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MY UNDERGRADUATE SOJOURN: ATTAINING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

BY

ADEYEMI, SHUKROH FERANMI

© June 21, 2023

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This book is simply my story as an undergraduate of Lagos State University. It is not the
usual book where you read the dedication, acknowledgements, table of contents, etc. in
white paper and black ink. No, it is not. Basically, this is me telling you how I spent my
undergraduate days to earn a First Class Degree.

The story is in four episodes. Each episode recounts how I spent the four levels in the
Department of English and Lagos State University as a whole. I am a Chief Griot who has a
story to tell. Please sit with me - The Leading Eagle - and listen attentively. But before I start,
Oladimeji Shotunde has a number of insights to share with us:

“While delivering my charge as the valedictorian for the Lagos State University Class of 2019,
I posited thus: “Let us uphold the spirit of patriotism, the ideals of diligence, and a penchant
for attaining excellence at all levels – where each of us resolves to work harder and to look
not only after ourselves, but each other.” Perhaps with resonance to that admonition, it has
been quite remarkable to see Shukroh reflect all that this quote encompasses in her LASU
sojourn. It is no gainsaying that Shukroh represents the finest breed of the 21 st-century
student – one committed to constructive civic engagement, scholarship advancement, and
meaningful societal contributions.

I took time to consume the content of this topical book and noted with pleasure how her
ideals were reflected throughout the book, and I am confident the lessons and experiences
will prove useful to readers and those coming behind. As humans, we tend to make avoidable
mistakes when we fail to leverage other people’s experiences (failures and successes). By
chronicling her lived academic experience while at the Lagos State University, Shukroh has
given us the opportunity to employ a practical lens, and journey with her to see through some
of the challenges, sweats, pains, joy, and fulfillment that shaped her story. It is my thinking
that prospective readers would contextualize these insights into their individual and peculiar
situations and use that knowledge to navigate the vicissitudes of life.

I met Shukroh at one of the social impact activities held at the Lagos State University. I could
remember vividly what caught my attention about this young lady who approached me with
so much enthusiasm. First, she was humble and could articulate herself properly. Second, her
demeanour was a comfortable one. Finally, she sounded very intelligent. These decent first
impressions were enough to draw me closer to Shukroh. Over time, my engagement with

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Shukroh deepened and I got an appreciable understanding of her personality. The air of
confidence reposed in Shukroh naturally made her come to mind when we founded the
Ingenious Wepolit Society in June 2019; LASU’s pure writing society. I was quick to
recommend her as the Secretary and she went on to display uncommon diligence and
resilience in the execution of her functions.

I am not unaware of her many engagements across LASU, Lagos State, and Southwest Nigeria.
When the news got to me that she emerged with a First Class from the famed Department of
English, my unconscious reaction was, “What!” because I understood the level of effort,
resilience, and diligence that would have gone into the process. It is with affirmation that I
boldly assert that Shukroh is one of the few unconventional Lasuites, who have exemplified
excellence across civic engagements and academics. I am inspired by the hands-on insights
contained in this valuable book; I share the conviction that readers will have a similar
experience.

Oladimeji Shotunde,
Doctoral Student, University of Cambridge.
Founder, Excel Minds.
Peer Advisor, YouthLead-USAID.
LASU’s Best Graduating Student, 18/19.

Now take a chair, sit, and listen….

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 Prologue

Memories

Eventide beams bright breezy breeze,

with reminisce and nostalgia,

mixed with happiness-cum-sadness,

of the then, now and morrow

in the existence of my leading eagle.

As I sit to foresee the morrow,

and review the plan,

memories are just indispensable,

and I reflect on the past time

to reset the morrow of my golden eagle.

I remember the past journey,

of life as an undergraduate,

the success and failure;

the lost and caught;

and the hells of the greener pasture.

The memories moved me to the past time,

where restriction, marginalisation, and dearth ravage

to cause loopholes in my path,

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and demolish a whole mansion that I built

with a change in time.

As I realise the plight,

Oh! No! it shouldn’t be me!

Accepting the reality was sour.

I detested all the souls around me,

but it is not the end of the world.

Welcoming the reality was sour,

and my eyes sockets suffered.

How do I start building the mansion from the onset?

Or converge with low rankers?

Or achieve what I had dreamt to be?

But that is just the reality,

and nothing can change it;

but to accept it and improve

and rebuild the mansion

with hard work and faith.

Dear eyes,

since I cannot change the plight,

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I will rather flaunt it;

for I have flourished in it and others,

and to succeed in a failure is the ideal way to bring back memories.

The Adeyemi, Shukroh ‘Feranmi

December 2021

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 EPISODE ONE

Choosing Lagos State University (LASU) is one of the best decisions of my life. I travelled to
Lagos from Ibadan, Oyo state, in 2016, a day after I graduated from secondary school, to
spend the holiday at my cousin’s house. When I got there, the room allocated to me was
filled with medical books from Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM)
because my cousin’s wife, Dr. Kafayat Abiola Onigbanjo, graduated from the university in
2015. Skimming through her books and catching a glimpse of the university logo made me
fell in love with it. I cannot say why, if you ask me, I just knew I would choose Lagos State
University when I register for my Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Some weeks later, I travelled back to Ibadan to register for my UTME and trust me, as I said,
I chose LASU as my first and second choices. Ever since, I had fantasised about studying law
at the university, but when registering for UTME, I chose English. I do not know where the
revelation and inspiration of studying English at LASU came from. It was and is still
inexplicable. I was just certain that I wanted English and I wanted to study it at the Lagos
State University.

I remember a particular day when one of my neighbours in Ibadan called me and said, “Why
did you choose LASU when UI (University of Ibadan) is there? Not even a federal university,
you chose a state university?!” With doubt within myself, I told her that I had chosen it and
nothing could be done to change it. When I got home, I began to think about what she said.
University of Ibadan was a stone’s throw away and I know several people there. This close
sister was also an undergraduate of UI and she would take care of me there. I also
discovered, interestingly, that UI is the first and the best federal university in Nigeria. I was
terrified. I chose a university where I knew literally nobody; that day, I prayed that I should
not regret choosing LASU, and Alhamdulillah, I’ve never regretted it. It has been my best
decision ever because what and who I am today has its roots in attending the first and best
state university in Nigeria, Lagos State University.

After my UTME examination, I came back to my cousin’s house in Lagos. Funnily, my

cousin’s house is just about a 45-minute drive to LASU. His wife mesmerised me with her
undergraduate stories in LASU and the medical school, LASUCOM. She told me how LASU
prioritises the indigenes of Lagos State over non-indigenes. She also regaled me with the

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scholarships she got in the university by being an indigene of Lagos State with a high CGPA. I
became anxious again and extremely prayerful because I am not an indigene of Lagos State,
and I did not want to be taunted and ridiculed by my friends in Ibadan for choosing Lagos
State University when University of Ibadan was just within my reach.

As I was patiently waiting for LASU’s Post-UTME form to be out, my cousin’s wife, whom I
call Mummy Labeebah, told me that LASU had stopped prospective students from writing
Post-UTME examinations as it had been made into an online screening exercise. I was quite
happy. At this time, I searched and read about Lagos State University on Google as though it
were a course of study. If Google had the mouth to speak, it would have challenged me not
to click the letters that make up LASU on it ever again.

The screening portal was opened and I got the form. With prayers, I waited for the
admission list, and it boomed my name on the merit list. I received this news on September
24, 2017. I was admitted to study English at Lagos State University, kickstarting my
undergraduate sojourn. It was one of the greatest and happiest days of my life. Just telling
my friends and family that I had been provisionally admitted to study at LASU made my joy
knew no bounds. I felt on top of the world. My demeanour changed and I began to think of
my life as an undergraduate.

When I was younger, in my ‘little girl’s mind’, I had always wanted to experience university
life. The life where I will be myself, cook for myself, go out when I want, and do whatever
pleases me without any parental influence. However, this dream became shattered since
my cousin’s house was pretty close to the university and he offered to fend for my needs.
Again, since I knew that it would ease my dad of getting money for accommodation,
feeding, and many other things I would have needed as an independent undergraduate, I
immediately accepted my destiny of always going to school from home.

At the time, many people, including my friends, believed LASU’s school fees were so
expensive because it is a state university. Some even went as far as rebuking me for
choosing LASU but eventually, it was not as expensive as they had expected. It was just
N25,000. They were surprised and dumbfounded. I realised that it is reasonable to go after
what you want no matter what people say. Do not neglect your instinct, pursue it regardless
of what other people will say about it.

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Gaining admission in September, we resumed the first semester on Monday, January 18,
2018, according to LASU’s academic session calendar. I began to attend classes on the first
day. The university environment was very odd as it was nothing like my secondary school.
Getting accustomed to this new phase of life was rather strange. I got confused about a lot
of things on campus. There was nobody to come to my rescue. I only believed that soon, I
will acclimatise. I came to LASU tabula rasa. I just wanted to take the best out of the
university. I did not really have plans to graduate with a First Class, for I did not even, at that
time, understand what it meant to graduate with a First Class, nor could I discern the
seriousness and honour it carries. It was just crystal clear that I wanted to graduate with
good grades, be the best at it, and know many people before leaving the university.

Since my house was a little distance from school, I would leave my house at 7:00 am
whenever I had an 8:00 am class. I would have woken up since 4:30 am to do my house
chores and get ready for classes. Leaving my estate gate every day, I would think of the
traffic and the glitch of Lagos transportation to get to school. That is a story for another day.

Growing up as a child, I was nurtured amid morality, and so lots of abnormalities that have
become norms today were so weird to me at 100 level. I could not move with people that
were unserious in class, and neither will you see me walking with those who can implicate
me. As a young naive lady, I observed every new environment I found myself and I chose my
friends. I had my boon companions from my 100 level days up till the moment of
graduation. Interestingly, all 5 of us – Busari Shukroh, AbdulRaheem Hadeezah, Aderounmu
Zainab, Olutosin Mazeedah and I - graduated with the best and highest CGPAs in my class.

In every new environment you find yourself, observe everything including the people there.
Do not just mingle with every Tom, Dick or Harry. Strategically choose your friends and
identify the kind of people you want to be associated with. Do you want people who are like
you? Or people who are above you in social status? Or people who are more intelligent than
you are? Or people who can destroy you? Your answers to these questions will determine
who you will be associated with. Choose your friends wisely and strategically. C.J
Langenhoven said, “Friends should be like books, few, but hand-selected”. Whom do you
want to be identified with? Remember the words of Dr. Steve Maraboli “If you hang out
with chickens, you are going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you are going to fly”.

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Journaling my 100 level on friendship and association, I was gradually getting acquainted
with the university life. My prayers will always be with the senior Muslim colleagues who
were in the 400 level when I was in 100 level. They literally showed me the way in the
university and redirected my steps. They are Abu Nasir, Shonde Ismail, Ekunnusi Yahyah,
Sulaiman Yusuff and Kolawole AbdulLateef. The 5 of them were among the top scholars of
their set. My friends and I met them at the Masjid one day, and we joined their tutorial
troupe. We went for tutorials after our classes every evening. They feasted us with stories of
how people always say the Department of English is hard and they corrected the hearsay.
They told us that it was never impossible to graduate with a First Class in the Department,
because, at that time in 100 level, there had never been any First Class in the history of the
Department. Furthermore, they told us to avoid the mindset of hating a lecturer. They took
their time to teach us all our courses in 100 level and how to answer examination questions.
I use this moment to pray for the 5 of them again. Wherever they are in life, at this moment,
may Almighty Allah perfect all that concern them, answer their prayers, and make life easy
for them, Aameen! My story in LASU is incomplete without them.

I remember the day Brother Ekunnusi Yahyah saw us going for a beauty pageantry show at
the Theatre Art Auditorium. He called and asked us what we were going to do there. We
were silent like mutes as we did not have cogent reasons for going to the pageantry. We
were just going to watch them. He said, “There are usually many events in first semester.
Many 100 level students who do not understand how university life works will go there,
gallivanting with the euphoria of being in the university and after all these parties,
examinations will creep up. By then, they will be rushing to read and, eventually, they will
have low grades. After that, they will say one lecturer is bad and another lecturer failed
them. I am not saying that you should not attend events but minimise them and know the
kind of events you attend”.

“Coming to the university… I am here to do what I call ANIPH. A stands for Academics, N is
for networking, I is for Islam, P is for Physical Fitness while H is for Health”. He then asked us
the biggest rhetorical question of our lives, “What are you all in the university for?”, he
asked. We were all looking at one another as we were unable to answer the question. He
said all the rumours staylites tell freshers about the Department and the lecturers are
absolutely false. The lecturers cannot fail us when we actually passed a course. He said if we

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study well, we will have good grades, and to graduate with a First Class in the Department of
English is not impossible. They all, in his set, could not get there, but we can. He said he
would leave us to decide whether we still want to go to the beauty pageantry or go back to
sleep or read our books, and he left. We all looked at one another again. Nobody corrected
our legs to turn back to where they were coming from.

