I've got a 3rd class from a reputable 1st generation university in north. I know, i didnt read like i should've. CAUSE NO 1.
CAUSE NO 2: My department for the last 20 yrs have not produced a single 1st class (as a matter of fact i dont know who last got the 1st thing not even all the lecturers). 50% of its grads are 3rd class, 15% pass, 5% 2-1 and the remaining 30% 2-2. I guess i went to the wrong school.
Note: I did my IT with students from a state university, they admited that we (from my school) know far better, but they had far better grades. For thought, they had like 45% 2-1, 50% 2-2 and 5% 3rd class with no pass in their class.
Hey i forgot to mention dropouts from day 1, i would put them at 35% of the initial class at 100 level.
CAUSE NO 3 I'll say the system. For example, i did a cognate course that almost the whole faculty does. To my department, its a 1 credit, to another department its a 2credit, to another its a 3credit. To the original department that owns the course its about 3courses, each not less than 2 credit that is done in 3 sessions. Note again that a 1credit means 1 contact hour. My 1credit did actually mean i was doing about 3credits. Other course had there own cases which space will not permit me to bore you with.
This is my experience.
Give us a break and a chance to prove ourselves.
Am preparing for my PGD and subsequently, masters.

With the number of threads in this career section talking about this 3rd class issue, 'observers are worried', lol.

My personal opinion, it's tough, cos Nigeria doesn,t leave much to one by way of options. I would say, possibly look for career alternatives that does not lie with any of the blue chip companies who ask for all these grades. Enterpreneurship is usually not an option, except you have the cash, family support, or some other creative skills.

My advice?  Generally I'd say if you know where you want to go, and have the drive to take you there, you can achieve anything. BUt if the desire to forge ahead is not really there, you won't get far, regardless of whatever class of degree you're carrying. Specifically I would say start by knowing exactly what is available and what is not. No point dreaming about something you're not going to get in the short term. Concentrate all your energy on what is easily accessible, and try to make something out of it.

Peace.

Poster,

I feel you but i have never really seen a 3rd class as such an handicap until i read your post, i graduated 14 years ago with a 3rd class  and started studying for ACCA,  after which i did my masters and hopefully come september i should be starting my doctorate degree in business administration.

The ACCA program now includes a degree programme which is awarded after the first 2 stages based on your average score, this should help you get a better class of degree as well as prepare you as an accountant.

There are many reasons for getting a 3rd class and in my case it was just a case of not reading, being young and just enjoying freedom away from my parents.

I am sure age is still on your side and you should be able to turn your fortune around if you are really serious about it and please be much more confident, no one is going to pity you because you have a 3rd class, it is up to you to prove your worth.

I wish you luck in all your endeavours

Go start a business or something there are so many opportunities in Nigeria, go grab one.u have a 3rd class doesnt mean its over for u, there are plenty reasons why a person can graduate with a 3rd class,it aint only by being playful,

bigdef:

Go start a business or something there are so many opportunities in Nigeria, go grab one.u have a 3rd class doesnt mean its over for u, there are plenty reasons why a person can graduate with a 3rd class,it aint only by being playful,

. . .or by being a constantly Hot nympho.

0

hmm na wa ohh. theres no reason to get third class except ure sick physically or emotionally. other than that, thats it.
if u knew 20 percent gets this thirty percent gets this bla bla wont u stsrt calculating grades to fall with the percentage u want? u cant just work hard and say its my school percentage. calculation is the key in evrey uni. know wat scores u have to make and work hard to meet thoise targets.

but thats my own theory
as for the third classers. just start looking for other courses like everyone above said. u cant do anything much with wat u have. do masters, phd all those things and do courses do. start looking 4 work experience somewer even if its unpaid so that u can have indepth knowledge about ure field then u can be confident like the other guy stressed.
na wa o!

Having graduated with the best result in both primary and secondary school, I was set to read medicine, but I got Agric Science slammed in my face, I applied for a change and was given microbiology, For 3years I was not interested and never really put much into my work but in my forth year, I began to have a rethink and I did better than my peers in quite a number of courses but then it was too late to escape a 3rd class,

Through it all, I learned something, 'whatever your hands find to do, do it well', There's no excuse for failure but your attitude afterwards could make a difference.

I have big dreams aimed at transforming the african continent (especially our medical sector); I currently have a job and won award for the best staff (remember I learned commitment the hard way lol), and my MD once wrote that I am an asset to any establishment,

What next you ask, brace up, get your attitude straight, get some qualification (everyone needs to stay relevant); if you don't have a job, create one, yes, that was what I did before a job came, I even worked voluntarily in a hospital for a while and the experience gathered was worth it, there's so much you can do, it starts with the right attitude.

