Kirinwa:


I know your type. You are merely looking for your stomach welfare. Hoping that you'll be noticed and offered one appointment or another in government house. You are not different from our politicians that have abandoned their numerous promises after being elected.

You have not even started and you are already calling Lalasticlala. Anyway I am not against your ambition cos hunger is in the land. What I don't support is your approach.

Besides what have you contributed in this recession period and what solution have you brought to Nigerian's national development?

Real

AmbodOfLASU:



Okay my boss... I ought to have sent it to you on whatsapp self... Emaabinu

Your write up is wonderful and concise. I quickly observed the emphasis you placed on the fact that 'you aren't celebrating mediocrity'. So far, you're correct.

As an undergraduate, I realized that majority of the lecturers are lackadaisical towards qualitative teaching and research. They just talk for few minutes in a lecture and drop bulky study materials (mostly outdated). Others take the whole lecture period in dictating from a copied textbook.

The burden is now passed to the student who has a very short period of time to digest these data and reproduce in the exams hall.

What will the student do?

Well there are various categories of students, but in your own words, tell me what the ideal student would do?

Let's rub minds.

Nice write-up from the op. But in my view, the primary basis for enrolling in whatever form of education is to improve yourself, which requires an evidence to support your intellectual prowess, hence 'certificate'. The problem with Nigerian students nowadays is that most don't read and the very few that do, just do it for the sake of passing exams. People have more interesting in solidarity activities, comradeship and seeking popularity through running for students leadership position, rather than building themselves intellectually fit for future challenges. This was the same way some of the present cohorts of leaders the Nation is parading started out, and I m sure we all know how much backwardness this has brought Nigeria. At the moment, what Nigerians need most is a reorientation on the culture of reading for the sake of improving ourselves and the community at large and not solely for CGPA. If we do this, we will not only be securing a lucent future for ourselves, but also ensure reasonable CGPAs enough to open vast doors for us. God bless Us All.

financial freedom in the end is what you should strive after...xo wen u die you can leave a fortune for your family and not bills and degrees

Very factual.But the sad truth is that we will be having more la cram scholars because most jobs vacancies favour those with 1st class or 2:1.

Beautiful post my brother...I think some persons know the truth and still choose to ignore it..its a pity that our society has branded our educational system this way..the main focus is the CGPA when self-devt and other important aspect of individual devt are very low..I really wish Nigerians see the truth and begin living a life that will promote skill devt and intelligence.the outside/real world is far more difficult than this..nice piece once again@OP..u're a great thinker

Goddys:
You have a good mastery of English language and I learn from your write up.

However, I need to inform you that English language is imposed on British colonies by their slave masters to keep them under subjugation and mental slavery, and also to cause them see British lifestyles and system of education as superior to their native cultures.

In my days at university, I learnt that western education system impose on us is to tame our minds from thinking afar. We are restricted to think within the confine of our area of study when commonsense demands we have grasp of all aspect of life to be termed 'educated'.
In ancient times, the great philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Thales, etc were taught in all areas of life ranging from politics, science, history,law,religion to name it..
In order to grasp the in depth fundamentals of any field of study, you need to know the basics which will get you grounded to research and seek knowledge independently.
The elite of the earth who control world economy, politics, finance etc are taught using this all encompassing mode of education which give them the esoteric aura that ordinary person would never acquire.
You are qualified to call yourself educated only when you have grasp of every thinkable aspect of life and universe. Most of our professors are only educated in their field and versed with grandiloquence which gives them aura of erudition whereas they are half-baked.
I am still learning because I know that until I grasp all the fundamentals of life and its relativity to our daily struggles, I am not educated. I think this should be the mindset of all undergraduates and not the mad desire to come on top of their classes.
I HATE WESTERN MODE OF EDUCATION.

That is not true , the age of the renaissance man is over, we are in
a specialist age, the world need moe specialists not generalists.
While your personal thirst for knowledge is commendable in many fields
is commendable, it is actually impractical for most people as it does not
guarantee the most important motivation for seeking education(Finance).

