Oyewole Samod Atanda, a graduate of Lagos State University (LASU), has emerged as the Best Graduating Student in the Department of Chemical Engineering with a 4.84 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), despite being denied admission into the University of Lagos (UNILAG) three times. In an interview with Legit.ng, Atanda detailed his journey from studying Physics Education to transferring into Chemical Engineering, overcoming academic setbacks, administrative hurdles, and personal sacrifices to achieve the second-best result in the Faculty of Engineering for the 2025/2026 academic session.
From Physics Education to Chemical Engineering
Atanda revealed that he did not begin his university studies in Chemical Engineering. He was initially admitted to LASU to study Physics Education before transferring to the Department of Chemical Engineering in his second year. Despite his outstanding final result, he admitted that seeing his 4.84 CGPA still felt surprising. He said: "Honestly, I didn't know what to feel at first. If you had told me in 200 Level, when my CGPA dropped from 4.94 to 4.70, when I was carrying letters from one lecturer to another, when I was crying over Engineering Drawing, that I would graduate with 4.84, I would have laughed in your face." He expressed gratitude not only for the result but also for the difficult journey that led to it.
Three Failed Attempts at UNILAG Admission
Atanda disclosed that studying Engineering had always been his dream. He sat for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) three times, scoring 230, 242, and 273 in different attempts, but was unable to secure admission into UNILAG for an Engineering course. He said: "I had always wanted to study Engineering. I did JAMB three times, scoring 230, 242, and 273, trying to get into UNILAG for Civil Engineering." After years of waiting at home, he was eventually admitted to the Physics Education programme at LASU. However, he never abandoned his dream of becoming an engineer. He added: "In 100 Level, I met someone who told me I could transfer from one course to another within LASU if I had a good CGPA. That became my goal. I worked hard, ended with 4.94, and applied for an intra-university transfer to Chemical Engineering. It was approved, and I never looked back."
Struggles After Transferring to Chemical Engineering
While many expected the transfer to be a breakthrough, Atanda described it as one of the most difficult periods of his life. He joined the department seven weeks after lectures had started and struggled to catch up with missed courses. He said: "It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I transferred into Chemical Engineering seven weeks late. I had missed tests, and I had to play catch-up in courses like Engineering Mathematics, Applied Mechanics, and Strength of Materials. Engineering Drawing, my weakness; gave me 2s(D) twice." He added: "I went to exam halls with half knowledge. I cried some days because I couldn't grasp concepts that I knew I would have understood if I had started with everyone else. I moved from one person's hostel to another just to learn. I was always on YouTube. I cut people off. I was reading over 10 hours a day, and still struggling. It was tough. But I stayed consistent."
Administrative Hurdles and Zero Scores
Beyond academic challenges, Atanda faced administrative issues after changing departments. His new status as a transfer student created problems with course registration. Several lecturers initially believed he had not registered for their courses because his matriculation number differed from those of other students in the department. This confusion resulted in four zero scores appearing on his portal. He said: "I saw four zeros on my portal. I carried letters from one lecturer to another, looking homeless, using all my money to print documents." Although the issue was eventually resolved, he described the experience as traumatic. Despite the obstacles, Atanda said he eventually became convinced that transferring to Chemical Engineering was the right decision. He pointed to his Industrial Training experience at Matrix Energy as a turning point, noting that working in a real engineering environment helped him understand how classroom concepts applied to real-life situations. The experience strengthened his passion for the profession and confirmed that he had chosen the right career path. He also found fulfillment in teaching his classmates, who often relied on him to simplify difficult topics.
Sacrifices and Final Achievement
Atanda admitted that academic success came with significant sacrifices. He disclosed that he sometimes slept in classrooms due to accommodation challenges and often spent long hours on campus studying. He also reduced his social activities to focus on his academic goals. Despite the difficulties, he said every sacrifice eventually paid off. He concluded: "But looking back, every sacrifice was worth it. Because today, I'm standing here with 4.84, as the Best Graduating Student of my department. And I wouldn't trade that for anything."
