A first-class graduate of Lagos State University, Saheed Sunday, has attributed his academic achievement to the influence of a secondary school teacher, disciplined study habits and the support of intellectually driven colleagues.
Sunday, who graduated from the Department of English with a 4.59 Cumulative Grade Point Average on a five-point scale, made this known in an exclusive interview with Tribune Newspaper, where he recounted his journey to becoming the best graduating student in his department.
He said his interest in English Language was sparked by his secondary school teacher, Mr Babatunde Sanyaolu, who discovered his potential after he volunteered for a school debate.
According to him, the teacher's mentorship transformed his attitude towards learning and eventually inspired him to write poetry, teach grammar and participate in academic competitions.
Sunday explained that his first year at LASU also marked a turning point in his academic journey because he realised that being the first person in his family to attend university was not enough to guarantee success.
He said he adopted a teaching-based approach to studying, explaining that he would read his materials with the intention of being able to teach what he had learnt. He said the method helped him identify areas where his understanding was weak and improve on them.
The graduate also disclosed that his final-year project focused on developing a grammatical formula for analysing the structure and meaning of Nigerian spoken-word poetry. He said the idea was motivated by concerns about the difficulty some people experience in understanding poetry.
Beyond academics, Sunday revealed that he published two poetry collections while at the university, with one published in Nigeria and the other in Canada.
He said one of his proudest moments as a creative was having one of his books recommended as a compulsory text for his course and subsequently writing an examination based on it.
Speaking on the career prospects of English graduates, he said the course had provided him with opportunities beyond the classroom, noting that he began earning income as an editor while still an undergraduate.
Sunday said his long-term goal was to use his knowledge of language to help people communicate their ideas confidently and effectively through teaching, public speaking and advocacy.
He also explained that maintaining a strong academic record while participating in extracurricular activities was made easier by surrounding himself with like-minded students.
He said a group of intellectually inclined colleagues in his department, known as the Savants of English, organised tutorials, engaged in academic discussions and challenged one another beyond classroom lessons.
The LASU graduate, who hopes to pursue a master's degree in Literature in English, identified the University of Cambridge as his preferred institution for further studies.
Reflecting on his university experience, Sunday said he did not have much of a social life because of his academic and leadership commitments.
He advised students struggling to combine academics with other activities to build friendships with people who share their values and are committed to similar goals.