I also disagree with the "elite" conspiracy theory unless you have a prove
that some people have some esoteric source of knowledge which is not
accessible to a knowledge seeking member of the general populace.

Those who seek further knowledge eventually finds it, while those who are
contented also settles in their contentment.

Even though innovations are important, without the "robots" of the world nothing
good can be built.

Would have been Nigeria's all time best graduating student if I could read this long epistle

If the system requires that you cram, then cram and make sure you also do the relevant extra reading and learning.

Simple.

AmbodOfLASU:
THE EUPHORIA OF CGPA AND THE ILLUSION OF SUCCESS

By Pelumi Olugbenga(Ambode of LASU).

An hour ago, I read through some comments posted on a social media platform. The comments revealed how some students were saddened by the potential mass failure in a departmental course and how their 'CGPAs' are on the verge of a possible decline. The feelings that came with this was very much nostalgic. It inspired me to review my four semesters in LASU; with a view to dissect the values that have been added to my life, and if a University Degree is really even worth the strive. The reflections of my sober moment are not far fetched. I will try to make this not too lengthy.



THE EUPHORIA OF CGPA AND THE ILLUSION OF SUCCESS

The Nigerian educational system has passed through some facets. With the Tertiary level, being the zenith of this Britannic model of education. Over the past decades, what has proved to be a subject of passion, zeal, desperation and extremism in Nigerian Universities is the CGPA. Upon admission into the University, the goal of every student is to graduate with a FIRST CLASS. Majority of such dreams, more often than not, dies in the second year into the University.

Obviously, the CGPA(Cumulative Gradient Point Average) massages ego, it inspires smile and induces tears. Why does a decimal point carries so much weight to an extent; people commit suicide for not making a targeted Gradient Point? The society has made us to believe albeit erroneously; that, not making a good CGPA means not making it in life. More worrisome is the fact that; there is this delusion among many undergraduates that a '5.0' CGPA will automatically earn you a wealthy life in the outside world. This is false and quite delusional! Although, it gives you a cushion, but there is far much more needed to navigate through the storm of the outside world.



Fundamentally, the Nigerian Educational System can be likened to a Zoo, where the Zookeeper in a quest to test which animal is the strongest, gathers the Antelope, Giraffe, Monkey,Lion and Tiger and declares thus : "whoever climbs the tree first is the strongest animal in the Zoo". Surely, the monkey will win under such circumstances but the monkey is no match for the Lion or even the Tiger. Given this analogy, it therefore appears that in every society; where there is no equal level playing ground, any result produced from any contest is bound to be distorted as it lacks the fundamentals of a true competition. In this light, not everybody is made for the Nigerian University System. Some are better off as fashion models, musicians, technicians, photographers, craftsmen et all. These people and their ilk are meant to be in special skill acquisition and development centers and not in a place their talents doesn't belong to and thus, may never be maximized in such an environment. Admittedly, the basic knowledge and usage of English is a prerequisite to make headway in a British colonized country like ours. This can however be achieved outside the four walls of the University. English studies, etiquette and soft skills(which are not even taught in the University) should be incorporated into the syllabus of such centers. This is how it is done in the Western world.


Instinctively, there are three categories of students in Nigerian Universities. The first being the so called "book worms or scholars". The second being the "average or normal students" and the third category being a conglomeration of misled elements, who surely have no business in a sane University Environment. After taking a deeper observation, I pointed out other group within these categories. Time won't permit me to digress that much but these observations will be integrated into the analysis of the larger groups.

