With nine awards and a CGPA of 4.89, Ohanekwu Favour emerged the overall best graduating student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) for the 2018/2019 academic session. The Imo State indigene, talks about his academic journey and how he achieved this feat.
Why did you choose to study Electrical and Electronics Engineering?
Electronic and Electrical Engineering is a very interesting branch of engineering that piqued my interest at a very young age. My love for electricity and electronic systems influenced my decision to study Electronic and Electrical Engineering.
With 4.89 CGPA, you emerged as the overall best graduating student. How was this possible? What was your secret?
First and foremost, I am grateful to God for crowning my efforts with success. I believe that achievements like this require a great deal of hard work, discipline, and consistency. Also, the effects of friends with similar goals cannot be overemphasised. While in school, I had amazing friends who were equally focused and highly driven.
Would you say you knew this was going to happen?
I wasn’t particularly expecting it. Coming to OAU, my goal was to graduate with a first class and a good CGPA.
What was your reading pattern like? Were there any special methods you adapted?
I did not have a clear-cut study pattern or a fixed number of hours for studying. However, a few approaches that helped were studying in environments where I was productive (silent environments); setting goals for each study session and putting my best to achieve those goals; and teaching what I have read. Not only did this help others learn, but it also helped me understand better.
Ranking number one among thousands of students is no mean feat. How does this achievement make you feel and what does it mean to you?
Realising I was the student with the highest CGPA in the university made me extremely happy, encouraged and motivated. For me, it is proof that hard work pays and it is a huge motivation to achieve future goals.
How many awards did you receive? List them.
I got 9 awards. Molecular Consultant Prize for the best graduating student in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering; Nigerian Society of Engineers Prize (Ife Branch) for the student graduating with the highest CGPA in the Faculty of Technology; Faculty prize for the student with the best overall performance in the Faculty of Technology; Gabriel Olalere Ajayi Prize for the best graduating student in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering; Late Emeritus Professor Martins Olusola Ogedengbe award for the best graduating student in the faculty of technology; NSE, Ile-ife/Engineer Mayen Modupeola Eshiett Adetiba’s prize for the best graduating student with the highest CGPA in the Faculty of Technology; Pa Simeon Ladipo Oyebolu and Mrs. Emily Olabopo Oyebolu Prize for the best male graduating student in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering; Professor Lawrence Olakunle Kehinde Prize for the best graduating student in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering; Tolu Olukilede Agent of Change Prize for the final year student in the university with the highest CGPA.
At what point did you start making conscious efforts to make sure you graduate with excellent grades?
Before gaining admission into the university, I went through OAU’s pre-degree programme, where I emerged as the best student in the CMP (Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics) combination. This feat, coupled with my goal to graduate with a first-class and a good CGPA motivated me to give my best from the very start of my journey as a student in the university.
Were there any low moments for you while in school? How did you overcome them?
Yes, there were a few low moments. One of which was when I lost a good friend of mine, Fatile Emmanuel, during our third year in school. It is never nice to lose someone close to you; unfortunately, life goes on, and we have to make peace with it and move on. I believe that low moments are inevitable. But no matter how strong the current beats against me, or how heavy the burden seems, I have learned to keep moving.
Would you say your choice of friends or structure of family influenced your grades in any way?
Yes. I have always been a team player. I study with my friends, solve problems with them and also learn a lot from them. So, I believe they influenced my grades in school. I come from a family of excellent people. Family core values like hard work and discipline instilled in me at a young age helped me achieve my goal of getting good grades in school.
Tell us an unforgettable or memorable experience you had while in school.
During my first year at the university, a friend of mine introduced me to the NNPC/Total Undergraduate Scholarship scheme. I enquired, applied, and sat for the scholarship examination. After some weeks, while I was in the hostel with a couple of friends I got a mail from Total E & P stating that I had been accepted as a beneficiary of the scholarship. This made me extremely happy.
With electrical and electronics engineering, what do you plan on delving into?
I see myself in “tech”. I am a huge fan of the potential it gives one to solve problems and deploy solutions that impact lives.
Are there certain innovations you imagine in the engineering industry?
Yes, one of which is the idea of self-healing machinery.
Tell us a little bit about your background.
I hail from Umuaka, Imo State and grew up in Ibadan, Oyo State. I come from a family of five and I am the second child of my parents. My primary school education was at Saint Isabel comprehensive school, after which I went through six years of secondary school education at Methodist Grammar School, Bodija, Ibadan. My academic success story is quite an interesting one as I never started out as one of the top students in my class both in primary school and junior secondary school. In fact, I repeated a class in primary school and wasn’t able to attend my “dream” senior secondary school because my junior WAEC result did not meet up with the basic requirement for entrance. My transition from average to excellent happened in Senior Secondary School (SSS) 2 after I met new friends who changed my orientation about life and academics.
What advice would you give to students who want to achieve great academic excellence like you?
To achieve greatness in academics, you have to put your best into it. Hard work, discipline, and consistency are very important qualities required to attain academic excellence. Another very important thing is “knowing what works for you and sticking to it”. What works for one, may not work for another.
Source: tribuneonline
