With the new year comes the desire to be the best version of ourselves, and for many of us, that means achieving better grades.
While I was back at the University, I learnt the importance of talking and learning from women who were amazing students, and that included my peers and juniors, not only seniors. One thing is for sure, excellence can be found at any level. And what’s even more interesting is how I found that there’s no one format for attaining greater heights. All you need to do is listen to as many inspiring people, learn from them, discern and pick what suits your path, then put in the damn hard work.
Whether you’re recovering from a tough semester or simply aiming to excel in the new one, the right strategies can make all the difference. To guide you, we spoke to 4 university graduates who achieved excellence in their field of study at University. In this article, amongst a host of solid gems, they talk about the studying method that did wonders for their grades, what they wish someone advised them back in uni, and the superpower that they sometimes wished they had to make things easier.
As you resume the academic year, we at The 21 Mag wish you an amazing semester filled with As and the best opportunities for your growth. Don’t give up, there’s nothing you can’t achieve if you put your mind to it and follow through. Do it hyped, do it bored, do it unmotivated, do it tired, do it inspired, just keep doing it.
Meet our Scholars
Omonye Adiya Egboja earned a First Class Honors Law degree from the University of Ibadan, graduating as the Best Student in her faculty.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna is a Computer Science (Information Systems) Babcock Graduate. She graduated as the Best Graduating Student in her department with First Class Honors.
Sonia Aiguokhian is a first-class graduate of the Federal University of Technology Minna. She earned a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, graduating as the Best Graduating Student of her department.
Aderonke Lawal is a graduate of the University of Ibadan where she finished as the best graduating student in the Private International Law department. Currently, she is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, who attained a First Class from the Nigerian Law School.
Hello. I’m so excited to learn more about your journey, and I believe 21’s audience of students feel the same way. Please can you shed more light on where you are currently in your academic and professional journey?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: I recently finished from the Nigerian Law School, where I focused on developing a strong understanding of legal principles and gaining practical experience. I’m committed to exploring various areas of law, including tax, energy, oil and gas, and corporate law. My goal is to gain as much knowledge as possible so that I can eventually specialize in an area that aligns with my interests.
Sonia Aiguokhian: I just finished my Youth Service and I’m taking a front-end developer course because I want to branch into Tech. There are many options in tech and once I’m done with my course and I start earning, I’m likely to begin another course within the industry. I aspire to be relevant in the tech space at any point in time, so I’m likely going to keep learning as new technology comes out.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: I’m still finding myself. I’m interested in a lot of things—tech, film (acting majorly), and music (production) being my big three. I’ve always wanted to explore and express my creative side. That really was the first passion that consumed me wholly. My goal is to create a universe where these worlds come to life as one.
Aderonke Lawal: I’m currently working in a law firm as an Associate in their Banking and Finance team. I’m still far from where I want to be. I may find fulfilment when I start sitting on boards.
Can you describe the studying technique you used in school that you found most effective throughout your academic journey?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: I didn’t have a reading timetable. I read depending on my state of mind because the mind plays a powerful role. If you’re into what you’re studying at the time, it flows better. But that doesn’t mean you should neglect certain courses just because you don’t have the mindset. You just have to push through most times and do your best. I didn’t have any particular reading hours. I believe being in class plays a vital role in understanding and I tried my best to make it to my classes.
Sonia Aiguokhian: While in school, I tried to start studying as early as possible. This helped a lot for courses with bulky content. I also paid more attention to reading courses I didn’t find too easy because I could eventually read simpler courses in a short amount of time. Another technique I used was class tutorials and YouTube educational videos. I also read textbooks for a more in-depth understanding.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: I’m an audio-visual-based learner—just reading doesn’t do it for me. I paired reading texts with watching practical videos. I also found seeing things in my own handwriting helps me remember easily. I would highlight important facts in different colours depending on the information it conveyed (dates, characteristics, types, etc.). I would always make mnemonics for a lot of things, and it helped greatly
Aderonke Lawal: Know what works for you. I’m a very organized person at heart so I knew I had to make my personal notes before reading. I managed my time with a timetable as well. It is also important to familiarize yourself with the syllabus or curriculum so that you can tailor your study in that direction. It’s all about smart reading at the end of the day.
