Attention

Before going into this article, I’d like to say that the inspiration for this article was from a video I watched on YouTube (link to the video below). The girl really talked about some realistic tips that I think will work for people, or if not, you would be able to pick some ideas. I added my points too, based on my experiences in school. If you wanna watch the video, here it is;

But, if you want the full gist, with less time, and less data, then let us dive into the article together. 

Please, remember to leave a comment in the comment section about anything about the post.

Introduction

Striving for Academic Excellence

So you want to become that “perfect student”, “That student”, or “the one that always gets straight A’s effortlessly.” At this point, you probably know what you need to do. Study more, be organized, use the Pomodoro method, test yourself, and make engaging notes, but nothing ever sticks. 

You try your new study habits and routines for like two days, then crash, and ultimately keep being the same old chaotic, hot, messed version of yourself, while those other perfect, students in your grade keep acing their exams without seeming to break a sweat. But no more. 

In this article, I will go over some top-secret, non-basic study tips and hacks that actually work and will help you finally see improvements in your grades. 

The Common Struggles

Identifying the Three Main Challenges

Here are three main issues that I’ve personally faced, and I feel like the majority of students face when it comes to studying and grades./h

1. you don’t know how to study. 
2. you don’t study enough. Or 
3. you don’t study efficiently. 

Problem One: Finding Effective Study Strategies

For potential problem number one, this is just a situation where you don’t yet know the strategies and techniques that work for you and help you get top grades. Here are the general rules for playing the game of getting good grades.

Prioritize Weightier Exams/Assignments

First, it’s really important to note the weights of the assignments and how important the exams are, in order to prioritize your time on the assignments or exams that are worth the most, and make sure that you put most of your effort into them. 

Some courses are 5 units, some are 2 units, so make sure you prioritize reading the heavier ones for exams first. The 5-unit course carries a greater percentage of your GPA than 2 units. Put more effort into heavy courses!

Understanding Exam Composition

Two is knowing what’s on the exams. Obviously, you won’t know exactly what’s on the exams beforehand usually, but essentially knowing if the majority of the exam will be based on the lectures, slides or on the textbook, or on everything. Also, after you get the feedback for your first few assignments or exams, try to remember what the exam was like and whether it was more from the class lectures or slides or textbooks, and just overall analyze the exam in the first couple of assignments and try to figure out what the teacher wants. Also, if you have quizzes in your class, then I recommend trying to write down any questions you remember after the quizzes and seeing if they pop up on the exam later. There are some lecturers who give you the exact questions they do in class, they give them in your exams, and some use the exact examples in their slides. I’ve seen this a lot with my classes, and that way you can get free points because the same questions popped up on both the class questions and the exam. 

Leveraging Past Exams and Resources

Again, if there is any access to past exams or past papers or practice questions in the textbook, it’s great to use them to review and see where your knowledge gaps are, and also, again, see if any of the questions end up popping up on the exams. 

Download Some OAU 100L Past Questions

Download Last Year’s Past Questions (For OAU Science Part 2 Students)

Concentrate More On Your Lecturer Slides/Class Notes

Next, if there is a note or slide for the class, just straight up use that. I don’t really take notes anywhere else since if the teacher made a study guide or their own notes for the class, it’s very unlikely that they’ll deviate a lot from the notes, and it gives you a great structured format to know what to study and what to prioritize.

If you would like to watch a YouTube video or watch a course online on a particular topic, probably you don’t understand from class or you don’t understand your slides. Do not just watch literally everything in the video, (it’s not the Youtuber that wants to set your exams, lol) You may not need everything for your exams. Watch the video with your school slides or class notes, if there were parts of the video that were clearly just from the slides, then watch that portion of the lecture and take the notes from the lecture for that part well.

