It is every student’s prayer and ambition to excel exceptionally in their academic endeavours. Meanwhile, good things don’t come on a platter of gold; it can only be worked for and earned. This aspiration can only be possible by making sacrifices such as creating time to read , as readers are leaders. The importance of reading cannot be overemphasized. There is no best method of reading because individuals style of reading differs.
However academic excellence actualization goes beyond burning candles at night, spending hours in the library, among many others.
It is on this note, I will be dishing out some crucial tips on how to achieve academic excellence, especially in the university. Some of the tips might seems inconsequential, but it is very relevant. It will ensure your ambitions are not shattered.
√ TIME MANAGEMENT
It is an understatement to say time is money. Time is invaluable and precious than money in the sense that money spent or mislaid could be recovered, but a time once spent can never be recovered. It is imperative to be time conscious as every moment of your life counts. As a student, you should have plans on how a typical day of yours should be spent. Every seconds of your life should be spent on productive activities and not frivolities.
Devise means of managing your time such as making up provisional timetable for personal reading, having a to-do-list and other activities that will add value to your life as a student and not activities that will deteriorate your values.
A lot of programmes do come up in the university especially during the second (Rain semester) which can jeopardize your ambition because of the time wasting nature of most of them, all in the name of having fun.
√ SPIRITUAL STEADFASTNESS
It is agreed that reading is very germane to achieve academic excellence but it is also salient to understand that human efforts that is not crowned with the blessing of Almighty Allah is a wasted effort, vanity upon vanity.
Don’t be a mindless workaholic that forgets about the Almighty, but only remembers him only in a perilous condition. Be steadfast in praying to God in a every situation you find yourself to salvage you and aid you in your academic endeavours so as to attain your set objectives as a student. Always have it at the back of your mind that “with God all things are possible”. You should only rely on God and nothing but him.
√ BUILD A SPIRIT OF OPTIMISM AND COURAGE
Always have a spirit of optimism and self- confidence as it will help you to remain focus. Always be hopeful of a better tomorrow that will be better than your yesterday and your today. The fact that you failed today does not make you a failure , it’s only a failure when you don’t learn from the mistake that cause the failure. Do not limit yourself of what you are capable of doing. Have a strong belief that you can excel and that will be your portion. If you don’t belief in yourself, How do you expect others to believe in you?
√ CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS
As the aphorism goes “show me your friend and I will tell you who you are”. The kind of friends you relate and move with will go a long way in determining what will become of you in the university and the outside world. Choose friend that will add value to your life ; the kinds that will remind you of reading, attending tutorials, going for prayers, and encourage you not to give up on your academics. Choose not the type that involve in frivolities and atrocities.
√ GOOD RAPPORT BUILDING
Develop and build a good rapport with your course mates and other students and your lecturers. A good rapport with your fellow student will enable you to seek their assistance when in need such as getting materials, making consultations, getting explanations on certain course you need enlightenment among many others. You should treat them with humility, respect and other virtuous act possible to employ in relating to your colleagues.
Worthy of mentioning among the importance of having a good rapport is that; in case when you are wrongly of accuse of offence that may lead to your expulsion or rustication. You will have people (aside from friends) to support and vouch for you. Thereby saving you and your ambition from being shattered.
A good rapport with your lecturers will also assist you to feel comfortable, confident to express and lodge your complaints when your test or exams are not well marked and appraised.
√ DESIST FROM SECRET SOCIETIES
Don’t join bad association because of your unending urges to get rich, famous and struggle for power at your tender age.Be contented with what you have and who you are.
No good can come from it and those that seems to be good comes with devilish conditions. Moreover, the benefits are ephemeral and thereafter, comes the consequences which outweigh the reward .
The penalty for cultism in every higher institutions is expulsion. it is not something you can boast of.
√ DISCIPLINE
It is an important foundation which all other tips are built upon. This is because, it result to realization of one's goal. Without discipline, other courses of action to actualize one's dream cannot be implemented. A good example is Time management; if one is not discipline, it will be difficult for such person to manage his/her time.
There are many other tips that could be employed or devised. No one is an island of knowledge. I am also a work in progress ( learner). Had it been , I've known some of this before, my story would've been different. Yet, Alhamdulillahi for the future is bright.
May the Almighty assist everyone of us in our academic endeavours.

@reelquadry (Quadri Atharu Olayinka)