A third class does not define you, except you wanna build your world around it!

To all you folks still in school, stay focused and get some good grades okay?! You'll be glad you did.

cheers!

I made a third class in ife, though its not what i shuld but lack of interest in the course i was offered , hoping to change and invovlment in politics lead to my third class, by the time i start putting things straight, there is no way i culd escape it.

My dear, just like the last person said, it does not define u, am glad to let u know before i start my masters programme here, i was doing good in Nigeria .

I have acquired experience in the structural field, my boss does not believe in paper but what u have in ur brain.

I read building in Ife, i am in for my masters in civil /environmental engineering (structures option).

I look at the course am taking compare to those i was not really interested in back in my university days; that i failed , there is nothing there, i blame myelf for not doing what i ought to have done then, that i am now doing now and which i now know now and am happy about it.

So to my folks still out in school, third class is not the best, it affects ones self esteem, give in ur best and make the best out when u are still young, than learning it the hard way.

If you need recognised UK degree awarding bodies, click the following link:
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/recognisedukdegrees/

Please avoid bogus colleges in the UK. Do not just settle for cheap education because you could be paying for nothing.

If u made a 3rd class, any of the 3 should help
1. Prepare 4 UME
2. Prepare 4 SAT's
3. Apply through UCAS

If you finished with 3rd class does not mean the end of the world.

I know a couple of guys that are doing extremely well and they finished
with 3rd class. Most don't have master or any other certificates at least
when they started.

I know of a friend that was actaully very good with his practicals as an engineer
in school. He finished with a third class though. That didn't stop that guy from
applying for even jobs that asked for just 2 1 and above.

He was able to attend an attitude test for one of those jobs and did very
well, better than some first class graduates. He is in that job and doing great.

Do should not lose your confidence at all. Try and learn that you can that
will help to you stand out from the crowd. Its not going to be easy but do it.

If you are strictly the job conscious type that believe you counldn't land much
unless you have a certificate to back you up, then I will recommend you getting a
pgd and masters. Or you could get your master straight from outside the
country, some colleges in England offer such if you have the cash to pay
their fees.

If you very open minded, then you could try starting your own business.
If you get it right, it could be very rewarding. It really is not easy at the beginning,
but if you stick it out you will definitely succeed.

If you don't have the capital to start a business, you could learn a lot about starting
a business, managing one, marketing, sales and what ever you could lay your hands
on about business and any other skill that might interest and is marketable.

Then you could sell, yourself and your acquired skills to firms and small businesses,
show them how you could affect their bottom line(profit) and if you do a great job
at that, it will not be difficult to find a place where you could patch, learn a few tricks
and set up later. This is not going to be as easy as it sounds, but definitely worth a shot
if you don't have much options.

Hope this helps?

whats next is that you checkout; WWW.WEB20MILLIONS.COM/ID/WEALTHCREATION

wat count in life is your luck in life,1,2,3even p.are same but hw best u can prove your self.

Pick up urself and move on with life

@ game rod- u're the only person that hit the nail on the head. i pity those one's that believe their paper qualification will qualify their life.

@ poster- in Nigeria, there are many reasons why one can graduate with a third class. if it was due to laziness on Ur part, then that means trouble i.e u really didn't develop yourself much in the university. remember, degree programs is not just academic.

Book Na by force? With the exposure gotten in the university, a 3rd class graduate should excel well in learning a trade. Only say the ego no go let am. People should stop referring to Soyinka. That time different from now.

It is quite a competitive world so even if you have first class you will be competing with sharks but with third class you need to develop inbuilt strenghts as you might be faced with extra competition but as long as you develop yourself, your attitude towards life and prepared to see far, you can only go as you can see. You will have to keep yourself engaged, remember the part that says whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it deligently. You might need to be prepared to look for a low entry job to into the employement market and then work hard to get to where you want in life. If you are chance you can go for accredited courses but everything will be down to you and how you market yourself. If you find out the third class is not getting you an interview then you might need to come up with a positive reason why the third class happen in the first place and package it well on your CV ( you will need extremely marketing) once you get yourself and interview then you will work extremely well on their selection excersise and if you can not get job still then create one yourself but you will be really prepared to start small it might mean very small but as long as you are prepared nothing is impossible.

