Everything you should know about legendary author's student life

Achebe was born on November 16, 1930, and became a renowned novelist in 1958 when he published his award-winning novel-Things fall apart.

The legendary writer who died on March, 21 2013 was also a poet and critic.

As Google and the rest of the the world are celebrating this great Nigerian today, we take a long look back to inform you about the academic history of this fine writer from his primary school in Ogidi to the University College in Ibadan.

So, here's is all you need to know about Chinua Achebe's student life.

The young Achebe started his primary school education at the age of six at St Philips' Central School. After spending a week with young children, he was promoted to a higher class because of his high level of intelligence.

His intellectual gift endeared him to the teachers that one of them described him as the student with the best handwriting and the best reading skills.

At the age of 12, Achebe enrolled at the Central school in Nekede after leaving his family in Ogidi (now in Anambra state)

In 1944, he sat for the entrance examination and was admitted at both Dennis Memorial Grammar School in Onitsha and the even more prestigious Government College in Umuahia but he chose the latter.

Government College was one of the best schools around as it was modelled after British public school and the students were not allowed to speak in their mother tongue. Achebe recalled in one of his books that his first ever punishment at the College was because he asked another boy to pass the soap in the Igbo language.

Interestingly, because of his brilliance and intelligence, Achebe was double-promoted in his first year and ended up spending four instead of five in the school.

Achebe and five other students were banned from studying between 5 and 6 pm by their school principal because their reading habit was considered too intense. Separating them from their books for one hour was the punishment for over-studying.

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In 1948, he sat for another entrance exam into the University College (now University of Ibadan) and was admitted as a Major Scholar, and because of the high mark he scored in the exam he was given a scholarship to study medicine.

While studying medicine, Achebe developed an interest in European literature about Africa after reading Joyce Cary's work about a cheerful Nigerian man who worked for an abusive British storeowner.

Joyce Cary's ignorance and portrayal of the Nigerian in the book in a way prompted Achebe to abandon the study of medicine and changed to English, history, and theology.

Achebe, however, lost his scholarship because he switched his field from Medicine to English and had to pay tuition fees.

In 1950, he wrote a piece entitled "Polar graduate" for the University Herald. That piece was his first as an author.

In 1953, Achebe completed his final examinations at Ibadan and was awarded a second-class degree.

After the graduation, Achebe returned to his hometown in Ogidi.