The Story of Olukayode, Ireoluwa Deborah, a graduate of Architecture of the University of Ibadan, who graduated from Second Class Lower Grade to a First Class is another indication that with focus and dedication, one can succeed in life.
The Kogi Born UI Graduate, who Hails from Iyamoye in Ijumu Local Government Area shared Testimony of her success with The Drum Reporter and is currently running her Master’s Degree in the same University.
Gaining admission into the University — especially one like the University of Ibadan — straight from Crown Heights College Ibadan in SS2 is a dream for every high school student. I was excited, yes, but truthfully, I had no real understanding of what studying Architecture meant, beyond the fact that I could draw. I wasn’t prepared for the stretching, breaking, remaking, and eventual elevation that the course would put me through.
I came in with genuine passion, but also with confusion, self-doubt, and very little idea of what Architecture truly entailed. Just a few weeks into lectures of 100 Level, I was already considering switching to another department. I was neither technically nor emotionally equipped for the rigorous and unrelenting world of studio works.
Then, there was the issue with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic with very constant power outages, terrible internet connection, and the fact that I had skipped my SS3 in high school and hadn’t even completed the O/L syllabus. 100 level was terrifyingly difficult. I broke down so many times and desperately wanted to quit.
When I saw my CGPA — a Second Class Lower — I actually felt relieved. Sad, but definitely relieved. It wasn’t great, but at least it wasn’t as bad as I anticipated.
What kind of kept me going was being awarded the Class Representative of the year at the department. That tiny win gave me a bit of the success I so desperately wanted to feel.
Maybe I was too proud to accept defeat, or too scared to look like a failure — but I stayed in the department.
Then came 200 Level, and just a few weeks into it, ASUU decla
