I just feel these few words of encouragement and advice would benefit someone out there.

To aspirants/admission seekers:
Don't go with the crowd. Choose what you love and are interested in, but first harmonize your strengths and interests. If you love Engineering then your strengths should be maths and physics. Don't love engineering when your strength is Biology.


To the Students:
You gotta decide from day one that you are going to graduate with the best result; a first class/distinction. A warrior in a battle front does not entangle himself with other affairs, your primary reason of being a student is to study, make academics your first and best priority and give it your all (don't forget God too).
You would hear different stories from those trying to discourage you, pls don't listen to them, don't let them distract you and avoid anything that is a distraction to your academics. Don't try to be someone else, believe in your self, understand yourself and work in that regard. Don't demonize any lecturer or course, be positive, committed and consistent. Meet other students for help ( and discussions) where you have challenges.

In my 100L orientation programme, I asked what can one do to make first class? The senior students and lecturers all laughed at me sarcastically. The responder said ''nothing is impossible sha, so jst study hard, but I must tell you it's almost impossible here''. I got home and told my dad, he refuted their claim and encouraged me to go for it. The senior students were always making jest of me whenever they saw me.
My first semester 100L result came out with 4.48 GPA and I wasn't happy. The senior students laughed at me more.....I had heard so many stories of the higher you go the tougher it gets so if you don't make atleast 4.7 in 100L, forget it. I told myself that mine would be different and so it was. 4.48 climbed gradually to 4.52 after 5years.
We needed at least a C or a B to pass and the general assumption was that if you don't score at least 18 marks in continuous assessment (CA), consider that course a fail. In 300L I missed a test (due to ill health) and the lecturer refused to give me a make up, I scored 8/10 in the second test and so my total CA was 8/40. My fellow coursemates were already consoling me, but in the end I got a B (in all, only 25% passed).
It's a fact you would meet difficult courses and lecturers but just commit them to God and give it your best.

To applicants/job seekers:
After earning that well deserved excellent grade, the next phase is to prepare for the job market (sounds funny abi). Use your NYSC year to do this. Read interview books, practice GMAT (irrespective of your discipline), I could remember a friend mocking me a night to an aptitude test for a job; guy you d read as if na do or die affair. We wrote it together and it was fair for me and to him it was the most difficult exam he ever wrote. I was invited for oral interview he wasn't. I eventually got the job. Ignore those trying to discourage you! Hadwork pays. Practice English Q&As (e.g G.R.E), read current affairs, read about corporations, firms, people (e.g Steve jobs, Dangote, Chinua Achebe etc), places, etc. Learn how to write essays, how to do group discussions (e.g make contributions during discussions in CDS).
After my interview with a multinational that I went for training but never resumed, they were so impressed that they offered to give me accommodation as an extra benefit. I went for another interview with a federal hospital, right there on the table, the CMD collected my mobile number. After answering three questions, the CMD asked me who was my godfather (through whom did I submit my application)? I said nobody. He then said ''from today I am your godfather, give me your mobile number''. I got the job eventually but never resumed. Preparation indeed meets opportunities! He who fails to prepare and plan, plans to fail!
I went for an interview in Unilag for assistant lecturer position, I didn't have masters, there were people with masters there. I am not from southwest and I didn't know anybody there. We were 18 that were shortlisted and we all entered same time to face the panel. We sat on a row and they asked us questions (in three rounds) from 1st to the 18th person, anytime one fails it becomes a bonus to the next person, if he/she doesn't get it, it goes to the next applicant in that order. I was selected eventually, but didn't resume.

To the working class:
Be diligent and take your work serious. Develop yourself, humble yourself and learn the work. Respect your senior and junior colleagues. Just do the right thing, you never can tell who's watching you. Frank Nweke Jr picked one of his diligent colleagues (as a civil servant) to be his SA when he became minister, the said junior colleague is not from SE and never knew that someone was taking note of his commitment, diligence and hardwork. It paid in a way he could hardly believe it was real life or a dream! A senior colleague included my name to serve on a planning committee (as member; just to sitdown and look), the committee sat only twice and the allowance was 50K. You know what he told me? ''After all this donkey work you do here you deserve some reward''.

Above all acknowledge God first, then be at peace with all men. Treat everyone fairly irrespective of tribe, religion, party, and status.

Remain blessed.