Nigerian Student Oyindamola Odukudu Bags First Class in Glasgow Caledonian University, United Kingdom
Oyindamola Odukudu, 21, graduated from the Department of Computer and Electronic Systems Engineering, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, United Kingdom, with a first-class degree in the 2018/2019 academic session. In this interview with TUNDE AJAJA, she talks about her journey to success
Would you say graduating with a first-class degree was a product of a conscious decision you made when you got to school or you simply worked hard and it paid off?
I would say it’s a product of both; making a conscious decision and hard work paid off, and I have always had an excellent result right from primary school and all through my secondary school education. So, my university programme wasn’t going to be an exception.
How did your parents receive the news when you told them you graduated with a first-class degree?
I couldn’t get a hold of them at first because they wouldn’t pick my call so I posted my result on the family group chat forum and my mum called me as soon as she saw it. We both screamed for joy and sang glorious songs, praising God and I can remember shedding tears of joy while I was talking to her. My dad was in a meeting so he replied to the message I sent telling me how proud he was of me and he called me afterwards to congratulate me. Such a moment is a treasure forever.
At what point did you travel abroad?
I travelled abroad after my secondary education for my first degree.
You were younger then, how easy was it to acclimatise?
To be honest, it was not easy. I arrived during the winter in January 2015 and the weather was really bad. My mum went with me and she was worried about how I would cope. She was calling me for two weeks non-stop after she left to be sure I was fine and that I wasn’t ill. However, I had a close family member around and I used to visit them during weekends and would return to my apartment on Sunday afternoon. Till this very moment, close to five years, I’m still trying to acclimatise and my dad laughs at me anytime I say that. But, the truth is that I miss being home with my parents, especially when my sister and I had to return home after a busy day to start cooking what we would eat. When my younger sister joined me, my parents and younger siblings dedicated Sunday afternoon to have a video chat with us, to talk about our week, how we were doing and to also encourage us. We still communicate during the week via calls and chats or emails but the Sunday video call is constant till today (laughs).
What attracted you to the course?
Computer and Electronic Systems Engineering programme caught my attention because the modules have some advanced Mathematics modules and modules that detailed how the hardware and software infrastructure of a system is built and incorporated. And it is a course that has wide job prospects and application, depending on one’s interest. You could be a software engineer, software developer, electronics engineer, electronics design engineer, electronic systems engineer, electrical engineer, system analyst and more senior positions like Electronics Engineer Manager or Electronics Engineer Project Manager.
Do you plan to return home to work or would you rather stay there?
At the moment, I want to learn more, gain more experience and build up my knowledge and expertise in my chosen career field before returning home.
With your exposure there, what do you think Nigeria needs to improve upon in its education system?
From what I have heard my friends tell me about their university experience, I feel the educational system still needs a lot of refining in terms of lecture formats, teaching facilities and infrastructure, encouraging hands-on practical and supporting students to undertake internships (both paid and unpaid). All these will allow students to have a better understanding of what their programme entails and also have a feel of what their chosen field is about.
Where will you like to work?
With the type of degree I obtained, I’m able to work within any sector, be it health, finance, technology, oil and gas or retail. However, my preference will be a financial or technology company, like Apple Inc., Google, Samsung Electronics, Hewlett Packard, ARM, Sky, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Microsoft. These are big private employers. Also, I aspire to work as a Software Quality Assurer involving both manual and automation testing within a development and technology team and give back to my country and community by collaborating with science, technology, engineering and mathematics-based organisations to encourage and provide advice and tangible knowledge to people of the younger generations who have interests in these areas.
Would you say it was easy or difficult to graduate with a first-class degree, considering that some people believe it is easier to achieve it in foreign universities than in Nigeria?
To be honest, it was not easy to graduate with a first-class degree. It took hard work, dedication, prayers and support from family and friends. I had doubts along the way when I was struggling with a particular module (subject) but I dedicated time to meet with the lecturer and ask for help from my course mates. On the second question, I totally disagree that it is easier in foreign schools than in Nigerian schools. The educational system outside Nigeria is not as easy as people think it is. Whichever country one decides to study, it takes hard work and personal dedication to achieve one’s set goals.
