Twenty-one-year-old Isioma Nwosu, who emerged as the overall best-graduating student of the Lagos State University, shares with AYOOLA OLASUPO, the motivations and how she attained the academic milestone

When did you start experiencing academic success?

Right from my primary education, I have been doing excellently well in my academics. I was the valedictorian in my primary and secondary school, and even right now. That is one thing I know I’m gifted at.

My dad is from Anambra State, but my mum is from Delta State. I’ve lived my whole life in Lagos State, which means that my entire academic journey has been in Lagos.

What did you study at LASU and what’s your CGPA?

I attended Ifako International Secondary School and later graduated from the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science at Lagos State University with a CGPA of 4.93, as the overall best-graduating student of the Class of 2024.

How does it feel to be the overall best graduate of LASU?

It feels surreal because I’ve not fully soaked in all the emotions yet. Maybe that will come gradually, but for now, I’m happy and thankful to God for making this come through. I’m happy about it.

Did you ever imagine reaching this height when you gained admission?

I didn’t see it coming because I didn’t gain admission immediately after I finished my secondary education. I had a year’s gap because I had to rewrite the UTME. In my first year, I had a perfect CGPA of 5.0. It was my friends who told me that I could maintain it, and I told myself, ‘That’s true.’ I just needed to work harder. I think that was how I found the motivation to work towards that goal.

What was your initial academic goal?

My initial goal was to study Medicine and Surgery. So, I sat the UTME in 2019; I actually chose Medicine and Surgery at the University of Ibadan, but when the results were released, I was two marks short of the cut-off mark for the course, and I was not able to gain admission to study it.

I had to re-sit UTME, but this time I chose Lagos State University with the same course. Instead of Medicine and Surgery, I was given Biochemistry. At that point, I knew I just had to accept it and do my best. It was a lecturer, Dr. Oseni, who motivated me.

We were having a Physics class, and he made a statement that some of us in the class weren’t given our preferred course of study, and while some were lamenting, he asked why not try to prove to the school that we actually deserved our preferred courses.

When he said that, I took it upon myself and said I wasn’t given Medicine as a course, but now it’s Biochemistry, and I would prove to Lagos State University that I indeed deserved to be given Medicine and Surgery. That was what sparked the passion.

How were you able to maintain academic consistency throughout your time at LASU?

Consistency wasn’t easy. It wasn’t a walk in the park, but how I remained consistent was, first of all, with the help of God, because I know that God is the one directing us. He made all my dreams come to pass. So, when I got a low CGPA in my first year, my friends made sure I was not lacking. I was always on my feet and reading. I always did my part because their bashing helped me remain consistent.

Was there any special reading culture you adopted?

I don’t think I adopted any reading culture, but one thing I always did was that before I went to bed every single day while in school, I would ask myself, “What is that new thing that I learnt today?” If I was not able to answer that question, it meant that I had just wasted 24 hours.

To avoid that, I made sure I read any course I was taught that day before going to bed. Let’s say today, I was taught three courses—I must at least read the PDFs, the textbook, the notebooks, or whatever course material it may be, for those courses before going to bed. That was the culture I adopted.

Did you face any tough moments as a student?

One thing that I had to cut out was trying to balance everything, because I was not just into academics—I also participated in politics. I was very active in politics, and I had a social life in school. I was the 33rd speaker in my department. I got into that position in my final year. So, balancing the speakership position and academics was a little bit tough, but what I did was that if I put extra hours into politics, I must also put in the same extra hours into academics.

That was my mentality—trying to balance both. I was not letting one suffer for the other. As I said, with the help of the people around me, when they observed that I was letting one suffer for the other, they called me back to reality. I would then check myself and restore the balance.

How did you overcome that moment?

I remember in the second semester of my third year, my CGPA dropped. I was on a CGPA of 4.97, and I had already done all the calculations that by the end of the final year, I might be on either a 4.99 or 4.98 CGPA. But in that semester, I got a grade ‘C’ in one of my results. That was the only ‘C’ I had in all my results, and it dropped my CGPA from 4.97 to 4.94.

When I saw the result, I felt like, “What is all this?” because I had already done everything and planned out my final CGPA. So, when that happened, it took me back to the drawing board. I knew the next step was to make sure I maintained the 4.94.

I’m a strong believer that it’s easy to get to the top, but it’s not easy to maintain it. I kept that in mind. I told myself I needed to keep pushing regardless of what happened in the third year.

Were there any supporting blocks that inspired you to ensure you got the desired results when your CGPA dropped?

Very quickly, I remember that I had good people around me. I had a circle that was all for my success. First of all, my main support was God, because I feel He’s the one who brought my sanity back. Secondly, my family—my siblings. I just knew they couldn’t be spending this much and I wouldn’t give them a good result.

That kept me going. I said to myself that I wouldn’t disappoint my friends who had been supporting me since my first year. The finish line was near, and I wouldn’t disappoint them, including my lecturers, my HOD, and lecturers from other departments too. They really supported me and gave me the courage to continue.

I always tell people that I’m not an island of knowledge. I don’t know everything. So, there are people who know a lot more than I do, and I’m a very open person. When I don’t understand something, I know what to do. My lecturers helped me. They were welcoming, and if I didn’t understand something, they were always willing to explain it to me.

They played a key role. My classmates also helped too. Yes, because I wasn’t the only brilliant person in my class. We had a lot of brilliant people. So, we always helped one another out. I would say it was more of a healthy rivalry.

There was competition, but we still helped one another. I graduated with 4.93. Someone in my class graduated with 4.92 and another with     4.91. That was how tight the competition was. So, we struck a balance—we competed, yet we learned from one another.

Was there a moment you felt like giving up?

I think that was when my CGPA dropped. That was my down moment. I remember that night—I just felt like I had tried enough and should stop. But then, I called my friends and lecturers and told them what had happened. They encouraged me and said that regardless, I should keep going and that it didn’t matter.

How were you able to handle distractions as a student leader, social media pressure, and academic stress?

I was able to handle the pressure. I’m a strong believer that there’s  time for everything. So, when I was in school, I knew I would be needed politically. While in school, I dedicated time to my political life, but when I got back home, I completely shut down the political life and focused on academics until I returned to school again.

The hours I spent discussing politics in school were matched by the hours I spent reading my books. I am a social person too, but I didn’t just attend any party or event. I only attended events when I needed to be there or when my presence was necessary. So, I knew how to choose what to attend and what to ignore.

Do you have any plans to further your studies in Biochemistry?

I wish to further my studies, but not major in Biochemistry. I want to combine Biochemistry and Tech because I believe the world is evolving, and we must evolve with it. I’m going to get a PhD in Bioinformatics, Data Science, or any related field. I’m open to any form of scholarship that can make this dream come true.

If you could describe your LASU experience in three words, what would they be, and why?

Transformative, challenging, and unforgettable. Lagos State University shaped me academically and personally. From building meaningful connections to excelling in my studies and politics, it helped me evolve into my best self.

The stress and intensity show that it wasn’t always smooth, but those challenges brought out my resilience and strength. With all the memories, friendships, ups and downs, and achievements, Lagos State University left a lasting mark on my life.

If given the chance to influence university policy, what change would you advocate to support student success?

There was something our Vice Chancellor did during her first year in office. She gave scholarships to all the first-class graduates at that time. I think I was in my first year then.

If that could be done continuously, I strongly believe more people would strive to do well in their academics. The number of students doing well academically would increase every year. I feel like it should be done every semester or yearly, and it would help students focus more.