Using the overemphasized CGPA as a yardstick, the first category, to be frank, are predominantly students whose cgpa falls between 4.4 to 5.0(on a scale of 5.0). These are the revered 'geniuses' on our campuses. They are the 'living and moving books', as the society has taught us to believe. However, there is something paradoxical about this category of people. Many of them are aided by the way the system is structured and their academic success is not necessarily a product of invincibility. The system has made little room for innovations but it has rather strongly maintained a high level of conservatism. The system also encourages cramming. Hence, a student who crams a lecture note and gives it back to the Lecturer; verbatim in the exam is more likely to have a distinction than a student who made an indepth research or even have a better in depth knowledge of the course. There are empirical facts to back this up. The reason being that, most lecture notes images the sentiments of a Professor about a concept or topic. Once a student toes the same path in answering his examination question, he will be on the same wavelength with the lecturer who would then key into his answers. Most times, when students go 'too deep' into a course by unraveling so many things that were not taught in class and flaunts such 'new knowledge' in his answer booklet, such students are most likely to get a C. The 'verbatim givers' are much more likely to have an A. Little wonder why some students can read a singular course material 10times before exam - the system rewards such approach, the verbatim givers, I choose to call them. I do not hold any grudge against the 'genuises', what I find quite bewildering about most of them is the tradition of studying the same set of materials from the beginning of the semester till the end all under the auspices of getting As. Why should I study a course material(which was probably used by the ancestors of my department) all through the semester? This is very crazy. A high CGPA without the initiative to solve societal problems is a WASTE. I once met a First Class student from the University of Ibadan who can recite all the theories of Karl Marx, John Locke, Aristotle, Plato, Voltaire and others. I was stunned and mesmerized by such enormous knowledge. However, when I challenged this great friend of mine to apply all his knowledge towards proffering a solution to a national crisis I posed before him, he stuttered. His initial eloquence that poured out the theories suddenly went into oblivion. Apparently on paper, he is a genius. But in practice(the most important aspect), he evidently appears to be impotent. If the materials you study doesn't propel you to 'think out of the box', my brother, shelve them and go on a journey of self discovery. I've seen so many 'scholars' who starts a sentence with "Am", who doesn't even know when to use "Have and I've". Some can't even properly spell the basic things related to their course and you begin to wonder how they attained such Cumulative Gradient Point. Truly, no man is an island and everyday, to me, is a new day to learn new things. However, when you dedicate all your time on pursuing a singular goal, you are very much unlikely to learn anything new in life, other than the materials, you've confined your brain to. The University is not a place to pursue a singular goal. It shouldn't be a one-way traffic where all you pursue is "GP, GP, GP, GP! ". The outside world will demand far much more than that 'decimal point' you hold high like an oxygen. Self development they say is the key to greatness. The greatest and richest men in the world barely graduated with a high CGPA. In fact, they even dropped out of the University. I'm talking about the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. What makes them great was their ability to identify a societal problem, think about a possible solution, expand great possibilities and here they are today. Problem solvers mostly ends up being the greatest acheivers. Are you investing in yourself? How well do you spend your time? Do you spend all your day clinging to your books? My brother, you are not an undergraduate if all you do is to romance those books - 24/7. Being an undergraduate is an opportunity to explore other possibilities apart from your academics, it is a time to learn new things, discover your ever changing world, meet new people, network and if possible, learn new skills. How often do you learn new things? By new things, I do not mean the next topic on your course outline. No. I'm very much far from that. Rather by new things, I mean : the needed soft skills, continuous improvement of your communication and public speaking skills, understanding your ever changing world and how you intend to navigate through the stormy way to your career.


The world is changing. The society now demands much more than CGPAs and similarly, academic brilliance is not just enough. We are in a century, Professor Lanre Fagbohun described as a "century that abhors excusiologists but instead promotes the deep thinkers - problem solvers. According to him, it is a century of CLASH OF IDEAS".
The thing is, in the labour market, there are thousands of four-point(4point) graduates. In fact, majority of Covenant University graduates made either a First Class or a 2'1. What will distinguish you from the crowd won't be your result but rather your ability to understand, anayse and proffer intelligent solutions to problems. A good result surely gives you an edge, but it's not just enough. Personally, my best moments as an undergraduate have proven to be a product of self development and deep thinking, with little or no attachment to the decimal point on my DPU profile. The only attachment it appears to have is the fact that I've never allowed it to be on warning/withdrawn. Thus, maintaining my studentship in LASU. Surely, I do not celebrate mediocrity. In fact, as an undergraduate, who knows the reasons for being in the University, your CGPA - no matter how political, religious or busy you are, should NEVER fall below 3.4 or at worst, 3.0! Anything short of that is most likely a lack of seriousness and misplaced priorities. Although, I also do not particularly blame the people that are even below 2.0. The reason being that : many of the students in the University have no business in the University in the first place. Many would have been better productive as photographers, event planners, musicians, technicians etc after leaving various skill acquisition or training centers (as I mentioned earlier). Some are even born business men and women. Meanwhile, even majority of the ones that have the traits of a typical undergraduate are studying courses they never dreamt of studying. Hence, the whole system is distorted. There is no equal level playing ground. Apparently, there is a need for a rejig and review of the nation's curriculum.