How many of you were Nigerians in your class?
I was the only African in class hence, the only Nigerian.
When did you start having grades that would put you in a good position to graduate with a first-class degree?
It started right from my first year in the university and I put in a lot of effort and I had to maintain an excellent grade through all my semesters. I resumed two weeks after resumption because my first visa application was rejected and I had to appeal and re-apply, which delayed my resumption, but I was able to catch up with my classwork with the help of my lecturers and the new friends I made. My uncle was also of great help. I thank God that delay didn’t deny me of my set goal. Besides, our parents instilled diligence and hard work in my siblings and me from a young age and they always congratulated and commended us for excellent performance and encouraged us to do better.
Were there things you did differently from others that helped you?
I would say there was nothing I did that other students couldn’t have done as well. During holidays, I read some of my modules ahead of the new semester. Before a new week, I read ahead to have an idea of what would be taught in class to understand the lecturer better in class and also ask questions where necessary. I answered the tutorial questions provided by the lecturers weekly and attended tutorial sessions for further explanations in areas I wasn’t very clear about. During exams, I studied both the past questions and the tutorial questions and I also studied with my classmates to share ideas or explain difficult subject areas to one another.
What was your reading schedule like?
My reading schedule varied based on the day of the week and my part-time work as a sales assistant in a retail store. I would normally pick a module (subject) to study and set a time frame. There were times I didn’t study because of work or other commitments I had for the day, but anytime that happened, I make sure I read what I had been taught on that day before I slept and I would wake up early the following day to study before going to class. On average, I had a maximum of four to five hours of sleep or no sleep at all. I preferred studying in the library to staying in my room because I got easily distracted by my comfortable bed and food in the kitchen (laughs). I have had to stay back in the library for three days at a stretch, not once or twice and I thank God for my sister and close friends who supported and encouraged me.
Did you receive special commendations from your lecturers?
Yes, I received commendations from some of my lecturers. They were highly impressed by my academic performance, social involvement in the Nigerian Student Society and the one-year industrial placement I decided to undertake. I have had two of my lecturers write letters of recommendation when I was going on a three-month internship during one of my summer holidays and before I went on an industrial placement.
Did you win any award or scholarship as an undergraduate?
I was awarded two scholarships: one was the international scholarship for being a self-funded student and the other was related to my academic performance. I benefitted from these two scholarships from my second year to my final year.
Did you create time for other school activities?
Yes, I joined the NSS on campus and I was later appointed as the secretary, a position I held for two years before my graduation. I was also a member of the African Caribbean Society and I joined the volleyball team but I had to leave because I wasn’t consistent in the training sessions.
Did you face any challenge as an international student?
I faced a few challenges, one of which was language. My university is in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Scottish accent is predominant there, which was a bit difficult for me to understand. The lecturers spoke and taught in standard British English but my classmates and most people outside the university environment had the Scottish accent. But in no time, I understood the accent. The winter weather was also a challenge initially but I got used to it over time.
What are your hobbies and how did you spend your leisure?
I love reading novels and I have collections of them in my sitting room. I also enjoy hanging out with my friends, cooking, reading technology blogs and watching YouTube tech videos to hone my skills. I have been able to gain interest and experience in the software testing field which involves automation and manual testing of software or apps before final release to the end users of the product or service.
What would be your counsel to students desirous of good results?
I would strongly recommend to every student that no matter the course they are studying, they should take part in internships or industrial placements, both paid and unpaid. It would make their CV to stand out from others and of course, they get to learn new things and have a feel of the practical aspect of their field. It might not come easy, but it’s good. I had some delay before I could secure placement for my industrial attachment I took out a year for. In fact, I had registered for my final year before I received a mail inviting me for an interview. I was very excited. I informed my university about the opportunity and I was allowed to take a year off for the placement. I learnt a lot on that job.
What would you describe as your memorable moment?
There were many; I won’t forget the day I defended my project, when I submitted the project and the day I got my final result. I had been waiting all week for the result until 7 pm on June 5, 2019, when I woke up from a nap and saw the email on my phone. I screamed, jumped and cried because all my prayers and hard work paid off.
Source:PUNCH.
