AFRICA | A brilliant Nigerian lady bags Physiotherapy degree with 4.70/5.00CGPA, wins best student award.
A brilliant Nigerian lady named Folarin Oluwaseun Rose has achieved outstanding success by earning a degree in Physiotherapy with a remarkable cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.70 out of 5.00 from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
Her exceptional performance earned her the award of the second-best graduating student in her department.
Celebrating her achievement on Instagram, Oluwaseun shared the challenges and triumphs that shaped her academic journey. After graduating from high school in 2013, she aspired to study at the University of Ibadan (UI).
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However, UI had a minimum age requirement of 18 for admission, which she did not meet. Undeterred, she enrolled in the Ogun State College of Health Technology to pursue a National Diploma (ND) in Environmental Health Technology.
In 2015, Oluwaseun graduated from her ND program with distinction, finishing as the top student in her class. Unfortunately, her score of 213 in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) was not high enough for admission to UI.
Determined to succeed, she attended tutorial classes, improved her UTME score to 262, and retook UI’s entrance examination. Despite her efforts, she barely passed with a 50% score and was offered admission to study Veterinary Medicine.
However, she declined the offer due to her disinterest in working with animals. Frustration peaked during the two years she spent at home watching her peers move forward.
After deep reflection, Oluwaseun decided to redirect her focus and set her sights on studying Physiotherapy at UNILAG. With renewed determination and a passion for healing, she applied and was admitted.
Though excited, Oluwaseun faced initial challenges. Starting as number nine on her class list, she doubted whether she could compete with the top students.
During her first year, she struggled with mathematics despite excelling in the subject in high school. Her confidence grew, however, as her love for biology became her strength.
The journey was not without setbacks. In her second year, she fell seriously ill during exams, unable to study for two weeks. With the unwavering support and prayers of her parents, Oluwaseun persevered.
She turned her struggles into motivation, studying and reading on buses, and making the reading room her second home. That semester marked a turning point in her academic journey and proved to her that she could excel.
Oluwaseun also faced external challenges such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and the COVID-19 pandemic, both of which disrupted her studies. Despite these obstacles, she remained steadfast and focused, overcoming each hurdle through resilience and hard work.
Now, as a newly inducted physiotherapist, Oluwaseun said she is excited to begin the next chapter of her life and all the sweet things beyond.
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