Notably, high CGPAs boosts chances of gaining scholarships and Postgraduate admission into the likes of Harvard and Oxford University. It must however be also pointed out that self development, extra curricular activities, politics(student leadership) also plays pivotal roles in gaining admission into the ivory league Universities as well. Oxford University for instance, doesn't admit based on high CGPA alone. A check on their website shows. Likewise testimonies from their graduates. In fact, they highly rate potential post-graduate students who involved actively in extracurricular activities, student leadership and those who also participated in various competitions while they were undergraduates. It is never a one way traffic.


Consequent on the foregoing, I hold no intention to hurt the feelings of anybody. Rather, I intend to awaken the consciousness of my readers to their ever changing world. The world keeps transcending and it's really disturbing when I see many people pursue a singular goal as undergraduates. More stinging; is the reality that your stay in the University is also very short. Shockingly, some live it as if life ends in the University. The 4 - 5 years is nothing. Before you know it, you are already out of the system - facing the shock of the outside world. Most Importantly, I do not intend to portray myself as an invincible or immortal human. I make mistakes and fail virtually everyday. But, I learn from every moment of my life. The primary goal of this article is to bring to the fore : the little experience I've had and what I've also learnt from other people. Having a massive CGPA is good, it gives you an edge to some extent. However, it is never a free meal ticket in the outside world. Finally, graduating with a First Class is great, but going through the rigors of self development,deep thinking and networking makes you a quintessential graduate.

Best wishes.

Pelumi Olugbenga(popularly known as Ambode of LASU) is an undergraduate at the Lagos State University where he studies History and International Studies. He is a writer and a sapiosexual.
Contact : 08160156636.

Damnation for failure in almost all aspect in life is certain if you follow what op has written. To me it is not a well thought idea.. Everyone can't follow the same path to success.. If you're interested in what I learnt from USA which has kept me on the success path just click on this http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiMTE3ODgxMDUzIiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL3N0YXktb24tdGhlLWJ1cz9fX3M9d3F1bW81bWN6c29kZmM2cXd2c3kifQ thanks

Anuoluwapo3054:
Nice write up fellow diplomat.... I could tell from your write up you are and history and international studies.... I hope LASU is very welcoming for my master programme?

u wan go do masters for iyanoba high school(lasu).wen u go finish

AmbodOfLASU:
THE EUPHORIA OF CGPA AND THE ILLUSION OF SUCCESS

By Pelumi Olugbenga(Ambode of LASU).

An hour ago, I read through some comments posted on a social media platform. The comments revealed how some students were saddened by the potential mass failure in a departmental course and how their 'CGPAs' are on the verge of a possible decline. The feelings that came with this was very much nostalgic. It inspired me to review my four semesters in LASU; with a view to dissect the values that have been added to my life, and if a University Degree is really even worth the strive. The reflections of my sober moment are not far fetched. I will try to make this not too lengthy.



THE EUPHORIA OF CGPA AND THE ILLUSION OF SUCCESS

The Nigerian educational system has passed through some facets. With the Tertiary level, being the zenith of this Britannic model of education. Over the past decades, what has proved to be a subject of passion, zeal, desperation and extremism in Nigerian Universities is the CGPA. Upon admission into the University, the goal of every student is to graduate with a FIRST CLASS. Majority of such dreams, more often than not, dies in the second year into the University.

