Beyond the Books: Omolade Shittu’s strategic roadmap to a first-class degree

Driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence, Omolade Shittu has unveiled the discipline, strategies, and mindset that earned her a coveted first-class degree at the just concluded University of Lagos 56th convocation.

According to Omolade, who is passionate about personal finance and effective communication, graduating with first-class honours was not by accident, she had strategically positioned herself to excel right from her 100-level.

“I started with a 5.0 GPA and I never dropped from first-class since my first year.

“I didn’t just want to be a first-class honours holder but a first-class individual. I wanted to be excellence personified, an all-rounder.,” she said.

To achieve her set goal, Omolade adopted several techniques amongst which are Feynman Technique, and Ali Abdal, a YouTuber to optimise her learning outcomes.

“I used the Feynman Technique or Active Recall. It involves testing yourself on the material by actively recalling it, rather than just passively re-reading notes. I would also say that I try to understand my course as a whole before the mid-semester.

“Besides, I was, and still am, an ardent follower of Ali Abdal, a YouTuber who shares study techniques,” she emphasised.

Her typical day on campus was early Morning Prayer and Bible study which held from 4:00 to 5:00 am, Covenant Hour of Prayer (CHOP) at SUB frontage from 6:00 to 7:00 am, fellowship meetings, 7:00 to 7:30 am, and then, classes or library time.

Her post-lecture activities include fellowship, library, or hostel chill time

“I read daily, if it’s not my school book, it’s my Bible or a self-help book or a faith-based book,” she noted.

Omolade’s success trajectory also includes mentorship, resilience and grit gotten from many Godly personalities around her. She was always in contact with her role models and leaders, especially when she felt she needed guidance.

“I talked to my role models and leaders and got counselled. They also referred me back to God. I got my answers from the Word and that settled it.

One of them was that He called me to be a light of the Word not just the light of the fellowship I served in and that made me extend my influence beyond my fellowship. Matt. 5:14-16.

“When I thought I was chasing first class He reminded me that He instructed me to be the head and not the tail. Deut. 28:13. When I started having Bs and had a C, God reminded me to boast in my weakness so that His strength would be seen through me. 2 Cor. 12:9. I have quite a few scriptures I anchored my faith on. The main one is Ex. 23:25.

Her success story, however, did not come without some challenges as it is common to mankind. Omolade revealed that her greatest challenge while on campus was how to balance her extracurricular activities and her academics.

“I didn’t want any expression of myself to suffer because of another. Spiritually, intellectually, academically, financially, and in my role as a leader. I thank God He helped me achieve that,” she said with a smile.

As an excellent individual, Omolade would like to walk the talk. Moreover, she said because God told her that she should prosper in whatever I do; she aspired for a first-class degree because she believes in pushing herself to excellence.

According to Omolade, who graduated from the faculty of Communication and Media Studies, with access to AI tools, online resources, and mentorship from seniors, students can optimise their learning. Besides,  the increasing competition for international opportunities means students are pushing themselves harder to stand out.

Hence, in her views, many students are getting their first-class feats on merit, and not that lecturers’ are giving away marks.

She shared how her lectures incredible supported her, which really drove her first-class aspiration.

“Sam Ejiwunmi sparked a competitive fire in us, challenging us to break the department’s record, and backed it up with monetary incentives for top students.

“Vincent Obia was more than a lecturer, he mentored me, led by example, and stayed invested in my progress, and Sunday Oloruntola, the dean of faculty of Communication and Media Studies, gave me confidence that excellence would always be valued, regardless of numbers. Their encouragement and belief in me made a huge difference,” she narrated.

Moreover, Omolade disclosed that because there are a lot of people who were looking up to her, she wanted to show them that God is interested in His children being excellent at all that they do.

Going spiritual, she said, “That we pursue academic excellence and career breakthroughs doesn’t make us worldly, it rather shows the world the beauty of the God we serve.”

She looks forward to pursuing her master’s in finance abroad, any moment after her NYSC.

Charles Ogwo is a proactive journalist, driving education, and business innovations for over 10 years.

He leads initiatives leveraging tech to enhance storytelling and build topnotch performing team.

Charles is passionate about harnessing technology to inform, engage and empower communities.

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