Best of luck, third class is not the end of the world and if you had a first class and no job you will be telling another story.

1. if Bill Gates dropped out of school and a third class dude in nigeria wants to climb on his shoulder to rise up from his own self pity, you all shud leave the dude alone. it is his right and he does indeed need a shoulder to lean on.
2. there are two way to be happy in this life;

one is to take the pain to find what you love and go after it.
two is take what comes to u and spend the rest of your life paying comedians and attending self improvement courses in order to keep urself motivated at doing or living a life u dont love.

in my opinion the third class guy may be standing still but he is on the same level with the first class guy who is moving fast on the wrong lane co bith have not found their life work which transcends grade-level.

to all third class folks, listen you have a greater advantage cos you have more to prove. prove it pls, cos i know u can

Hi all,

First things first, I am not a 3rd Class degree holder. I missed 2.1 by the whiskers during the final stages of my course. I studied Engineering, Elect/Elect to be exact, from Naija's most flamboyant university.

I had to seriously read through this thread before I decided to put in my one cent. I must say I am ashamed and equally amazed that in these modern times there could still be ignorant people in Nigeria. Reading through these posts, an outsider can finally decode what the real problem is with the present Nigerian society. Our overemphasis on paper qualifications has set up so much bureaucracy and problems in the society which is why our country is still backward.

Nigerians would never seek practical solution to a problem, they would always draw up paper, certificates etc to stand in the way of progress. This is why the Niger delta problem is growing, becos Nigeria is full of jobless youths most with 2-1s, first class and even 3rd class etc roaming the streets in search of jobs when they can conveniently do things for themselves! And the Govt. rather than building roads, repairing the refineries, health centers, building the necessary infrastructures and policies for progress etc would keep drafting one paper or the other, Hidden Agenda, Servant plan, Master plan, Conferences etc to over flog simple issues that has easier practical solutions--- JUST DO IT. The no-progress cycle continues and we remain backward.

Some people asked why people have third class? Several reasons, Them just wan get the pali as nobody for them house get am beforee, No money, laziness, ill health, disinterests, beef with lecturers, ill luck, running a business, no parents, sponsors, taking care of the younger ones, poor examination records by the powers that be etc

A lot of people are living from hand to mouth and still want to go to the Uni. These people struggle thru and most times end up with 3rd class degrees cos they were always on the road busy looking for money to sort out their expenses and never had parents or relatives who cared. In a school like mine where your attendance in class counts towards your GP, these guys don fail! So for those who don't know or where lucky to have sponsors, shuld these set of people hang themselves for getting a degree? Then talk about our educational system, Very poor system filed with I know more than my students lecturers, ''Every student is not serious'' lecturers etc''

See let's face it. Education offers an easy platform for success if ONLY YOU KNOW WHAT YOU"RE DOING. Of what use is your education and paper certificates if you cannot use it to solve people's problems? And it's not your First class or 2.1s. It's your ability to solve people's problems that makes you educated. I was not one of the best brains in Class but when it gets to certain issues, despite my dull brains according to what some posters have said here today, the best in class come to consult me. When we were doing our IT, the most brilliant ones were still looking for places when the dullards had started their placements long time ago and it was only few of them that had Godfathers.

I wrote several scholarship exams with some of the best brains in class and won while many of them were left out with nothing and at that time my semester result was bad, dem still give me. No Godfather nothing, That money was sweet.

Apart from that, I have many colleagues who were even on the brink of being thrown out from my school and had to transfer doing better in UK, US schools at the moment. These na the same people wey get ordinary pass for our system. Most of them are now rated scholars, one is even bagging his PhD at the moment while we just dey finish BSc. If these guys dey get these kin GP for yanks wetin we wey come good pass them die wan com get, 1st class aterisk. Face it, our educational system is dead and frustrating. Anyway it prepares us for life in Yankee and other better developed educational system of the world so it's good. What do you want to say about a system where a lecturer is happy his students fails his course and stick to his guns when he's wrong. Whatabout the truant lecturers who only show up when it's a few weeks to the exams.

@ Poster, why are u even askin. Is this not naija where inside many of these universities na sorting dey reign. You can even sort with N500 for some schools. In fact, e get some certain uni wey u go mention ur grade, I no go even look u cos I no say na sorting, runs or sleeping with lecturer give u dat grade. And don't forget while some schools use cumulative system others dey use, percentage. Like UniBen for instance, you can play in yr 1,2,3 and still get a good grade if u dop well in 4 and 5 cos those yrs contribute more to ur GP but for some of us, If u mess up in yr 1, u go take extra hard work before you go fit come up with solid GP.

