"IF I COULD GO BACK IN TIME, I WOULD PROBABLY NOT BE IN OAU" - 2025 BEST GRADUATING STUDENT, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT, OAU

 NCB: Good evening. Nice to have you here.

How do you do?

Afeez:Good evening. I'm good. You?

NCB: I am very well. Thank God

Can you introduce yourself? Tell us about your background.

Afeez: My name is Olagbaju Afeez Olatomide. I'm from a muslim family of 6. I have three siblings and we are all boys.

NCB: How about your educational background?

Afeez: I spent all my educational life up to this moment in Ife. I attended Pearl Preparatory School while in nursery class. I proceeded to Faith Standard Schools for my primary and secondary education. I finished secondary school in 2019, applied for English language here in OAU the same year and I got admitted a few months after.

NCB: So you mean to type that English was your first choice.

Afeez: Yes. I chose English myself. Actually, when I was in SSS 3, I was indecisive on whether I should pursue a degree in Law or English. Later, I got to find out Law wasn't accredited as a programme in OAU that year and since a passionate love for OAU had been ignited in me long before I entered secondary school, jettisoning any other school for the pursuance of a degree in English in OAU was really a no-brainer.

NCB: Are you from Ife? Asking because your educational life has always been in Ife.

Afeez: Yes.

NCB: Oh wow, what's so fascinating about Ife? Considering the fact that you didn't want to change your choice of university which is also in Ife, because the initial course you wanted to go for wasn't accredited.

Afeez: To be frank, there's nothing much about Ife. I chose OAU because of its prestige, not because there was anything special about Ife itself. If I could go back in time, I would probably not be in OAU. I would be somewhere far from Ife. I could still be studying English though.

NCB: And did OAU live up to its prestige? And what university would you have gone for if not OAU?

Afeez: Well, that's not for me to judge. As for choosing any other university, I don't have any other in mind but the feeling of being outside of Ife, experiencing a new environment would have been grounds for any university I chose. Basically, I would have loved to go to school outside of Ife.

NCB: Still on your educational background... How do you feel as the Best Graduating Student of the department of English and Literary Studies?

Afeez: I feel quite excited. I didn't expect it (at least not until part 4 second semester). I'm grateful to God almighty. I only wanted to have good grades and do my thing but I got crowned as the BGS along the way. Alhamdullahi.

NCB: Would you say the Department of English was stressful?

Afeez: It was really stressful. Especially part 3 and part 4. Also, efforts are not really rewarded here.

NCB: Can you please go deeper on the latter?

Afeez: I had so many courses I prepared extraordinarily for, only for me to check results and it's a 68 B, 67 B. Can be really frustrating. That's my own side. So many of my coursemates also have their own stories, more painful than mine.Sometimes the grades appear as if they were deliberately cut off but what do I know.

NCB: What was your reaction when you noticed you were a few points away from first class?

Afeez: I wasn't really happy cos I actually put in the work but I wasn't shocked. I had thought about it before and me graduating with a 4.48 was just my greatest fear coming to reality. I fought for the CGPA to be upgraded but I guess God had other plans.

It's actually not the end of the world.

NCB: Were you at any point active on campus (socially or politically) or were you mainly focused on your studies?

Afeez: I am not really the social type but it wasn't all about studies. I'm in a network marketing business and I create content on Tiktok and YouTube too, but I was more active academics-wise no doubt.

NCB: How was the balance between business and academics?

Afeez: It wasn't easy, actually. My business suffered at the expense of maintaining good academic records.

NCB: Before we draw the curtain, any advice to students of the department of English and Literary Studies trying to become the best graduating student?

Afeez: It's not an easy feat. If you want the tag "BGS" you must be willing to put in the work; read even when you are at your lowest. Preferably, aim for a first class. I aimed for it and that was why I was able to graduate as the BGS, pray too, God answers prayers. Have goals and keep a good track of CGPA.

Afeez: With all these put in place, you have the chances of achieving what your heart desires.

NCB: Finally, make a shout out to those who deserve it.

Afeez: Shout out to my entire family, family friends, Class of Crackerjacks, Prof Olateju and everybody who made my stay on campus a memorable one.

NCB: And with that we have come to the end of the interview, Thank you very much sir

Afeez: You are welcome, miss