Covenant University Best Graduating Student Shares How She Bagged 4.99 CGPA in Computer Engineering
- Queendolin Etta, a 22-year-old Computer Engineering graduate from Cross River State, emerged as the overall best-graduating student at Covenant University
- She revealed she received only one B throughout her entire programme and used a mindset trick to push herself toward a near-perfect CGPA
- Etta held three leadership positions simultaneously while maintaining academic excellence, and says she plans to eventually contribute to Africa's development
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Queendolin Etta, a 22-year-old Computer Engineering graduate from Calabar, Cross River State, has emerged as the overall best-graduating student at Covenant University in Ogun State.
She capped off her university career, defined by discipline, intentional learning, and quiet ambition, graduating with a cumulative grade point average of 4.99.
Source: Getty Images
Etta, who grew up in Calabar before relocating to Lagos to begin her studies, spoke exclusively to Legit.ng about the journey that led to her remarkable feat.
First-class graduate shares why she chose Covenant University
The decision to attend Covenant University was first suggested by her elder sister, Mabel, and was motivated by the institution's spiritual values and its standing in the Times Higher Education rankings. Her father had initially favoured a federal university, but Etta said the combination of faith-based grounding and academic rigour won her over.
Her choice of Computer Engineering was equally deliberate. With a long-term goal of becoming an autonomous vehicle computer vision engineer, she was drawn to the intersection of technology and mobility.
Her parents, she said, gave her the freedom to chart her own course, though she admitted her mother, a retired nurse, would not have minded seeing her in medicine.
She told Legit.ng:
"My parents were happy with my choice. They have never been the kind of parents who force a particular career path down their children’s throats, and I greatly admire them for that. They have always allowed us the freedom to pursue our interests and make our own choices.
"But I guess my mum would have been equally excited if I had pursued being a Doctor because I once teased her about it and saw the excitement in her eyes when she taught I was serious. She is a retired Nurse."
Source: UGC
Covenant University best-graduating student shares study secrets
Etta received only one B throughout her programme, in her first year, and said it initially made her feel that a perfect CGPA was out of reach. Rather than accept that conclusion, she described adopting what she called a "slightly delusional" approach.
Her words:
"I convinced myself that I could eventually graduate with a 5.0 CGPA, even though I knew that wasn't entirely possible anymore. I reasoned that if I ended up with a 4.99, it would be approximated to 5.0. I knew that wasn't how it worked, but that was what I chose to tell myself!"
Beyond mindset, she credited practical study habits, including spaced repetition, active recall, and regular engagement with past examination questions, as key to her consistency. She also made a point of engaging with course materials after every lecture rather than allowing work to pile up before assessments.
Her words:
"I wouldn’t necessarily place it on either scale. I would prefer to describe it as demanding.
"Bagging a first-class degree in any engineering program requires your full attention, commitment, and meticulousness in handling assigned tasks. In Computer Engineering, you must be intentional about learning, both in the classroom and outside it, and I strongly believe this applies to other fields as well.
"My department, alongside another department, was often regarded as a no-go area because of the demanding nature of its coursework. I remember when I had just gained admission to Covenant University, and someone ahead of me told me about the challenges of a course called Circuit Theory. However, at that moment, I refused to let his experience shape my expectations or discourage me.
"I believe there is something to learn from both success and failure stories, but I also believe that someone else’s experience does not have to determine yours. I was willing to approach my own journey with an open mind and discover what I could achieve, and thankfully, I had the best level advisor, Mr John Now Dr John, to help me actualize my dreams."
Etta balanced her academics with three leadership roles: Public Relations Officer of AX Partners, Team Lead of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Nigeria (RAIN INN) Covenant University Chapter, and Financial Secretary of the Electrical and Information Engineering department.
She said the key was treating each responsibility with the seriousness it deserved while keeping academics firmly at the centre.
Covenant University best-graduating student discusses ambition
Looking ahead, Etta said she hopes to work across sectors including energy, sustainability, mobility, and technology, applying the problem-solving and analytical skills her engineering training built in her.
She also confirmed plans to pursue opportunities abroad, framing the move not as a departure but as a deliberate step toward becoming what she described as "a global change maker."
She said:
"I want that growth and exposure to contribute to the development of the African continent. I believe there is so much potential in Africa, and I hope to be part of the people who contribute to unlocking it."
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
