MY ACADEMIC SUCCESS STORY: HOW I WENT FROM BEING AN F STUDENT TO A B STUDENT

I am starting a series here on achieving personal and academic success. So, in the next 7 episodes, I will be interviewing a few people about how they achieved or are achieving success in their academic or professional lives. These guys are actually close friends and I chose them because there are also very kind people. I dislike successful people who are arrogant, so having a good character was an important criterion for my selection. 

Here is my story: 

I didn't know that I was not very bright until I got to primary 4. I had a class teacher who was very hard on those of us that were struggling academically. She had a bias for the bright students and hardly ever smiled at those of us that did not do very well. A girl named Lara and I were actually the poorest in her class and we were sort of comrades. 

Anyways, my rock bottom was actually being called out for cheating during a class exercise. For some reason, I found myself sitting next to one of the smart students for a test and I copied his answers. The results of the test were announced and I was applauded for coming 10th in class. I guess my plan was to continue spying at the boy's work for the rest of the school year but less than a week after, I was caught and disgraced.  Anyways, at the end of the academic year, I moved to the next class. 

But guess what? I automatically started doing better in class. Why? 

1. The new class teacher was less critical of students that did not do very well. 

2.  I made friends with the other students who were doing better in class. A girl named Tolulope Ukah was always willing to explain concepts that I didn't get during the class. 

3. I sat in the first row so I could see the board better. 

At the end of that school session, I finished 5th in my class (out of 28 students) and just behind all the bright friends I had made that year. 

I understood that  I needed to make friends with people who were smarter than I was and kind enough to help. And this was the principle I began applying to my academic work as I moved to high school. What I found was that studying was much more interesting when I did it with a reading partner who was also a good friend.

Also, the high school always recognized the students who scored the highest in each class test across the entire school and this motivated me to work harder. I am proud to say that I did score the highest mark once or twice and got the principal's golden handshake 

I also had the best results in the board exams at the end of my junior high school year and the main reason was that my mum had hired a home tutor to help me study. 

By senior secondary school, I had developed the habit of studying at home. I think I was able to develop this habit from watching my mum work on her stock records at night. Children take after their parents in many ways and the fact that my mum did her paperwork at night made me want to do mine as well. 

I passed the high school board exams in one sitting. I made more As than I made Bs or Cs. So, that was good enough for me. My teachers also played a considerable role: validating me whenever I did well (even for the most insignificant task that was done properly).

My undergraduate and postgraduate education followed the same strategy: bonding with brighter students and studying for all my exams. 

So, this is what I know for sure about learning and achieving academic success:

1. You don't have to be a straight-A student to be a successful student. You also don't have to attend an Ivy League college. What actually matters the most is constant improvement. 

2.  You have to surround yourself with people who look out for you academically. The day before my final pharmacy education exam, I fell ill and had a fever. But I had a friend who made sure I studied overnight for the exam despite my fever. 

3. Study for every exam. You are more likely to pass an exam you studied for than the one you did not study at all for. 

4. Study with past questions. 

5. Know how to present your answers. Teachers might give you a format for answering their questions. Or you can check with former students. 

6. Seek out likely questions from your peers. 

7. Give yourself enough time to study for the exams. 

In conclusion, the most important factor in your academic or personal success is the company you keep. Your friends determine how fast you move in life because humans are social beings. We learn by watching others; we are largely motivated by what we see others do. 

This might be a good time to scan your network. I urge you to connect with people who make you feel good about yourself. 

And one last thing, these guys need not be exceptional. They just have to be good enough for you and your dreams. 

Thank you for reading. 

-Tobi Amokeodo