Baskadia

Congratulations to you for successfully making it into the university.

It is possible that you tried more than once before getting your desired course; I am certain you wouldn't like to trivialize it.

If you desire to come out with first class, now is the best time to pursue it.

There would come a time in the future when it would be impossible no matter how much you try.

Imagine trying to hit a CGPA of 4.50 in your third year when you already have 2.50. That will be very impossible.

Unfortunately, I wasn't privileged to learn what I am about to tell you on time.

I didn't have anyone to guide my steps the way I am doing it for others today.

Now is the ideal time to start shooting your best shot. If you do, you will hit the target.

Here's some tips that would help you get your desired result:

𝟏- 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬

Do not trivialize notes and lectures. They're very important despite how boring and irrelevant you think the lecturer is.

When lecturers notice students skipping their classes, they give impromptu tests and make sure they make use of it.

That's a sign you may not pass the course for that semester because you're only left with exams; which you may end up not writing well because you were not in class.

Sometimes, the recommended textbooks are not needed.

I am not encouraging you not to buy them, but just make sure you don't develop a habit of skipping classes and depend only on reading the textbooks.

When you skip any class, make sure you get the notes and update yours and also ask questions where you find it difficult to understand on time.

𝟐- 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬.

Every lecturer is different. Do not assume they all want the same thing.

The best people to enquire about this are your immediate senior colleagues.

When answering exam questions, there are lecturers who just want you to go straight to the point with the answer.

When you want to show them you're a skilled writer, you may be surprised you will fail the course.

This is why people write correctly, yet fail. That's because they made their answers too lengthy and it bored the lecturer.

These are lecturers who have short attention spans. They don't have so much patience.

Another category of lecturers are the ones who want verbatim—word by word, comma by comma, full stop by full stop exactly the way it was given in their notes or textbooks.

If you don't know how to cram, you have to learn it and read in between lines.

The last category of lecturers are the ones who are very creative.

They want you to express yourself according to your own understanding.

You're free to your own words as long as they resonate.

The last category are my favorite lecturers because they're giving me an opportunity to be creative.😁

𝟑- 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬.

When you get into campus, so many people will try to make friends with you for different reasons, especially in your own class.

You don't have to "gree for everybody" 😉

Choose reasonable, godly and intelligent friends.

They will increase your vibe and update you regularly on what each lecturer expects.

Most of them have the ability to explain things you don't understand as soon as the lecturer finishes a lecture.

Please do not have the kind of people who will discourage you from attending lectures, or even make you go late just because you're waiting for them to dress up as friends.

𝟒- 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬.

Past questions are the most powerful reading materials.

It is easier to get them from your senior colleagues or friends.

Sometimes this will cost you a lot, but learn to make sacrifices. It's a wise investment.

Have your own copy and stop borrowing.

I was one of the suppliers of past questions during my time because I went to my senior colleagues as soon as each semester ended.

Most lecturers don't have the time to set new questions.

I graduated from the Accounting department in the University of Calabar.

They repeated questions every semester and only changed a few slightly.

Most times, they even go as far as repeating a whole year's question.

They just change the date and make photocopies.

You're the one seeing it as laziness, for me, I see it as an answered prayer. 😂

𝟓- 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

I realized I wasn't the night type.

Night reading was a struggle for me. So I maximize my day to read unless tension doesn't allow me a day to the exam, that's the only time I can read overnight.

PS: I usually read during the semester but make it intense when it is at least one month before the exam.

𝟔- 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲.

You will take this prayer seriously if you have gone blank in the exam hall after studying so hard for an exam.

That's the worst thing that can ever happen to anyone. I don't even pray such happens to an enemy.

That's when you know village people exist and stand your ground in prayers.

I always prayed before I opened my book to read and start answering my exam questions.

Whenever it seems I can't grasp what I am reading, I pause and say a little prayer and then continue.

𝟕- 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡.

The race is not for the swift nor the battle for the strong, but it is of the lord that shows mercy.

I have seen hardworking students fail, there was no grace.

I have seen students lose strength and get so weak trying to study for exams that they can't even read for five minutes; they lack strength.

