University of Ibadan Law Student Who Worked as Bricklayer Bags First Class, Several Scholarships

• A young Nigerian man shared his experience after concluding his law studies at the University of Ibadan with a first class
• He shared how he struggled academically after secondary school and did menial jobs before gaining admission
• His story triggered reactions on social media, and many who saw the post congratulated the young man on his achievements

A young man, Clinton Atanda, who bagged a first-class degree from the University of Ibadan, shared his admission and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) experience.

He opened up about how he wrote the UTME and post-UTME two times before finally gaining admission.

UI first-class graduate recounts UTME experience

On his LinkedIn page, Clinton Atanda narrated how he had to do menial jobs before gaining admission into the university.

His LinkedIn post read:

"MY JOURNEY TO MAKING A FIRST CLASS. A few days ago, I graduated with a first class from the University of Ibadan. But this took me back to the day I wrote my final paper. I wept profusely. More than a toddler. I guess. I had completed a huge academic milestone, but with a lot of struggles.

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University of Ibadan student who Wrote UTME 3 times bags first class, emerges best in department

:My story is not like the usual stories of an interesting pedestal of academic excellence. I was one of the dullest students in my secondary school, and even speaking English or constructing sentences in English was a big deal. However, a night changed everything. The night I saw my WAEC result with a lot of F9s. No A or B, but D and E with a couple of Cs. That night, I made a vow to myself to be the best I could ever be within and beyond the country.

"Consequently, I became the best student in English at arguably one of the best tutorial centres in Ibadan. I went ahead to score over 300 in the UTME and over 70% in the UI PUTME on my second attempt. I gained admission to study law with over 4 points more than the cut-off mark, and here I am. A graduate.

"But that was just the huge transformation of my academic story. Every man has his own fettered fate. I came from an average family of 13, which, by implication, exposed me to the street very early as a child. I went to a public school, and I wasn't used to buying textbooks. I guess the only textbooks I bought throughout my undergraduate study were Legal Methods and Sagey Law of Contract, even though they came along with blood and sweat.

"As a vibrant financially unstable SSCE holder, I jumped on a lot of menial jobs to progress in life. I could recall making 5 applications to filling stations. While I ended up getting none, I succumbed to working as a bricklaying labourer, then to being a POS and accessories sales boy. I also worked as a sales boy at a supermarket immediately after I was offered admission to study law. I just needed to make some cash to survive in school."

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University of Ibadan offers law admission to boy who struggled during UTME, His story trends

In a related story, UNILAG's best graduating student shared how he was rejected by the University of Ibadan, while another graduate staged a one-man protest over unemployment.

LASU BGS shares admission experience

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Lagos State University's (LASU) best graduating student opened up about her admission experience.

In an insightful interview with Legit.ng, the young lady shared her admission struggle, experience in school, and future goals.

Source: Legit.ng