Excellence, dedication and academic distinction took center stage at the 56th Convocation of the University of Lagos as Tosin Odunnew emerged as the best graduating student of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, earning top honors for outstanding academic performance.
Tosin Odunnew, the last child of a family dedicated to Christianity, was not surprised when he graduated with first class, he had planned for it since the first day he entered the university.
She said, “I wasn't surprised that I graduated with a first class. I came to university with the goal of graduating with a 4.80 anyway. However, I was surprised by emerging as the best graduating student in my faculty.”
Tosin is someone who values growth, learning, and purpose, and tries to live his life intentionally.
“I like to read. I like anime, and I watch a lot of K-dramas. I don't really like going out, except when it involves hanging out with my friends or going to church. I enjoy my own company a lot, but I also like being out with my friends,” she explained.
The academic Amazon revealed that her reading method actually helped her, as she was constantly reading.
“If I could read I tried to read every day, and if not, at least four times a week. Even if it was just 10 minutes a day, I made sure I read something. “I was very active in school, although I wasn't in many societies, I still went to church a lot. I had a lot to do, but it helped me stay grounded because I always had it in the back of my mind that I had to do well academically,” Tosin stressed.
Tosin noted that one thing that worked for her was talking to people and laughing while scrolling through PDFs on her phone.
“Even if I can't remember everything I read afterward, at least I read something, and I found that it really helped me.
He said, “I didn't have to study intensely all at once. Maybe 10 minutes today, 30 minutes tomorrow, and before I knew it, I had completed the entire chapter.”
Furthermore, she revealed that when she had more time on weekends, she would sit down and read the chapters properly. Because she had already studied it during the week, and it helped her understand it better. However, she added, “When I didn't feel like studying, I didn't push myself. I would just read the textbook for five or ten minutes and that continuity really helped me.”
Speaking about her typical day on campus she said, The day at school for me usually starts with waking up at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning.
“I often had meetings in chapel until 7:30 in the morning. From there, I would go to class and walk out. Classes would last until about 4 in the evening. After classes, I would return to my dorm to eat dinner. Most days, I would have another meeting in the evening and I would return to my dorm around 9:30, sometimes later.
“Since I didn't have consecutive classes, I used the time in between to read, relax, or talk with friends. I didn't go to the library because I'm not a fan. At night, I talked with my roommate and read before sleeping. That was a normal day for me at school,” she said.
Tosin emphasized that what motivated him was simply the need to excel. She said, “I never thought about getting low grades. It's also an honor to be the first first-class graduate in my family. I wanted my parents to be proud.”
According to Tosin, what made her different was realizing that her education was not just in her hands. “I believe that nature is controlled by things we can't see, so I handed everything over to God. I began to see my education as a way to please God.
“Around my second or third year, I shifted my focus away from my 4.80 goal. I didn't want to go to university with fear or constantly think about rankings or standing. I took that pressure off of myself completely and focused on enjoying school, enjoying studying, and learning without any fear.”
Furthermore, she said, “At that time, I just wanted first class. I was no longer putting pressure on myself to be the best. I believe removing that pressure really helped me. In the end, I got 4.89, and I think getting rid of the pressure was the deciding factor.”
Speaking about life after campus, Tosin said, “I'm open to a lot of things right now. Now that I've finished my first degree, I hope to get a well-paying job in digital marketing.”
“I'm currently learning, especially email marketing, and I want to build my skills and really use them. I'm also planning on going to my NYSC. During my service year, I want to work as a digital marketer and hopefully get opportunities to work with multinational companies, especially in corporate communications.
“Beyond jobs and service, I am very open to opportunities like scholarships, training programs, and anything that allows me to learn and grow.”