These were the various kinds of conversations we had with all the 5 brethren in 400 level
when I was in 100 level. I remember vividly how Abu Nasir, a married man with wives and
kids and a school, graduated with a high CGPA. He created time to teach us how to write
essays during exams. I recall how Brother AbdulLateef taught us English phonetics and
phonology, how Brother Ismail and Brother Yahyah taught us English grammar and how
Brother Yusuff facilitated all our tutorials with materials and assistance on our literature
courses. Oh Allah, please bless all of them wherever they are.

From the conversation with Brother Yahyah, I realised that in everything you do in the
university, your academics come first. Do not do what will disrupt or hinder you from
studying because you are first a student before anything else and after everything else in
the university, you are first to your degree certificate. With all these kinds of positive
orientation and grooming in 100 level first semester, I read and read and read. You will
always find me and my friends in the main library and the departmental library. After my
classes, I would discuss with a few coursemates, go to read in the library, pray, join tutorial
classes, and leave school as early as possible because of traffic and the tussle of the
commuting back home. Every time I got home, I would quickly finish up my house chores so
I could revise what I learned that day before I sleep. I read a lot of books in 100 level.
Interestingly, I had known many things that we will be taught in 200 and 300 levels in my
100 level. I understood all the words of the lecturer in class and beyond what the lecturer
had said. I did not have any dream to graduate with a First Class. I did not really understand
what it means, then. I just wanted to put my best at what I do and graduate well. However,
the information that there has never been a First Class in the Department and that it seems
so difficult, if not impossible, to graduate with a First Class, made me transform my best that
I planned to do into graduating with a First Class. I would like to break that jinx.

I believe nothing is impossible. With God, everything is possible. Do not absorb everything
you hear hook, line, and sinker. Contemplate on it and give it a trial. The worst is that you
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will not get it; but at least, always try. Do not think nothing can be done, there is always a
way out of everything if you are optimistic. The fact that something is not working for other
people does not mean it will not work for you. If you try the same pattern and it is not
working, please try another method. According to Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve our
problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. Nothing is impossible
with your faith in God and right attitude to work.

So, my 100 level first semester exams came around, I did them normally as I would do my
exams in secondary school, and I had a GP of 4.50. I thought if I had put more effort into
studying and answering those exam questions well, I would have a GP that was higher than
that. I recalled that the 5 brothers told us to start well with a high GP so that we can
continue boosting it from 200 level to 400 level. At this time, I blamed myself for not paying
attention to little details. I planned to study more in the second semester.

One fateful day, while talking to Brother Yusuf about a course in the Department, a lady
called Uzuegbu Faith Chidinma, his coursemate, passed by. As she was passing, Brother
Yusuf said to me, “She is my boss in literature. Whenever I write, she edits and restructures
my works. She is very smart and intelligent”. I greeted her warmly that day and she left. On
another day, I was asking Brother Yahyah a question in one of our classes at the
Department. That day, all 400 level students had a lecture in the class, and Faith was there
too. As Brother Yahyah was explaining the question I asked, he saw Faith and he also
introduced her to me. He told me she is a very smart and intelligent lady. He also added that
she is an eloquent public speaker, and she had done a lot as an undergraduate. She had
recently won an intervarsity debate competition for the university, and she was engaged in
a lot of things like volunteering, event and radio hosting, etc. I marvelled, and he said, “I
want you to be like her”. I recalled that she was the same lady Brother Yusuf introduced to
me the other day. I also remembered the day Brother Ismail, SIA, told me a lot about Faith
and he said I should let her mentor me; she is worthy of emulation. When I got home, as
Google’s friend that I am, I searched for her name on Google. I was amazed at the results I
saw about this lady. I saw a lot of awards she had won, what she had done to represent the
university, and how exceptional she was, and I began the move to look for her. I recollected
the day Abu Nasir was telling us in one of our tutorial classes that Faith sat for one of Dr.
Bello’s exams and the essays she wrote were flawless. She put her commas where

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necessary, her grammar was intact and the three essays she wrote for the exam were
outstanding. He said Dr. Bello brought her script to class to show them how brilliant and
perfect the essays she wrote for an exam of 2 hours were. I was astounded. If Faith had
hidden in a hole, I was going to find her to ask how she was doing it.

As an undergraduate, do not walk or relate with your coursemates. In fact, not only as an
undergraduate but in all spheres of life. Never relate with people who are in the same
category as you, but rather with people who are higher and more experienced than you are,
because that is how you will grow. Please understand me well, I did not say you should not
make friends with people at your level, you should; but additionally relate with people who
are more experienced than you are, for that is how you can be challenged to do more. If you
are the smartest person in a group, you are in the wrong group. I learnt a lot of things by
having friends in 400 level when I was in 100 level. They knew so much more than I did, and
they taught me so much more than I could have expected. I knew nearly all the 400 level
students then because I was always in their class to see any of the 5 brothers to ask
questions. Edmond Mbiaka once said, “Keep your circle small with positive-minded
individuals who will only come to grow with you, and not take advantage of you”. I also
made friends with the 300 and 200 level students to ask for materials. You should make
friends intentionally and strategically.

Let me tell you how I knew Lawal Adeyemi Muhammed, the political icon of the Faculty of
Arts and a scholar of the Department of English. I had always seen Lawal in the Department
and the Faculty. He was so influential to the extent that everyone knew him to be
academically and politically grounded. I had thought that he was in 400 level with Faith and
the 5 brothers. When I asked about him, I was told that he was in 300 level, and I decided to
connect with him. I got his number from someone in another department. I chatted with
him on WhatsApp, introduced myself and told him I would like to learn from him. I also told
him my GPA, probably if he heard that I was on a First Class, he would accept me and reply
to my messages. Yes! He replied and was so glad to hear that I started with a first class. I
could sense that he likes brilliant students. I think what made him like me a little more was
that my surname is his name – Adeyemi – and since then, I call him my Big Brother. He
advised me to buckle down subsequently to maintain my CGPA. Sometime in my 200 level,
Lawal called me, asked for my full name and matric number and applied for a scholarship for

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me. I did not know how he did it or what the scholarship was all about. I was just called after
some weeks that I got the scholarship. Imagine if I did not decide to find out about him and
connect with him, I may not have got that scholarship. In all, you should be intentional with
whom you choose as friends. Do not be friends with someone who will cause trouble, and
you will be arrested as an ally. Be associated with the best of people everywhere you are.

One day, as I was going to Eco Market, I saw the almighty Faith opposite the Centre for
Planning Studies (CPS) at the faculty. I ran to her, introduced myself and collected her phone
number. I followed her intensely on social media to know more about her. She was the star
of her set. I also observed how she dressed so simply. Since then, I found solace in her more
than I did in the 5 brethren, basically because she is a female. I also asked her a lot of
questions, sat with her at my leisure time, wrote essays and gave her to peruse. I learnt a lot
from her. She became my school mother. She was the first person who taught me how to
write a CV. When I told her I did not have anything to write in the CV, she said, ‘Even if it is
that you helped your mum in her shop, write it there”. I learnt about a lot of opportunities
from her. Faith was not just excellent in academics but also in a lot of things. She was strict
and assertive. Whenever I discuss with her and I say, “I think”, Faith will exclaim and say,
“Don’t tell me what you think, tell me what you know!”. I decided to follow her footsteps. I
believed in the quote of Tony Robbins that says, “If you want to be successful, find someone
who has achieved the same result you want, copy what they do and you will achieve the
same results”. That quote worked for me perfectly. I copied what she did, and I achieved the
same and higher results. It may not work for you exactly, but in any phase or field that you
are in, you need a mentor. You need someone who will help you grow and guide you in the
course of your journey. You need someone more experienced than you are; and Faith was
that person for me, my school mother.

One of the 400 level students in her class organised a communication event that Faith
moderated. At that event, I learned about public speaking and that was the first time I met
Eleso Moyosooreoluwa. I loved the way she spoke and anchored the panel session. I
watched intensely how all the public speakers spoke and I was engrossed in it. The way Faith
spoke had it all. She was so fluent and moderated the event professionally. She introduced
herself at the end of the event as the first General Secretary of LASU Debate Society (LSUDS)

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and whoever wanted to join should reach out to her. This event made me develop a zeal to
officially learn the skill of public speaking and I told her I wanted to join LSUDS.

In my 100 level second semester, I followed my normal routine of attending classes, going to
the library, attending tutorials, and rushing back home to face the bus tussle, First Gate
traffic, Iyana School traffic, Igando traffic and Okofilling traffic. After the food I ate some
minutes to 7:00 am before leaving my house, the next meal will be dinner at home. I would
often forget that I had not had lunch during the course of the day on campus. I would not
remember that I was hungry, and even if I remember, I had no money to buy anything. I
would attend tutorials, classes and study sessions during the day on campus in hunger. It
got worse. I suffered from ulcer. No one knew this, not even my close friends. I later had
money to buy snacks in school, but I was already used to not buying anything and I will use
the money for my snacks to buy the materials I will read. At times when I got back home at
night in hunger after expending more than an hour on my way home, I would have been
exhausted after completing all I had to do at home by 10:00 pm, but I would still get up at
night to read and then wake up again by 4:30 am. The nights were always fitful.

100 level second semester came and the courses were harder than the first semester’s. The
semester was shorter as well. I studied and sat for my exams and when all my results were
out, my CGPA dropped to 4.32. I had about three 3s in that semester, I could not fathom
what happened and I was very sad and dejected. I had to work harder; I was already starting
to experience school life with CGPA. With my CGPA, I had thought I would get some
scholarships to fund myself, but I could not get them because I am not an indigene of Lagos
State. All my friends who are Lagosians got the scholarships, but I did not. I was so sad, but
there is nothing I could do. I had to accept my fate.

It was when Faith was graduating in second semester and I was advancing to 200 level that I
understood the “big deal” in graduating with a First Class, and I could distinguish between
having a First Class or being the Best Graduating Student and the honour of graduating with
either of the two. Faith graduated as the BGS of the Faculty during her set. BGS is simply the
student with the highest CGPA, while First Class is any result that starts from 4.50 upward.
The way Professor Olanrewaju Adigun Fagbohun, the 8th Vice Chancellor of LASU, celebrated
the 23rd Convocation that had Faith as the Best Graduating Student of Faculty of Arts
reinforced my zeal to graduate with either a First Class or as the BGS or both. One evening
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at Abe Igi Arts, she told me about how she did it, how she merged academics with a lot of
things and how she also came to school from home like I was doing, too. That day, she
taught me how to be creative in answering exam questions. Interestingly, she was in the
literature arm of the Department, and I thought “Is it not this same Department that people
said First Class is hard that is producing BGS for the whole faculty? Is it not in this same
literature that Faith is graduating with the highest grade in the Department and the
faculty?” Then, I understood that academic excellence has no excuse. It was not Faith alone,
they were two. The other lady is Abati Adenike, they graduated with the same CGPA in the
Department, and they were the Best Graduating Students of the Faculty of Arts for that
academic session and their CGPAs were close to 4.50. So, who said it is impossible? If they
can do it, I knew I could do more, and I can assure you that you can do most if you believe in
yourself.

I followed the chronicles of Faith back-to-back, all the societies she joined, all the awards
she won and all the activities she engaged in. I loved her success and achievement, and I
wanted the same for myself. I got her a gift as the BGS of the Faculty of Arts. It was
deserving. The 23rd convocation was super interesting and memorable. I love Faith so much;
she helped me and opened my eyes to the four walls of the university. She showed me the
way and paved it for me. I recall the day I was so sad, and she used her hands to wipe my
tears, made me happy and promised to be with me. I also remember the last ASUU strike
LASU joined, and I was at home doing nothing. I called Faith to ask her what I could be
doing. She introduced Udemy and Coursera free courses to me to take the online courses
and get certificates. She told me to look for internships with KPMG, Coke Summership, and
Freelance On-Air-Personalities, among many others. You may want to check these
opportunities out, too. Yoruba people usually say, “When a child is born, he or she has the
opportunity to be reborn to become a better person”. Faith bore me academically as an
undergraduate, and I rebore myself by exceeding what she had done. Wherever you are,
please be the best.

