Thirty-year-old industrial motorcyclist and bricklayer, Toyinbo Hezekiah, who graduated as the general finest pupil from the Division of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Federal College of Agriculture, Abeokuta, tells ABDULLATEEF FOWEWE what made him pursue training at his age and the way he managed to learn to attain first-class
Did you anticipate to attain an ideal cumulative grade level common while you began your diploma programme on the college?
I’m Toyinbo Hezekiah and I’m 30 years previous. I come from Igude, a village within the Ipokia Native Authorities Space of Ogun State. Within the 2020/2021 tutorial 12 months, I used to be the highest pupil in Animal Breeding and Genetics on the Federal College of Agriculture, Abeokuta, graduating with first-class honour. Many individuals know me as a industrial bike rider and bricklayer as a result of these have been the roles I did to help my training whereas in class. Nonetheless, my objective was merely to grow to be a graduate. Contemplating my tutorial background and monetary limitations, attaining first-class honour was not a part of my plan. Nonetheless, I began with a GPA of three.8, which is second-class higher division, and that was my lowest GPA. Within the first semester of my third 12 months, I achieved a GPA of 5.0, which made me realise that I had the potential to graduate with first-class honour. From that time, I devoted extra time to finding out. It was within the second semester of my ultimate 12 months that my CGPA reached the first-class division with a rating of 4.55.
Have you ever at all times been an exceptionally good pupil since your early faculty years?
Sure, my robust ardour for lecturers has at all times motivated me to beat obstacles. I constantly achieved first place in main faculty, which fostered shut relationships with many lecturers. This was one of many the reason why I made a fantastic effort to attend a secondary faculty that was removed from my village. There was even a time when a trainer approached me, and questioned if I used to be utilizing magical means to review.
Did you expertise any difficult durations throughout your college years?
Sure, there have been quite a few difficult instances. One instance was throughout and after exams. Whereas my classmates relied on examination packages and help from family and friends, I needed to borrow cash and repay it after the exams. As an alternative of resting like my friends, I might instantly begin working to repay my money owed and get monetary savings for the next semester. The first problem was the whole lack of time for relaxation. Moreover, it was difficult to keep away from perceiving myself as simply an strange okada rider or bricklayer whereas working alongside my course mates.
What was your childhood like?
I grew up in a village solely centered on farming; there was no emphasis on training. Selecting to attend college was a private choice that didn’t cross my thoughts as a baby. Nonetheless, as I progressed by means of every stage, I turned extra decided to attain tutorial success.
How did your upbringing influence your academic journey?
My tutorial path is sort of surprising, influenced by each likelihood and divine steerage. My mother and father don’t pursue scholarly pursuits, and people round me lack a powerful tutorial basis. Nonetheless, I possess a genetic predisposition for intelligence, significantly from my mom. This information motivates me to hunt out environments that absolutely nurture and showcase this innate skill.
How did your mother and father react once they found that you’d be graduating with a first-class diploma?
I’m unsure they know what first-class means; as talked about earlier than, my mother and father have little curiosity in formal training. Explaining the importance of a first-class diploma would require loads of effort. Nonetheless, I do know that they’re at all times comfortable once I name them and point out that I’m in class. Being the primary particular person in our household to pursue larger training, they could not absolutely grasp the magnitude of such an achievement, however they’ll certainly collect collectively for a celebration in the event that they do.
How did you handle your training whereas working as an okada rider and bricklayer?
I’m always grateful to God for the power He has given me and the way He has ready me for the challenges forward. Nonetheless, studying on daily basis helps with the character of my work. Throughout steady evaluation checks and examinations, all I do is revise as a substitute of significant studying. Nonetheless, throughout breaks and strikes, I are likely to work extra, and when faculty resumed, I devoted weekends to work. I finished working in the direction of exams.
Would you will have felt upset if you happen to didn’t obtain a first-class honour?
No. I’ll haven’t any regrets, even with second-class, so long as I grow to be a graduate. The primary objective was to acquire my diploma. I even feared being expelled as a consequence of my monetary and tutorial background in secondary faculty.
What stands out as your most memorable second in class?
Essentially the most exceptional second for me was once I achieved a 5.00 GPA in my third 12 months.
What have you ever been occupied with since graduating?
I’m already engaged in farm work. I’m engaged in rearing numerous breeds of hen and providing free session to people who’ve a ardour for farming however lack the required data. Moreover, I’m studying beneficial insights from skilled farmers who’ve been training agriculture for a major period of time. Sensible expertise holds extra worth than mere theoretical data.
Have been you honoured on your efficiency at college?
No, by no means. It was simply a typical handshake with professors through the convocation. Nonetheless, I didn’t really feel happy with the popularity. That is one more reason why many undergraduates fail to completely dedicate themselves to lecturers. They typically examine themselves to others and imagine that folks they know are extra completed. This notion results in laziness amongst many younger folks. Sadly, those that accuse us of laziness are the identical individuals who instilled this behaviour in us.