Obviously, the CGPA(Cumulative Gradient Point Average) massages ego, it inspires smile and induces tears. Why does a decimal point carries so much weight to an extent; people commit suicide for not making a targeted Gradient Point? The society has made us to believe albeit erroneously; that, not making a good CGPA means not making it in life. More worrisome is the fact that; there is this delusion among many undergraduates that a '5.0' CGPA will automatically earn you a wealthy life in the outside world. This is false and quite delusional! Although, it gives you a cushion, but there is far much more needed to navigate through the storm of the outside world.



Fundamentally, the Nigerian Educational System can be likened to a Zoo, where the Zookeeper in a quest to test which animal is the strongest, gathers the Antelope, Giraffe, Monkey,Lion and Tiger and declares thus : "whoever climbs the tree first is the strongest animal in the Zoo". Surely, the monkey will win under such circumstances but the monkey is no match for the Lion or even the Tiger. Given this analogy, it therefore appears that in every society; where there is no equal level playing ground, any result produced from any contest is bound to be distorted as it lacks the fundamentals of a true competition. In this light, not everybody is made for the Nigerian University System. Some are better off as fashion models, musicians, technicians, photographers, craftsmen et all. These people and their ilk are meant to be in special skill acquisition and development centers and not in a place their talents doesn't belong to and thus, may never be maximized in such an environment. Admittedly, the basic knowledge and usage of English is a prerequisite to make headway in a British colonized country like ours. This can however be achieved outside the four walls of the University. English studies, etiquette and soft skills(which are not even taught in the University) should be incorporated into the syllabus of such centers. This is how it is done in the Western world.


Instinctively, there are three categories of students in Nigerian Universities. The first being the so called "book worms or scholars". The second being the "average or normal students" and the third category being a conglomeration of misled elements, who surely have no business in a sane University Environment. After taking a deeper observation, I pointed out other group within these categories. Time won't permit me to digress that much but these observations will be integrated into the analysis of the larger groups.

Using the overemphasized CGPA as a yardstick, the first category, to be frank, are predominantly students whose cgpa falls between 4.4 to 5.0(on a scale of 5.0). These are the revered 'geniuses' on our campuses. They are the 'living and moving books', as the society has taught us to believe. However, there is something paradoxical about this category of people. Many of them are aided by the way the system is structured and their academic success is not necessarily a product of invincibility. The system has made little room for innovations but it has rather strongly maintained a high level of conservatism. The system also encourages cramming. Hence, a student who crams a lecture note and gives it back to the Lecturer; verbatim in the exam is more likely to have a distinction than a student who made an indepth research or even have a better in depth knowledge of the course. There are empirical facts to back this up. The reason being that, most lecture notes images the sentiments of a Professor about a concept or topic. Once a student toes the same path in answering his examination question, he will be on the same wavelength with the lecturer who would then key into his answers. Most times, when students go 'too deep' into a course by unraveling so many things that were not taught in class and flaunts such 'new knowledge' in his answer booklet, such students are most likely to get a C. The 'verbatim givers' are much more likely to have an A. Little wonder why some students can read a singular course material 10times before exam - the system rewards such approach, the verbatim givers, I choose to call them. I do not hold any grudge against the 'genuises', what I find quite bewildering about most of them is the tradition of studying the same set of materials from the beginning of the semester till the end all under the auspices of getting As. Why should I study a course material(which was probably used by the ancestors of my department) all through the semester? This is very crazy. A high CGPA without the initiative to solve societal problems is a WASTE. I once met a First Class student from the University of Ibadan who can recite all the theories of Karl Marx, John Locke, Aristotle, Plato, Voltaire and others. I was stunned and mesmerized by such enormous knowledge. However, when I challenged this great friend of mine to apply all his knowledge towards proffering a solution to a national crisis I posed before him, he stuttered. His initial eloquence that poured out the theories suddenly went into oblivion. Apparently on paper, he is a genius. But in practice(the most important aspect), he evidently appears to be impotent. If the materials you study doesn't propel you to 'think out of the box', my brother, shelve them and go on a journey of self discovery. I've seen so many 'scholars' who starts a sentence with "Am", who doesn't even know when to use "Have and I've". Some can't even properly spell the basic things related to their course and you begin to wonder how they attained such Cumulative Gradient Point. Truly, no man is an island and everyday, to me, is a new day to learn new things. However, when you dedicate all your time on pursuing a singular goal, you are very much unlikely to learn anything new in life, other than the materials, you've confined your brain to. The University is not a place to pursue a singular goal. It shouldn't be a one-way traffic where all you pursue is "GP, GP, GP, GP! ". The outside world will demand far much more than that 'decimal point' you hold high like an oxygen. Self development they say is the key to greatness. The greatest and richest men in the world barely graduated with a high CGPA. In fact, they even dropped out of the University. I'm talking about the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. What makes them great was their ability to identify a societal problem, think about a possible solution, expand great possibilities and here they are today. Problem solvers mostly ends up being the greatest acheivers. Are you investing in yourself? How well do you spend your time? Do you spend all your day clinging to your books? My brother, you are not an undergraduate if all you do is to romance those books - 24/7. Being an undergraduate is an opportunity to explore other possibilities apart from your academics, it is a time to learn new things, discover your ever changing world, meet new people, network and if possible, learn new skills. How often do you learn new things? By new things, I do not mean the next topic on your course outline. No. I'm very much far from that. Rather by new things, I mean : the needed soft skills, continuous improvement of your communication and public speaking skills, understanding your ever changing world and how you intend to navigate through the stormy way to your career.


