Arikeusola Sodiq Babatunde, a fresh graduate of Linguistics and Communication Studies at Osun State University, has reflected on his academic journey, the people who supported him and his years of helping fellow students succeed academically.
Babatunde graduated with a 4.38 CGPA, earning a Second Class Upper, but says his university experience was about much more than obtaining a degree.
In this interview, he speaks about his journey, mentoring other students, the people who influenced him, the lessons he learnt and what he hopes students will remember him for.
What’s your name and what programme did you study?
My name is Arikeusola Sodiq Babatunde. I studied Linguistics and Communication Studies at Osun State University.
How does it feel to finally graduate from UNIOSUN?
Being a graduate, I feel a sense of fulfilment. I have wanted to be a university student for a long time, and I am proud to be a graduate.
I am proud of myself, not for the degree alone, but for the people I met and everything I encountered on campus.
Looking back, what does this moment mean to you?
For me, it means more than just having a degree. The university journey came with different experiences, challenges and people who shaped me.
The people I met and the things I encountered have contributed greatly to who I am today.
What was the most challenging part of your university journey?
The academic journey was stressful. The first challenge was trying to have a good result.
Balancing results with my workload and academics was challenging.
I graduated with a Second Class Upper, with a 4.38 CGPA.
Many students know you for helping them academically. How did that journey begin?
I didn’t just start it like that. Right from my secondary school, in 2015, I started teaching. Helping others has been part of my life.
I was helped too. Mr Marble, Albert and Moses helped me to stabilise on campus and made me want to help others.
What motivated you to start helping other students?
I believe nobody is an island of knowledge.
Since people had helped me, I also felt that I should help others. I wanted other students to understand what they were learning and perform better academically.
Was there a particular moment when you realised your support was making a difference?
There were several moments, especially seeing students I mentored improve academically.
I have some juniors whom I mentored in 200 level and 300 level who are now in First Class, despite the fact that I didn’t graduate with First Class.
That gives me joy because academic success should not be about one person alone.
What kind of academic challenges did students usually come to you with?
The challenges people brought to me were enormous.
There were some people who were intelligent but they didn’t work intelligently. There were some people who were smart but they didn’t work smart.
Smart work is better than working hard.
How did you manage helping other students while keeping up with your own studies?
Helping others didn’t affect me at all. I felt motivated.
I prepared before examinations and I don’t run haphazardly. This helped me a lot.
I also learnt that when you teach other people, you sometimes understand things better yourself.
Did helping others ever affect your own academic work?
No. Helping others actually motivated me.
One example was when a coursemate asked me to teach them Syntax, which I had not fully understood myself.
I told them to choose Monday. A day before then, I took textbooks and studied.
I was able to teach them very well, and I was able to understand the course better myself.
What did you learn from teaching or mentoring your colleagues?
One thing I learnt from teaching is that no one is an island of knowledge.
Teaching others also makes you learn. Sometimes, when you are trying to explain something to another person, you discover things you didn’t understand before.
Was there anyone who played a major role in your own academic journey?
There are many people who played major roles in my journey.
Mr Marble helped my journey.
Dr Awoniyi also tried for me. Without him, I would not have become known. He made me rise to prominence.
Dr Japhet, my lecturer, is a father figure. He is more than a lecturer and he tried his best for me.
Dr Komolafe would ask about my CGPA, and that motivated me.
Comrade Albert also helped me a lot.
There are also some of my colleagues who played important roles in my journey — Queen Ester, Joy and Ibiyemi Pelumi.
Dr Tayo really tried for me. I see him as a brother and a mentor.
These people gave me motivation. The fact that they believed in me motivated me.
Is there a particular student or experience that you’ll never forget?
There is a particular student I will never forget, and that is Asupoto Mubarak. He is my great friend and a great brother.
At a point, the class representative was removed and the class had to nominate a new one.
I felt reluctant because I didn’t want to lose, but Mubarak motivated me.
My name was included. I had the highest vote and became the class representative. That was also part of what made me known among students.
What is one mistake you think students should avoid?
Students should not wait until it is too late before understanding how their academic system works.
One thing that makes me sad till date is that, supposing I was oriented about how CGPA is calculated earlier, I would have approached some things differently.
What habits helped you academically?
The willingness to listen and learn.
I read textbooks and I also make use of ChatGPT to break down topics in a way I can understand easily.
I also prepare ahead of examinations rather than waiting until the last moment.
For a student who is currently struggling academically, what would you tell them?
They should believe in themselves and believe that they can do it.
I was also struggling academically until I encountered Marble. He told me to believe in myself. I got the courage.
It got to a point where I told myself, “I must not have B.”
All my results in the last semester were A, 5.0.
I believed I could do it, and I did it. They should also believe they can do it.
What do you wish someone had told you when you were a 100-level student?
I wish I had been properly oriented earlier about how CGPA works and how every academic decision can affect your final result.
Understanding that early can help a student plan better from the beginning.
When students look back at your time in UNIOSUN, what do you want them to remember you for?
Whenever people look back at my time as an undergraduate, I want them to remember me for who I was.
I didn’t collect a dime.
I did a tutorial on Phonology for some 200-level students. I created a group for them, and they all had good results.
They demanded my account number, which I declined.
I told them that service to humanity is priceless.
But my reputation is still there. I want them to remember me for that.
Do you think academic success is more meaningful when you help others succeed too?
Definitely.
What is academic success when you alone are succeeding?
Success is not for you alone. Success is meaningful when those around you are also succeeding.
One of the problems we face in Nigeria is that we don’t want others’ success. We only want ourselves to be successful.
I believe we should also be happy when the people around us succeed.
Now that you’re graduating, do you intend to continue mentoring students?
I shall continue to be a mentor to whoever wishes to learn.
I want to make it global for people to emulate.
If you could leave one message for the next generation of UNIOSUN students, what would it be?
They should be a good ambassador of this citadel of learning.
They should believe in themselves, work hard, work smart and also understand that their success can help someone else succeed.
