How Eunice Obidi overcame distractions to graduate with first-class

Distractions can threateningly affect a student’s performance by hindering his/her ability to focus, retain information, and complete academic tasks effectively, leading to lower grades.

Eunice Ogidi in this interview shared with CHARLES OGWO how she overcame the challenges of distraction to graduate with first-class honours. Excerpts:

Kindly tell us briefly about yourself

My name is Eunice Obidi. I’m a content writer and I help people become published authors by editing and proofreading their manuscripts.

Would you say you’re surprised to graduate with first class?

I’m not surprised at all to have graduated with a first-class. I was intentional about making first-class from the get go.

Did you adopt any particular reading/study method to achieve first class? If any kindly share with me.

Yes, I always read the notes for every course before the next class. That way, I was abreast of what was going on. Then on some days, I would research more about that topic on my own so that during tests and examinations, I’d have a broader knowledge to implement.

I also tried many times to do my assignment and projects beyond average, by putting in extra effort to make my submission standout.

How’s a typical day for you while on campus?

My routine as a student varied from year to year, but it always resembled this: Wake up 4:30am/5am to have my bath in the hostel. (Because it’s not very clean when it’s rowdy and everyone has used it/is using it.).

Then I spend a few minutes having conversations with God, which go a long way to mentally prepare for the day ahead and give me the re-assurance that I’m going to do great.

Then I make a list of things I need to do that day. (From attending class to volunteering at the studio, to printing an assignment, to meeting a friend, to studying for impromptu tests, if it was to get done, it had to be on that list.

I eat breakfast and off I go to get my to-do list done. I usually didn’t return to my hostel until night because apart from lectures I was attending, I was also working remotely (online) as a content writer at some point.

I was also an executive in my fellowship on campus and I volunteered as a news presenter in Unilag TV and Radio too. My day was usually jam-packed, so I hardly had time to cook. I’d usually just get something to eat. Then I come back in the evening, study until I’m tired, and the same is done the next day.

What were your greatest challenges towards achieving your goal of first class?

A major challenge I faced was distractions. I get distracted very easily. Not by social activities on campus, because I’m an introvert, but by my hobbies.

I love reading quality novels and watching movies with a strong plot, so my major challenge was learning to say no to those. Another major difficulty I had was ‘academic closure.’ The fact that whenever I didn’t do well in a course (Like when I got a C), I didn’t know what I did wrong, especially if I gave it my best shot.

Our examination scripts aren’t returned to us so when I got a bad grade like that, it bothered me. I wasn’t sure what the problem was and how I could do better next time.

How did you overcome these challenges?

I made my distractions a reward. So I would usually promise myself to watch that particular movie I’ve always wanted to see, after I finish my examinations.

I also trusted God and didn’t allow the setbacks to discourage me too much.

What propelled you to aspire for first class?

I grew up with parents that are go-getters, so it was difficult to just do the bare minimum and be happy with yourself.

They were particular about the fact that we had to study hard if we wanted to go far. Also growing up in a strong spiritual environment, I took to heart the Scripture that says, “Seest thou a man diligent in his duties, he shall stand before kings…” (Proverbs 22:29).

Some people believe Nigeria is producing more first class graduates because lecturers are no longer strict with marks. What’s your take on this?
I don’t know about other campuses, but I am of the opinion that in the department of Mass Communication in the University of Lagos, the lecturers award marks based on the quality of a student’s work. If you do well, you’ll get the marks.

How were your lecturers able to support your aspirations for first class!

Some of my lecturers were really practical in their teaching and that helped my assimilation. For those courses, my knowledge went beyond theory, so it was easy for what we were taught to become a part of me.

You had 18 female students in your set that made first class, a historic achievement. Would you say that depicts girl-child is better academically?
I don’t believe the girl child is better academically. I believe both genders can excel academically if they set their minds to it.

Now, you are done with first degree, what next?

I plan to further my studies and gain industry experience at the same time. I’m passionate about research on media influence, broadcasting, filmmaking, and other forms of storytelling.