The world is changing. The society now demands much more than CGPAs and similarly, academic brilliance is not just enough. We are in a century, Professor Lanre Fagbohun described as a "century that abhors excusiologists but instead promotes the deep thinkers - problem solvers. According to him, it is a century of CLASH OF IDEAS".
The thing is, in the labour market, there are thousands of four-point(4point) graduates. In fact, majority of Covenant University graduates made either a First Class or a 2'1. What will distinguish you from the crowd won't be your result but rather your ability to understand, anayse and proffer intelligent solutions to problems. A good result surely gives you an edge, but it's not just enough. Personally, my best moments as an undergraduate have proven to be a product of self development and deep thinking, with little or no attachment to the decimal point on my DPU profile. The only attachment it appears to have is the fact that I've never allowed it to be on warning/withdrawn. Thus, maintaining my studentship in LASU. Surely, I do not celebrate mediocrity. In fact, as an undergraduate, who knows the reasons for being in the University, your CGPA - no matter how political, religious or busy you are, should NEVER fall below 3.4 or at worst, 3.0! Anything short of that is most likely a lack of seriousness and misplaced priorities. Although, I also do not particularly blame the people that are even below 2.0. The reason being that : many of the students in the University have no business in the University in the first place. Many would have been better productive as photographers, event planners, musicians, technicians etc after leaving various skill acquisition or training centers (as I mentioned earlier). Some are even born business men and women. Meanwhile, even majority of the ones that have the traits of a typical undergraduate are studying courses they never dreamt of studying. Hence, the whole system is distorted. There is no equal level playing ground. Apparently, there is a need for a rejig and review of the nation's curriculum.

Notably, high CGPAs boosts chances of gaining scholarships and Postgraduate admission into the likes of Harvard and Oxford University. It must however be also pointed out that self development, extra curricular activities, politics(student leadership) also plays pivotal roles in gaining admission into the ivory league Universities as well. Oxford University for instance, doesn't admit based on high CGPA alone. A check on their website shows. Likewise testimonies from their graduates. In fact, they highly rate potential post-graduate students who involved actively in extracurricular activities, student leadership and those who also participated in various competitions while they were undergraduates. It is never a one way traffic.