Did you have a go-to place to study in school, and why did you prefer it?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: I like studying in my room because I like being free and don’t like people around me when I’m reading. I believe the library is distracting most times.
Sonia Aiguokhian: Usually my school’s auditorium or any other class. My room was usually noisy in my first year so I got used to reading in classrooms. However, in my final year when I got my own space, I shuffled between reading at home and in classes.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: Where I liked studying depended on my mood and how suitable it was at that moment. One semester, it could’ve been the library. The next, a classroom. Another, my hostel’s activity hall. But my room was always a constant—more specifically, a table and chair in my room. Reading on my bed never worked for me, that would’ve been self-sabotage.
Aderonke Lawal: Any quiet place without distraction. Because I’m simply distracted. I had to stop taking my phone to the library at some point in law school. My distraction tolerance is that low.
Were you all about your books, 100% of the time, 24/7 round the clock? Or did you balance your studies with other responsibilities, such as extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, or just good ol’ plain fun? If you were the latter, how did you balance school work with responsibilities or playtime?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: Prioritize your activities because there’s time for everything. Remember to take a break every now and then and do things to relax your brain. Don’t overthink the academic aspect because there’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.
Sonia Aiguokhian: Except for my final year when I volunteered at a radio station and was more active with my fellowship, I mostly was more on the book side. The only other extracurricular activities I can recall are watching movies and series and hanging out with my friends.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: I was the typical fresher. I didn’t get a full grasp on what was really going on at school until 200 level, maybe. So, my books didn’t matter much until it was time for some assessment.
My first year was class, cafeteria, my room, repeat. In my second year, I branched out a bit more socially. At some point when I was trying to take on new activities, I was part of a church drama group named Xplicit. That was fun. I feel like I balanced things I *wanted* to do relatively well.
Aderonke Lawal: I didn’t have much fun but I didn’t also read round the clock. My way of having fun or a break is by surfing the net and watching movies. I went out a few times with my roommates and friends.
What advice would you give to students who aspire to achieve similar academic success as you have done?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: Create a consistent study schedule and strengthen your weak point.
Sonia Aiguokhian: You need to be disciplined and have friends who care about their academics too. Remember, iron sharpens iron. Also, be prayerful. You can do all your studying but events of life are usually unpredictable. Finally, eat and rest well.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: Don’t wait until the last minute in hopes of pulling a 90th-minute trick. That would be putting an unnecessary amount of pressure on yourself.
I cannot emphasise the importance of having a good relationship with your lecturers enough. Make sure they know who you are and that you’re vocal enough in your classes. That goes a long way.
Most importantly, if you have your eye set on a goal, you can achieve it. God will never place a dream He doesn’t believe you cannot make a reality in your heart. No request is too extreme.
Aderonke Lawal: What is worth doing at all is worth doing well. Do your best and do not forsake God.
What is one key lesson you learned during your time as a student that you wish you had known earlier?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: Create a network for academic and social purposes. Don’t just focus on academics only. It goes a long way.
Sonia Aiguokhian: I wished I networked better and learned more skills. Life gets really busy when you’ve graduated. I feel like it’s a lot easier to meet people and learn new things when you’re in uni.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: First things first, make friends! The most important thing about your university experience is the people you meet on the way. Even if you’re a person that is very to themselves like I am, make a conscious effort to come out of your shell. There are so many people who share the same drive and have similar interests. You never know where a conversation could lead you.
Secondly, participate in all the activities you want to. That way, you know you’ve made the most of your university experience. Avoid wishing you didn’t do something in the future. If it is people’s opinions you’re afraid of, remember that they don’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
Aderonke Lawal: Involve God in your academic process. You have to put in the work but the Holy Spirit’s guidance cannot be overruled.
