HOW TO GRADUATE WITH A FIRST CLASS FROM YOUR UNIVERSITY.
A quote by Benjamin Franklin goes thus “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”.
Education is a very important tool in the life of an average individual, it is highly beneficial and not a waste but to finish well especially with a first class in your University, you have to be able to indulge fully in your studies. I agree that school is not always a fun experience, there are times when you feel like giving up because of the bulkiness of books allocated to you, the deadlines for submission of assignments, the impromptu tests however, finishing with a first class is a thing of the mindset and a steady process. Although, it may seem hard to finish with a first class in a Nigerian University but it is not a mission impossible.
As a student that just entered the University, to finish with good grades you have to start early. There are few things you need to decide on:
1. Attending lectures regularly: this is a very important one in the process of attaining a 5.0 GPA. Not only attending lectures regularly, paying attention to what the lecturer is teaching to be able to digest and understand it, taking note of his words and jotting things down. You should also make sure to buy the course materials given by the lecturer and read them thoroughly. Attending lectures helps in the building of your GPA because some lecturers tend to take attendance in class thereby awarding marks to those present while some give impromptu tests during lectures which they later record. Attending lectures also help in understanding the topic being taught more as there are some things the lecturer would say in class that would not be in the Course materials. It is quite pertinent to attend lectures regularly and listen accordingly.
2. Not comparing yourself to others: this is very essential in the building of your GP, if you are aiming to finish with a first class, you have to know and study how your brain operates, the system in which you can process and store in what you’ve read. There are students who read few days before their exam, some few hours and they pass excellently well while there are some who have to start reading early ahead of the class once they have the course outline so as to enhance their assimilation. Therefore, it is compulsory for you to know your brain capability and what it can handle as this helps you not to compare yourself to other students.
3. Reading ahead of class: this is a buttress to the second point, reading early and ahead of the class helps you to prepare well for exams, it also helps you when there is an impromptu test because you won’t be caught unaware and you will be able to write down a lot in your answer booklet. Reading ahead of the class also helps in understanding what is taught better, it makes you have an idea of what the topic being taught entails, you’ll be able to ask your lecturers questions on parts you do not understand in the topic.
4. Make use of time wisely: as a student aiming for first class, you need to be diligent in your use of time. suffice me to use the saying which says “All work and no play makes jack a dull boy”, this quote is very applicable to your education but you need to know how to manage time. You need to be aware of the time to read and the time to play. Not mixing one for the other is very important. It is normal for you to allow your brain to go through less stressful activities at times such as taking a nap, making conversations not related to education with friends, eating, going out, having fun and so much more but know when to stop these activities and take on the mantle of studying.
5. Studying early for tests and exams: to achieve this, you have to be very disciplined and understand that sacrifices has to be made to concentrate well on your studies. Studying early for tests and exams helps to relieve your brain of stress when your exam is near. It helps the easy remembrance of all you’ve read during exam. Studying early for exam is far better than studying a day to the exam because you’ll have enough time to cover a lot on your course with little or no stress. That is why studying early for exams and tests is really essential in finishing with a first class.
6. Try to acquire past questions on tests and exams: this really helps because there are instances whereby the questions set in an exam is taken from past questions or are similar to each other. Therefore getting past questions on all of your courses and studying it is really efficient, it helps you to test your knowledge on what you’ve read and the parts you need to work on. It also helps you to have an idea of what kind of questions might come out in the exam.
This I believe are few tips if adhered to would aid you in your quest of finishing university with a first class GPA.
I wish you the best of luck.