Get Freshers Materials (Slides and Class Notes)

Download Material For OAU Science Part 2 Students (Slides and Class Notes)

Embracing Diverse Learning Methods

 A major thing here is once you find something that works for you, even if everyone on the internet says handwriting is terrible and passive reading is bad, honestly, if it works for you, just keep doing it. Don’t let anyone shame your weird study methods or your inefficient study methods. Just find something that works for you and that helps you get the grades that you want.

Problem Two: Time Management and Prioritization

Okay, so problem number two is if you don’t study enough or have enough time.

Balancing Extracurricular Activities

So in this case, I highly recommend cutting some extracurriculars, if you just realize you have way too many.

Tracking and Optimizing Your Study Time

Also, I recommend tracking your time for a week or two and just seeing where all your time goes and also tracking how much time you actually study. Because, for instance, if it turns out you only study five hours a week, then you probably know that something you need to work on is gradually building up how much time you can sit at your desk and study.

Efficient Use of Free Hours

Also, a major tip that really helps a little when you have a million extracurriculars and a million classes, is using your time in school wisely. If you can actually set a goal to use every free minute that you can in school to study. It turns out that there sometimes is actually a lot of free time that just floats around. So use your time wisely at school if you can, and you’ll find that you have a lot more time for studying than you expected during the day in school.

Problem Three: Studying Efficiently

Problem number three is that you don’t study efficiently.

Redefining the Study Hours vs. Success Equation

The most important thing to remember here is that the hours that you spend studying do not really equal success.  Because honestly, when it comes to studying efficiently, you do not have to handwrite your notes for everything. It really is just about playing the game that is getting straight A’s and figuring out what is the bare minimum sometimes that you need to do to get those A’s.

Utilizing Online Resources

Another thing that top students do is that they definitely use outside resources that help them be more efficient and study better.

For example, if you look up certain teacher websites, either your own teacher website or you type in a generic class like AP Chemistry, Weebly, online website, you can usually find a ton of free notes, PDFs, and documents that teachers have uploaded to their websites and actually use those as your notes instead of making them yourself. Definitely don’t be afraid of using the internet to research and find amazing resources. 

Seeking Tutoring and Teacher Guidance

 Of course, if you’re really struggling with a specific topic, absolutely reach out to a tutor. Absolutely see, because usually most universities and schools have free tutoring, so try to see if you can find any student tutors or free tutors.

Absolutely reach out to upper-class men if you can and definitely use your teacher as well as a resource, especially if they’re a really nice teacher. Go to their office hours, visit them at lunch if you can, and definitely use them as well. 

Telling God

If you believe in God, you should always tell Him about everything you do, this includes studying too. Tell Him about your difficulties and how you feel, and pray to Him to raise people who will be your friend, encourage, and guide you through. Tell him that you want favor in your studies, He should tell you what to read, and give you strength when you are tired. Let me tell you, he hears every single word you say, and guess what? He can do them all for you. What makes studying more efficient than this?

Cultivating the Right Mindset

Now, let’s talk about the mindset. Basically, when it comes to the mindset, in my opinion, there are three main pillars of this.

Building Confidence in Your Ability to Improve

Number one is the confidence pillar, which is basically the belief that you can improve. Because if you don’t believe it, you’re honestly deep, deep, deep down going to just think, “I could be doing something fun instead of studying and sitting here, and it’s not going to make a difference.”  So, in my opinion, the way that you develop this confidence or this belief that studying does lead to better grades, or that changing the way you study will lead to better grades, it only comes from the results you get, honestly. I understand some people get it by affirmations and all that, and if that works for you, good for you. But if you are going to really try to improve and learn this subject and just see if you can really try for a semester, for instance. And then, once you actually see tangible results, you’ll start to develop that confidence that you can change, and it’s that belief that you can do it that will keep you resilient and motivated and determined throughout the semester, and not have a mental breakdown every time you don’t get the results you want, or you get a bad grade. This ties into the second pillar of how to have a growth mindset.