Recently, I sat for a foreign aptitude exam with one of the gurus in my class. I had a full scholarship score while my friend , the guru performed woefully. This guy missed 1st class by the whiskers. His solutions were our handouts while we were in school. See guys, IQ is different from acada work and that's what most employers out there look for not your paper qualification. If you get a 3rd or 2.2 just develop yourself and depend on other qualities rather than the paper qualification. Abi, you get First Class and so what, shey dem dey take am collect money for bank? If you no kno wetin you want from life with all the PALI, na garri u go drink.

So @ poster, get a grip. Getting a 3rd class no be the end of the world. I don't kno and dont care why u had it. I can only tell you, you'ld have to brace up to face the same challenges you would have faced even if you had a 1st/2.1. Know yourself, it's the most important thing. Do you like what u read, if so you can go further or try getting experience from it. you can even offer to work for free and grab the connections you need in life. Shey you get talent for Music, comedy, sports or entertainment, do u have any ideas? Look inwards and bring such things to life. Nobody go ask Alibaba wey read CRK say wey im CERTIFICAte, abi dem go ask ''I GO DYE'', what about Dbanj, Tuface, faze, Cobahms, Kenny&D1, Aki & Pawpaw etc

Okay some would say those are entertainers, shey u go ask Gani Fawehimi (he had a 3rd class in law and yet most emminent lawyers in Naija today passed thru his chambers), Dangote (wey no even go skool) but is one of Africa's richest and Naija's richest according to Forbes, Sunny Ojegbase (no degree, just corespondence course for journalism) has built and raised millionaires, Coscharis nko, Adedibu, Ariskola, Adedoyin,

Younger people like Ubong essien (had a 3rd class in Biology Education from Uniillorin, u kno what dat means. rubbish degree in rubbish course). But this guy knew, he had no choce than to start his own biz and today he teaches Senators how to speak eloquently, comport themselves etc in less than ten years after school. Has a really good business outfit in Lagos and Abuja and rolls with the high and mighty. Who him never meet, u name them, Pat Utomi, Bishop Oyedepo, The Ibrus, Dangote, Mike Murdorch, and he even teaches at Lagos Business School sef. Who say 3rd Class na curse, abeg my broda na blessing if you know wetin you want do with your life.

Abroad nko, Isaac newton was deemed to be a dullard when he was growing up who would amount to nothing but today all our naija Professors for school still dey talk Isaac newton. Talk about Albert Einstein wey create the atomic bomb. His teacher asked his mama to come withdraw him cos his head is blocked and he can never learn yet this guy invented the atomic bomb and had several discoveries to his name without which life for no easy for us at all. What about Thomas Edison who only had 3 months of schooling all his life and still invented the light bulb after 1000 failures. How many engineering certificates or which first class degree, you hear say Henry Ford get to produce Ford motors that's still existing till date. Yet that guy and Edison had and directed several schooled engineers working for them to bring their ideas to life. First class na pali, even for yankee u gats show the world what u gat because the world would only open up for a man who definitely knows where he is going and is going there.

So to round up, Some say start a business, dats the best thing you can ever have. the freedom to be your own boss. If you're up to it, I will urge you to follow this path becos that's what I have been doing since school. Right now, even while am waiting for call up which i might just bone or runs cos after all I am not gonna work 4 any one. While my people were studying Elect/Elect engr, I was studying and practising the business side of it knowing fully well that in this present day Naija, these first class and 2.1s go line up to work for me.

E be like say 3rd class graduates plenty for this Nairaland!, see as all of them dey vex, Na who say make una no serious when una dey school?

Awon olodo oshi!!!

common,give me a break.Does it mean that everyone in this forum graduated with 3rd class.No, it can be.

what if.?

let me tell u,how it is i have a 3rd class degree from a private uni,as am typing this i am currently in the office at my 1st job i got 3 days after i finished my extra semester,am going to work here pre-nysc,work here during the nysc,during the period go for a couple of proffesional courses and after the nysc go for my masters,it doesnt take a degree to make a human succesful but the inner you,all you have to do is belive in god,work hard,have confidence in urself and the sky will be ur stepingstone,i would be one of the most succesful men in our generation and not only in in nigeria,watch out for me.
and to ppl who dont know better its not lack of intelligence or laziness that makes u get a 3rd class.

