The two best graduating first class
degree holders of the Lead City
University, Ibadan Oyo State, share
with TEMITAYO FAMUTIMI the secret
of their academic success
For recording outstanding academic
success, two female students of Lead
City University, Ibadan, Oyo State,
Nafisat Olabisi and Izojie Imafidion
have again lent credence to the
maxim, “What a man can do, a
woman can do better.”
The duo emerged the best graduating
students, beating 1,819 others at the
university’s combined fifth and sixth
convocation held on Friday.
While 22-year-old Olabisi of the
Department of Economics garnered a
Cumulative Grade Point Average of
4.72 to emerge the best student for
the 2012/2013 set, Imafidion (24) of
the Department of Mass
Communication and Media
Technology clinched the overall best
award in the 2012/2013 set, scoring
a CGPA of 4.78.
Following this accomplishment, the
two received the prestigious
Chancellor’s Prize amid a rousing
ovation from members of the
university community and other
guests on the occasion. Besides, they
took home departmental and faculty
prizes for academic excellence.
But apart from having the common
gift of academic excellence, the two
see life, particularly social life, from
the same prism. In separate chats
with our correspondent, they
explained that they shunned “campus
love” during their undergraduate
days.
That singular decision, they
acknowledge, helped them greatly in
the pursuit and accomplishment of
their success.
Sharing her survival strategy, Olabisi
notes that the issue of campus love
never occupied her consciousness.
According to her, instead of
expending time and money on
keeping such a relationship, she gave
special attention to her books.
But were there male admirers coming
her way? To this, she answers in the
affirmative, noting that pressure from
the male folk was always there.
Olabisi explains, “There is nothing
bad in going into a relationship in
school, but you must know how to
balance your love and academic life.
However, I was not into any
relationship while I was at the
university. To me, relationship is all
about money and time.
“From my observation at LCU, if you
go into a relationship, you will expect
so much from your boyfriend while
your boyfriend also expects much
from you too. How much was I
collecting as upkeep allowance, that
would make me buy between N7,000
and N10,000 gifts for my boyfriend in
a month?
“I had so many male friends that
hanged out with me and, in fact, six
of them walked up to me and asked
me out. But I rejected their proposals.
The financial implication and
commitment was scary and I stayed
away and they said so many things
to me that I was too harsh. I just told
them no and stayed away.”
On whether she ever had a crush on
somebody before, Olabisi declares, “I
had a crush on someone but he was
not a student of the school. We met in
Ibadan and we were at some point
intimate as we once kissed. Although
we are still friends, the crush is all
gone.”
For Imafidion, an indigene of Esan
North East Local Government Area of
Edo State, who lost her father at age
eight, doing her mother proud was her
preoccupation and not playing the
campus love game.
She notes that the opportunity to
pursue her programme was precious
to her, so much that she “did not
want to waste my time on one
particular person” on campus.
She explains that despite being in a
relationship with a guy, who was not
a student of the school, she still
managed to keep him at bay and
refused him to pay her a visit on
campus.
She adds, “At the university, a student
has to decide what he or she wants to
do with his or her time. For me, I
came here (LCU) with a particular
purpose in mind and that was to
make the best out of the opportunity I
had. So, there was no time for
partying or campus relationship.
“I did not just have time for a
relationship on campus. Even when I
had a relationship with someone
outside campus, I practically had no
visitor, except my sister; not even my
boyfriend. My dream was just to
come out with a very good grade and
make my mum proud.”
Imafidion, who gained admission to
the university via a diploma
programme, explains that her first
task on resumption in the school was
to reach out to some of the then best
students in her set.
According to her, after identifying the
high flyers, she resolved to be among
the best and the decision propelled
her to seek and secure a spot at the
Mass Communications library and
the school’s main library.
She adds, “I must say that coming
out with a first class and as the
overall best graduating student in my
set was challenging and fun at the
same time. I was not the only one
topping the class, as my classmates
were extremely good. For me to top
