How UNIMAID Student Defies Odds, Graduates with First-Class Degree In Political Science

How University of Maiduguri Student Defies Odds, Graduates with First-Class Degree In Political Science

Jun 12, 2024 - 11:54

How UNIMAID Student Defies Odds, Graduates with First-Class Degree In Political Science

Against all odds, a determined graduate of the University of Maiduguri has made history by becoming the first student in the Department of Political Science to graduate with a First-class degree in over a decade.

Despite facing numerous challenges, including discrepancies in his results, rumors of deliberate attempts to sabotage his academic success, and balancing academic pursuits with leadership roles in various student associations, the graduate persevered and achieved the feat.

Below is the Statement From The Students;

"MY GRADUATION WITH FIRST-CLASS FROM UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI AND THE CHALLENGES I FACED

If my race for a First-class Degree was just about reading and passing examinations, I wouldn't say I faced any challenge. On the contrary, my strive for First-class was more than just passing examinations. It was full of challenges. The challenges started right from 100 level when our academic status was released. Instead of 4.80, I saw 4.51 as my CGPA. At that time, I didn't bother much about it because I thought it was an error that could be easily rectified.

Moving on to 200 level, my target was to get 5.0 CGPA. In my first semester, I got 4.77 GPA, while the second semester was 4.90. Again, when the academic status was released, instead of 4.82, I saw 4.52 as my CGPA. Despite making several attempts to rectify it, the discrepancy continued until my final year.

While in 200 level, I started hearing different rumours about my department. Some said that the discrepancy in my result was a deliberate action, and that if I continue to maintain First-class, when I get to 300 Level, the department would spoil my results with poor grades. Some said that because the Department has not produced a First-class graduate for the past Ten (10) years, no matter how hard I work, they wouldn't allow me to break that record. Others said that I wouldn't get First-class because I'm a Christian, and not an indigene of Borno state. In fact, if I had listened to what people were saying, I would have given up at the initial stage.

Surprisingly, when I got to 300 Level, everything changed. It was as if the rumours people were spreading about the department were true. That was the first time I got C, and even D in my results. In fact, 300 level result was like the popular saying, "what I ordered versus what I got". It was not a reflection of my performance. But I must mention two major reasons that contributed to that.

The first reason was that 300 and 400 levels were the stages that I met Lecturers (though not all the Lecturers) that no matter how hard you work, you can't pass their course with A. Even B was "hot cake". Because of that, my results were affected greatly.

The second reason was my involvement in extra-curricular activities, especially students' unions. Apart from representing the school in different programmes and competitions, I was the leader of our tutorial group, and also an official in five (5) students' associations: Secretary-General of NAPSS, Auditor of NUZAS, P.R.O. 1 of Union of Campus Journalist, member of S.U.G. Ministry of Programmes and Competition, and Acting Secretary of UNIMAID DEBATE AND PUBLIC SPEAKING CLUB. My movement on Campus everyday was mostly from Hostel to Class for lectures and or tutorials, or to a meeting, or an official function of one association, or the other. Sometimes I miss lectures because of activities of students' unions. In fact, some people were beginning to ask me if I had exchanged my First-class for activities of students' unions.

In spite of all that, when my 300 level academic status came out, I was still topping my class with 4.64 CGPA. In addition to that, my CGPA was still the highest in the Department (from 100 to 400 level). But, to be honest, although I received Best Graduating Student award, I graduated without the assurance of getting First-class because of the seemingly unending challenges that I was facing.

After my graduation, I thought the challenges were over, until one day I called my Level Coordinator to ask when we should be expecting our final results (Press release). Fortunately, he said to me, "all the results have already been compiled for press release. But we are still working on it. Meanwhile, in your result, you're missing First-class by less than one(1) point. Your final year CGPA is 4.49 0.5" -- he knew my ID. number because apart from being active in class, I was the only First-class student during our final year.

Instantly, I reminded him that there was a mistake in computing my CGPA. I told him that when my 300 level academic status was released last year, I noticed that one of my 100 level courses (3 units) which I got 86(A), was recorded as 55(C). God so kind, he listened to my complain and asked me to send the course code, score and grade, that he would go to the HOD's office to confirm from the hard copy of the result. Since I used to copy all my results and keep when I was in school, I quickly traced it and sent to him.

Later in the evening, he chatted me that he has confirmed the mistake in my results and it has been corrected. But that I should wait for Press release to know my fate.

In the end, despite all the challenges that I faced, in a class of over 400 students, I graduated with First-class, breaking the 10years record in the department of Political Science.

Congratulations to me!????????????✊"

This achievement serves as a testament to the graduate's resilience and dedication to academic excellence, inspiring future generations of students to strive for greatness.

Congratulations to the graduate on this remarkable achievement!