5 Sure Tips On Getting Fantastic Grades In The University

I found my 5-year stint in the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos to be quite easy despite all the ‘wisdom’ that scare-mongers drilled into me pre-university. I was on top of things, and it did not come with terrible sacrifices. Life has been tough onwards, and I have found myself looking back at my stay in the university as one time where I really did win. This has inspired me to write on 5 tips that will help you get good grades in the university. You may break a sweat, but it should not break your bones. Happy reading:

1) START EARLY

Put yourself at an advantage, albeit emotionally when you get into the university. Start early by taking the orientation programme and the first few days and weeks of a semester very seriously. Your orientation programme is as important to you as a pre-season is to footballers. You can survive without it, but it makes you fitter and better- it gives you a head-start.

Many undergraduates also take the first few days of a semester for granted. This is not when you go shopping. This is not when you go partying (without more). This is when you lay proper foundation for good grades, and it brings me to the next point:

2) DO SANDWICH READING

Starting early can help you do what I call sandwich reading. Sandwich reading starts with you reading ahead, revising as soon as you are taught in class and then revising long afterwards. Here are some guarantees that come with sandwich reading- you will panic less. You will approach your class with confidence and questions. Your teacher will more or less be helping you etch your lectures into memory and reading afterwards will help you memorize. Law had a lot to do with cases and quotations and this certainly put me at an advantage.

3) PARTY, SOCIALIZE AND FELLOWSHIP WITH MODERATION

Your primary aim in school is to get academic knowledge. Making friends, having fun and finding religion are important, but secondary. Many people kissed good grades goodbye the moment they took on daunting roles in fellowship and clubs. Take on tasks, but take them on with moderation. Like Pastor E.A Adeboye once said, if you go into examinations without reading, however much you pray, the Holy Spirit will be there to comfort you after you fail.

4) BE EXAM SMART

Some students are not necessarily more brilliant than others are: they are just smarter at prepping for exams than their mates. Some read without guidance whilst others used past questions as a guide and took on cues whilst lecturers were in class as to areas where lecturers loved to access. Every course has areas where you MUST be examined from. You must pay attention to those areas, and when time is limited or the curriculum is too wide, you must learn to perfect those areas and then touch on others too so that there are no surprises.

5) BE COOL, CALM AND COLLECTED DURING EXAMINATIONS
Many people fail and underperform, not because they have not done all that I have advised above, but because they are too jittery during examinations, or moments before they are examined. Your attitude prior to, and during examinations are just as important as your preparations for the exams. You need to be cool, calm and collected during examinations. Do not fear failure because even if you fail a paper, it is not the end of your life. Many extra year students have made successes of their lives, so banish the fear of failure. You also need some rest during examinations, as your sandwich reading should have gotten you to a point where you can avoid cramming. Drive yourself, but don’t drive yourself aground. Too much cramming can mess up your head and have you uncoordinated or forgetful in the examination hall. I tried not to read 30minutes before a paper. I just tested my memory and looked up stuff that was fuzzy such as case names and sections. It had become too late to assimilate new principles and theories. The pre-exam preps are important. Those few days are very crucial, but remember rule 1. You start preparing for examinations from the first week of the semester.

All the best as you succeed in school and in life. Go break a leg.

*Oba Dunsin Oluwasuji is a prize winning graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, a lawyer by training and a media entrepreneur by choice.