Married Woman Makes 1st Class After 16yrs after trying 4 Universities!

Oluwamayo’s experience is such that motivational speakers and writers
would find handy in buttressing their “better yourselves” topics.

Imagine
spending 16 years in pursuit of a university degree at four different
universities within and outside the country, only to be gravely
challenged at defining moments…

Critical
were these trying stages that the average Nigerian youth would have
given up but the Oyo State born Oluwamayo audaciously turned every
particular obstacle into an opportunity in her attempts at becoming a
medical doctor.

Even though her relentlessness in the face of setbacks begot more
hurdles, she remained steadfast for nearly two decades resulting in a
First Class degree in Biochemistry at the University of Lagos, UNILAG.

Decision after failed attempts
Interestingly,
making a First Class degree, did not come accidental to her as many
high-flyers often claim, it was a decision taken after several failed
attempts at studying medicine.

Indeed, it was a project
envisioned by her pastor father, Mr. Johnson Ajibade, nurtured by a
husband, Mr. Felix Ojumah, who is a Petroleum Engineer and ultimately
actualised by her.

Feeling Vanguard in on the experience that saw
her going from Ago Iwoye, United Kingdom, Okada, Lagos and nearly to
Saint Kitts in the Americas for a university degree that was largely
elusive for 16 years, Oluwamayo exclaimed; “I am still in shock.”

Continuing,
the obviously excited Oluwamayo, who recently had her convocation at
the University of Lagos, UNILAG, flashed back recalling how her wasted
years in pursuit of the degree paid off with a Cumulative Grade Point
Average ,CGPA, of 4.51.

Expounding this at her home in Lagos, she
said: “I left secondary school in 2004 and in that same year I got
admission into Olabisi Onabanjo University ,OOU, for Applied Zoology
and the agreement was that if I performed well they were going to
transfer me to Medicine.

“I had wanted to study Medicine. I
didn’t really get the scope of the course, so I was not doing well. I
think I left in 200 levels. So my parents said I should go abroad and
study Medicine. Unfortunately it was quite expensive and I didn’t want
to get them into those strains of providing that kind of finance
every year. So, we reached an agreement to come back home and go to
Igbinedion University, Okada. That was in 2009.

I went to the UK
and came back. In the UK they were not ready to admit me to read
Medicine. I needed to do a lot of courses before and then thinking
about the financial implications I had to come back home. Since
Igbenedion was better and they said they were going to allow me read
Medicine, I came back home. So, when I got to Igbenedion I was admitted
into 200 levels with my transcript from OOU. I did 200 levels and 300
levels but at the level of my MB, I failed two courses, I passed
Biochemistry and failed Anatomy and Physiology. By the time I did my
resit, I think I failed Anatomy and failed the other.”

Failed anatomy and physiology
Ordinarily, many would opt out at this time, but Oluwamayo embraced the options that came her way.

“The
option was either to repeat the class, take a transcript and go abroad
either to Ukraine or to Saint Kits in the Americas,” she stated.
Considering that it would be less burdensome financially for her
comfortable parents, she opted to go to Saint Kitts, an Island in the
Americas formerly known as Saint Christopher.

“It was not as
expensive like going to the UK. And just within that period while
processing the passport; I had a little problem with immigration. It
took a little while. Unfortunately, by the time I got my passport, the
border had been closed. Unfortunately, my mother passed away in March
2011 and I couldn’t go abroad any more.

“They wanted me to go
and I told them that it did not make sense going abroad again. The only
option was to go to University of Lagos. Now that was the fourth time of
starting all over again and I did not want to sit for JAMB. The only
option was to do the foundation programme from 2011 to 2012 after which I
took Direct Entry into 200 levels.”

Narrating her experience at
UNILAG, she said the disposition of her lecturers and students towards
her were not outside the ordinary.

“The Biochemistry lecturers
of the University of Lagos are okay. They gave their best. At least I
have been to other institutions and know the kind of things other
students go through. My supervisor Dr. Lawal was supportive. The day I
knew he was proud of me was the day he said I was graduating with a
First Class. And when they discovered that I was married, I had a better
relationship,” she added.

Asked if there were exceptional
methods applied to achieve the feat, she said: “I didn’t just depend on
class notes. I used Yutube and downloaded most things that had been
taught from Yutube and I read a lot. I can read from 8pm to 6am. My
husband was also supportive because I used to watch movies a lot but he
ensured that I did not fail to read because of movies. He would wake me
up at night and even sometimes compel me to read. I read a lot, prayed a
lot. In fact, I prayed like I was not reading and read like I was not
reading.”

I am still in shock
Continuing refreshingly,
she said: “The summary of it all is that God saw me through. I think
God just wanted to honour me. I did a lot of work. People are talking
about me that I came out with a First Class after all I have been
through. It feels great. I already knew I was going to get First Class
in October when the results came out. I think I have been in shock until
the day of graduation. I just don’t believe that this is me. I am not a
genius. Some think I read a lot. People don’t remember my past stories,
but I have a cause to thank God.”