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 EPISODE TWO

My CGPA was 4.32, dear readers. I had to fasten my belt in 200 level first semester; the 5
brethren and Faith had graduated. I observed that our courses were not as cinch as the 100
level courses, and our exam questions were not as direct as the 100 level questions. The 100
level courses were introductory, and they were majorly computer-based examinations. It is
easy to have good grades in 100 level courses. Besides, computer-based tests, generally, are
relatively easy when you have studied. It is easy to clinch an A (5) in such a course because
you are not required to write anything, you just have options which already have an answer
you will pick from. I know you may say that the CBT questions can tough sometimes. Yes,
they can be. I did it in a literature course in 100 level and I had a 5. In that course, we had 20
literature books to read. I read all the books and the exam was a CBT. The options were so
close and confusing that it was difficult to identify the right answer. I did the examination,
and I had a 5. There is no excuse for not excelling in a CBT exam if you study well. Objective
questions should be bonuses where you can get As. Since it is not theoretical, what excuse
do you have not to score an A? That A was a must-have! I was always extraordinarily happy
whenever exam questions were in German form. I loved it. If we were taught a concept in
class, I would go to the library to read more about the concept and do some research on
Google. You should do more than what you did in class. It is what you learnt additionally
that will earn you academic excellence.

I read a lot, dear readers; especially when exams were approaching. I was usually as scared
as a rabbit in a wolf’s den when exams were around the corner. I read as if my life depended
on it, for my life actually depended on it. I read as though there was no tomorrow, after all,
the goal was to graduate with a First Class or as the Best Graduating student. I read a lot and
I knew so much about each course. This was to the extent that whenever I finished studying
a course for an exam, I could lecture that course following our outline. My coursemates
already knew that I was a scholar. They did not know my CGPA, but they knew from my
complete notes, my interactions in class, and the spot I loved to sit. Although a number of
them knew that I started with a 4.50 GP, (because anyone could check your results then),
they did not know how it had progressed over time. In essence, there is no shortcut to
success, you have to pay the price of studying hard.

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There was a course in 200 level first semester - Grammatical Models (ENG 203), that had
lots of scary stories around it. We had heard that the course was very cumbersome and
complex. Many people fail the course as it was a little like mathematics in grammar; two hot
cups of water bumping into each other. I had asked Faith about the course and she told me
it was not difficult and that I should just get the textbook and read it as many times as I
could after which I would understand and pass it well; therefore, I got the textbook. I had
stopped attending tutorial classes at 200 level since the 5 brethren had graduated but I had
built the capacity to read alone and understand. Many tutorials were organised by English
Education students on ENG 203, but I did not attend any because the tutorial time was not
favourable for me, I had to go home. I got the textbook as Faith said, and I read it myself. I
studied the textbook, Adejare and Adejare’s Tertiary English Grammar and M.T. Lamidi’s
Aspects of Chomskyan Grammar more than seven times because Faith said she read it five
times. I did more by reading another grammar book by Wole Osisanwo and I understood
everything. I loved that course so much. I started to debunk all scuttlebutt on the course,
and I had the determination to have a 5 in it.

In my 200 level, through Faith I joined LASU DEBATE SOCIETY (LSUDS) as one of the first set
of trainees. I was trained in the art of public speaking and debating. I will use this moment
to pray for my Public Speaking Coach, Hezekiah Tiamiyu, who was the President when I
joined LSUDS. May Allah continue to bless him. He painstakingly trained me on public
speaking. I owe him a huge gift. He did not give up on me. Kiah made sure I acquired that
life-long skill. May his light continue to shine. Through Faith again, I met Oladimeji
Shotunde, the Overall BGS of LASU in the 2018/2019 academic session. I was appointed as
the General Secretary of the Ingenious Wepolit Society, a writing society Shotunde created
in 2019. Faith wanted me to be the president, but I turned it down because I was not
experienced enough to take the role of a president. I had merged all these activities with my
academics in 200 level and I was coming to school from home because that alone was a full
activity on its own. I did not allow all the extra-curricular activities to affect my studies. I
knew that my primary aim of being in the university, as Mama Faith told me, was my
academics, and my mantra was to be the best at everything I do. I emerged as the Best
Trainee of LSUDS of that set with the neatest and most complete notes. I was known for
diligence and consistency.

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200 level exams were approaching, and I was scared as always. I studied well as I aimed for
my CGPA to rise from what it had been. When I sat for my first exam, Introduction to
Literary Essay I (ENG 227), I realised that I had known so much about my courses and 2
hours were not enough for me to answer the 3 questions. I had the challenge of incomplete
exams which made me had a number of 4s in my result. Then, I began to go into the exam
hall with a wristwatch. I did not usually wear a wristwatch on campus or while going out,
but you would find a watch on my wrist whenever I was going for an exam. I prayed as if I
never read, and I read as if I never prayed. Prayer is what will help you remember all that
you have read. Prayer is that tool that will keep your script amidst 500 scripts. Prayer is
what will guide you to write with sense and a full mind in the exam hall. Prayer is what will
not let your marks be given to the next person after your matriculation number. Prayer is
what will not let the lecturer make a mistake when marking your scripts or while recording
your scores. Thus, you read and pray well. I wrote the exams of all the courses I registered
for, but for one… where the great evil befell me.

Yes! A great evil befell me. I missed one of my exams and I had to retake the course. The
exam was scheduled to be written by 3:00 pm, but I was unaware that the time of the exam
had been moved to 8:00 am. At that time, I did not have a smartphone. It was very difficult
for me to get information about my classes and to study, because I relied majorly on my
phone. I was more scared that semester because I did not have a smartphone to
complement all that I was taught in class and what I read in the library. It was so hard to do
my assignments and reach my coursemates to know where our classes will hold. It was a
hard time for me as an undergraduate. At times, I will get back home and cry and cry and
cry, considering all the things I stressfully did that day simply because I did not have a
phone. It was hectic, tedious, and tough.

So, the weekend before that Monday was an Eid-l-Adha break, and my family and I travelled
to Ibadan. We got back to Lagos late a day before my exam and I was completely exhausted.
Usually, when I have exams in the afternoon, I would go to school in the morning because
the route I ply to school is unpredictable. Anything could happen on the way. But on this
particular day, I decided to go to school in the afternoon because I was quite tired from the
journey and since the exam was scheduled for afternoon, I could leave my house by noon.
That morning, as I was reading, I felt the need to call my friends on a very small erratic

20
phone that I was managing to confirm the exam time, but their numbers were not going
through. I called another set of people in different hostels, some were switched off, and
some were not answering their calls, and then, I knew that the greatest evil had befallen
me. For all of them to be unreachable, I had an inkling that they were already writing the
exam. At this point, the tears were unstoppable. I checked the time, and it was around 9:00
am. If I had left for school at that time, I would have got there an hour later, which was
when the paper would end. I decided to go anyway. I dressed up and got on my way, and
immediately after they all finished the exam, many of my coursemates started to call me. I
got to school to see past questions of the exam I was supposed to sit for. I bawled my eyes
out. My eye sockets could not beg me to stop disturbing them. My dream to graduate as a
First Class or Best Graduating Student had been shattered because my CGPA would drop
again and I would have to carry over the course.

There was nothing I could do. Unfortunately, the Department did not allow for re-sit if you
missed an exam and so I had to take the course with my junior colleagues. I cried and cried.
“How would I sit in the same class with my junior colleagues? What explanation will I give to
them when they ask why I’m in their class?” You understand that shame of repeating a
class, right? And that made me thought about those questions. I cried and cried, as if the
burden of achieving a First Class at graduation was not enough, I had a carry-over to deal
with. My CGPA, the mansion that I had been meticulously building was collapsing right
before me just because of a change in time. It was sad, but that was my reality. I knew I had
to accept the truth, and it was very bitter for me to swallow. I tried my best to see the way
out of the missed exam, but all to no avail. Lawal stood by me during this hard time. May
Allah bless him. It was very terrible.

I worked harder under the sun and in the rain to see ways I could appeal to re-sit my missed
exam, but nothing worked. I had to do it again. I accepted my destiny. I accepted that was
how it had been planned to be and that God’s time and plans are always the best. I decided
to retake the course with the 200 level students when I moved to 300 level. I attended their
classes, wrote notes, and took it seriously like it was my normal class. As expected, my
CGPA dropped when all the results were uploaded, and I cried again after which I accepted
my fate. I had begun to believe that I could not graduate with a First Class. That dream was
demolished.

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On the day of the missed exam, I went back home, crying, depressed and scared. Scared
that I may be unable to concentrate fully on the remaining exams, especially, the phonology
exam I had the next day. My cousin (Plan B), his wife, my dad, my mum, and my sisters told
me to forget about it. My dad and Plan B were so blunt. I remember when they said, “You
will re-take the course, you will pass it and life will not end”. I felt like raising my voice back
at them, but I couldn’t. My biggest concern was my CGPA that would drop and the fact that I
had to take the course all over again. I sat in my room, turned off the light like a depressed
person and thought about my life. I was actually depressed. I accepted the reality that I had
to write the exam again. I made up my mind that if anyone asks me why, I will confidently
tell them I missed the exam and I am retaking it. After all, that was the truth. I made up my
mind to take the course again and have an A. Although, a little part of me had lost interest
in studying so hard to have good results or even in graduating with a First Class.
Nonetheless, I was certain that I would retake the exam and have an A. I picked myself up
and started reading for the exam I had the next day.

I did it well and I continued with my life as if nothing had happened. I did not let it stop me
from preparing well for ENG 203, the so-called hard course that people fail. I wanted to
have a different story to tell on that course. I understood the ins and outs of the course. I
had planned how I would answer all the questions I saw in the exam hall. I had studied how I
will draw all my tree diagrams neatly and accurately. I got to the hall and as I was given the
question paper, I skimmed through all the questions as Faith had told me to always do. I
remember when she said, “It’s better to use the first 5 minutes to skim through the
questions and understand what you are to write than to expend lots of minutes and then
realise later that you have been writing rubbish”. While skimming through, I realised I knew
the answers to all the German questions, and I could answer all the theory questions. I
calmed myself down to check the questions I could answer perfectly; the ones I knew were
tree diagrams. I answered all the German questions and started drawing the tree diagrams. I
drew the diagrams beautifully and neatly and collected another answer sheet. I finished
answering them in an hour and I submitted. I was the first person to submit, and I went to
the mosque to pray. The exam was so cinch as ABC.

There is no magic to it. You have to study well if you want the exam to be cinch for you. People
said the course was hard and I did not believe it will be hard for me. Therefore, I studied and

22
prepared well ahead. I wanted to have a different story to tell on the course. I wanted to
understand the course that people say is tough, and to do that, I knew I had to be tougher.
The exam I missed, the life trials I was facing, and my determination to pass the course
excellently made me tougher and ready to face the tough course. I wanted to have an A in it,
and I did. To excel in something tough, you have to be tougher than tough. If you are not
tough, you cannot conquer something tough. Equally important, academic excellence
requires perseverance, resilience, determination, and hard work. You have to pay the price
of excellence by consistently working hard.

Exams came to an end and the thing around my neck loosened. That was how I always felt
whenever I finished my exams. I felt so free, happy, and anxious because I did not know how
the result was going to be, but I knew that I had done my best and I would keep praying to
Allah to do the rest for me. I was still very sad about the exam I missed.

During the break, all my results were released, and I watched how my CGPA had drastically
collapsed. I cried and cried and thought about a way to boost it. I thought of taking more
elective courses in second semester; courses I knew I could get 5s in to boost my CGPA. I
was also scared of having a B (4) in those courses because 4s bring my CGPA down. I hated
4s in my life. It made me cry whenever I saw a 4 in my profile. Rather than leave my CGPA
where it was, it would always bring it down. I was always surprised when my coursemates
would pray for a 4 in a course. One day, I asked one of them why she was praying for a 4
and she said a 4 would boost her CGPA. When I got home that day, I pondered over it. How
can a 4 bring my CGPA down and make another person’s CGPA rise? That was the day I got a
full grasp of the logic behind calculating one's CGPA. I understood the magic computer does
with the scores and the different ways to calculate it. I realised that if your CGPA was on a
4., 4s will always bring your CGPA down, which was my case; however, for the other grades
below, it would boost it. Different scores on different templates. I always prayed for a 5.
Even if I was on a 1., I would pray and work for a 5.

Never settle for the less, aim for the highest. Do not be mediocre. Why will you pray for a 4
when a 5 is possible? Even if you know that you do not deserve it, still aim for the best.
Always work and aim for the best. At times, you have to start pretending to be what you
want to be, sooner or later you will get used to it and become what you want to be. It does
not work this way all the time, but you may just want to, at times. Bruce Springsteen said,
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“A time comes when you need to stop waiting for the man you want to become and start
being the man you want to be”.

I resumed second semester of 200 level with fear and I took the courses with nervousness
and faith. I did not want to have 4s. I need many 5s to boost my CGPA. I prayed before
taking some courses as I did not want to regret taking them. The semester was very hectic,
no thanks to a theatre art course I did. I had to attend rehearsals till late in the evenings,
leave school very late at night and hustle for a bus to get home. The rehearsals drained me. I
remember the day I had the rehearsal on Sunday. It was that horrible. I can recall the day I
got home a few minutes before 11:00 pm because I had to attend rehearsal, and absence
from rehearsals was tantamount to the reduction of marks which was something I dreaded
because I had a target. I needed 5s. I rushed to classes every morning with eyebags and a
heavy head. I never missed classes and my notes were always complete. I had the class
timetable in my head. Several courses in 200 level second semester seemed to be a revision
for me because I had read about them in 100 level. I never ceased to go to the library. If I did
not have any extracurricular activity, I would be in the library.