the class, it took a lot of hard work
and dedication,” the 2006 graduate of
Ekpan Secondary School, Effurun,
Delta State, notes.
Declaring that her social life at the
university was nothing to write home
about, Imafidion says she only once
attended a party throughout her
three-year stay in the institution.
Even at that, the party, she quickly
adds, was the departmental Awards
Night during her final year – in which
she was deeply involved by virtue of
her position as the general secretary
of the departmental association.
Imafidion, who completed her
National Youth Service Corps scheme
in September, again acknowledges
that her experience as a teacher
during the compulsory one-year
programme has reinforced her drive
to become a university teacher.
“The classroom is the only place
where I feel very comfortable. I find
fulfilment in the classroom cum
school settings. I will be furthering
my education by pursuing a Master’s
degree at the University of Ibadan as
soon as the Academic Staff Union of
Universities suspends its industrial
action,” she notes tingling with
sensation.
On the possibility of her getting
married soon, Imafidion says, “I
wouldn’t want to dwell on this
because I am a very private person.”
Also, Olabisi, an indigine of Saki, Oyo
State, who secured university
admission the same year she
completed her secondary education
at Tower Gate Private School, Ipaja,
Lagos, is used to academic success.
With four distinctions from the core
subjects she sat for at the Senior
School Certificate Examination in
2009, and a Unified Tertiary
Matriculation Examination score of
256, it was not difficult for her to
secure a spot to study her dream
course.
The Economics graduate, who notes
that private university education in
Nigeria is rigorous, says her stay in
the LCU was not a walkover.
For instance, she explains that
Financial Accounting courses, which
are general courses for all business-
related disciplines in her faculty, gave
her tough times, forcing her to
consult her lecturers, who assisted
her in solving knotty areas of the
subject.
She adds, “The number of students in
my class was sizable, making the
facilities on the ground go round –
unlike in public universities where
students unable to get themselves a
sit hang on windows or stand while
lectures are ongoing.
“Besides, I had easy access to my
lecturers to ask questions on difficult
aspects of my courses. I read for a
minimum of four hours in a day but
during examination periods, I could
go all out and read all through the
day. A corner of one of our lecture
theatres was my favourite spot,” she
adds.
Olabisi, like Imafidion, wants to
pursue a Master’s degree in
Economics in the United States as
soon as she completes her NYSC
programme next year. But unlike
Imafidion, she remarks that the
Master’s degree is to enable her to
fulfil her dream of working in a multi-
national corporation rather than
becoming a university teacher.
Besides Olabisi and Imafidion, 23
others bagged first class grades,
while 427 had second class Upper
grades.
The university also bestowed its
academic honours on some eminent
Nigerians, including, the Ooni of Ife,
Oba Okunade Sijuade (D.sc Business
Administration); seasoned
physiotherapist, Dr. Thompson Oshin;
a banker, Falil Abina (Dsc. Banking
and Fiannce); and the Group
Managing Director, Odua Investment
Company Limited, Bayo Jimoh (D.Sc.
Business Administration).
The Vice-Chancellor of the university,
Prof. Olufemi Onabajo, who tagged
the graduands as “enterprise
graduates” urged them never to allow
themselves to be “overwhelmed” by
challenges.
He urged them to utilise the
knowledge garnered from the school
to create jobs and be employers of
labour rather than job seekers.
The VC adds, “It is no mean feat to
pass through our academic rigour.
You have been trained with a
difference as we have instilled in you
courage and boldness. You have
been taught never to be overwhelmed
by any situation, no matter how
intimidating it may appear. Go and
excel like your predecessors.”
http://www.punchng.com/education/we-shunned-campus-love-first-class-graduates/

make she go sleep abeg. jst say u worked hard for it. pple for public university wey dey engaged or dating still dey carry first class. all dis babes wit many males friends one or two of dem dey shine her congo jare

Exactly what I plan on doing# shunning gals big time!

Clap for yourselves

I've got phobia for long/boring posts.

They will surely marry their certificates

And by the way is that not a private university? This is no news

Bull shiit. They should come to UI or UNAD and have such grades. Yeye people from private schools. Most of them could not pass UTME and ended up in private schools.