How To Make First Class In Nigeria University: 12 Top Tips To Get A First Class Degree At University
In 2024–2025, a student from the Department of Soil Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, graduated with a first class. At the prize and awards ceremony, this lady was offered a huge sum of money from the school and various scholarship opportunities.
She literally had many routes to a better life before her.
Graduating with a first class will bring you unimaginable offers, even for a course like Soil Science.
Making a first class in the university always seems impossible to some students. But the truth is, graduating with a first class is not impossible. All that is needed is to know what actually works. the strategy that has been proven by first class graduates.
At the end of this write-up, you will learn what is common among first class graduates that made them come out with a first class.
How Do I Make First Class in the University?
To make a first class in the university, you have to: attend all lectures, build good relationships with your lecturers, start strong and protect your CGPA, be intentional about your circle, prepare early for exams, and complete your Continuous Assessment (CA).
1. Attend All (Or Most Of) Your Lectures
Attending lectures makes it easy to understand each course and topic. Being punctual to every lecture reduces the workload of extensive reading during examinations and aids comprehension when studying.
When you are consistently present, you pick up on the key points your lecturer emphasises, which often show up directly in exams.
2. Build Good Relationships With Your Lecturers
Having a good relationship with your lecturers is an added advantage to being a good student. It makes it easy to ask for their help and seek clarification when necessary.
Lecturers are more likely to invest extra attention in students they know are serious and respectful, and this can make a significant difference in your academic journey.
3. Learn on YouTube
This is one of the underrated secrets students use for achieving a clearer understanding of a topic. Basically, most, if not all of what you are learning has been taught to others and is available on YouTube.
You may not fully understand a topic in class, and that is all right. Just download a video that explains it and watch.
That may be your chance of truly grasping what is being taught. Visual and audio explanations often make complex concepts click in a way that textbooks cannot.
4. Start Strong and Protect Your CGPA
Starting with good grades gives you the confidence to push for a first class. I have seen students who made a GPA of 5.0 in their first year.
To achieve this, you have to maintain good grades and if possible, aim for an A in all your courses. Yes, it is possible.
Protecting your CGPA from the very beginning is important because recovering from a poor start is significantly harder than maintaining a strong one. Every grade counts, and the foundation you build early determines how much room you have to manoeuvre later.
Recommended For You: How To Calculate Your CGPA In University
5. Be Intentional About Your Circle
There is a saying: Birds of the same feather flock together.
If you cannot change your friends, they will change you. Make friends who have big dreams and are running after those dreams like their whole life depends on it. Make friends with people who encourage you and make you believe that you can be more. The people around you shape your habits, your mindset, and ultimately your results.
6. Participate in Extracurricular Activities
Apart from building your academic life through studying and attending lectures, building your social life is also vital.
This is common with first class graduates. Even though they seem to be people who are very focused, I have heard most of them talk about joining different associations while in school.
This helps build courage and gives you public confidence skills that are just as valuable as your grades in the real world.
7. Seek Information From Senior Students
Asking senior students questions such as which courses are hard, which are easy, how a lecturer sets their questions, and which courses students fail most can help you know what to expect and where to channel more energy.
Their experience is a valuable shortcut that can save you from making avoidable mistakes.
8. Practice With Past Questions
Past questions are a blueprint to passing exams. Most lecturers repeat questions.
Do not depend on past questions alone, as some questions may change, but revise them after reading your books.
Look for questions that appear repeatedly across different years’ exams, as these are the most likely to come up again.
9. Early Preparation and Complete CA (Continuous Assessment)
Did you know that you can earn 40 marks from CA alone, and then only need to score 30 marks in the exam to make an A? That is the power of completing your Continuous Assessment.
Try to have a complete CA by not neglecting any component: assignments, tests, note markings, attendance, and filling each course workbook. These marks accumulate and give you a significant cushion heading into your examinations.
10. Relate With Your Coursemates
Be on good terms with your coursemates. they are the friends who can save you when difficult work comes.
Do not try to be a lone tree; relate with others. That way, you will not miss any important information, and you will have someone to cover for you in your absence.
Academic collaboration is not cheating; it is smart.
11. Get Enough Sleep
Scientists have uncovered that not having enough sleep negatively affects memory, focus, and cognitive performance. the very things you need to excel academically.
While it is good to read all day and study at night to become that BGS (Best Graduating Student), know that some first class students did not read at night.
Some even said they never attended night classes and still came out with a first class.
Effective time management is what they used to make it possible — time to study, time for fellowship, and time to sleep.
12. Set Fake Deadlines for Yourself Before the Actual One
The brain always thinks about urgency. When there is little time left to do something, it feels like there is much more time but before you know it, the day is there staring at you and you have not done anything.
Setting a fake deadline to finish your assignment or studying gives you that sense of urgency to accomplish the task before the actual deadline.
This technique tricks your brain into treating tomorrow’s task as today’s emergency, making you far more productive.
13. Pray
In all you do, pray. Put everything you do in the hands of God, for the spiritual controls the physical.
But remember that prayer without work is dead. Faith and effort must go hand in hand.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the CGPA for first class?
The CGPA required for a First Class degree depends on your university's grading scale:
5.0 Grading Scale: A CGPA of 4.50 – 5.00. (Common in Nigeria and the UK)
4.0 Grading Scale: A CGPA of 3.50 – 4.00. (Used by institutions like the University of Ibadan)
What class is a 2.5 CGPA?
A 2.5 CGPA is generally equivalent to a Second Class Lower division.
What is 2.1 CGPA in university?
In university , a 2.1 (spoken as "two-one") refers to a Second Class Honours, Upper Division degree classification. It signifies an above-average academic performance and is widely respected by employers and graduate programs.
What are the 4 levels of study?
The four types of college degrees are associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral. Each level varies in duration, depth of study and the potential career opportunities.
What is a PhD?
A PhD stands for Doctor of Philosophy. It is the highest level of academic degree you can earn in almost any discipline, ranging from the sciences and engineering to the humanities and social sciences.
Conclusion
Graduating with a first class is possible, even for you.
The first class student didn't make it out of luck. It was through consistency, determination and a burning desire.
This write-up uncovers the true secrets on how to make first class in university. You can save it, share with friends and refer back to it when you need it.
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