Can we meet you sir?
My name is Kpemi (short for Makpeminoghena) Momodu. I hail from Etsako West LGA of Edo State, from a family of 6. The third child of 4 vibrant boys. A graduate of Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the University of Benin and a Chess and Scrabble aficionado.
That's pretty much me.
We gathered you graduated with a first class degree and the overall best student in your department while in the university, how did you manage that?
Hmmm... How did I manage that? It was not a walk in the park, neither was it that complex. It was a combination of some basic principles and grace of God that brought and saw me through.
I learnt early my 'formula' which 'we' call PIN code quite early. I learnt how I learn best. I learnt when I assimilated best. Basically, I just knew me then I adapted myself and my strategy daily, weekly and so on to achieve best results in everything I do. Sincerely, I didn't learn this when I was in school (UNIBEN). I learnt this far before UNIBEN and this aided me in my studies in school. I knew what time my brain shuts down for the day, I knew when it came up, ready to receive data.
I understood the importance of foundational knowledge. A house is as good as its foundation. A faulty foundation leads to cracks in a building and eventually its destruction. However, unlike a building that has to be brought down to totally to fix or repair its foundation, knowledge foundation can be rebuilt when an issue is noted with the foundation. I was well grounded in my science subjects and this enabled my build castles on these foundational knowledge along the way. It was pretty easy to build on it as the foundation was well built.
Also, I walked with the best. Trust me, when a chicken moves with eagles, it definitely without any doubt would fly like an eagle one day. Friends in my immediate circle were the best of the best and geekiest of the geekiest. Some may not find these people cool to move with but I was the kind of person that enjoyed their presence. Every conversation with them left me better than I was before the conversation. Names that unconsciously come to mind here are Onotie Omoifo and Samuel Ezebunandu. They were and are good. They were my immediate clique. I learnt a lot from them.
Truth be told all my efforts and principles, no matter how well applied, would have been nought without the grace of God. He was close to me and kept me before I found Him and He still keeps me close to Him till this day. He made me understand that the race is not to the swift nor battle to the strong... Eccl 9:11 and It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but God that showeth mercy... Rom 9:16.
What were your best moments in the university?
My best moment was when I was at my spot reading I think. There were kind of no social moments in school but now i think that was too extreme (do i really think that?).
What were your worst moments?
My worst moment was a day when Dr. Anyaeji (actually a professor to many of us) asked that I explain a concept he had spent the last hour explaining to the class. A friend Eroms had asked for clarification. I flopped (lol). Eventually, Samuel explained the concept and I never forgot the concept till this day.
What studying techniques did you employ that led to this great success?
I read daily during the days I was in school (Sunday - Friday) . I went home a lot (every Friday I must confess) and couldn't read at home, so I had to make good use of the days/nights I was in school. Please note that there is no hard and fast rule. What may work for me may not work for you. This is why knowing yourself is very important. Then you can channel your energy, increase efficiency and get good results.
I understood that it isn't the number of hours you put into reading that mattered. It is the efficiency with which you operate that mattered. I could read for 3 hours which may translate to 2 effective hours and some other person may read for 5 hours and get 2 effective hours. So it all boils down to knowing yourself, channelling your energy and increasing your efficiency.
Also, do not just read your 8 or 9 courses of a semester and forget about the world. Know what goes on around you especially on a global scale. Abraham Lincoln said in his letter to his son's teacher, "...Teach him if you can the wonders of books, but also give time to ponder the extreme mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hill."
What is your advice for a student who is struggling in his studies academically?
My advice to that person would be to understand themselves, channel their energy and seek ways to improve their efficiency. This could require going back to read some basic concepts. A professor of Electrical/Electronic engineering (EEE) rightly said that all you need to know in EEE is Ohm's Law, Kirchoff's Voltage Law (KVL) and Kirchoff's current Law (KCL) and you are good to go. The wisdom there is that this basic laws are what the rest of EEE is built upon.
Finally how has life after school been including successes you have enjoyed since your graduation?
Life after school has been nice in general.
Thank you Mr. Kpemi for your time
Dear readers, you have heard from a top man who excelled academically. You too can. You can follow Kpemi on twitter on www.twitter.com/Pure_Cmega
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