‘Graduating with a first class, most intentional thing I have done’

It is a universal belief that life is just a journey and how one traverses it is what matters, Opeyemi Kareem, following this philosophy traversed through the academic challenges on campus at the University of Lagos (Unilag) and graduated with first-class honours.

Kareem alongside her 17 other female colleagues achieved a remarkable history as they recorded the first ever 18 female first-class graduates from the Mass Communication Department at the institution’s 2025 convocation.

Kareem, who wrote her name in gold being one of the glorious Amazons that changed the narratives of the department and institution with outstanding academic feat told BusinessDay that she traversed through complex challenges to graduating with first-class.

She said though the learning environment was not the best with overcrowded students, coupled with insistence strikes from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the non-academic staff, she was able to navigate her way through the murky waters and made first-class.

“The learning environment which included learning with such a large class population was a great challenge. The strikes, which happened too frequently and spanned for too long, were another challenge. Imagine switching in and out of ‘student mode’ that frequently, not to mention the amount of time passing by.

“I didn’t have much of a choice but to adapt to every difficult situation that arose in the course of my studies. I adapted to the large population, the on-and-off strikes,” she said.

To ensure that she achieved her goal of coming out on top, she said would always start reading from the beginning of the semester to the end, and would sometimes get external materials to boost her understanding of the course.

“I always studied from the beginning of the semester. Even if I have read a course before, I’d read it again or find external materials just to make sure I completely understand it. My motto was ‘learn, unlearn and relearn.’

“My routine varied depending on the academic calendar. On typical lecture days, I’d attend classes and then return to the hostel. There were other activities in-between but it was mostly that.

“However, during examination periods, I’d wake up early because I had to get a seat at the library. I’d read for eight hours, then go back to the hostel to rest for two hours. Then, I’d go back out in the evening to read for 4-5 hours before finally retiring for the night,” she said.

Kareem disclosed that she planned and worked hard towards making first-class because she has always been an outstanding student even in her secondary school days.

“Graduating with a first class has been the most intentional thing I have done in a while. Being the valedictorian of my class in secondary school, I knew that I had to continue in that path of greatness. So, I always had to remind myself that I had started something that I must see through,” she explained.

Speaking on the remarkable feat achieved by her and other 17 girls, she said it should not be seen as a female-male competition, but as an inspiration for upcoming ones.

“We have achieved a great feat and it should be used to inspire and motivate people, particularly women and girls, in every field. It would be exhausting to reduce our achievement to a point in the overly simplistic ‘boys are better than girls (and vice versa)’ discussion,” she noted.

She admonished those who wonder why more students are graduating with first-class at a platter of gold to have a rethink.

“It’s nostalgia, their longing for the past is intertwined with the belief that the current generation has it easier, when it may not be the case. What matters is that I know the university that I attended and the effort it took to finish strong,” she said.

Kareem applauded her lecturers at Unilag for their efforts in pushing them to excel.

“The constant encouragement and the efforts of the lecturers in ensuring that theoretical and practical knowledge of the course were imparted, showed their level of support in the academic excellence of their students,” she said.

The youngster in her 20s who enjoys reading novels, writing stories, and cooking, looks forward to getting a good job and another degree to solidify her career pathway.