Lagos State University Student Breaks Record as He Bags First Class in Tough Course, Shares Story
- Saheed Sunday graduated as Best Graduating Student from LASU's English department, which had produced only 3 first-class graduates in 40 years
- A senior's remark at his Freshers' Orientation revealed the near-impossible odds, leaving Saheed devastated rather than motivated in his first semester
- The graduate traced his turnaround to a decision about privilege and chance that reshaped how he approached his studies and extracurricular activities
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Saheed Sunday, a fresh graduate of Lagos State University, has shared the story of how he earned a First Class Honours degree from a department widely feared for rarely awarding one, finishing as its Best Graduating Student in the process.
Writing on LinkedIn in August 2026, Saheed recounted joining the Department of English at LASU on 4 July 2022, full of confidence built on consistent A grades throughout secondary school. That confidence did not survive his first orientation.
Source: UGC
LASU student shares motivation to succeed
During the Freshers' Orientation, a senior student casually mentioned that only three people had ever graduated with a first-class from the department across LASU's entire 40-year history.
Saheed did the rough calculation: with roughly 400 students graduating from the department each year, he put his own odds at approximately 1 in 5,000.
Where most of his coursemates found the figure motivating, Saheed found it crushing. He admitted the news contributed to what became his second-worst semester at the university, where he recorded a 4.50 grade point out of a possible 5.0.
How man bagged first-class degree from LASU
The shift, as Saheed later worked out, came from something deeply personal. He reflected on the reality that for people from underprivileged backgrounds, life had already been shaped by circumstances beyond their control long before university began. Chance had already played its hand in determining what he lacked growing up, and he had not been consulted.
That realisation became the engine behind everything that followed. He read more, shared what he learned by teaching others, entered more competitions, and applied himself more rigorously to both his academic results and extracurricular commitments. The First Class and the Best Graduating Student title were the outcome.
In his LinkedIn post, Saheed credited God, his family, his circle of supportive people, and even the senior who delivered the sobering statistics at orientation, saying that moment had at least made him aware of how steep the climb would be.
His story drew warm responses on LinkedIn.
Aderonke Agunbiade:
"3 people in 40 years? Hearty congratulations to you."
Uko Idara said:
"Congratulations. I'd be taking the line where you wrote about not allowing chances which had already determined your background to determine the outcome of your life."
Nancy Nwogu said:
"There's no luxury offering our success to chances when our lack of privileges have already been determined by chances. I have no more to give to chance. Thank you for sharing your story here scholar and congratulations on your great feat."
Sesan Adesida said:
"Congratulations! Always remember: impossibility is a farce. What appears impossible today may simply be waiting for courage, persistence and the right approach."
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
