By Ghazali Ibrahim
A Lagos State University graduate, Benedicta Otoibhi, has shared how discipline, resilience and consistency helped her rise from a 3.17 GPA in her first semester to graduating with first-class honours after recording six straight 5.0 GPAs.
Otoibhi, a graduate of Fisheries and Aquatic Biology, said her academic journey was shaped by financial hardship and years of personal sacrifice.
According to the 21-year-old graduate, she began fending for herself at the age of 15 after completing secondary school due to her family’s financial situation.
Despite the challenges, she gained admission into LASU in 2020 and remained determined to excel academically, describing education as her “ticket out of poverty.”
She explained that her poor start in the university became a turning point after she finished her first semester with a 3.17 GPA.
Rather than give up, she adopted a strict study routine, reading consistently from the beginning of each semester and closely studying lecturers’ examination patterns.
“I became extremely disciplined. While other students waited until exams approached before studying, I started reading from the beginning of the semester,” she said.
Otoibhi also recounted the difficulty of commuting daily from Oshodi to Ojo for lectures while balancing household responsibilities and financial struggles.
She said there were periods when she survived on one meal a day but remained focused on her academic goals.
Her determination eventually paid off as she graduated with a cumulative grade point average of 4.60 and emerged the only first-class graduate in her department during the 2024/2025 academic session.
Beyond academics, the graduate said she is interested in combining fisheries and aquatic biology with artificial intelligence to develop innovative solutions for aquaculture and environmental sustainability.
She also advised students facing difficult circumstances not to allow their backgrounds define their future, stressing the importance of discipline, time management and self-belief.
