My appearance made people think I wasn’t a serious student –Adebanjo, TASUED First Class graduate

Korede Adebanjo is a first class graduate of Computer Science from Tai Solarin University of Education , Ogun State . Bowing out with a CGPA of 4 . 51 in 2015/ 2016 academic session , she shared her experiences in this interview with Eric Dumo
How easy was it finishing with 4. 51 CGPA ?
I won’ t call it easy , I say it ’s the grace of God, hard work and favour .
How did your parents receive the news?
My parents never believed I could make it that far because I made first class in my last semester . When I gave them the news , it was like a breaking news ; my mum shouted “ Halleluyah ” and gave me a huge hug; the same with my dad.
Have you always had similar performance in your previous schools?
Yes, I had excellent performances at the primary and secondary school levels .
How easy was it passing the Senior School Certificate Examination and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination ?
It wasn ’t easy at all . I had two sittings at the SSCE and three sittings at the UTME and post - UTME.
Did you have any delay in securing an admission?
Yes, I was delayed for like three years. I passed the UTME and the post - UTME well , but I kept waiting for the admission list to no avail . Other times , lack of funds delayed my admission . For instance, when I got my first admission, there was no money for registration.
Did you encounter any challenge as a fresher in school?
No, God made it so easy for me . There was money to pay for everything at the school . I also met old friends in the university who helped me out in all that I needed . Then , I believed that was the right time for my admission. If I had got it earlier, maybe I would have died or something bad would have happened .
When you gained admission to study at TASUED , did you plan to graduate with a first class?
I set out seriously without rest to achieve the CGPA. I won’t call it providence. I believe it was hard work ;
Since your graduation and given the kind of result you have, have you had offers from companies ?
No, I haven ’t got any offer so far , but I am trusting God for a good job .
Could you tell us what your experience in school was like ?
It wasn ’t easy , I burnt candles to read. There were problems at a point in time, but I overcame; there were periods of hunger and lack of funds to buy the necessary books . But in all , I came out fine .
Has anything changed about the way people relate with you ?
Everything has changed ; people now respect me a lot . I know it is not me they respect but what I am now.
Would you say you are a genius or it was just hard work ?
I am not a genius , it was purely hard work . I had to read all night most times and sometimes , I forgot what I had read, so I had to revise and review. It was just seriousness . When my friends were relaxing and having fun , I was in the corner of my room , reading.
What attracted you to Computer Science?
You know in Nigeria , you don ’t always get what you want . I wanted to study Medicine , but I got Computer Science .
What part of the course did you find challenging and which part did you find interesting ?
The courses were all challenging at first, but they got interesting when one got inquisitive . I don ’t really like coding /programming in any way, not because it was hard but because to me, it ’ s boring. I saw networking more easy and fun because it involves more of hardware .
In your view, why do students fail?
Students fail because they love fun more than they love school . They love to rest. They are lazy to study . They are proud to ask for help from the serious ones. They like every other thing apart from school . There are also factors like bad friends and cultism.
How many of you had first class in your class?
Four of us; a guy and three ladies.
Some people would think you would have read throughout to have that result. How many hours did you read daily ?
At least two to three hours a day but during exam periods, I spent more hours . I read from night till daybreak sometime.
What was your typical day like ?
From home to school , school to friends’ place, then to church and back home .
How many hours did you sleep per day?
Eight hours per day.
What was your reading style?
Reading at midnight and reviewing in the morning before leaving the bed was /is the best style for me .
Many good students spend most of their time in the library , how often did you use the place ?
Three times throughout school . I preferred reading at home because I could read in any position I liked — lying down , sitting down , standing up , walking around , reading out loud, etc . I wouldn’ t be able to do that in the library, so my room was my library.
Were you involved in other school activities ?
Yes, I was involved in social activities . I am very social and also serious. I was able to mix social life and school together and they never disturbed each other.
What was your schedule like towards and during exams ?
Revision , revision, revision. Before exam , I would have read it all , so I just revised during exam .
Have you ever had cause to regret your choice of course?
Never. It wasn ’ t my choice at first but if I had done any other course, I would be mad with myself . I love Computer Science . I love networking .
Are you disturbed by the unemployment situation in Nigeria ?
Very discouraging to the extent that sometimes I ask myself , is it really worth it to have gone to school ?
Did your parents reward you for good performance in any way?
Yes, not with material things , but with prayers and the joy in their faces gave me joy.
How would you describe your social life in school ?
Sixty per cent . I did almost everything people do for fun . I went to parties because I like dancing. Doing make - up was a hobby. I like to look good all the time. People never noticed how serious I was towards school ; they only saw the outward appearance.
Do you recall your happiest and most embarrassing moments in school ?
My happiest moment was when I finished with first class . What other moment could have been better? The embarrassing moment was when I was mocked by my friends for something I didn ’t do.
What are your aspirations in life ?
I want to have an Internet Service Provider of my own someday .
Would you like to practise the profession or you have interest in other things ?
Yes, but I love doing business, too . If my profession doesn ’t make me as successful as I hope , I will go for business.
Were you told stories by anyone about how difficult it could be to have a first class and did it affect you in any way ?
A lot of bad stories, they even said it was not possible . My sister finished with a second class upper and I told her when I got there, I would finish with first class . She laughed at me saying it was not possible . I’ m happy I made it though it wasn ’t that easy.
Where would you like to work ?
I would like to do any well paid job , but I would prefer a networking firm.
Is there anything you would have loved to do as a student that you could not do , maybe because of your dedication to your studies?
I would have loved to pierce my nose , but I didn ’t. My mum doesn ’ t like it and even my lecturer (Mrs . Abimbola), who really showed me love . I didn ’t want to disappoint them .
Did some of your colleagues see you as too serious ?
Sometimes when I answered questions in class , they would call me , “ I too know. ”
What should students do to have your kind of result?
Student should be focussed , they should never give up on what they believe in even when people tell them it ’s not possible . Make it possible by not being lazy ; keep the right friends; don ’t let anything come between you and your studies; pray during difficult times and most especially, read like it ’ s going to be your last during exams.
  Punch