Some students do not give value to tests and assignments as they do for exams. Bagging a 4
in a course without a test or assignment requires scoring 60 and above over 70 marks. And it
is pretty difficult to have 60 and above in a theoretical exam. Not that it is impossible, but
you have to be thorough in answering the exam questions. Maybe if you are someone like
Faith with three impeccable long essays in less than 2 hours, you could ignore your tests and
assignments; but even if you had done the best job in your exam, you still would not have a
5. To have a 5 in a course, you need your take your tests, assignments and everything about
the course well, for they all accumulate to make up your grades at the end.

I always wondered how some students come to classes without a book and a pen. It is like a
farmer going to the farm without a hoe and cutlass. Or how some students fold books in a
very small bum bag with the books looking so shabby and tattered. There was a day I heard
some students lamenting that they had 1 and 2 in their courses; the same courses other
people had 5s. I then asked myself if these students had ever questioned themselves on why
some people have 4s and 5s and they have 1s and 2s. The lecturer did not single out those
who had high scores to intentionally give them the high scores without meriting them. If you
are in this category, identify those who are having 4s and 5s in that same course and ask
24
them how they are doing it to discover what you are doing wrong. Do not continue to
complain that a lecturer failed you. That does not seem reasonable enough.

There was another almighty grammar course in 200 level second semester. The rumour I
heard about the course was that the questions were always too many to answer in the
duration of 2 hours. I wanted to complete all the questions and have an A. Early enough, I
read books on the course and checked how past questions have been over the years. I
observed that there were lots of sentences to be analysed on tree diagrams, and I started
rehearsing how to answer the questions in the exam. When I was able to draw ten tree
diagrams of long complex sentences in 30 minutes, I knew that I was getting there. I just
wanted to have a different story. Be distinctive in your ways. When people are saying the
same thing, find a distinct way to say yours, and do not follow the crowd. I learnt this power
of distinctiveness from Shotunde. I studied hard for other courses too. I remember various
academic writing courses that I set some exam questions for myself, wrote essays and then
marked the answers myself. I already had a full grasp of how to write a super essay. I read a
lot of books on it and expended most of my time learning essay writing because I knew it
was the major tool for answering questions in the Department of English. You should
understand what is expected in your department and provide it accordingly. Be able to
adapt in every environment you find yourself. When you go to Rome, you act like Romans.

I met Mr Adejobi Oladele in my 200 level. At my first acquaintance with the man, I went to
deliver something to him, but I thought he was not in the office. He then called me and said
“Did you observe your environment? Did you observe that the AC was put on? If you had
observed the AC, you would know that I am in the office, and you would not have stressed
yourself so much by going back”. His statement made me sharpen my observation skills. He
asked for my name, and I told him. I was quite reluctant to ask for his name because I
thought he was a lecturer; I never knew he was still a student. I never knew that he was in
the same class with Lawal. This time, Lawal was already in 400 level. Later on, I heard about
this same man from some people in English Education that he seemed to be the one on a
First Class in the Department. I remember the day I asked one of the guys in Lawal’s class if
there had ever been a First Class in the Department. The guy said no, but the Department
may most likely have in their set. He told me there was a man in their class that was still on
First Class, but I cannot know him, because I won’t know that he is a student. Relating all

25
these together, I figured that the man I saw was the man they all had been saying is on a
First Class.

Dear eyes, you trust me, right? I looked for that man! I wanted to ask him and confirm it
myself. Moreover, I wanted to be his friend, because he looks so intelligent the first day I
had an acquaintance with him. As an undergraduate, be inquisitive about anything or
anyone that will aid your journey. As I was passing through Lawal’s class one day, I saw the
man with them. I noted that, and another day, I saw him in 300 level class, and then I was
confused about this mysterious man. What level is he? Is he actually a student? Is he an
undergraduate or a postgraduate student doing his Master’s or PhD because he looks older
than an average undergraduate? Is he in 300 level or 400 level? Or is he an assistant
lecturer? Is it true he is on a first class? These were the questions in my head that I needed
answers to. I asked Lawal about him and he said “The man is Mr Dele and he is in my class
and this is not his first degree. He is a family man”. I already had a little information about
him, but I was not still satisfied. I needed to hear from the horse’s mouth. Luckily for me, I
saw him in Theatre Art Auditorium one day, and I boldly walked up to him. As he saw me, he
exclaimed “My friend, Shukrah! How are you doing?” I loved the way he spoke. He
pronounced all the English sounds correctly and enunciated them clearly. As he said this, I
was relieved and welcomed. He had already given me the kind gesture to land all my
questions, but then, I did not want to be too forward. He asked me how school had been for
me and I answered. He asked me about my CGPA, and I told him. He was thrilled to hear
that I was on the brim of a 4. and I was focused, at least. Then, I had the perfect landing for
my questions. I asked him all the questions I was baffled with. He explained everything to
me and commended my smartness. With this, our friendly relationship was strengthened.
Dear readers, I was like “Wow! Mr Dele is on a First Class and will most likely graduate as
the 1st First Class Graduate in the history of the Department. I love it when people break
records, when they break jinxes and do what is believed to be impossible. It gives me joy.”
Then I picked up my bag, bouncing and jumping home like a 3-year-old girl who is with her
mum after a very long time of separation. I was so glad to hear that Mr Dele was graduating
with a First Class.

When I got home that day, I started to think about Mr Dele, a family man with kids, coming
to study English as his second degree and graduating with a First Class, is incredible. If a

26
working-class and married man with children and families could graduate with a First Class,
what excuse do I, a single lady, breaded and catered for without anybody depending on me,
have not to graduate with a First Class? I was challenged. Mr Dele was outstanding. With all
these, he had time to study and achieve academic excellence. He told me he comes to
school on Saturdays to read. I was challenged. I thought it will be a big slap on the faces of
single-breaded undergraduates not to graduate with a First Class in a Department where a
married man could graduate with a First Class. I was overly challenged. If Mr Dele could do
it, then I could, too.

I hope several undergraduates will be challenged and would think in this way. You should
move with people who are higher than you, people who will motivate and challenge you to
do more, and people who will help you in your journey. At times on campus when I want to
relieve my brain of stress, I will call Mr Dele just to learn anything from him. Whenever I call
him, he will say “Tell me! Tell me, Shukrah!”. He never says “Hello”. The first day I called
him, and he said the statement, I was thinking probably the man does not know that he has
picked up my call. When I heard my name, then I knew that he was talking to me. I think
that is just his style, especially when he is busy.

I went to meet him to discuss some of the questions I had as regards my courses and life
issues generally. Through our conversations, I realised that he knew Faith and Rafiat Atanda.
Rafiat, popularly called ICON, graduated in 2016 before I gained admission, but her name
still lingers in the Department because of her outstanding performance. She graduated as
the BGS of the Department during her set. Mr Dele told me how brilliant Faith and Rafiat
are. I heard about ICON when I was in 100 level. I marvelled at the way the influence and
performance of a person would linger after 2 years of her graduation. I looked forward to
having that impact too by performing well. Mr Dele told me he wanted me to be like ICON
and Faith. He said he was hoping I could graduate with a First Class too. Within me, I was
scared; scared because of my dropped CGPA due to the exam I missed; scared because of
the over hard work I had to put in to have 5s because I had done the calculations and
realised that I needed 5s all through every semester to meet up and I was terrified because
a little part of me seemed tired of everything, basically because of the exam I missed. Mr
Dele’s story motivated me to try my best to graduate with a First Class, although I was still

27
scared that in the end, my CGPA will be so close to the First Class grade but would not get
there.

I learnt the environmental techniques of answering exam questions from Oladimeji Shotunde.
Lecturers differ from one another. You should understand what each lecturer likes or wants
and provide them contextually. I grabbed this technique from an interview with Shotunde
when he was announced as the Overall BGS of LASU. As an undergraduate, be detailed and
answer your questions with expertise and finesse. That is the difference between a student
that earned a 4 and a student that earned a 5. Getting a 5 is not so cheap. You have to work
for it. You have to reflect that distinctive diligence and excellence in the way you answer your
exam questions. Do not just answer exam questions as if they are not your concern, the
lecturer will also mark them as if they are not his/ her business. I remember the day Dr. Bello
said in class that it is the way we answer exam questions that reveals organisation in our
personal lives. The way we answer questions in our answer booklets shows if we lead
ourselves well or not. No one can come to our hostels to check if we lay our beds or sweep
our rooms, but they will know that from our carefulness or carelessness in answering exam
questions. I was astounded to hear that.

I also learned from Dr Henry Hunjo that an examination that you did not pass from home,
you cannot pass it when you get inside the examination hall. Be sure of yourself by studying
well before you get into the exam hall. Do not just do things for doing sake. Remember what
is worth doing is worth doing well. If you must do it, just do it well. If you must go to school
for 4 years, just face your school well, so that at the end of the day, even if you will not use
the certificate, you can proudly say, with your full chest, that the four years you spent in the
university were not wasted.

200 level second semester exams were fast approaching, and I was timid again as usual. I
had started working as the 3rd General Secretary of LASU DEBATE SOCIETY and the duties
had started to overwhelm me. I studied well and sat for all my exams. Once bitten, twice
shy, I made up my mind to not miss any exams again. I would always go to the general
bulletin board of the faculty where the exam timetables were pasted to check the date and
time of my next exam. I knew all exam dates, times and venues in my brain like I knew my
name. I prepared for all the examinations. Mazeedah, Shukroh, Hadeezah, Zainab and I had
several discussions about our courses. We would explain what we knew well and build up
28
on the knowledge. I knew what to write where, when, how, and why I was writing it. I
already had the pictures of the essays I would write in my head. If you fail to prepare, you
prepare to fail. Prepare and plan for your exams. During exams, I did not use social media. I
avoided everything that would distract me. You can say I am too diligent, yes, I, am and I am
proud of it. It is one of my core values. I was awarded the Most Diligent Student of the Year
and the Bookworm of the Year on the same day in the Department. What are your core
values? Are you proud of them?

Do you remember the so-called course where there was scuttlebutt that the questions were
always too many to complete in 2 hours? I had rehearsed drawing ten long tree diagrams in
30 minutes, and I had studied well for other sections that were usually in the exam
questions, as I had observed in the past questions. I got inside the hall, received the exam
questions and answered all the questions. It is what you start that you finish, you cannot
finish what you did not start; maybe those passing the rumour didn’t even start the exam,
let alone finish it. I analysed all the sentences on tree diagrams in 30 minutes and I used the
remaining 1 hour 30 minutes for other segments of the questions. Yes, the questions were
many, but I answered them. If you are resolute to do something, you will do it. After the
exam, many of my coursemates complained about the short time frame, they lamented that
they could not finish answering all the questions in 2 hours. When the result was out, I had a
5. I was so glad and I told Mr Dele, he was so proud of me. It was because I was intentional
about it. Be intentional about your excellence and success, they do not happen by accident.

Additionally, do not hate any of your lecturers. If you hate them, there is a high possibility
that you will hate their courses, and if you hate their courses, you will not want to study
them well, and if you do not study them, eventually, you will fail them. That is the logic
behind it. Moreover, whatever you set your mind to is what will prevail. If you believe you
will fail, you have no hope, you will fail. It is what you are that you do, you cannot do what
you are not. If you have the right mindset, ethical attitude to work and you study well, you
will certainly pass.

At the end of the semester, I heard the news flying around that Mr Dele was graduating as
the 1st First Class Graduate of the Department. I was so happy for him. I rushed to him to tell
me anything and everything. Just then, I heard that Oladimeji Shotunde was also graduating
as the Overall Best Graduating Student, having the highest CGPA ever in the history of the
29
University. I did not know that Shotunde’s CGPA was that high when I met him. He was so
humble and kind. He is a good and visionary gentleman. I remember the day we had a
meeting for Ingenious Wepolite Society and he gave me transport fare when I was leaving. I
was super glad. When I read some of the interviews Lagos media houses did, I learned from
his story that it is not until you have so much that you give out to people. Take from the
little you have and help people in any amount that you can. I was so impressed to hear that
he was graduating with a 4.95. I saw Shotunde’s result where he had 5s all through in all
semesters and I had goosepimples. The feeling was indescribable. His outstanding
performance motivated me to have 5s all through as well. I was so glad that the people I
know were excelling.

Please never look down on people, register your name in people’s heads with a good
personality trait. If you have someone thriving, please help the person to grow. When the
person excels, you will be proud to say that the person is your friend. Remember that if your
friend does not become a king, you can never become the king’s friend. Always remember
that for everything you do, there is a reward, not from the person you helped, but from
God. And remember that if you do good, it will come back to you and if you do bad, it will
definitely come back to you, for what goes around comes around.

