Last week, reports had it that Covenant University graduated 114 first class students. As usual, a lot of tongues were wagging, condemning the institution of higher learning and stating that there was some sort of fraudulent practice behind the degree issuance process.
The reason for the condemnation is due to the fact that most students from other universities, specifically the Federal variety cannot understand why the Covenant University students routinely beat them in the academic race for excellence.
20 year old Michael Eromhonsele was CU’s best graduating student of the 2012/2013 session scoring a 4.92 cumulative grade point average. In an interview with a national newspaper, the student’s comments shed light on why Covenant University consistently churns out a high percentage of excellent and above average performing students.
Provision of an enabling environment, free from distractions: As far as infrastructure goes, CU is light years ahead of the competition. The campus has electricity 24/7. There is hardly an area of campus that is not lit up always throughout the day and even when energy saving is applied and generators switched off in the hostels, there is light in the libraries and college buildings. Also there is absence of cultism, and other material pursuits that slow the student’s mind down. By withholding cars and phones from students, the students are encouraged to focus on academic versus social pursuits.
Eromhonsele reveals that apart from the serene environment in the school, which is conducive for learning, he loves to read late into the night.
According to him, he started reading from 10.00pm and he won’t stop until 1.00am.
“Those are the hours I found most convenient to read. As soon as I closed my book, I went to bed. I woke up at 7.00am, and got ready for my classes. Lectures start at 8.00am,” he adds.
The university is also free from ASUU Strikes and is efficient due to the fact that it is private sector driven.
Ability to opt-out of vainglorious social pursuits: Eromonsele admitted he did not have a girlfriend throughout his 5 year stay studying Civil Engineering, in university. He also never went to parties. This guy would be seen as a kill joy by most of his contemporaries in the wold, yet surprisingly many CU students think like this, at least whilst they’re in school.
Modern college life worldwide is seen as a time to party, and enjoy your youth. Universities across the world engage in binge drinking, fraternity and sorority parties and all other kinds of heavy social life. CU doesn’t give students that opportunity as they are housed many kilometres from the nearest city in a gated community that is run by one of Africa’s biggest Church organizations. The spiritual life there is rich and vibrant and since the students are young, it is easy to get pulled into the culture that reigns there, abandoning the party hard lifestyle that is prevalent in a lot of other school communities.
The Spiritual Life in Covenant University is rigid and students are made to undergo several church services and bible study groups a week. Even certain classes start off with a prayer before the class commences. There is counseling and genuine interest in the welfare of every student.
Now whilst like every other institution there are abuses by lecturers, professors, non-academic staff and even students, the majority of the system works. No wonder why the institution doesn’t feel the need to justify naysayers who condemn the culture of excellence.
The eighth convocation event was not all about Michael alone. A total of 1,466 students graduated during the event tagged Release of Eagles 2013. The breakdown showed that 114 made first class, 720 made second class upper, 565 obtained second class lower division, while 67 were in the third class category.