Gabriel Dike
Twenty-five years old Lauretta Onemu was the star attraction at the maiden convocation ceremony of Chrisland University, Abeokuta, Ogun State. She obtained 5.00 Cumulative Grade Point Average and itched her name in the academic history of the institution.
Stakeholders including former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi and the proprietress of the university, Chief (Mrs.) Winifred Awosika could not help but applaud her academic feat.
In an interview with The Education Report, Onemu revealed the secret of her success and academic journey since 2016.
Can you tell us about your life and educational background?
My name is Onemu Lauretta Ufuomanefe. I am from Agbara-Otor, Delta State and was born in Lagos. I attended Royal Infant Academy, Ojo, Lagos for my primary education. I attended Chrisland College, Idimu, Lagos for my secondary education. I wrote JAMB in 2009 and I scored 209. I also wrote WAEC and NECO examinations which I passed with credits. I studied Medicine at the Houdegbe North American University, Bènin for about five years before several issues made me leave. I wrote the British Council A-Level examinations after leaving Houdegbe and used my results to get admission into Chrisland University.
Give details of how you started from 200 level to 400 level with an aggregate of each academic session
I was admitted into Chrisland University in 2016 through the Direct Entry using the British Council A-Level examination. I wrote the Cambridge A-Level Examination in November 2015 and I got two B’s and a C. As a direct entry student, I was admitted into 200 level. I set the first semester as a trial period for myself during which I hope to find out my strengths and weaknesses. But to my greatest surprise, I was able to achieve all A’s that semester resulting in a 5.00 CGPA. From there, I just focused on working hard in order to maintain my grade point average and by the grace of God and the prayers and support from my family and friends, I was able to achieve a 5.00 CGPA every semester from 200 to 400 level.
With seven of you as pioneer graduating students, how was social life on campus?
I was not one of the initial pioneer students, I met them when I was admitted to in 200 level. Then, we were about 52 altogether in the whole school. The social life was okay. Because we were quite small in number, it was difficult to find a person you did not know, in essence, everybody was a friend to an extent. There were also a lot of get-togethers, film shows and birthday parties that allowed us to bond further. It was quite fun at the time.
Was there a time you felt like giving up as a student at Chrisland University?
Ummmm……yes. At one point, it seemed like everybody was leaving for other schools because there were a lot of accreditation rumours flying around and I was a bit worried. I had already left one school because of accreditation problems, I did not want to do it twice. However, I persevered because I had hope in the school. At the end of the day, the whole process of accreditation was explained to us and this shed light on what was actually going on. The programme was fully accredited at the beginning of my fourth year.
At what point did you realise that you will record a perfect score?
Until I saw my final result for the second semester of 400 level, I was doubtful about graduating with a perfect CGPA score. Most of my colleagues believe that I am super confident in my grades once I write exams, but I am not. I worry constantly until I see my results. Many times after a paper I feel I did not perform well, I would call my mom and talk to her about it. She would comfort me and prays for me. Project also brought its own worries as I had heard severally that it was quite difficult to get an A grade. Even after my project defense, I was still worried until I saw my grades. In summary, I only realised I would graduate with a perfect score when I saw my final results.
People describe students with 5.00 CGPA as a bookworm, are you one?
I would not say I am a bookworm. I spend a lot of time reading novels which I love to do, chatting with my friends, playing games and watching movies. I did not spend a lot of time in the library or reading my course work. But I tried to be serious whenever I had assignments, tests, and exams. I would set studying goals for myself to keep me on track and give myself rewards for meeting them. My rewards could be reading novel for one hour or watching a movie. By doing so, I was able to keep distractions at bay when needed.
Apparently, Psychology was not your first choice of course, what happened?
My first course of study was Medicine and I gained admission the year I graduated from high school. I wanted to be a pediatrician. I studied medicine for five years but the accreditation status of the school was shaky and so I had to leave. However, it was in the course of studying medicine that I was exposed to Psychology, specifically Clinical Psychology. At that time, it was my favourite course because I found the various disorders really interesting. When it became obvious that medicine was not going to work out, I opted for Psychology as it was a course that I was greatly interested in and I have no regret.
Many students are out there hoping to emulate you, can you educate them on how to obtain a perfect score?
There is no clearcut secret to having a perfect CGPA. It was something I had to work hard on constantly. However, the first thing I will say is keep God close, call on him when you are on doubt, confused or unsure about anything. Pray about everything. Secondly, find your own reading style, don’t try to copy other people. If others read all night, it does not mean you can. Find what works for you, not for another person. Thirdly, ask questions. Don’t be shy, afraid or too proud to ask when you don’t understand something. Ask friends, classmates, and lecturers when in doubt about something. Finally, read to understand. Many students try to cram in order to pass exams but this is a faulty technique. Try to find ways to make the course content interesting.
If Chrisland University offers you a Graduate Assistant job, will you accept it?
While it would be an amazing opportunity to work as a graduate assistant at Chrisland University. I would have to turn it down as my career goals do not involve an academic setting, at least not presently. I would be glad if they offered me a job in any of their other organisations though.
What edge do students in private universities have over their colleagues in public universities?
In my own opinion, the edge private university students have arisen from a high level of structure on their curriculum. In most private universities, the syllabus is followed to the letter as they are not affected by strikes which affect most public universities. Secondly, small class sizes mean each student is able to properly hear the lecturer and ask questions when confused. In addition, contrary to what most people believe, grades are not “dashed” in private schools, you have to work very hard to earn them. Lecturers are constantly on your neck about working hard because they know how much your parents spend as tuition. The provision of the necessary infrastructure and amenities also means that you have no excuse to skimp on your work or reach your full potentials.