGBE1 post=89398009]



Different story for different folks .
In as much as you're sure of your class of degree and competence, you'll pull through.
Here's a story of my roommate in university. He was from the poorest of the poor but didn't let that deter him while studying Chemistry .There were times i wished i have his brain even though we were not course mates but his brilliance, study habits and meticulousness rub off me, i wouldn't lie . He would go on to graduate with a (4.41CGPA ) in chemistry.
While waiting for NYSC call up letter, he took up a teaching job at a secondary school near his hometown of ilishan-remo, Ogun state and used the meagre pay to enrol for ICAN and kept at it throughout NYSC in Sokoto.
He shared how he applied for KPMG Tax Academy 5 months after youth service and but for me at that time , i could not.[quote]Wow! baba na you o, i hope you're also applying for scholarship? i dont mind if you can help me out with a sure scholarship. i'm a fresh graduate.

ModestGal:

Thanks darling, you can't understand how sweet TECH is for me, and how it can easily bring money on days one least expected. I won't advice you to relent ma, but for me, I will always regret it. Its been long I finished both Bsc and MSC, now I know I wasted my precious life during my Bsc days.

Yeahh... painful when you think about it though but the time is past already, so we move. No relenting, anything you are doing now, put in your all and keep thinking ahead, you can still go for tech sef if you like. All will be well

First class is sweet, you have oppoturnites over many, in term of jobs, scholarships and many other but don't let me deceive you. Things that works in todays Nigeria is:
1. God
2. Connection
3. Certificate.
But let me advice you, as you are applying for job, also apply for scholarship like ptdf etc and any other scholarship you can think off cos your grade is really needed to secure one of these scholarship.
Don't let anybody deceive you, just keep your hope high and don't relent. One day your will really appreciate yourself.

One thing I want you to know is that ''Patience is the key to human race''.

Stay bless.

ModestGal:

Thats one of the mistake I made in my life and still regretting it till now. First class is a waste of time and thoughts. If you are connected, not an introvert, then you have a chance, if you are not, please I beg you, while in university, concentrate on things you can do that would bring you money and make you happy in life. Just make sure you don't go below second class upper.
Nigeria is a failed country.
I wish I did this when I was in the university, I was busy making sure I was doing well in academics, I also registered for a 4years Arabic course which I finished. I wish I knew my advisors were merely myopic, I wish I had concentrated my energy on learning TECH skills.
I wish I had used my school fees to purchase Tech equipment and learn the skills, some of us fall into the category of bad advice. I regret the day I saw my result and it was full of A's in 100level first semester, that was my motivation and every body started telling me I would made a first class up and down, and telling me not to relent. I wish I had relented, but I was stupid to keep pursuing nonsense

it seems u didn't later get the first class because u lacked the aforementioned qualities? just wondering cos am also chasing it but in my 200L second semester I was frustrated in my results, I had missing script, 4 C's( which I never had), n B's, in fact my G.P crashed from 4.75 to 4.49....So I did my research, that was when I started receiving advice from some of my friends who are lecturers that first class is awarded based on certain criteria(like the one u mentioned above), not just academic.

I will need your counsel, am in my 300L now and am lacking enthusiasm to keep pushing since I know I will likely be frustrated. Please advice a brother n a friend, I don't want to repeat your past in my future

ModestGal:

Thats one of the mistake I made in my life and still regretting it till now. First class is a waste of time and thoughts. If you are connected, not an introvert, then you have a chance, if you are not, please I beg you, while in university, concentrate on things you can do that would bring you money and make you happy in life. Just make sure you don't go below second class upper.
Nigeria is a failed country.
I wish I did this when I was in the university, I was busy making sure I was doing well in academics, I also registered for a 4years Arabic course which I finished. I wish I knew my advisors were merely myopic, I wish I had concentrated my energy on learning TECH skills.
I wish I had used my school fees to purchase Tech equipment and learn the skills, some of us fall into the category of bad advice. I regret the day I saw my result and it was full of A's in 100level first semester, that was my motivation and every body started telling me I would made a first class up and down, and telling me not to relent. I wish I had relented, but I was stupid to keep pursuing nonsense

TECH skills like which skills please?

golddare:


If the result am seeing is from Uniben, the person is sure of lecturing job in the faculty he graduated from. The best decision is to accept the offer and build your profile unless your parents have a job for you. I hope that picture was just attached to the certificate by the owner because Uniben does not attached pictures to certificates.

The person is not sure of a lecturing job Sir, at least not from the Uniben I finished from.
And yes, Uniben attach passport to your degree certificate.

Getting first class is one thing, positioning oneself to excel in the labour market ( learning how to pass aptitude test, interviews)is another thing . It is better to have the latter than the former. If you have both, nothing can stop you

[quote author=Oladayo12 post=89402352][/quote]


Lol ... Me ke, I be olodo rabata .
The comment was made in reference to the lady that made a first class in Arabic studies but wallows in regret because she hasn't found any breakthrough.