Shukroh Adeyemi is a first-class graduate of the Department of English, Lagos State University (LASU), for the 2020/2021 academic session. She is the second first-class graduate of the department since its inception. In this interview by YUSUF ABDULKADIR, she speaks about her academic journey and her dreams for the future.
How did you feel when you saw your final result?
I felt like I was the only being God has done a huge favour. I was marvelled and emotional. I screamed! I didn’t know when tears streamed down my face. I had thought I won’t make it. I am so grateful and I will forever be grateful to Allah.
How was growing up for you? Were you always topping your class from childhood?
Yes, I have always topped my class since childhood. I was brought up in a family of six, and my father loves education. He worked so hard to send all of us to school. My dad would buy textbooks for a new term before the previous term ended. He would arrange them and make them accessible for us to study. He would pay for private teachers to teach us at home. He would still drive us to lessons during the holidays. My father also drove us to school every day before going to the school where he teaches. All these make me love schooling.
I loved reading and writing. As a child, what gave me joy was taking the first position in my class, just to make my dad happy. My mum would buy me edibles whenever I took the first position. Their attitude towards my education shaped the way I handled my academics. In essence, the way I was brought up instilled academic excellence and diligence in me from childhood.
When you were a child, were there times your parents coerced you into reading?
When I was very young, and even in secondary school, once my dad observes that my siblings and I have spent more than two hours watching the TV, he will tell us to go and read our books. Or once he sees that we are restless and idle, the next thing is to read. So, yes, at some points, I was coerced to read. But later I loved it and I appreciated them for coercing me. It is what has built me into what I am today.
You became the second first-class graduate of your department with a CGPA of 4.53. How were you able to do this?
When I was in 100 level, it has already become a norm that no one can graduate with a first class. So, I was resolute and determined to work hard to break the jinx. I never gave up. I was able to do it with determination, hard work, perseverance and consistency. It was not easy because I missed an exam and carried over the course. However, it was not an impossibility. I worked super hard and diligently to get it.
Were you at any point worried that you might not make a first-class after all your hard work?
Yes. I had hypertension in my 400 level. In my 400 level days, I was worrisome, anxious and fearful. I was scared that my CGPA may be just a stone’s throw to a first class. I was so sad. I had thought I will not make it. At a point, I already accepted what life has tossed to me – the possibility of graduating with a second-class upper grade. Finally, when I saw my final result, having made a first-class grade, I broke into tears.
Did you adopt a special reading method to achieve this feat?
Maybe. I studied hard. I really studied hard. I read and write a lot. I attended all my classes and listened attentively to my lecturers. Most times, I would have rehearsed how I will sit for the exam before I left home, so once I get to the exam hall I will start immediately and answer the questions well. In short, it is basically to study well, know what each lecturer wants and provide them with it sufficiently.
How did you come to the idea of studying English?
That is mysterious. I still cannot say where the revelation came from. I had planned to study law. But at the point of registering for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), I chose English. I just wanted to study the language. I don’t know how that came to me. I love English Language and I’m glad I studied it. It is one of the best things that occurred to me.
What were some of the challenges you faced as a student?
They were majorly transportation and financial challenges. They were on the verge of affecting me, but I resisted. I withstood and surmounted the challenges.
Brilliant people are often believed to have little social life. What is your take on this?
Yes, it is true. This is because a lot of brilliant people, especially brilliant students, don’t do any other thing after reading. However, I wanted to have a different story to tell from others. I wanted to correct the misconception that people have about brilliant students. I engaged in many extracurricular activities on campus. I volunteered and I worked.
What were these extracurricular activities?
I represented the university in many competitions such as the NANS Inter-tertiary Debate competition, which I won. I represented the university in a Southwest Nigeria Debate competition and I won four out of the five awards of the Southern Conference. I also represented the university at a regional level for all Students of English in Southwest and I won the Most Outstanding Regional Executive in two consecutive years. I won the most reputable LASUITE in 2021, Most Diligent and Bookworm of the Year in the Department of English, and also the Academic Star of the Year in the Department.
I co-founded Literary Voice Club for all students of English in the university to learn the four basic language skills. I facilitated tutorials in the department and I was the Lead Tutor of Young Grammarians Hub. I also worked as the pioneer General Secretary of the Ingenious Wepolite Society to train LASUITES in the art of writing.
Another major extracurricular activity I did was working as the third General Secretary of the LASU Debate Society. I trained LASUITES on public speaking and debating. I was one of the core executives that organised LISTEN 2021. At the end of my administration, I was awarded the Most Outstanding General Secretary.
I also participated in City International Model United Nations, a United Nations conference that had representatives from various parts of the world, and I was awarded the Most Outstanding Female Delegate of the Conference. I hosted many events for various associations on campus – and, above all, I was one of the 25 students in Lagos State who won the Lagos FIRS Scholarship.
These are some of the activities I engaged in as a student. I wanted to have experience as a first-class student. I wanted to have other certificates and awards besides my degree. To achieve this, I engaged in many social activities, and I didn’t let them clash or affect my academics.
What were your best and lowest moments in school?
My best moments in school were when I was announced as the winner of competitions, while my lowest moment was the day I missed an exam in 200 level and had to retake the exam the following year.
What is your take on the student loan scheme recently introduced by President Bola Tinubu?
I believe that student loans will reduce the financial constraints that students face. I just hope that students do not abuse and misuse the opportunity. If the student loan is effective and functional, the Nigerian educational system will take a new turn. I believe it is for the benefit of the students after all.
What are your plans for the future?
In terms of education, I plan to create a scholarship scheme to reward academic excellence at LASU and other universities. I also plan to give back to the department and the societies at LASU that nurtured me into what I am today. I want to proceed to study for my master’s degree. I really want to.
Is there anyone you look up to as a role model in academia?
Yes. In academia, I am looking up to Dr Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose who bagged his PhD at the age of 31. He is one of the youngest PhD holders and one of the most intelligent lecturers I’ve ever met.
What tips could you offer students who wish to attain academic excellence like you?
What is worth doing is worth doing well. If you must go to the university, please go well. Take it seriously and achieve the best at the end of it so that when you look back, you will be able to say, with your full chest, the things you have achieved during those years.
Additionally, try to be the best everywhere you are and in everything you do. Let posterity remember you for something laudable. To attain academic excellence, you have to be determined and consistently work hard for it.
I have recounted my undergraduate story in my book titled ‘My Undergraduate Sojourn: Attaining Academic Excellence’. The book recounts how I attained academic excellence and how you can, too. It reveals the opportunities available for you as an undergraduate. Also, it contains some quotes that will help you in your sojourn and will also help you navigate life’s journey. You will be glad to read it.It’s free of charge.
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