Consequent on the foregoing, I hold no intention to hurt the feelings of anybody. Rather, I intend to awaken the consciousness of my readers to their ever changing world. The world keeps transcending and it's really disturbing when I see many people pursue a singular goal as undergraduates. More stinging; is the reality that your stay in the University is also very short. Shockingly, some live it as if life ends in the University. The 4 - 5 years is nothing. Before you know it, you are already out of the system - facing the shock of the outside world. Most Importantly, I do not intend to portray myself as an invincible or immortal human. I make mistakes and fail virtually everyday. But, I learn from every moment of my life. The primary goal of this article is to bring to the fore : the little experience I've had and what I've also learnt from other people. Having a massive CGPA is good, it gives you an edge to some extent. However, it is never a free meal ticket in the outside world. Finally, graduating with a First Class is great, but going through the rigors of self development,deep thinking and networking makes you a quintessential graduate.

Best wishes.

Pelumi Olugbenga(popularly known as Ambode of LASU) is an undergraduate at the Lagos State University where he studies History and International Studies. He is a writer and a sapiosexual.
Contact : 08160156636.

You are missing the point. In this nigerian system where it doesn't matter whether you come out with a first class or countless degrees, if a student decides to just coast through school by cramming and getting As but learns soft skills by the side and other things, is this student at fault? I'm tired of people blaming students for cramming. First, our educational system isn't that good so what's the point. Most times it seems like a total waste of time to kill yourself to pass an exam. Stop the stereotypes.
Not saying I encourage it. However, First class students should be given that respect because of the effort they put at least in doing these things.

j64real:
I just got admitted into the university, and I must thank you for this article, it is indeed an eye-opener.

Good luck. Be yourself and keep studying the way its worked for you. The way that got you into the university. Don't "try" anything new/funny yet, because its your first year. If it backfires you'll spend the rest of your university years struggling to get back on top. Good luck again

AmbodeofLASU . . . great writeup. The only thing I have a problem with is you downplaying the 'first class' grade and stereotyping it to something only 'crammers' achieve. Its very possible to be innovative, but at the same time 'give unto Caesar'. Well, that's why I like my university, innovation and research is celebrated.

AnonyNymous:
AmbodeofLASU . . . great writeup. The only thing I have a problem with is you downplaying the 'first class' grade and stereotyping it to something only 'crammers' achieve. Its very possible to be innovative, but at the same time 'give unto Caesar'. Well, that's why I like my university, innovation and research is celebrated.

I agree with you largely.

first class does not guarantee wealth. Dangote get first class? but that is not an excuse not to study hard in sch.

What a lengthy write up. But it worth reading though.

hmm,I think I belong to the third category, I also tend to disappear till tests or exam days

Incredible writeup u got there OP.

Good write up, i believe it will impact courage, boldness and confidence in Graduates and undergraduates with CGPA below the First class grade.

The dead are not even worried about these things.

I really love this write up...

System of education in this country is not at all encouraging! As Einstein once stated "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid". I don't support mediocrity as well but the system makes education look like an herculean task!

I fall between the category of 4.4 to 5.0 though, but I am still not in support of the system! The system is a whack and we seem to be doing nothing about it. I wrote a short article some times ago which could be read on http://www.insidertelegraph.com/opinion-blame-system/

We'd be better in this country if the educational system is improved... Or so I think!

I've seen so many 'scholars' who starts a sentence with "Am", who doesn't even know when to use "Have and I've".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are going to point out others' errors, then your use of English is expected to be impeccable. This error above is just one of several I spotted in your write-up. Other than that, it is a long but interesting read.

Is it just me or what? I read the article two times over. The English is very poor, sentence construction suffers and the author does not adequately express his thoughts. He goes on long digressions that not only divert from the topic, but also suggest he may mean something else while saying another thing. Evidently, this is a stuttering attempt at writing. However, it's a good start. But it needs a lot of work.

On the major discussion in the article regarding grades, he says the truth. The Nigerian education system is defective and not suited to students of a different mind. Unfortunately, that's what we have to deal with for now.

AnonyNymous:
AmbodeofLASU . . . great writeup. The only thing I have a problem with is you downplaying the 'first class' grade and stereotyping it to something only 'crammers' achieve. Its very possible to be innovative, but at the same time 'give unto Caesar'. Well, that's why I like my university, innovation and research is celebrated.