Lagos State University’s 24th Convocation was another motivation for me to graduate well. I
did not just want to graduate; I wanted to graduate outstandingly well. I never missed
convocations ever since I was in 100 level. It inspired me a lot. This convocation had
Shotunde as the Overall BGS and Mr Dele as the 1st First Class in the Department of English,
and I was inspired by all that happened during the convocation. Shotunde’s story inspired
me to do more. I wanted to work harder than I had been working.

30
 EPISODE THREE

300-level was the hardest, toughest and busiest level for me, and it was at this same level that
I had the best result with the motivation of all the 5s I saw in Shotunde’s result. Wondering
how? You can get yourself chilled bottled drinks or water. Relax, and continue listening to me.

At 300 level, I had already understood how the system worked. At 300 level, you should
have known what all the courses you are studying are about because, at that time, you
would have done nearly all the introductory courses. If you understand the nitty-gritty of
the introductory courses, it should not be hard to build upon it in 300 level. Be the master
who will collect the row to paddle the canoe. Also, all the books I read in 100 level were
useful in 300 level. I did not read in my 300 level as I did not have the luxury of time because
of extracurricular activities. I just built on my residual knowledge.

I wanted to be a student with an all-round personality. I love doing a lot of things, and I
wanted to do all of them and excel in them while excelling in my academics, too. I wanted to
attain excellence in everything I do. At the end of my 4 years, I did not want to graduate
only with my degree certificate, I wanted to have many certificates, awards, accolades,
recognitions, and connections. I did not want to graduate without any experience
whatsoever, I did not want to be known for only academics, I wanted to do more. You
should do more, too.

As an undergraduate, I will advise you not to only go to classes and go back to your hostel.
Do more! Attend conferences, and events, meet new people, volunteer, make impacts, take
up roles, join societies and be kind to everyone, even to your enemies. I wanted history to
remember me for something laudable, so I had to do more. I wanted my name to linger in
the mouths, heads and minds of people years after I had graduated just like ICON, so I had
to do more. I wanted to build a good profile, so I had to do more. I wanted my family to be
proud of me, so I had to do more, I wanted Islam to be proud of me, so I had to do more.
You should, too. I want to see you flourishing at the things you do.

Do not settle for the less. What will history remember you for? Will posterity judge you
rightly? When history is read, will your name be mentioned for something good? If your
name is mentioned, will people be amazed at what you have done? Posterity and history
will never forget Mr Dele for what he had done.

31
As usual, I set out for 300 level first semester with fear. That semester, I had planned to
have straight 5s in all my courses and to do many other courses to cover up my dropped
CGPA. Also, I had to retake the missed course that semester. At the beginning of every
semester, I always write all the courses I would take and put the grades I want in front of
each course. I visualised the excellence and worked for it. Be positive about yourself,
visualise your success and work towards it. You should always remember the words of Peter
Drucker that says, “The best way to predict the future is to create it”. The semester had lots
of activities that I was engaged in as an undergraduate. I had fully assumed the role of the
3rd General Secretary of LSUDS. Again, I attended many events, moderated events and
volunteered more. I always had many things to do one time or the other. Nonetheless, I had
to merge it with my academics diligently.

Extra-curricular activities will help you learn and meet different people. It will help you enter
some places in the university that you may not have the opportunity to enter if you do not
participate in it. Contrarily, if you do not like extra-curricular activities or you cannot merge it
with your academics, you must, at all costs, graduate with good grades. Since you are not
working, or engaged in any activities, you should have good grades so that it will open doors
for you after graduation. You have no excuse.

I joined NASELS (National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies), the
departmental association, fully. I attended the association’s Southwest Region conference
and represented the university in the NASELS debate competition. At the competition, I won
3 awards out of 4 for all students of English in Southwest Nigeria. This came with a lot of
celebration and recognition in the university being the General Secretary of LASU DEBATE
SOCIETY. Following that, I was appointed to serve as the Chief Press Secretary of NASELS
Southwest Nigeria, which added to my role as the General Secretary of LSUDS on campus.

Then, COVID-19 came and everyone had to stay at home. It was a joke in the first two
weeks, and I realised it was not a joke after spending a month at home. During the months
at home, I took some online courses with certificates to while away time. At some points, I
read, because I was certain that examinations would start immediately after we resume. I
attended online conferences and won awards. I did not want the whole 7-8 months spent at
home because of the outbreak of COVID-19 to go to waste. I leveraged the internet and
social media.
32
Dear reader, maximise the data you have on your phone for things beneficial to you. Do not
just while away your time on social media. There are lots of opportunities out there. Look
for them, they will not come to meet you. God will not come down to help you, you have to
help yourself first by doing something, then God will help you by blessing it.

LASU was the first university to resume after the lockdown. I resumed and continued 300
level first semester, I registered for all my courses including the 200 level course I had to
retake. I registered for the course and attended the classes with the 200 level students. That
was my first contact with Dr Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB). He was the lectuter. Many
200 level students asked me why I was doing the course with them and I was confident and
glad to tell them that I missed the exam and I was retaking it. I flaunted my failure because I
had planned to study well for the course and have a 5; it was one of my best courses.

I faced a lot of challenges with the course. It clashed with my classes in 300 level. At times, I
will spend one hour in my 300 level class and spend the remaining hour in the 200 level
class. I wrote notes, tests, and assignments. It was all about my CGPA. I had to take it
seriously. I had stopped going to the library because I did not have much time. When I was
not in class, I would have things to do for LSUDS, NASELS or an NGO and quickly rush home
to do my chores. Whenever I had to leave school by 6:00 pm, I already knew that day would
be hellish for me because I would have to run after buses and get home by 8:00 pm. There
were times I had to attend several meetings and prepare for debate competitions, and I
would go there immediately after my classes.

I continued this busy routine till examinations were fast approaching. I paused everything I
was engaged in to study well for my exam. I did not study so deeply because I already knew
a number of them in 100 level and I had mastered how to present my ideas in answering
exam questions. It is one thing to know something, and it is another thing to know how to
present it. It is one thing to write, and it is another thing to write well. It is one thing to be
brilliant and it is another thing to be intelligent. You need to do the best of all of these to
attain academic excellence. Despite the clashes and challenges I had with the course I
retook, the test day came, and I left my 300 level class for it. All the classes I attended on the
course were like revisions. As I was retaking it, I was knowing it more, and it was like child’s
play. It was then that I understood failure as another attempt to know more about a thing. If
we are talking about the course I knew best as an undergraduate, it would be the course I
33
retook. Dr Bamgbose once asked me how I was doing a 200 level course in 300 level, and I
was not ashamed to tell him that I missed the exam during my time and I was retaking it.

The day of the exam came. I woke up very early and prayed for that day, I also cried a lot
before going for the exam. I got inside the exam hall, sat in front, received the exam
question and I realised that I could answer everything. I answered the questions as
instructed and got outside the hall to take my bag; only for me to find out that my bag was
missing. At first, I sat down and had a deep thought. Why has this course been so hectic and
hard for me? Since the beginning of the semester, it had been giving me serious issues. It is
either it was clashing with my other classes, or I had to do extra work, or it hindered me
from doing something. I had to always reshuffle it with another class. There was a day I was
about to miss a test because of it. The day of the exam that I had thought would be the end
of my issues with the course, I went for the exam and I could not find my bag. I broke into
tears. I did not know when tears streamed down my face. My transport fare was there. How
will I get my bag? How do I go back home? Who took it? Who will I tell to help me look for
my bag? I cried, cried and cried. I saw two of my coursemates, Pego and Atinuke. I told them
what happened, and they gave me money to transport myself home. May God bless them. I
left the school and put everything in Allah’s hands. I went home dejected because I couldn’t
find my bag but I was delighted because I did my exam excellently well. Again, I was super
thrilled that my phone and my 300 level note were not in the bag. That would have been a
human disaster and an academic catastrophe (laughs).

I started studying for the exam I had the next day. I did not let the lost bag affect me. I was
rather grateful because my notes were not there. Though I was always scared of exams, yet,
I loved them, especially the courses in English. Listening attentively in class also helped me. I
had all the course outlines with the complete notes, I wrote all the digressions and questions
the lecturers asked in class. I would go through the course outline to cross-check the module
the lecturer emphasised in class. I already knew how I would start and conclude my essays. I
had always seen that some students scribble something at the back of their scripts when they
get the question. I always wondered what they were writing. It was in my 300 level that I
knew that they were writing their points and planning their essays so that they will not forget
or make mistakes. I don’t do that. I had already planned and understood my points while I
was studying. Whenever I got the exam questions, I study them, understand them, read the

34
instructions, and start writing. The two hours allotted for the exam were usually too short for
me, so I could not expend some minutes on planning. Conversely, that may not work for you.
You may need to plan your essay before you start writing, it is very good to plan and have an
outline before kickstarting.

Two days after I lost the bag, one of my coursemates called me that she found a similar bag I
told her I was looking for in one of our classes. She said she found it on the floor. I told her
to help me check the jotters and the money inside the bag and she said everything was
intact, including the money. I was so glad and grateful to God. I got my bag the next day and
I saw that everything was truly intact. I was speechless. Probably someone mistakenly
carried it. I tried to rethink the whole scenario, but I couldn’t demystify what it was. I believe
Allah used it to test me or to delay me for an evil that may have happened on my way that
day or… I do not really know. I cannot explain it. I was just thankful.

Exams ended and the thing around my neck had loosened. After exams, I usually feel so happy
and free. I would treat myself well and compensate my brain for an excellent job done. That
is when you will see me seeing fine boys and fine girls on my way home and writing it on my
WhatsApp status(laughs). The semester break was not long. We resumed immediately after
a week or thereabout. I always loved the start of a new semester. I was always so excited to
take new courses and to attend classes. I love school, ever since I was a little girl. Besides
loving school, I believe it is good to put one’s best in whatever one is doing. If you must do it,
then you should do it well and get the best in it. Taking a new course is always a thing of joy
for me. You will see me so glad like a baby that got a new toy. Before the new semester begins,
I would have prepared my notes for the new courses and refreshed my mind for a new
semester. I would have written all the courses I will take and the grades I wish to have in
them.

Inspired by Shotunde’s academic excellence, I had many 5s in my courses when the results
were out, including the course I retook. I got more confident to tell anybody who asked me
what happened in 200 level that I missed an exam, resat for the exam, and had an A - 5. My
CGPA increased with the excellent result of 300 level first semester, but I was still scared that
if I did not work harder, my CGPA will be close to First Class, but will not get there. I was so
glad for the result. I thanked Almighty Allah for that excellent result and prayed for more
because He is the One who said in Qur’an 14 verse 7 that “if you are grateful, I will surely
35
increase you (in favour)”. Never take the God factor off your life. There is nothing you will
become or that will happen to you without His consent. Be very prayerful and put your trust
in Him. He has the best plans for all.

Joseph Kennedy and a cartoon character in the Lion King cartoon series said, “When the
going gets tough, the tough get going”, the second semester of 300 level was tougher than
the first semester. My activities escalated. I had lots of events to plan, lots of books to read
and lots of travelling as the Chief Press Secretary of NASELS Southwest Nigeria. I had
become tougher than the tough and I could wiggle and waggle the goings that got tough. I
started the semester with joy and fear. I had planned all the activities I had. I knew my
priorities – that is the simplest key to multitasking. I never forgot Faith’s statement that in
all I do, I should always remember that my academics is the first thing. So, I did not allow
anything to hinder me from going to classes, doing my assignments, tests and preparing for
examinations. Although in the mid of the semester, I missed some classes inevitably. I had
to attend to some extracurricular activities that critically needed my attention.
Nevertheless, I collected my friend’s notes to update mine. I believed I would meet up with
those who were in class.

As the General Secretary of LSUDS, I had a lot of work in planning LISTEN, the biggest public
speaking event on campus, and as the Chief Press Secretary of NASELS Southwest Nigeria, I
had uncountable work on planning a conference for all students studying English in Southwest
Nigeria. These activities were coupled with public speaking training, debates, in-group
committees, politics, NASELS LASU, home activities, work, events, event hosting,
volunteering, and some other petty activities, aside from my academics. It was huge work on
my neck juggling all the activities together.

As a student in my ‘then’ shoes, first, accept and place your academics; prioritise, second,
try to be the best in everything you do and, third, be hardworking. With these three things,
you will be able to organise your life and multitask roles with diligence. This was what I did
that earned me the name “The Queen of Multitasking”. However, if you cannot do many
things together, please do the little you can. You should not bite more than you can chew. I
did many things because I love to do many things and I like to work. Some people will say I
like stress, maybe I do (smiles).