I have also seen students write so well yet fail, favor was lacking.

I have seen those who knew their performance didn't qualify them to pass but surprisingly they did.

This one is called a miracle.

( This doesn't encourage laziness, it is a rare occasion so you must work hard as a student.)

𝟖- 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬, 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Take note: Do this early so that you can grasp it before the exam commences.

Don't always go a day before the exam when they're still trying to maximize the little time they have to cover up what they haven't.

They may snub you and that might be what you will meet in the exam.

You should make sure you go to them early so you can have the time to master it before the exam.

𝟗- 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧-𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲.

Don't make the mistake of only focusing on the past questions and ignore your notes and textbooks.

I did it one semester and went blank in the exam hall because the questions were twisted.

When you study with notes and right materials, you would have a broad knowledge about the course that would help you answer the questions even when twisted.

𝟏𝟎- 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥.

If you truly honor God, you won't do this.

I know it's really hard but it's possible.

I never carried chips during my university days, Although I used to communicate with my coursemates in the exam hall.

How am I supposed to know how they got their answers? What if they were from chips?

However, during my last semester in the university, my convictions restricted me because of the level of my consecration and I never said a word in the exam hall.

This too is not easy because you will attract so many enemies. But it's better to please God than to please men.

Do you know the testimony? That was the semester I had the best result so far.

I am certain I would have come out with a first class if I knew all these in year one.

One of the advantages of depending on yourself and God is that it would keep you on your toes while studying because you know you're on your own and have to study hard unless you want to fail.

Copying and carrying chips comes with a lot of consequences when caught:

First you would be stopped from writing the exam,

Secondly your script would be collected before you can even finish. Sometimes it happens at the beginning of the exam.

Thirdly, you would be embarrassed.

Then the worst side of it is that you would fail the course.

If you don't want to fail, you may be left with no other option than to compromise by going behind to sort the lecturer which is not a guarantee to pass because I have sorted and failed twice.

Never depend on sorting.

The best thing to do to avoid communicating with your friends in the exam hall is to tell them your standards, study with them prior to the exam and exchange ideas.

When you don't mind your business in the exam hall, you can easily go blank.

𝟏𝟏- 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝟑𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐝.

I had a lecturer who won't allow you to enter the exam hall when you get there after he has called students in. If you get there exactly the time the exam is to start, he will keep you outside for 30 minutes before calling you inside.

He always advises us to come 30 minutes before the exam.

This also helps your mind to be relaxed before the exam commences.

When your mind is relaxed it would help you to be agile and retentive.

Also maximize your time.

Split your time by dividing it by the number of questions you have chosen to answer after going through all the questions in the question paper.

Then begin with the compulsory question—they usually have the highest mark.

When you seem to get stuck, please don't waste more time than apportioned to it, leave it and go to the next question.

You can come back to it if you have spare time when you're done answering others.

𝟏𝟐- 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬.

Don't be so confident that you wrote well and neglect prayers after your exams.

There are scenarios that can bring failure even after writing well. You need to tackle them through prayers.

Things like:

Your lecturer may be in a bad mood and transfer aggression while marking your script.

Your script might get missing during the course of transferring them from one place to another. I.e, from the lecturer's office to his car.

Your writing may not be too illegible—only God can calm your lecturer at that point.

Mistakes can come from students assisting lecturers to mark due to their level of comprehension.

P:S. Eat enough food, fruit and vegetables during this period. You also need physical energy to read and write your exams.

I understand during this period, you may not be in the mood to cook because you're tensed, but honestly, you need food. 😄

Always eat before going for any exam.

You might start feeling dizzy in the exam hall because some exams don't start when they ought to.

Make sure you resume whenever a new semester begins.

Have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. You need that to constantly renew your strength.

School can be draining and frustrating sometimes. You need a confidant as the Holy Spirit. 🤭

Join a campus fellowship and surround yourself with godly people. You need a family to encourage you in your darkest days.

When you apply all these diligently, you're sure to come out with a first class.

I would also advise you copy and save this in your notepad for future references.

©️ Chiamaka Agoha Victoria.

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