Were there days you dealt with school stress or pressure from upcoming or ongoing exams? What coping mechanisms did you use to alleviate this stress?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: Yes definitely. There were many days like that. I would talk to people who I knew would lift my spirit or take a break for a while to feel better.
Sonia Aiguokhian: Definitely. I mostly experienced this during my project. I just had to keep reminding myself what my goal was and keep going. Having good and available friends also helped. I prayed a lot during that time it made me stay calm and hopeful.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: I’m a serial procrastinator who’s working on breaking away from that habit. So, that meant I left a lot of work undone until a short time shy of their deadlines. For the most part of my university experience, I didn’t start preparing for all my tests and exams until it was too late in the semester, and it overwhelmed me.
What I would find peace in was the fact that the exams wouldn’t last forever. I don’t think I had any healthy coping mechanisms—working on that too lol.
Aderonke Lawal: Listening to slow music helps boost my morale.
Did you have any mentors or role models who guided you? If yes, how did they influence your success?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: Not really. I just had a lot of admiration for people doing things and I knew that I wanted to get there one day so it was motivation enough.
Sonia Aiguokhian: Not exactly, but I had great roommates in my first year who encouraged me a lot so it was easy to go on from there by myself.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: My community in general. My family, friends, and others I interacted with regularly served as mentors. They see great potential in me and point it out often. They make me feel confident in who I am. If all I am told is that I can make a beautiful path for myself, why would I believe differently?
Then, there were defining moments. One was at the end of the 300 level’s first semester. Our department had just released our final year project groupings list, which was sorted based on CGPAs. After realizing I was number 2 in the department at the time, I kind of said, “Oh well, might as well go for that first place.” I didn’t realize it was that close to my reach.
Aderonke Lawal: My dad, sort of. He was an accountant and I watched him study hard for his ICAN exams and Masters. He guided me through my Uni admission process. Helped me understand how to read better. But sadly, he passed away in my final year.
What was your guilty pleasure or go-to activity when taking a break from studying?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: I love a good laugh. I always like to find something that’ll make me laugh. TikTok and funny videos while studying calms my brain and enables me to get enough focus for the next round of reading. I also really loved talking with my really close friends— there’s just something soothing about it.
When I’m not too busy reading, I like to go out and have fun. I enjoy listening to music and I recently reignited my love for novels so I use that to fall into a whole new world.
Sonia Aiguokhian: Movies and eating.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: Scrolling through my social media or going to my friends’ rooms to gist. Shoutout to Bisola and Ayobami— they were constants within Babcock, plus Angelica who was always a call away.
Aderonke Lawal: Watching movies.
What or who would you credit as being your biggest driving force in achieving success?
Omonye Adiya Egboja: My ambition
Sonia Aiguokhian: My parents. They instilled a mindset of excellence and determination in me while growing up.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: Honestly, I hate failure. From 100 to 200 level, I suffered from what I would call near-success syndrome. An A starts from 80 in Babcock. Within that time, I can’t count how many courses I had a final score within the range of 76-79. Being so close yet so far was painful. After that semester, I fully committed my academics into God’s hands. I overestimated my power and forgot to look onto who gave it to me in the first place. I got a 4.96 GPA the following semester. It was only up from there. My parents were constantly encouraging and praying for me, too. I’m happy to have given them bragging rights (laughs).
Aderonke Lawal: My father.
If you could have had one superpower during your studies, what would it have been and how would you have used it? Sorry, you can’t say a retentive memory.
Omonye Adiya Egboja: The ability to clone myself. My clone would do all the rigorous academic work and I can take a step back every now and then to relax.
Sonia Aiguokhian: Haha. I can’t think of any.
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna: Having the ability to add a few hours to the clock wouldn’t have been bad.
Aderonke Lawal: Well, I would say having a photographic brain.
If you were intrigued by the journey of any of these scholars, connect with them on:
Sonia Aiguokhian- X
Uzoamaka Anyaegbuna- LinkedIn
Aderonke Lawal- Instagram