36
I planned my days and prioritised all I had to do. After my classes, all I did was extracurricular
activities. Then, in the evening, I will run after buses, drained in traffic, get home to work
ahead of the next day and do house chores. With all these that I do, a lot of people will ask
me how and when I had time to read even though I come from home and I had a lot to do. I
studied exhaustively especially when exams were approaching. I remember that about a
month before the exams, I did not know my course titles. I was so scared that I might not do
well in the exams, but that was not me. I remember the day I was in class and I got a call from
the Dean of Student Affairs to come to his office immediately. I had to leave the class. I had
submitted a letter to his office earlier that day, I left the class and rushed to his office. When
I was done with the Dean, I came back to class and the lecturer did not allow me in. There
was also a day I missed a compulsory class because of extracurricular activities. I knew how
to catch up with those in class. I collected their notes and did extra reading at midnight. I
caught up with them because I had to. I had a dream. I remember the day there was a lot of
traffic and I was late to an 8 am class, I got to the class and there was an impromptu test. I
took time to settle down from the rush and traffic destabilisation. When I received the
questions on the test, I realised I did not know the answers to them. I had not read them; I
only used my residual knowledge to answer the little I knew. Even the little I remembered, I
could not complete them because of time. I was so sad. I did not do it well. I started to prepare
well for subsequent classes and the exam. I trusted that I would catch up because I had no
choice. My life depended on my academics. You should not engage in many activities and miss
classes as I did. If you know that you cannot merge so many extracurricular activities with
your academics, I will advise you not to get involved in too much, you should not stretch your
arm beyond its length. If you know you will not understand what was discussed in class if you
miss the class, please attend all classes. Know what works for you. Also, do not live too far
from campus. It may hinder some parts of your academic activities.

I decided to do more than going to classes, so I had to pay the price by being extraordinarily
diligent and excellent. The LISTEN event was successful. At the end of my tenure, I got the
award of the Most Outstanding General Secretary of LSUDS. I travelled to Ibadan for a week
for the Southwest Conference. I put my best in it and at the end of my administration, I got
the award of an Exceptional Leader in NASELS Southwest, Nigeria. With this, I was elected
again as the Deputy Regional Director of the association, a post like that of the Vice President.

37
I came back to school to meet up with a lot of work. I had to read and complete my notes.
Exams were already approaching, and I did not even know the course titles and codes of the
courses I was to take. I started studying gradually with little time.

Exams came up and I was anxious as usual. I had lots of sleepless nights studying for exams.
I stopped attending extracurricular activities when exams were nearby. The exam I missed
still affected me. I had to do more courses and have 5s in them to boost my CGPA. I had to
work harder. One day, Mr Dele came to school and he saw me. He told me I had let politics
overtook me. I had been engaged in too many things and that may affect me academically.
He was scared that I would be derailed from academic excellence. That day, I could not say
anything. I knew I was doing well academically and trying my best to graduate as a First
Class after him, but I may or may not make it.

An inter-tertiary debate came up again and I had to represent the University at the debate.
LASU hosted the debate that year. I stayed late at night in school rehearsing for the debate.
I worked so hard for it and even put myself into trouble the day I locked my uncle’s jeep
keys in the jeep. I was so engrossed in my debate speech, that I forgot to take the key
before locking the door. I had thought I was dead meat, but my uncle just called his
mechanic to find a way to open the door and take out the key. That was not the first time I
put myself in trouble with all my extracurricular activities. It was as hard as a rock for me
those times. I went to the debate with my partner, Titilope Ibrahim. We won the first round,
qualified for the final round and we won the competition.

I registered for 23 units courses that semester and I did all the exams. I remember an exam
that I sat for that I did not study well. I had been busy reading for other courses with all the
borrowed courses, just to help my CGPA stop looking at First class and be the First class
itself. A day before the exam, I read it. I became a student who reads a few days before
exams. I would start reading when the exam timetable is out. I would read for my tests too
and do my assignments well. I never let anything stop me from doing them well. When
exams were approaching, I would put a hold on all I do and prepare for exams. I aimed to
graduate as a First class, even though I know that it was a probability. Nonetheless, I put my
best and did them well. Do not be like me who reads when the examination timetable is
out. Know what works for you.

38
Academic excellence requires a lot of hard work, consistency, diligence, and resilience. The
excellent result made my CGPA rose again. Never joke with your academics, no matter what.
I had to meet up with all what I missed and take them seriously. I had a target; I had a goal.
There is no shortcut to academic excellence than to study. You should study hard. At the end
of the semester, I was awarded as one of the most reputable LASUITES and the Departmental
President of the time, Kolawole Judah, who we call Young Dammy, awarded me as the
Academic Star of the Year.

People did not know my CGPA. No one could check it without my consent. I never told anyone,
but they knew that I was a diligent student and, in their words, “I know book”. They believed
I would most likely graduate with a First Class, but I would correct them immediately that I
was not. They thought I was joking, but I was actually not on a First Class. The exam I missed
affected my CGPA. Even my family and my uncle called, expected and prayed for me to
graduate with a first class. The expectation everywhere was so much, and I was extremely
scared again. I did not know how to tell some people that I was not on a First Class. What
would happen if, at the end of 400 level, I did not graduate with a First Class? Nothing! Life
will go on, but I was very scared, and I cried. At that time, my CGPA was very close to a First
Class, but I did not know if I will make it or not and I had hypertension going to 400 level.

39
 EPISODE FOUR

Surprised? Yes, I had hypertension. I was so lean, stressed with heavy thinking and my blood
pressurised with everything concerning results. It would not have been so bad as this, but
because my result was already close to a First Class grade, I would be glad to make it. I was
so scared. I cried to Allah. In the end, my CGPA may just be close to First Class but may not
get there. I was tense. What will be my fate? It was the most critical moment of my life. I
told Allah everything and put my trust in Him. I told Him, even if it is 4.50 on the dot, He
should let me get there. I wanted it, I cried and prayed for it. At some point in my life at 400
level, a part of me was telling me to prepare for the worst. If I didn’t get it, I would accept it
like that and move on.

My 400 level was a mix of fear, anxiety, hypertension, hope, faith and hard work. I was so
conscious and sceptical of the courses I would take because any mistake I made in the
semester could destroy my CGPA forever. After all, it was my final year. It was until the final
day of course registration that I knew the courses I would register for. I registered them with
faith and hope. That final semester was very delicate. My CGPA was the first ever thing on my
mind before anything else. I slept, dreamt about it, woke up unconsciously and was saying
“First Class! First Class!!”. It was that terrible. It was my younger sister that told me I was
saying it unconsciously while sleeping. I preferred to graduate with a 4.0 CGPA than to
graduate with a stone’s throw to a First Class. I would try to burn all the candles and work
hard for the minute points that would make me get to 4.50. Just 4.50 was okay for me, I would
have been the happiest person on earth.

At 400 level, I understood the four walls of the university and my course of study.
Competitions and extracurricular activities on campus earned me the article “The” in front of
my name. A lot of students on campus had heard about me and all that I was known for. Some
of them knew my name but did not know my face. So, one day, when I introduced myself at
a gathering where some of those who do not know my face were, one of them said to me
immediately I introduced myself that “You are The Adeyemi Shukroh I always hear about?”
(Meaning you are the lady? And extending the article to my name), I told him yes, I am
Adeyemi Shukroh. This same scenario happened again in another gathering where another
person asked me surprisingly that “Are you The Adeyemi Shukroh Feranmi of LSUDS?”, that
day I observed that the lady also put “the” before my name. Then, I replied, “Yes, I am The
40
Adeyemi, Shukroh Feranmi”. That day, I think Ibrahim Titilope, my partner at the inter-tertiary
debate, my successor as the General Secretary of the LASU Debate Society and a former
President of LSUDS, was with me when I answered that question, I could not remember vividly
if she was with me or not, but I know that she was the first person to address me as “The
Adeyemi, Shukroh Feranmi” and even go ahead to resave my contact as that. A lot of
members in LASU DEBATE SOCIETY heard it from her and it spread in that manner. I took the
name wholeheartedly, I love it - The Adeyemi Shukroh Feranmi. LSUDS members also dubbed
me “The Queen of Multitasking” because of the way I was engaged in a lot of things, and I
was doing them excellently well with my academics.

400 level had started, and I had more roles to play. I was elected as the Deputy Regional
Director of NASELS Southwest Nigeria and that was a huge workload on my neck. I was also
on the verge of being elected as the President of the LASU DEBATE SOCIETY, but I turned it
down. I could not head all students of English in Southwest Nigeria and still head the LASU
Debate Society at the same time with my academics, final year requirements and my
undergraduate long essay. I had to turn one down. I could merge them all together, but the
workload would be too much for me considering the extra work I needed to do to reach the
brim of a First-Class degree. Learn the ability to say no to some things. If the thing will affect
you, please say no. Your reasons are always valid.

The semester had begun, and I was glad to take new courses, scared because it was my final
year, and anxious because I was going into the world after graduation. I set out all the courses
I would take alongside some electives. As a language student, I did some literature courses as
well. I did some that I had an interest in. I remember a particular time I was the only language
student taking a literature course. The lecturer, Professor Olorunleke, already knew me, the
only language student in his class. I did those literature courses as elective courses and I did
some courses from other departments too. I was just scared of all the courses; I did not want
to have a 4. All I wanted was a 5. My extracurricular activities too were there and I had loads
of work to do as the Deputy Regional Director. Do not forget my long essay too. I had planned
that alongside my busy schedule. I wanted to complete my project before the second
semester exams.

I kickstarted my project very early at the end of 300 level second semester. I had the best
supervisor, the HoD of the Department at the time, Professor Ayotunde Ayodele, I had gone
41
to discuss with him, but I did not know what I wanted to do yet. I had decided, since my 100
level days, that whoever the HoD at the time when I am in 400 level will be my supervisor.
You may want to ask me why, but I do not have an answer to the question. I just knew that I
wanted the incumbent HoD to supervise my project. There was a term paper Dr Hunjo tasked
us with when I was in 200 level, and I love that aspect of language. It was on Systemic
Functional Linguistics by Michael Alexandar Kirkwood Halliday and the theory’s
metafunctions. I had thought I will use it as my theory for my long essay because I love it.
Fortunately for me, the incumbent HoD at the time was one of the leading experts in what I
wanted to do. So, it was a prayer answered and a wish come true.

My supervisor told me to start with chapter two, not chapter one. I started writing my long
essay in 400 level first semester. I was quite clear about what I wanted to do but I did not
have a suitable topic yet. He told me to go ahead, and that the title would come up later. I
started it. It was not an easy journey. 400 level was quite hard. The courses, assignments,
class presentations and tests were overwhelming. Within all of these, I travelled during some
weekends for regional meetings.

In my 400 level first semester, I quitted several things that I was doing in 300 level. I co-
founded Literary Voice Club with the Departmental President of that time, who was also my
coursemate and one of my boon companions, Young Dammy. The creation of the club also
required a lot from me. I had to hand over my work to one of my close friends, the Intelligent
Faramade Omotayo, after creating the club. I remember giving some other roles up to 300
level students while I was starting my 400 level. It was simply because 400 level was
demanding, I had a lot to do as an undergraduate and I had a target for my CGPA. So, I needed
to stop some things and focus on my academics. Regardless of this, some responsibilities
came up again. Dr Bamgbose appointed me as the Lead Tutor of his club, Young Grammarians
Hub, and I had to always teach undergraduates grammar nearly every Wednesday. It came to
me as a surprise. The time scheduled for classes was not suitable for me because it was 4-
6pm and whenever I leave school by 6, I had to run after buses, drain in traffic and get home
very late. I had lots of things on my table, but I had to do it and do it well. He is one of the
people I hold in high esteem and he had helped me in a lot of ways. It was a way to serve him
and repay his kindness, regardless of how hard it was for me to merge it with the things I had
already. I lost the count of times when Dr Bamgbose would stop his car on the way to give me

42
a ride to the Department. I did not have the money to take a shuttle bus, because the little I
had, I would keep it to buy textbooks and materials. I had to trek it all the way, but whenever
he was driving and saw me trekking, he would always stop to help me. He had met me on
campus countless times when I was looking so stressed. He would call me and tell me to
always rest to gain my sanity. He is my helper and teacher. May Almighty Allah continue to
bless him.

This was added to all I did in 400 level. I missed some classes, attended meetings, attended
events, worked, volunteered, and did some other things. I wrote chapters 2 and 3 and
submitted them before 400 level first semester exams so that it would not hinder me from
reading. I had a mutual rapport with my supervisor, I would go to greet him even when I had
nothing to submit or tell him as regards my project. When you have a supervisor, do not
always bore them with your long essay problems. They have other things they are doing too.
Try to identify with them and help them to make their work easy. It is not only when you have
problems with your long essay that you should go to your supervisor’s office. Do not reach
out to people only when you need their help. Whenever you pass by your supervisor’s office,
go and greet him/her and ask if everything is going well or even how you can help them. You
should not only go there because of your long essay; just go and greet him/her normally. Be
a good student without anything attached. There are a lot of things you will need from your
supervisor after your degree. Build a good relationship with him or her and every person you
meet in life. Be naturally good and selfless. Do not do good to be seen or appreciated. Do it
for God and never expect any reward from any person except God. Essentially, be that student
who will remain in the head of your supervisor such that after many years if your supervisor
is asked who you are, he or she will be able to say good things about you without thinking
twice.

