A graduate of the University of Ibadan (UI) who once dreamed of graduating with a first-class degree has shared her emotional academic journey online. The young lady, Bukola Olanrewaju, posted about her experience days after graduating from the prestigious institution, detailing her CGPA from the 100 level up to her final year.
University of Ibadan Graduate Opens Up on 100-Level CGPA
Bukola Olanrewaju revealed that nearly every student dreams of finishing their programme with a first-class degree, and she was no exception. However, when she saw her 100-level CGPA, she was heartbroken. She wrote: 'The drive to make this post came from a post by Success Alao that I saw this afternoon. It forced me to sit down and think deeply about my journey in the university, the expectations I had, the pressure I carried, and the reality I eventually had to accept.' She announced that she graduated with a Second Class Upper.
She recalled: 'I remember finishing 100 level with a 3.48/4.0 CGPA, just 0.02 away from a first class. That result broke me badly. I cried so much because in my head, I was already too close not to make it.'
Hard Work and Setbacks
After her first-year results, Olanrewaju worked harder to improve her academics, and her CGPA did improve. She added: 'What made it even more painful was that I had already seen improvement in my second semester after struggling to adjust as a fresher during the first semester. So in my mind, that improvement meant one thing: if I pushed even harder in 200 level, then first class was still very achievable.' However, she noted that 200 level was a humbling year, with results dropping massively for many students. Despite adding more effort, more reading, and more sleepless nights, her CGPA moved from 3.48 to 3.41.
She expressed her frustration: 'I was angry. Angry at myself. Angry at the department. Angry that hard work was not translating the way I thought it should.'
300 Level and Final Year Struggles
Entering 300 level, which everyone warned about, drained her emotionally, mentally, and physically. She lost weight, cried countless times, and studied intensely. Her CGPA improved to 3.46, fueling her obsession with crossing into first class. She said: 'In my mind, adding that remaining 0.04 in final year looked possible. Looking back now, maybe I was just being hopeful beyond reality.'
Final year, often described as easy, proved to be emotionally, financially, physically, and mentally draining. She explained: 'It is the stage where lecturers believe you already know everything, so there is little guidance, stricter marking, and a constant expectation for you to figure things out yourself while life is happening simultaneously.' Her CGPA dropped, and she promised to continue her story in a subsequent post.
