Meet UNILAG Best graduating student with 5.00 cgpa in the department of engineering

During the last convocation of the University of Lagos , 22 - year- old Omotuyi Oyindamola made the headlines as another student that graduated with 5 . 00 CGPA in the 2015 /2016 academic session . She graduated from Systems Engineering Department. In this interview with
TUNDE AJAJA , she talks about the feat
5 . 00 CGPA is the peak of academic excellence for an undergraduate in UNILAG . Did you target it from the start ?
When I got to school , I only had the plan to finish with a first class , as the Lord would help me to . However , when I saw my first year results and I had 5 . 00 CGPA, I made up my mind to sustain it. And it looked achievable. I knew it would require a lot of hard work and I was ready to do it. It wasn ’ t easy at all but God saw me through it all. I was also blessed with good friends and classmates who encouraged me all the way . I can also trace it to the fact that I had a strong upbringing in the area of being serious with my academics. My father is a scholar , so he trained (not forced ) us to be scholars too , and I thank God it worked. Beyond hard work, I believe I also obtained favour from God and my parents were deeply elated seeing that their first child achieved such a great feat .
Was it a continuation of your performances in previous schools or it was a fresh beginning?
Yes , I would say it’ s like a continuation. I had the first position from my JSS1 to SSS3 , and I finished as the best graduating student in my secondary school . I left a percentage score that people coming after would work smart to beat . With the help of God , I took the West African Senior School Certificate Examination and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination once ; I had a very strong secondary school education . Our teachers drilled us a lot . My WASSCE result was good and I scored 315 in UTME , so I gained admission the same year I finished secondary school . However , when I got to school , I had a little difficulty finding my way around , but thankfully, I had seniors who had been in the system who showed me around . I found that new students tend to hear some discouraging stories from senior colleagues, like how difficult it could be to have first class or have an ‘ A ’ in some courses. People said a lot , based on their own experiences , but I just had to take the good ones and trust in God . So , if anyone told me no one had ever got an A in a course , I would just say someone could start it. If you have such mindset , you would likely get good results . And thank God four of us had first class in my class .
Some people still see engineering as a field for men. Did anyone try to make you change your mind ?
No , more so that I also did not see engineering as a field that a woman cannot venture into and thrive . In fact , it was my dream as a child to be an engineer, and that desire started at the age of five when I started connecting batteries and light - emitting diodes . So , growing up , I found that I love anything multitasking, computer -related , mathematics , fabrications , etc. Therefore , my mentor advised me to opt in for the course . Unknown to some people, system engineering is a very great but wide course . It is engineering and management put together . It is an interdisciplinary field of engineering and engineering management that deals with complex systems. It combines the knowledge of computer science with mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering . It is an all- encompassing field classified into Robotics, Operations research / manufacturing , Systems modelling and simulation and Control . But in a non - professional language, if you are looking for an industrial engineer who would be an entrepreneur , be effective in management of processes and be a software developer , among other skills , systems engineering is the way to go .
Since you had A in all your courses , how easy were they?
Every course has its challenges but I enjoyed tackling challenges so I did well in all my courses. However , I enjoyed programming and engineering design. For people who don ’ t know much about the course , especially its opportunities, as a systems engineer , you can work in almost all companies , because the course has various phases and it depends on your area of interest and expertise. Systems engineers are needed in manufacturing companies , oil industry , IT companies and banks , etc.
Only two of you had 5 . 00 CGPA in your set, which implies that having such result would not have come easy . What were the things you did differently from others that helped you ?
I did everything a good student would do , like reading , reading through the night and learning from seniors and classmates . I also tried to understand my environment – my lecturers , their marking schemes and my courses. I read to gain knowledge and of course to get good grades. In addition , I always tried as much as possible to answer all questions even when I did not know the answer . In such cases , I would expatiate on the little idea I had about the question , and once it’ s reasonable , the lecturer would know you know something about the question .
From your observation , what makes students fail because some students would have done those things as well ?
It is a relative question , because it depends on the individual . Some of the challenges include personal challenges , lack of interest, not writing the way the lecturer expects , like using general terms when you should use technical terms . In exams , little things matter , sometimes . So , I believe the reasons differ .
Some students would be wondering what they could do to have your kind of result . What would you tell them ?
There is no hard and fast rule to it; it is really about the individual ’ s desire , determination and focus. If you trust God for each day , learn from classmates , know the nitty - gritty of every course and get insights from seniors , understand the lecturer, understand the technique of how answers should be presented , and such things , then success is sure . Wisdom is also very important, because the way I write in Engineering is different from the way students of Law would write. Beyond these, students should know that school is not just for the grades but for knowledge. So , it’ s not good to read to pass , rather, students should read to understand, and in that process learn other things outside academics, which would be beneficial to them. So that by the time they leave school , they have a wider view about life .
Some people would think you read all the time. Was that true ?
Interestingly, I didn ’ t read all the time and I slept well. I didn ’ t even have a specific number of hours for reading daily but I ensured I read what I was supposed to read every day . However , while reading , I explored the internet for better understanding and it helped. I took notes while reading and I gained some more while teaching others. I wasn ’ t the type that used the library . I used it only in my first year and I read mostly in my faculty and hostel . During exams , I ate and slept well, and at that period , my reading was more focused because the Lord always gave me direction . Also , I wasn ’ t shy to ask for help when there was need for it . Initially, I had difficulties with engineering drawing mainly because my first encounter with it was in the university. Thus , I had to attend personal and group tutorials to get on track , and it helped . Sometimes , some friends and colleagues saw me as a very serious person and at other times , they saw me as being very jovial because I had a good relationship with most of them.
Were you involved in other school activities ?
Yes , I worked in my department as a lab proctor for a year in both computations and simulations lab and the robotics lab .
Where is your dream place of work ?
Any Information and Technology and programming company because my career interest is Software Development . I aspire to be the person that God wants me to be . I would like to practise my profession and I ’ m also looking forward to a doctoral degree in the field .
Is there anything you would have loved to do as a student that you could not do , perhaps because of your dedication to your studies ?
My dedication to my studies did not affect anything I would have loved to do . However , if there was anything I wish I had more of, it would be to gain more practical knowledge in the field .
Since your graduation , and given the kind of result you had , have you had offers from companies ?
Yes , there have been offers and I thank God for that . Things have been awesome since I left school , but I do not give people reasons to see me any differently from who I used to be . I ’ m taking one day at a time while looking forward to a post graduate study after my National Youth Service Corps programme. Thank God for the kind of parents I have . They have always been sacrificial . They went through a lot to send us to school , so I didn ’ t have any financial challenge . Besides , I enjoyed UNILAG scholarship from my second year . Sometimes , they also rewarded me with cash gifts and words of encouragement, and I ’ m happy I had something to show for their efforts over me .
Did you have an active social life while in school ?
Yes , I did . My social life was superb . I was surrounded by good friends and I had a number of fellowship activities. I would never have been better if I had gone through school without finding my great lover – GOD . And notably , my happiest moment was on my convocation day , when I saw what the efforts of so many people had resulted into.