From Pharmacy Applicant to First-class Chemistry Graduate: Blessing Oyedele Shares Story
- Blessing Kingsley Oyedele, a first-class Industrial Chemistry graduate from Olabisi Onabanjo University, said he loved Mathematics but Chemistry was different because of difficulties he experienced in secondary school
- The brilliant graduate advised younger students to keep the right friends, write down their goals, start studying early and understand how they personally learn
- He also advised students to assimilate and recall information instead of blindly copying another student’s study pattern
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Blessing Kingsley Oyedele has shared his journey to becoming a first-class Industrial Chemistry graduate from Olabisi Onabanjo University, including the academic challenges he faced and the strategies that helped him achieve his goal.
Blessing said he had always been “a brilliant type” and loved Mathematics and most of his other subjects.
Source: Twitter
However, Chemistry was different for him, particularly after his first Chemistry teacher left when he was in SS1.
He also revealed that Industrial Chemistry was not his original choice, as he had wanted to study Pharmacy.
Despite this, he eventually accepted the course after researching it and watching the experience of an Industrial Chemistry student on YouTube.
In this interview with Legit ng, Blessing Kingsley Oyedele, a first-class Industrial Chemistry graduate, shared his academic journey, the challenges he faced, what helped him excel and his advice to younger students.
Blessing Oyedele recalls his early academic experience
Blessing said he had always been a brilliant student and loved Mathematics and most of his other subjects.
However, he explained that Chemistry was different because his first Chemistry teacher left while he was in SS1.
It took some time before another teacher was available, which affected his understanding of some of the basics in the subject.
Blessing said that, at that point, he resorted to cramming simply to pass his examinations.
He said:
“I’ve always been a brilliant type, right from time. I loved mathematics and most of my other subjects, but chemistry was so different.”
He added that despite not understanding Chemistry as much as he wanted to, he had always hated failure and loved excellence, which made him determined to do well.
How Blessing chose Industrial Chemistry
Blessing revealed that he had originally wanted to study Pharmacy and had always told his friends that it was what he wanted to do.
He recalled that even when he was in a college of technology and people advised him to continue along the technology path, he told them he wanted to return to university for Pharmacy.
However, when he applied to Olabisi Onabanjo University, he was given Industrial Chemistry instead.
Blessing said two things happened around that time. First, he had just finished praying to God about his admission when he received the admission notification, which made him feel that it was an instant response from God.
Secondly, he researched Industrial Chemistry and came across a YouTube video by someone who was an Industrial Chemistry student at the time.
The student shared her experience and said things that encouraged him. After watching the video, Blessing decided to give the course a try. He said he was grateful that he made that decision.
Blessing identifies balancing responsibilities as biggest challenge
Blessing explained that his biggest challenge as a Chemistry student was not really Chemistry itself.
He noted that there were now different ways to study, including YouTube and AI tools, which made learning easier for him.
Instead, his major challenge was finding balance. He described himself as “a tech person” and said he had always been interested in doing other things alongside academics.
Blessing was involved in LEVELUP, a digital initiative focused on exposing young people, especially students, to digital opportunities. He also had responsibilities in his faculty fellowship and church.
With several areas demanding his attention, he had to find a way to remain academically excellent while pursuing his other interests and responsibilities.
He said:
“My toughest challenge was balancing academic excellence with my attention being pulled in different directions.”
The three things that helped Blessing overcome his challenges
Blessing identified three major things that helped him overcome the challenges he faced.
The first was having intentional friends. He thanked God for the right people in his circle and said they played a huge role in his journey.
He recalled that he met each of them separately and remembered occasions when he was extremely tired and wanted to sleep during examinations. His friends would wake him up and encourage him to keep going.
According to Blessing, those little things mattered, and he was grateful for them. The second thing was his goals. At the beginning of his final year, he told himself that he wanted to maintain a 5.0 GPA.
After seeing the result from the previous semester, he wanted to achieve the same again. He wrote the goal down and pasted it on his wall so that he would see it whenever he woke up.
Blessing said:
“And glory to God, it was doable.”
The third thing was starting early. He said he did not wait until examination periods before studying. Instead, he studied from the beginning of the semester and rarely missed classes. He believed that consistency helped him a lot.
How mentorship changed Blessing’s approach to academics
Blessing said his goals inspired him to keep going during difficult periods. He learnt to picture where he wanted to be before getting there.
He was also grateful for mentorship because, at one point, he did not understand how much a grade could affect his overall result.
He used to think that A, B and C were all good grades. However, one of his mentors helped him understand the importance of grades.
Towards the beginning of his third year, another mentorship session completely changed his perspective.
He learnt to think about his final destination from the beginning and start making decisions that aligned with that destination.
That mindset made him understand that every semester mattered and that he had to keep putting in his best.
He began asking himself:
“Blessing, what exactly do you want to graduate with?”
Blessing explained that when people told him he could finish with a 4.9 CGPA or higher in his final year, he knew it was no longer possible.
Blessing reacts to becoming a first-class graduate
Blessing said he felt proud of himself and was grateful to God after confirming that he had achieved first class.
He explained that he had always set first class as his goal. He also said he started on a first-class note and had never experienced being in another class.
However, the achievement had a deeper meaning for him because of how he had viewed himself academically from secondary school.
He recalled that he was always celebrated as “the brilliant boy” and was the Senior Prefect in his set. He therefore had an image of himself as someone who was academically excellent.
However, during JAMB preparation, he joined a tutorial class and had a humbling experience. He saw people who seemed to understand “book” on a completely different level, which made him feel like he knew nothing.
Blessing said the experience affected how he saw himself academically. For him, becoming a first-class student in Chemistry brought genuine joy because it reminded him that he could actually do it.
Blessing advises younger students to understand themselves
Blessing advised younger students to first surround themselves with the right people.
He encouraged them to keep good friends and be around people who inspired, advised and encouraged them when they were down, as well as people who were “running the same race” with them.
He advised students not to surround themselves with people who constantly pulled them backwards. Secondly, he encouraged students to write down their goals and make their plans clear.
Blessing said writing his goals down helped him because he could constantly see what he was working towards.
He connected this to the biblical instruction to write the vision and make it plain so that the person reading it could run with it.
His third advice was for students not to wait until examination periods before studying. He encouraged them to have a plan and start early.
However, he also stressed the importance of studying oneself. According to Blessing, students should know how they learn, assimilate and recall information.
He gave himself as an example, explaining that he discovered that he tended to sleep more during examination periods, meaning examination periods were not when he did his serious studying, particularly during his earlier years.
He also paid attention to how he recalled information. When reading, he translated what he was reading into his native language before he could learn it. He connected one concept to another and made sure he could explain what he had just read without looking at his notes.
Blessing said these things mattered. He also advised students not to simply accept it if their memory or assimilation was not where they wanted it to be, because they could develop and improve.
He reminded students that everyone had different strengths and advised them not to copy someone else’s study pattern blindly. Instead, he encouraged them to understand themselves, build a system that worked for them and keep improving.
Blessing concluded with an encouraging message for students aspiring to achieve first class:
“First class is not a myth, you can achieve it too.”
Nigerian lady recounts bagging first class
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Amarachi recounted bagging a first-class LLB degree from NAU and was named Best Female Graduating Student of the Class of 2023.
She shared photos of herself in her graduation outfit on X, reflecting on the academic journey that led to her achievement.
Source: Legit.ng
