5 things you shouldn't do if you wish to graduate with first class

Apart from the fact or the excuse that the Nigerian academic environment is hostile, a lot of students only want to graduate with first class without shedding a bead of sweat.

There are many factors that can hinder a student's pursuit of distinction in higher institutions. Campus distractions are there to steal their time, but these five mistakes play a major role in derailing a student's dream of graduating with distinction.

1. Underrating two-unit courses

A lot of students tend to take three unit courses more seriously than those with smaller units. A two-unit course can cause a huge damage to a flourishing grade if the student laxes. To bag a first class degree requires you to have As in all courses without looking down on any of them from the first semester of the first year to the last semester of the final year.

2. Taking internship and project works with levity

Depending on the course and the institution, internship and project works are worth 12 to 15 units. So, imagine what a B or C would do to the cumulative grade of a first-class student.

Poor filling of the logbook, badly written internship reports and poor performance during the defence of industrial attachment can cost you your first class dream.

3. Over partying

For a lot of students, partying is an escape from academic rigours. They consider it as the only means to enjoy life as students. However, this can be very counter-productive if it gets too much.

You can correct me if I'm wrong. Over partying hasn't helped any undergraduate to become the best graduating student. And every student who aspires to become the best would have to be careful with partying or shun it to avoid a dip in his or her academic goals.

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4. Missing classes

You can't afford to be pursuing first-class goals and at the same time be missing lectures. You know some Nigerian lecturers like it word for word, giving it back the same way they gave you.

Missing such lecturers' class is like running away from your own goals.

Missing classes can truncate your academic desires in more than one ways. Apart from affecting your continuous assessments, it also reduces your lecturer's estimation of you if class attendance matters in your school.

5. Assisting others during exams

Most students consider this as an act of goodwill that involves helping someone in need, but this kind of good samaritan act is not recognized in academics. It is a negative kindness that could destroy everything a student has been trying to gather.

Imagine a final year student with a strong CGPA caught assisting someone during exams.

This act constitutes examination malpractice and every student aspiring to graduate with distinction must refrain from it. Any academic assistance you have for your friend must have been done before the exams start, not during the exams.

Words of advice...

Generally, every would-be first-class student has to study hard with a solid determination that cannot be deterred by anything. If you avoid the five mistakes mentioned above, it will keep you in focus and help to actualize your academic desires.