What do you assume when folks declare that there are not any job alternatives obtainable?
This isn’t a brand new idea, and I don’t need it to discourage or burden myself mentally to the purpose of despair. I merely try to search out happiness in no matter I do to help myself. I dislike the thought of feeling regretful about being a first-class graduate. It’s also difficult for me to not view myself as an strange okada rider or bricklayer whereas working with them. Nonetheless, I not see it as a problem as a result of I imagine that there’s a time and season for the whole lot, and this season will move. It turns into irritating when these okada males attempt to extort cash from us.
There are occasions when I’ve nothing left after paying for the every day ticket. Moreover, there’s a prevailing notion that okada riders are irresponsible, which poses a problem for me to see myself as certainly one of them. Individuals are likely to imagine that we’re all the identical. Furthermore, making an attempt to alter a few of them proves difficult as a result of it looks like I’m attempting to segregate myself as a pupil.
Reflecting on my childhood, I had loads of freedom to spend time with my pals and have interaction in actions like setting traps to catch wild animals comparable to rabbits, large rats, and grasscutters. Swimming within the river was at all times a enjoyable time. I realised that these experiences made me harder than those that didn’t have the same setting whereas rising up. My childhood was full of pure environment.
What saved you going after receiving your first-year examination grade?
Initially, I used to be unaware that I might obtain the grade, and that acted as my main motivation. There have been different causes as effectively. I possessed a continuing curiosity to study from others, and I didn’t need my efforts to finish with subpar grades. Furthermore, I aimed to keep away from making excuses for poor efficiency as a consequence of monetary limitations. I pushed myself to review even when fatigued.
How did you go about finding out?
I made it a behavior to learn on daily basis. I’m not a quick learner, so I began studying as early as attainable. I didn’t wait till the final minute to start finding out for exams as a result of I realised that technique didn’t work for me. I excel in programs that contain calculations, so I allocate extra time to understanding the theoretical facets. Every time I discovered a course significantly difficult, I might resort to on-line studying, typically utilizing YouTube tutorials as a supplementary useful resource. This was as a result of some lecturers didn’t present complete steerage like secondary faculty lecturers.
Did you ever really feel such as you wouldn’t move a course? How did you overcome this?
There have been quite a few events in my first and second years of faculty once I felt overwhelmed. Particularly, I struggled with programs that concerned calculations moderately than merely writing. These have been topics the place you needed to calculate the solutions as a substitute of utilizing pen and paper. The pc-based checks and exams on the college have been designed for not solely clever college students but in addition for many who might assume rapidly on their ft. They’d typically have 100 inquiries to be answered inside a 15 to 20-minute timeframe. Sadly, I used to be not expert when it got here to utilizing computer systems.
How did you handle interactions with the other intercourse to keep away from distractions?
To be sincere, I remained extremely centered to keep away from any distractions. I discovered that if women knew the kind of particular person I used to be, they’d respect my boundaries and never hassle me unnecessarily. In immediately’s society, I don’t possess something that may make women need to distract me. As they are saying, ‘Who needs a man like me, who works as a motorbike rider and bricklayer?’ Some bike riders who lack ambition and a future-oriented mindset are likely to get simply distracted.
What are your plans shifting ahead from right here?
I nonetheless have aspirations for additional training. As a baby rising up in a village, finishing main faculty was my preliminary objective. Nonetheless, I need to proceed my training past this degree. After main faculty, I desired additional training, so I progressed to secondary faculty and ultimately pursued a level. Presently, my thirst for data persists, however I try for a steadiness between tutorial pursuits and different facets of life. My particular curiosity lies in animal science, significantly breeding and genetics. I aspire to ascertain my farm and finally grow to be a professor specialising in animal science and analysis.
What recommendation do you will have for underprivileged people who aspire to proceed their research however lack help?
They need to not look ahead to others to supply them with assets earlier than they begin pursuing their academic targets. They need to take the initiative and start their journey in the direction of training, simply as one doesn’t want sneakers to stroll or run. They need to begin with out sneakers. When folks see them working or strolling barefoot, helpers will come up. Some folks gave me cash like N200 as a substitute of N100 once they heard I used to be nonetheless a pupil. They need to not imagine that the whole lot will come in a single day. It’s a step-by-step factor. They need to be reliable as effectively as a result of some folks have turned themselves into social issues due to their state of affairs. They need to cease evaluating themselves to others. They need to begin with what they’ve, and use what they’ve to alter their tales. I’ve paid a part of my faculty charges if not all ranging from main faculty within the village. I’ve by no means in contrast myself to these whose mother and father and relations are paying for.
