Being in a university is a great achievement for parents who wish to see their children excel in education and it is not an exceptional case for James Mercy Chekwube the first-class graduate from the Department of Chemistry at Taraba State University who is the first female student to break that record with a 4.55 CGPA. Her story started after she sat for Jamb in 2018 and got 212, she quickly applied for Nursing at Ebonyi State University but her happiness took another turn when the university increased its cut-off point to 230 from the initial 210.
The young graduate then finally settled for Chemistry after she declined Microbiology which was suggested to her by a few individuals. According to Mercy, she agreed to study chemistry because she was good at it during her secondary school days.
"To cut a long story short, I was admitted and it was time to apply for a change of course, I discovered that Nursing can only be offered by those who already have a diploma in Nursing, so I opted for medical laboratory, but the number of students I saw the day I went to apply discouraged me, so I went home without submitting the application letter. I resolved that I was going to change when I got to the 200 level, but after my first year, I felt like I should continue with the course and I did"
Achieving a first-class degree is a great feat that comes with planning, time management, and consistency considering the rigorous educational system of Nigeria. Studying in Taraba State is not exceptional as stress doesn't give options for students who studied in different places.
I asked Mercy how she coped with stress during her days at the university which enabled her to achieve this fate and she has this to say.
"Stress is one thing that cannot be avoided but can be managed. No doubt my set has been under pressure since we started schooling at Taraba State University, but with God's help, I was able to manage it. With just a few tips, I go to classes in the day, once I get back I freshen up, eat something, then I sleep from 8:00 pm wake up by 1 or 2 am, and study (I mean read through at least one of the courses) I do this every day then go again the next day, during exams, I read and sleep at intervals" she told me.
Motivation has been an integral part of everyone's success and everyone has different stories of how they are motivated and it is not different for Mercy.
"Firstly, my parents are my first motivation because I promised to make them proud, each time I get tired and reluctant and I remember the situation at home I draw my strength from there. Secondly, I met with a few senior students on my first day in school and they tried to scare me by telling me that chemistry is a hard course and that they only have one first-class student in their set, asking why I didn't choose a different course, so I asked myself, does the person with first class have two heads? If he or she can make it, I too can. Even though I almost gave up in my third year, after my first-semester 400-level examination I saw the possibilities and decided to put more effort in"
However, according to Mercy, she didn't come to school with the mindset of graduating with first class, she didn't even know but put her best and worked towards it.
"I was just studying hard and doing the best I could and I saw myself getting there," she said.
Before you go, I am Jeremy, I write inspiring stories of people, places, and events here on Jeremy Spell Blog and I would love to write about yours too. Kindly send an email to jeremyspellblog@gmail.com and I will respond swiftly.
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