CGPA of 4.55 was the lowest I ever had — DELSU best graduating student

Efe Igbagbon holds the record of being the only person to have graduated with a first class from the Faculty of Engineering of the Delta State University (DELSU). He won best graduating student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, best graduating student of the Faculty of Engineering, as well as best graduating student in the 2011/2012 academic session with a CGPA of 4.65. He speaks on how he achieved this. How was life in school? DELSU is a place where I did not just get an education, but knowledge, character and service, which are the motto of the university. Today, I am proud to say that I have got so many experiences that will help me through life. Have you always had the dream of graduating with a first class? When I gained admission, many people told me that getting a first class was synonymous with the idiom of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. However, I set forth to do my best and I am glad that today, my best was good enough. How does it feel, graduating as the best student in your academic session? I am so excited, but most importantly, it is a feeling of fulfillment. I am very elated and thankful to God. As a student, how did you spend your typical day? As a student, my day was optimally spent. I maximised my time by doing whatsoever was necessary to be done, which included going to classes and not missing lectures. As a student, I had few friends that I spent some time with but there was practically no day that I did not spend some good time studying. What is the secret of your success? The secret to my success is in the name and the blood of Jesus Christ. His guidance, protection and direction saw me through my undergraduate studies. What are your aspirations? My dreams in life are among others, to put in my best into the Engineering family in Nigeria and bring Engineering in Nigeria to a place where Nigerian Engineers can compete with foreigners conveniently. What were the challenges that you faced as a student? The challenges were enormous. The first being cultural difference, adapting to a new culture was a challenge but it was a nice experience eventually. Also, the challenge of having to write 11 courses in one week in 200-level was a huge threat to maintaining my CGPA. That was when I had 4.55 which was my lowest CGPA through out my five years of study. What is your advice to Nigerian students? My advice to students in general is to be the best in everything they set out to do because greatness is in us all. Philip Okorodudu, (DELSU, Abraka)