A major part of the long essay that I feared was my project defence. I was a hundred per cent
scared of it. I did not know how I would do it. I had feared it since I had been in 100 level.
Having all my lecturers sit before me to present a research about their areas of expertise
seemed overwhelming. I just knew that when I got to that bridge, I would cross it.

I continued the semester with my busy routine. I started studying gradually for exams. Many
times, I would stop reading and start crying. I did not know my fate. I remember times when
I would sleep over it hoping to dream about the grade I would graduate with. But no, I never
43
had a dream. At a point, I got tired of worrying. I was ready to accept anything. I knew that if
I graduated with a CGPA close to a First Class, I would cry, fall sick and accept my fate. I
concluded that that was what Allah had written for me and I believed in Him.

As I was walking on campus one day, I bumped into Mr Dele and we exchanged pleasantries
for a while because we were so excited to see each other. He then said again that politics
and extracurricular activities were written all over me. He said he saw me in media too, he
saw me hosting a show on Silverbird TV and LASUTV. I just smiled. I told him I was trying my
best, but he seemed disappointed, and I thought he had already given up on me being the
next First Class Graduate after him because he thought I was distracted. He later became a
lecturer in the Department and even taught me in my 400 level second semester. He
seemed to believe that I had probably given up on graduating with a First Class too. I did not
try to convince him otherwise, because what if I could not make it eventually? I made up my
mind that at the end of the semester, I would tell him if I made it, and if I did not, of course,
I would tell him too and life continues. I really wanted it; the expectations were so high. I did
not know what I would tell some people if I did not make it. They will not kill me if I did not
make it, after all. I knew I had tried my best and I promised to celebrate myself and
compensate my brain.

I sat for all my exams and prayed over it. I answered them with lots of prayers and energy. All
through my exam, I would pray and read well before leaving my house and when I get to
school, sitting with my friends and waiting for the time to go in, I would sit, observing and
thinking about how I would write the exam. It is very important to have legible handwriting,
Dear eyes. Write legibly and neatly in examinations. Do not write things the examiner cannot
read. You may know the right answers to questions, but if your handwriting is not legible
enough, the examiner may find it hard to read what you have written. Study well for your
exams. Pray, plan and write well. After the exam, pray again, for that is what will follow you
and your script.

With the busy schedule, I sailed through 400 level first semester. My results were good and
my CGPA rose. One of the major things I feared was that CGPAs rarely goes up in 400 level.
The higher you go, the lower the rate your CGPA rises. With good results of many 5s, my CGPA
rose by 0.02. I was battling with hypertension while putting my trust in Allah. During the short
break, I continued writing my long essay. I wanted to start and finish chapter four before we
44
resumed the semester. I knew a lot of work awaited me that semester. I started and finished
it. When the semester commenced, I submitted chapters four and five early. I was so thrilled
that chapter four alone had about 40 pages. The aspect of language I chose is an aspect I have
a passion for. I enjoyed writing and researching it, but I did not know when, altogether, I had
written 94 pages for my undergraduate long essay.

Another conference of all students of English was approaching and a family event. Those
events made me travel out of Lagos. Before then, however, I had about four other events I
was planning on campus. I travelled for the event and the following Monday, I travelled
from Ibadan to Oyo for the Southwest Conference again. It was one of the most stressful
days of my life. We organised the conference, and although there were challenges, we
overcame them. It was not easy leading thousands of people and having hundreds of people
in your care for four days. At the end of the conference, I was awarded as the Most
Outstanding Regional Executive. Immediately after the conference, I travelled back to Lagos,
collected my friends’ notes and began to study for exams. I saw my supervisor and started
my chapter one and references. I made sure I completed them before exams were close by.
I submitted them a few weeks after my arrival and I started studying fully.

We would soon commence our final exams and I was already missing school. I was going to
miss a lot of things. I sat for all my final exams duly and dutifully with prayers for the First
Class I wanted. I believed in Allah and that was what I sent forth. I wrote all the exams and
expected good results. I remember the ENG 404 (Lexical Studies) exam that I did. I am not
sure I had written any exam in the Department before that was as hard as that exam. I am
someone who loves German questions because I usually know them, but this exam was
different. There were about fifty marks for German questions, and I was only sure of about
thirty of them. It was that tough. I did not have so much time to read the course because of
the courses I was borrowing to boost my CGPA. I had two exams the day before that day and
I was the only one taking the second exam as an elective course. It was a literature course. It
hindered me from preparing for the exam I had the next day. I did the exam in the evening,
got home late, exhausted as usual, and could not study so well for the course. That exam was
hard. I eventually did all those I was sure of and left those I was unsure of. Then, I wrote the
theory section well. I had known that I did not really do well in the first section and then I

45
perfected the theory part. I wrote a long, detailed super essay to answer the question. In the
end, I had a 4. Alhamdulillah.

On the final day of the exam, it was the usual sign-out of students, I had planned, since my
200 level, that I will not wear the usual white on my final exam. And when it came, I wore my
best colour. Well, I decided not to wear white because I did not understand the logic behind
wearing white and signing on it. I could not fathom the cultural norm of wearing white and
different people signing on you. Again, I believe that signing out should come up when
undergraduates have finished defending their projects, not on the last day of a written exam
because project defence is also an exam. It is an oral exam and until an undergraduate has
done it successfully, I doubt if there should be any excitement of signing out on a white shirt.
Some people who signed out on the final written exam day would not graduate because of
their long essays. Not everyone who signed out graduated. Above all, I hated the fact that
some people were making it compulsory. Wearing white was not compulsory, it was just a
norm, and I decided not to follow it. You may have your reservations about it, but that was
what I wanted. I wanted to be distinctive. You can choose to be distinctive, too. Life is a matter
of choice. Do what pleases me without considering what other people will say. I do not live
for other people, I live for myself. They do not know where I am going, I am the Commander
of myself and I alone understand the journey.

Because of the colour of my outfit that day, people could not sign on me, but some resorted
to signing on my face. That day, I was only concerned with how I would answer the questions
of my final written exam, not the merriment and exuberance of signing out. It is not until
people literarily sign out on you that you sign out. Be wise to choose what you want. After
the exam, I went to collect my corrections from my supervisor after my exams, I corrected
them and submitted the final copy after some weeks.

As I was going home one day, I realised the impact the exam I missed had on me. I may not
have worked so hard if I did not miss that exam, nor will I have become tougher or understood
failure and success better. I saw it as a trial. I bounced back after the mental breakdown. I had
seen what failure looked like and I knew how to start again from scratch, how to rebuild a
mansion that was destructed with a change in time. I stood by Allah in it, and He came through
for me. At times when things happen to us, we see it as a problem or even blame ourselves
for making it happen. Everything happens for a reason and it is always meant to teach us a
46
lesson and make us tougher. Failure is not the end of the world. It is another attempt to try
again. Confucius said “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we
fall”. I remained consistent on that part, I put a lot of effort into it, I worked to have it, and I
prayed about it. I took my academics seriously as if my life depended on it, for my life actually
depended on it. Regardless of what it is, put the best in everything you do and do it with a
clean heart.

Let me tell you about my Dad and my Mum because it was my upbringing that built me into
this kind of person. My Dad is that father who loves education and will do anything to make
his children educated. When I was young, my dad got private teachers for my siblings and
me. The private teacher came every weekend. So, when I was not in school, I was at home
learning. Whenever we had done well in school, my Mum would compensate us with
edibles. My Dad is a teacher, and he would check our results carefully at the end of each
term. My Dad observed that many of us did not do well in Mathematics, and he got a
mathematics teacher for us. At the time I was in SS3, I knew Mathematics to the core. In my
secondary school, people thought I would study Mathematics at the university. I loved
Mathematics passionately that I could solve anything in Mathematics.

Whenever we were on holiday, my Dad would look for holiday lessons for us and pay for
them. He would drive us to the lesson in the first week of the holiday. At the lesson, they
would teach us all the things we ought to learn in the new term, so when we resumed school,
all the things they taught us in class were a sort of revision. I was always the first to understand
and complete every class work because I had done them during the holiday coaching. In our
leisure time, once my Dad observed that we had spent more than three hours playing or
watching the TV, he would tell us to read our books or go and read the Qur; an. After an
excellent job was done, my Mum would buy beautiful things for us. At times, my Mum would
just say “15x25?”, and whoever answered first would get a prize from her. This propelled me
and my siblings to study more. We all wanted to get gifts always. So, as a young girl, if I was
not reading or writing, I would be in an Arabic school. Do not blame me. My upbringing
groomed my activities at the university and in my personal life. We should build, in our
children, what we want them to be.

Back to my story, another fear was up – Project defence. I knew I wrote my project myself
and I could answer any question on it, but I was still scared. I was just thinking of what I would
47
say in front of those who had been in the field for so long. It was like being in front of Wole
Soyinka and using esoteric language when Wole Soyinka is the king of esoterism himself. I
practised so well, and I prayed as usual. I got there early and was nervous. I knew I would do
it, but I was just quite nervous. I was the second person to defend the project in my set. It was
what I wanted; it was what I planned. I wanted to be among the first set of people to defend
their essays, and I was. I defended my project successfully with little tension. I was so glad to
make the little corrections I had and submitted them to my supervisor to crosscheck them. At
night, I attended a dinner party, the Faculty of Arts Dinner and Award party. I had graduated.
That night party was the first I would ever attend as an undergraduate, except those I
attended when I was at conferences. I could not attend night parties because I lived at home,
because of the happenings around and because I could not just attend, even when I wanted
to or when I felt like attending. But I attended this, the last one as an undergraduate. I used
it to ease myself of school stress and to compensate my brain. That night, I got an Honorary
Award from the executives of the Faculty of Arts at the time.

I got back home in the morning, and I slept. I did not step out of my house for about two
weeks. I was just easing school stress. I was stressed and overstressed as an undergraduate.
Then, I was hoping to get good results. My results were being released gradually. Checking
results always drained me. Whenever my results were out, I was always so anxious to check
them. It was as if I had lost about 5 drops of blood whenever I was about to check my result.
I was extremely glad to see a 5 in my long essay and some other courses.

My hypertension heightened as the results were released. I had accepted my destiny, and I
was ready to accept anything. It will not be the end of the world if I did not graduate with a
First Class. But here I am today, not by my power, but by the Grace of God. I saw that I will be
graduating with a First Class Honours on July 1, 2022. It was not a 4.50; the least I wanted,
not even a 4.51, not even a 4.52, but a 4.53 and I was still expecting one more result. Wow!
That day was the best of all days. I could not believe my eyes; it was as if I was dreaming. I
was extremely happy, and I cried joyfully. The gravity of happiness shared between this day
and the day I got admission into LASU is what Mark Twain put as: “The best day of your life is
not the day you were born, but the day you understand why”. My understanding of “why” in
this quote is the day I realised that I would be graduating with a First Class, and my result was

48
approved on July 7, 2022, as one of the first set of results to be approved by the University
Senate.

I had fulfilled all the university criteria. I already had more than 144 units and I had passed
more than that as well, so my result was already displaying “awaiting Senate approval” when
I was still expecting the result of an elective course. However, my result was approved before
the result was uploaded and the lecturer could not upload mine. The result did not matter to
me anymore because I already had a First Class.

The news began to travel. My supervisor who was also the HoD, was so proud of me. He was
ready to inform anyone sitting in his office whenever I was with him that I am a First Class
graduate. I went to greet the University Coordinator of CIPPR, Mr Ademola Adekoya, and he
congratulated me. I was surprised and was forced to ask him how he knew, he said he was
there when the Dean of my Faculty was presenting the results of all graduands in Faculty of
Arts to the University Senate and he mentioned my name as the second First Class graduate
from the Department of English. I wanted to break into tears. I was over joyous and
emotional. I got a job some days after my result was approved. It was through the
relationships with people, the right attitude to work, and the extracurricular activities. I
appreciate Allah for the blessings and favour on me, as it was not by my power, but by His
Grace. I will be forever grateful. Qur’an 94 verse 5 says “For indeed, with hardship will be
ease”. I remember the words of Dr Bamgbose “There is a time to bear the pain, and there is
a time to enjoy the gain”.