All these excuses of Bill Gate, Gani etc,

Make most of us who are students to be lazy,

We are in a competitive environment, where 3rd class have little or no chance at all,

I am in 3rd yr, for the past convocations, I haven't c where 3rd class was celebrated.

Pls, let us aim high,

Lets go of all these lazy approach to life,

thanks aus123 for ur contribution.Let it be known that not everyone in this forum is a graduate,so i think it is necessary 4 us to dissuade pple celebrating 3rd class cos undergraduates and 2ndary sch leavers are here with us. 4 pete sake,let us aim higher.

Thanks dear,

That is one things with humans,

We always make excuses for our failures,

I don't hate 3rd class graduates,

Some might be due to circumstances beyond their control,

But, what I am against, we shouldn't try to glorfied it.

If we do in a forum like this, we are setting bad precedent,

For all of us students,

i agree with u friend.It is not worth celebrating.And to all 3rd classers,u are good.As long as u believe that your limit is beyond the sky.

@molisbanks

Guess what?
My uncle told me this> 1)1st class graduates are too busy,unsettled, not in a bad way but their brain is too hot to be isolated,they have to keep giving.However, they are never organized. Their time table is always tight, thus they need lower grade graduates to plan their life for them.This is the reason why you have people like Bill Gates, Wole Soyinka, Gani Fawehinmi to mention a few are all success stories.The reason is not far fetched, they are the organizers,with the ability to coordinatewhat ever task comes their way.
As much as i agree to earning certificate courses and other degrees, i will urge you to search within yourself and find where your talent and passion lies,explore it and bring it to the fore.
You will find out that you actually rank among the best, as long as you keep keeping on.
Do not allow the fact that there are a lot of graduates with better degrees out there, cause to be realistic not so many can defend their grades.Am talking from experience, i also graduated with a 3rd class, but guess what? i was retained at the same firm i did my NYSC, as such i did not carry any CV around.However, it takes the glory of God for all things to materialize.
Guy, just don't be lazy, you will be digging your own grave,cause you have more to prove.

Men, men! ladies,
are we just gonna go on like this?

now lets get this straight,

first, this particular topic says " what next after third class, ", now if u click on it and find ppl responding as though they are praising 3rd class which they are not really, what? shud u get surprised? the third class dudes may have messed up and they will pay for it somehow but u have a 3rd class brain if u revel in ur higher grade to the point that u scorn at the 3rd class dude.

being judgmental is to me the only thing cheaper than talk in life- u know what they say? "talk is cheap". it takes a genuine curiousity to ask why would a person want to harm himself by self-sabotage and judgmental ppl are not curious.

elsewhere u can grab ur keypad and castigate 3rd class folks but under this discussion topic, u need to say what is relevant. i am not asking u to love them, bury that, but i think u owe them respect.

as for the dude who is in his/her 3rd year and wondering why we are not lambasting 3rd class folks, with due respect i am wondering what u r doing clicking under this topic unless u r looking for a pre-condolence. you can start ur own fire right where u r; it's simple: just post the topic "3rd class is evil" and u'll get a party going on.

maybe tomorrow nobody else will ever 3rd class after ur campaign but today some ppl do have 3rd class and they need to use all the help they can get today to get past today. so lend a hand.

as for the dudes who has 3rd class, after getting comforted today by our posts what will you do tomorrow, sue for another pity? like i said, the rest of the ppl are at greater risk of relaxing cos they have proved that they are not 3rd class materials and thus may decide to lower their sword but that's an opportunity for u to sharpen yours and prove urself and i know u can. i know u can. i know it.

phew!!

easy men!

I've read through all the posts, and it seems that we Nigerians and intent on celebrating mediocrity and living in self delusion with nonsense talk like "There are many peeps with 1st class without a job"
What nonsense.
In my school, even before we had graduated, shell had sent a letter inquiring for a list of students with a G.P. of 4.5 and above. some banks sent letters inquiring about students with 2.1 and above, and even held an interview in the school just after our convocation.
It is almost impossible for someone who actually worked for a 1st class to be without a job in this country, unless the person is not interested. Let us not delude ourselves.
I did not get a 1st class, but I respect those who did, and I dont try to put them down in order to raise myself up.
A good first degree will enable you start well in the job market, but a third class does not spell doom either. Some nairalanders have given some marvellous ideas on what to do especially concerning professional certification, which I believe will help even those who graduated with better degrees.
However, some people are not academically inclined, and should try and find out where their real talent lies before taking the next step.
In this life a good degree is not essential, but it helps a lot.

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