Pius Agboola, who emerged as the overall best graduating student at Osun State University (UNIOSUN) for the 2025/2026 academic session with a remarkable 4.91 Cumulative Grade Point Average in Mechanical Engineering, has revealed that mentorship and focused study materials were pivotal to his achievement. The scholar shared the strategies behind his academic feat during an interview discussing his university journey.
Agboola disclosed that he relied on a network of about four academic mentors, which included Sonia Adetu, the top-performing graduate from the preceding academic year. By seeking guidance from seniors who had already navigated the challenges of the degree programme, Agboola noted that he avoided avoidable mistakes and gained valuable intelligence regarding various courses.
What role did mentorship play in his success?
According to the UNIOSUN alumnus, understanding the unique preferences of individual lecturers was crucial for excelling in examinations. His mentors provided insights into whether specific instructors favoured detailed explanations or concise, direct answers.
"For instance, some lecturers expect you to explain your points extensively, while others want you to highlight the main points and go straight to the answer. Knowing your lecturers is one of the important strategies," Agboola stated.
How did he manage his reading routine?
On his reading habits, Agboola emphasized that study techniques should be personalized rather than generalized. While he was capable of sustaining uninterrupted reading sessions for up to six hours, he advised fellow students to adopt methods suited to their personal capacities.
Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of utilizing relevant academic resources rather than spending extensive hours on materials with little bearing on tests or examinations. Guidance from senior colleagues and lecturers helped him streamline his study materials for optimal time management.
Interestingly, despite the rigorous nature of a Mechanical Engineering curriculum, Agboola revealed that he never attended night classes throughout his five-year university education, which included an initial A-level programme and four undergraduate years. He preferred studying alone in a private environment to tackle complex calculations and difficult concepts, resorting to group discussions only on rare occasions when specific topics required collaborative problem-solving.