I agree with this. Achieving a first class does not come easy, it involves lots of hard work and long nights.
My opinion is people should be encouraged/motivated to give their best in anything they do - whether that is studying for a 1st or being a skilled artisan. Give it your best.

Emmydek:
Damnation for failure in almost all aspect in life is certain if you follow what op has written. To me it is not a well thought idea.. Everyone can't follow the same path to success.. If you're interested in what I learnt from USA which has kept me on the success path just click on this http://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjY2ODI3NSIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiMTE3ODgxMDUzIiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cDovL2phbWVzY2xlYXIuY29tL3N0YXktb24tdGhlLWJ1cz9fX3M9d3F1bW81bWN6c29kZmM2cXd2c3kifQ thanks

Your perspective, I think! Many people think anyone who criticizes the system are either with a low CGPA and thus finding an excuse or deemed unserious!! From your comment, I can say that you were a first class graduate or ended with a strong 2:1, but just because you are successful because you were able to cope with the system doesn't infer that the system is fine.

We have different levels of assimilation, and thus shouldn't rebuke or castigate those who can't assimilate at this rate!

Shalom

@O.P for this wonderful and well composed write up, may you be blessed beyond imagining,
Nice to meet u O.P

Rick
First year Philosophy Student of UNIBEN. #Peace

There are some lengthy write ups that are waste of time like the ones in the politics section but this one is a master piece and I love it. I love good write ups
thumps up bro

So people under 3.0cgpa should drop out bah

Graduating with Distinction or First Class is not really a big deal. All you need is an effective strategy to pass CAs and exams. The following strategies work fine:

1. Get armed with the Curriculum for each course and recommended textbooks.

2. Make your own notes using the curriculum as compass and read ahead.

3. Get past questions from the Exam Office and tackle as much as possible.

4. Attend classes regularly to study the psyche of your lecturer and predict the areas he’ll likely set questions from.

5. Interact with your seniors to discover the pitfalls in every course.

6. Teach your colleagues through organized tutorials. That’s the best way of teaching yourself.

7. Be very humble and willing to swallow all shits… loads of shits from your lecturers.

Following the above steps will earn you the coveted CGPA but will defeat the purpose of Tertiary Education. The purpose of Tertiary Education is not to fill your minds with facts but to teach you how to think. Our tertiary education system as it is today, with its archaic method of teaching and assessment, can only produce homogenous robots capable of thinking only within the confines of facts shoved down their throats. The system discourages independent thinking. You will never graduate with distinction or first class if you think independently and answer questions based on your understanding. You have to be a good basketball player, serve it back the way you are served. That is what our system encourages and that is why graduating with distinction or first class from such a system doesn’t guarantee success in the real world.

To survive in the outside world, you need to be capable of independent thinking, willing to challenge the status quo, ready to find out the WHYs behind the HOWs and always examine facts on their merit before swallowing them. The average Nigerian first class graduate isn’t prepared for that. This is why you find a trend of 3rd class, 2:2 and 2:1 graduates, capable of thinking outside the box, heading most organizations while the first class graduates are usually at the lower ladder of implementation.

To undergraduates reading this, I will be very blunt. You don’t need a distinction or first class if you are not considering lecturing as a career. That distinction or first class degree can constitute an obstacle to getting a job outside the academia. You will be judged by a different standard. A first class graduate (a friend) went for an interview and was grilled for more than one hour just because of his grade. Those who were interviewed before him were done in less than thirty minutes. He was asked to illustrate every technical detail on a marker board. That is the kind of unfair challenge that awaits you out there, as you will be required to justify your grades. Also, striving for a first class, apart from narrowing your thinking pattern and placing you under the illusion that it is all you need to land a good job out there, may also deny you the opportunity of developing yourself personally and discovering your true talents and potentials.

Nice thread Op. So much nice threads are popping up on front page recently.
What are nairaland mods taking??
From explorers thread to this?