I have a suspended story to tell you, Dear eyes. Coming to school from home was not an easy
task. I had a lot to do and put in place over the years. There were challenges, and at a point,
my extracurricular activities were affecting my productivity at home and they were causing
problems. I managed them well enough, maybe. I do not know. I knew that I had to graduate
well. That was what mattered to me as a baby mattered to its mother. I could not engage in
some other activities that I wanted. I had to be home, at times, to work. It was quite hard to
merge them all together. During exams, a lot of students coming from home would stay at
their friend’s hostels or stay in school for night reading, but that was not my case. I had to go
back home. I made sure I left my house as early as 6:00 am whenever I had exams, and I would
trek to my faculty. It made me spend roughly an hour from my house to class in the morning
and in the evening, it doubled up with traffic.
49
As an undergraduate, you need your sanity and you need to learn how to manage it when
someone disrupts it. Faith also came to school from home and she did it, mine could not be
an exception. Many people asked when exactly I read but I planned my life well and I
managed my time efficiently. It is one of the reasons why I hate it when people delay me. It
makes me angry.

Lagos drivers and conductors are another story to write home about. They showed me hot
pepper. This is coupled with the unpredictability of the road, the traffic, and the accidents. All
these caused me headaches and mental instability that were enough to mar me. I would have
left my house early enough for a class, only to find a big truck blocking a whole lane on my
way to school. I remember times when I trekked from LASU Gate to Iyana school, late in the
evening and at night because of traffic or because there were no buses. At times, Lagos drivers
and conductors would add up to my headache or relieve it. They are so naughty and crazy. I
would laugh and laugh at their naughtiness before getting to LASU gate. I remember that day
an accident happened over the night on Obadore bridge. I did not know. It was Lateefah, one
of my coursemates, that listened to the radio early in the morning and called me some
minutes before 6 am to tell me that the road was blocked and that I should leave my house
early. May Almighty Allah bless her. I rushed out immediately to face the traffic to school
before 8am when I had my exam. It was in 400 level second semester, and I knew I could
never miss an exam again, as that would be an extra year, and Alhamdulillah, I was able to
get to school early enough before my exam.

Going to school from home was mentally draining till I realised I already knew all the bus stops
from my house to the school gate intuitively. I realised that I could identify all the bus stops
and I already knew about 50 bus stops from my house to LASU Gate. If you were there the
day I put myself to the test, you would think I had worked as a bus conductor before. It was
to the extent that if my eyes were closed and I was dropped at any place between my bus
stop to LASU Gate, I could give the full description and the name of where I was without
anyone telling me. I passed that same lane for over 4 years and 6 months and I consciously
and unconsciously heard the conductors calling all the bus stops. They were registered in my
brain.

I remember the day I trekked from Iba junction to LASU Gate because an accident happened
and there was crazy traffic. I had to get down from the bus to start trekking. I had a test that
50
day. I trekked and trekked in the scorching sun till I got to school. When I got to school, I was
so tired. I could not even revise what I had read for the test. My brain was too tired to process
anything, and my body was weak. Nevertheless, I had to write the test and write it well. I
could not afford to fail. I couldn’t relate with my friends well in school. I was extremely tired
and not sure I could easily retain what I had read, having trekked under the scorching sun. I
had no choice; I strived to do the test well and pass it. I lost count of the halfway treks because
of accidents, bad buses, or fights. The accidents I had witnessed on the road gave me
psychological trauma. I had witnessed different accidents where there were dead people in
pools of their blood. These same people left their houses as I did; they boarded a bus as I did,
and we were all passing the same route. The psychological trauma was so much for me. At
times, I would be scared to go out if I thought deeply about it, but I had to go to school and I
could not fly. Nothing happened to me while boarding buses to school every workday and
sometimes on Saturday for 4 years and 6 months. Who would ever be a grateful soul to Allah
if not Shukrohlillah (this Muslim name literally means a grateful servant of Allah)?

Or is it times when the bus associations were fighting, and I could not get a bus on an
important day I had to go to school? Or days when I got stuck on the way thinking of ways to
get back home? Or many days when 6:00 pm ticked and I was still in school; I would see hell
on my way home. I would spend about two hours getting home, drained, and weak in traffic
without productivity. I could not count the number of buses I entered in my life as an
undergraduate. I could identify some buses, their drivers as well as their conductors. I shone
my face before boarding buses at times. It is one thing to leave my house early and it is
another thing to get a good bus to transport me to school early. Some buses wait at every bus
stop to carry passengers, extending the minutes I will use on the bus thereby making me late
for classes. It is another thing for them to put bad buses on the road. It is in Lagos that I knew
that an “unwell bus” can be used to collect money and the conductor will put you in another
worst unpaid bus that may stop abruptly on the way too, or you tell them you will alight
somewhere, and they drop you halfway. I will have to trek to complete my journey. They will
still insult you with your money and you have to trek to your destination. At times I get sad
whenever I am leaving school once I remember the hell I will encounter before I get home.
Overall. I experienced shege on transportation.

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What you should learn, basically, is that there is no excuse for academic excellence. Let the
worst happen, you have no excuse because within you lies the potential to achieve greatness.
Regardless of your circumstances and challenges, you have the power to rise above and excel
in your academic sojourn. It requires dedication, commitment, hard work and sacrifice
because the rewards are immeasurable. Remember that excuses are merely roadblocks on
the path to success, and with determination and perseverance, you can overcome them.

Additionally, do not just go to school, let school go through you. To let the school go
through you, you have to do more. At least, do one extracurricular activity if you cannot do
as much as I did. Volunteer with organisations, attend events and connect with influential
people. You should learn on the job. I subjected myself to it. The reward is something you
will see in yourself. No one will tell you. Do not give up on something so easily, since it is
something you want. I wanted to give up on the First Class, but I could not because I wanted
it and I worked so hard to attain it. Hard work is the secret to success. The difference
between a 4 and a 5 is finesse, diligence, and meticulousness in your script. 1 is what makes
4 and 5 different, but that 1 takes carefulness, finesse, and meticulousness to earn you a 5
instead of 4. So, you have to work for it. To me, a First Class means knowing a lot about a
subject alongside other relevant details related to it and then presenting what you know
accurately, beautifully, interestingly, and meticulously with finesse; for it is one thing to
know something and it is another thing entirely to know how to present it well.

Furthermore, I am not sure how electives work in other universities, but I am certain that
undergraduates do elective courses in LASU to boost their CGPA, not to acquire knowledge. I
was also a victim of that. My first intent for borrowing a course was my CGPA, and my second
aim was to acquire the knowledge of the course, where the second aim should override the
first. You should not only take elective courses because of 5s. The idea of elective courses is
to acquire knowledge on other courses that are not in your course of study. You should aim
at acquiring the knowledge as well because that will subsequently help you do well in the
exam and then give you a 5. Read to be brilliant, not to pass; think to be intelligent, not to
play. No knowledge is a waste. The knowledge of that elective course will be useful to you
one day. You should aim and seek knowledge, not results alone. Equally important, let the
knowledge reflect on you. Do not just take courses and be passive. All the courses you are to
take in a semester and in all the years of your undergraduate study should have impact on

52
you. For instance, students of English, do not just learn about English phonetics and
phonology and be passive. The knowledge and the impact of that course should reflect in the
way you speak, your diction. In my 200 level, I remember the day Dr Hunjo asked us in class
how we were applying literary essays to the way we live our lives. I was confused. He said we
should apply the knowledge of literary theories to the way we live our lives. I heard that from
Professor Fakoya as well. Your courses should leave an imprint on you.

On the flip side, if you got admitted for a course you did not choose and you decided to accept
the admission offer, you should, in all ways, develop an interest in that course. Know that you
have accepted to study the course and you have to find passion in it. Turn it into what is best
for you and be the best at it. The fact that you chose a course and you were admitted to study
another course is not the reason why you should fail. Interestingly, you can still be what you
want to be if you work towards it. Just find a passion in the new course you were given to
study, if there is a way you can learn about the course you were denied, you can audit the
courses as electives, if possible. That is another importance of elective courses, or you go on
Udemy, Coursera or Allison to learn about the course. You can also merge the courses. Or
after studying the course you were admitted for, reapply again for the course of your choice
or you apply for the new course at your master’s degree. Not being admitted for the course
you wanted is not the end of the world. When life throws you lemons, you turn them into
lemonades and let life itself be jealous of you that you got the best in the lemon it threw at
you. You can always find a way to connect things. Some people were admitted for a different
course and they found passion in it and of course, they are excelling. If that is not the case,
reapply. Try your best in the new course such that if you were asked what you used four years
of your life to achieve while studying the first course you were admitted to, you should be
able to say confidently that these are the things you achieved.

For students of English, many believe that if you were admitted to study English at the
university, you can only be a teacher or a lecturer. You can use the English language to do
anything whatsoever. Some chose Mass Communication or Law and they were admitted for
English, but they already thought it is the end. The English Language cuts across every sphere
of life. It is one of the major reasons I love English. If you chose Mass Communication and you
were admitted to study English, if you take all your courses from 100 level to 400 level
seriously, you can do better in Mass Communication than a graduate of Mass Communication.

53
You can work as a broadcaster or newscaster if you take your reading and speaking courses
in English seriously. You can work effectively as a journalist or as a public relations expert if
you take your listening, writing and grammar courses seriously. Moreover, as an
undergraduate, you can take some Mass Communication courses as electives for you to
acquire knowledge. Do not just while away your holidays with sleep, find something to do.
Even while the university is in session, find an internship or an organisation to volunteer with.
Be an employable graduate. I do not believe that there are no jobs, there are jobs, but the
graduates are not employable and experienced for the available jobs. Do not graduate alone,
graduate with experiences and connections.

Contrarily, if you chose law and you were admitted to study English, you can work as a
paralegal or as a forensic linguist. Funnily enough, there are about 4-5 English courses that
law students take as compulsory courses. Develop a passion for English, audit some law
courses if you can, take online courses on the legal field you are interested in and get a
certificate. For your master’s, you can study Forensics Linguistics. You may want to find out
what Forensics entails. With English, you can work in a court or with a lawyer as a paralegal
or rather, making lawyers’ work easier by detecting crimes with your expertise, Forensics.
English is not professionally empty. You may decide to not work as a teacher or a lecturer.
There are other jobs you can do with an English degree. Some of them are computational
linguists in the tech industry, copyeditors, technical writers, copywriters, forensic linguists,
lexicographers, translators, librarians, accent coaches, journalists, broadcasters, public
relations experts, audiologists, executive secretaries, among many others.

By and large, as an undergraduate, you should be ready to work hard. I knew that I would
work hard and that was why my mind was, sometimes, at rest when I missed classes or when
I was too engaged in extracurricular activities, although, regardless of this, I would still be
scared. You should be diligent. There is no shortcut to success, you have to work for it. You
work till you reach your destination. Know what you want to do, and do it till you succeed.

In Dr. Bamgbose’s words, “brilliance is what you do after class”. Commitment to excellence
should be extended beyond the classroom. It will reflect in what you do without anyone
coercing you. There are lots of opportunities flying around for you. You may want to explore
the following opportunities:

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 • opportunitydesk.org

• opportunitiesforafricans.com

• afterschoolafrica.com

• youthhubafrica.org

• voiceofyouth.org

• scholars4dev.com

• yalinetwork.com

• https://www.unv.org/become-volunteer

• https://www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers

• https://www.volunteerworld.com

• https://www.similarweb.com/website/opportunitydesk.info/

• https://www.similarweb.com/website/opportunitiescircle.com/

• https://www.similarweb.com/website/fullopportunities.com/

• https://www.opportunitiesforyouth.org/

• https://linktr.ee/UNYouthEnvoy?fbclid=PAAaY59UwC4oHPMLGk-
r0tWflTUkIJE7vpgUBP-3MD1Cg4fev3TJ0Yuvlshgc

• https://www.youthop.com/

Here I am today, I am not perfect. I am still learning. I do not have it all. I still have things to
pursue, I am who I am. I am still a humble lady. I still want to help and impact many people. I
still want to volunteer to people, I still want to host more corporate events professionally. I
still need to learn about my personality, my thoughts, my actions, my relationship with
people, soft and hard skills, among many other things. I still have my fears and I must face
them. I still want to be more religious. I still have to stop some habits and inculcate new
ones. I still want to always pray to Allah to make things easier for me. I still want to be more

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kind in look, in thoughts and in deed. I still want to tick many boxes. I want to smile more. I
hope to become a better person, and I hope you will, too.

You have stayed with me all through this story. Thank you so much for listening to me. I
hope you have learnt something from this. If you have questions for me or you want me to
help with something or you want to tell me what I could have done better or you have few
things to say about the book, please reach out to me. I would love to hear your thoughts
about this book.

ADEYEMI

IG – @theadeyemishukroh

+234 816 795 3389 – Whatsapp only

Email: shuqrohferanmi@gmail.com

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 Epilogue

When things happen

Or when you cannot get the gold you are searching for

Trust in God and rely on

Worship Him dearly and do your best

Then, work hard and be kind

It may not be the best and right time for you to get it

The time shall come effortlessly and unexpectedly

And it will be within your reach.

©ADEYEMI, SHUKROHLILLAH OLUWAFERANMI

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