Tertiary institutions is on the decline. Earning a First Class
Honours is, invariably, a by-product of self-application.
I do not believe that anyone is pre-programmed to make a
third class, or a bare Pass, provided the individual was
qualified in the first instance to be admitted into the
university (even otherwise).
The class of degree a student earns in the university is also a
function of a point scoring system.
That is what is called the Cumulative Grade Point Average,
(CGPA) which is a weighted scoring system with maximum of
5.0.
You make a first class when you score a CGPA of 4.50 and
above upon graduation.
This article gives steps which if diligently followed will enable
every student who aspires to make a first class in school to
do so with ease.
Know Thyself: The problem with many students is they try to
‘copy-cat’. While it is good to learn from the method of
another high performer, it is important to know how to
adapt it. Some students don’t need to read for more than 3
hours a day before they pass, indeed do excellently well and
top the class. Some must read for at least 7 hours a day. I know First Class
students that watched football and participated actively in
campus religious activities. Some even get involved in
departmental politics. Its about knowing one’s self.
But for most First Class students I know, reading the notes
while still hot, and not waiting till they accumulate, is a
common denominator.
And Know thy teacher too: Knowing how to approach a
question in an examination is an art itself. How do you
organize your answers?
It goes beyond just picking the answer script and
writing down what you think is the answer.
Know what the lecturer wants. Does he want ‘lengthy story’?
Or he wants it ‘short and snappy’? You may have a clue into
this through your seniors who had taken the course earlier.
First class students study not only the course, but the
course-taker.
Get serious from the first day: It is common for students to
get carried away with the euphoria of gaining admission into
higher institution that they forget the major reason why they
are in school. It is essential to start building your grade point
from the first day so as to avoid playing catch up afterwards.
The first semester vis-à-vis the first year in school is usually
the easiest academically so its best you take advantage of it.
Attend Lectures: While attending lectures may not be so
important in your first year in school as most courses are
what you must have already learnt previously in your
secondary school and the large number of students in
lecture rooms in your first year may not make attending
lectures enticing however after your first year, attending
lectures must be a priority, this is enable you mark
attendance in class which may be the difference between an
A or a B, pick salient points which the lecturer may mention
in class and to pick instructions and tips which lecturers
usually give in class.
Begin Studying For Tests and Exams EARLY:
Between academics and your social life, time is not
something you will have in ample quantity throughout your
stay in University. One cardinal act you should always make
time for is studying early for exams. There’s nothing worse
than leaving all of the studying for the night before an
important test or exam. The stress causes you to panic and
you won’t perform as well as you normally would if you had
studied early enough. Studying a little bit during the
semester
will not only make you better prepared but will also remove
most stress you’d have if you leave your studying for the last
minute.
Early exam studying allows a student to identify
weak spots in their understanding and to prioritize their
studying accordingly. Just imagine studying until the early
morning of the day of your exam only to find you’ve
completely ignored a section that you have little or no
understanding in. Don’t let that happen.
Use Your Time Wisely in between classes as well as before
and after school. There are many opportunities to sneak in
some studying or homework that many students either don’t
realize or just don’t use. I’ve known people who would study
on the keke during the ride to and from school.
I’ve also known people that would combine the time waiting
for a lecture to begin with their study time! Just bring your
notes and instead of pinging or chatting endlessly with
friends.
You get a workout for your body and for your brain! Always
keep your notes handy and use any spare time for simple
review to make sure you’re on top of the material. All of
those small moments you fill with studying will really add up
to a solid understanding. You’ll discover that you will require
less studying when exam time arrives. That’s huge.
Obtain Old Exams Question papers and Assignments: from
your senior colleagues to procure a satisfactory idea of what
subject matter the instructors are most likely to test you on.
They are even more useful because you can attempt the
exam/assignment as a check of knowledge, identifying weak
areas that you must take into further consideration or re-
study.
I heard of a scenario where a guy was studying
gluconeogenesis in Medical Biochemistry and his senior
colleague of his happened to pass by. He appeared
interested and proceeded to supply him a couple of past
questions. One was “Gluconeogenesis is not necessarily the
reversal of Glycolysis. Explain”.
Propitiously, in the end of his semester examination, it was
asked exactly as he was given in Number 2. It was worth 10
marks.
One common tactic many students use for science
laboratory classes is to find a graded laboratory notebook
from a previous year.
Laboratory work is notoriously difficult with respect to time
limitation and what is expected from a student’s lab report.
Having a format to follow along with is a phenomenal help.
Knowing where to avoid mistakes is fundamental as well.
Optimistic Mentality : Some students die many times before
their academic death. How can a student gain admission
into a school and the first thing he hears is “you can never
make a First Class”, “they won’t give you”.
Well, I don’t believe this. This is what kills many students.
How can you go to battle with a defeatist mentality and
expect to win? Many First Class students defy these
“messengers of doom” and pursue their target optimistically.
As a Jambite, what you hear are stories of one Lagbaja that
shattered school records, or one Saka that effortlessly broke
any record breakable. You even hear of stories of students
that had graduated since the 1970s.
These are stories that motivate you, not some tale by
moonlight about a sadist lecturer denying you First class.
This is another very vital feature of First Class students. They
don’t believe cock and bull stories.
Put God first: Ultimately, God is very important. Always
remember that God is the owner of all knowledge and gives
only to those who he wishes to. Learn to always put God first
before every lecture, test or exam. He is the only one who
can see you through. The above are just helpful human
factors.
These are just the most important attributes one needs to
make first class. There are more factors to be considered
which may have been omitted. Feel free to share your
opinion in the comment section.