Fostering a Growth Mindset

 Number two is the growth mindset, but it’s basically that mindset that every failure is something to learn from and shows you what doesn’t work rather than internalizing that failure and basically concluding that you suck. And again, in my opinion, you’ll only deeply believe that failure is not the end of the world. Once it actually comes true, you actually learn from failures and then you bounce back. That’s why pivoting or changing study techniques, if nothing is working for you is super important, so you don’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and setting yourself up for failure. 

So for instance if handwriting notes it’s just too slow or too boring for you and you can’t concentrate, then definitely try watching videos or making flashcards or mind maps or something completely different and see if that works for you. It’s better that I eventually figure it out in a year, than just continuing to do the same thing that I did for the past several years and continuing to get bad grades. 

The Significance of Valuing Your Grades

The last pillar is simply placing importance on grades. So, obviously, making grades a priority is important for getting good grades because if you don’t care about grades, if you don’t think it’s important, then you’re just not going to prioritize it. You’re not going to study a lot, and you’re not going to get good grades. So, I highly recommend trying to figure out why you want to get good grades and just really thinking about it. It’s probably not going to come to you in like three seconds. It might take several months, even. But just really thinking like why are the grades important to you? Is it for your parents? Do you want to make them proud? Do you want to get a good job in the future? Are you obsessed with a certain subject, and do you really want to learn it and be amazing? And it really doesn’t matter ultimately what that reason is. You don’t have to tell anyone, but the stronger your emotions are about that reason, the better. Because ultimately when you’re sleep-deprived, when you’re tired, it’s remembering that reason that will help you continue pushing through instead of going on your phone or giving up or not caring.

Playing to Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Alright, this part is playing to your strengths and weaknesses. It’s just basically trying to know yourself and how you work. 

Breaking Down Tasks for Success

Break up your assignments or the things that you have to do into little chunks.  So if you get overwhelmed a lot, I also recommend breaking up tasks into little pieces and then, you know that you’ll have a break after you do a certain amount of things. 

Finding Inspiration and a Supportive Community

Surround yourself with an artificial community or a real-life community of peers who are also interested in studying. This is just really helpful when you feel like you completely don’t care about studying or school, or you’re just really lacking motivation. It can be really helpful to find maybe five to ten people on YouTube or on Instagram. It can also be whoever you see as an academic inspiration, and watching them in your free time to kind of reminds you to kind of glorify the process of studying. And that way, you’re getting motivated, and inspired to study even on your breaks, instead of getting completely distracted by a fantasy book or some really intriguing murder mystery show or something like that, that completely distracts your brain from studying and from school. So basically use your study breaks in your Pomodoro sessions or between study sessions to watch, study people, or study inspirations to kind of help focus your brain on studying. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the path to academic excellence is an exciting journey filled with opportunities for growth and improvement. By addressing common challenges such as effective study methods, time management, and the development of a growth mindset, you can set yourself on the course to achieving your academic goals.

The key lies in self-awareness and adaptability. Recognize your unique learning style and embrace it. Whether you thrive on the pressure of last-minute deadlines or prefer a well-structured study plan, understanding what works best for you is essential. Don’t fear failure; view it as a stepping stone to success. Experiment with various techniques until you discover your personal formula for success.

Placing importance on your grades can be a powerful motivator. Identify your reasons for striving for excellence, be it personal fulfillment, making your family proud, or securing your future. Let these motivations fuel your determination, especially during challenging times.

Finally, remember the value of a supportive community. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who share your commitment to learning can be a wellspring of inspiration. Whether you find study partners online or in real life, a sense of belonging to a community of learners can reignite your motivation during tough moments.

In your journey to academic success, remain undaunted by setbacks or unconventional study habits. While the road may be long, the destination is worth the effort. So, equip yourself with the right strategies, cultivate a resilient mindset, and draw strength from your unique motivations. With these tools in hand, you’re well on your way to becoming the exceptional student you aspire to be. Feel free to share your own insights and experiences in the comment section below. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and can inspire others on their educational journeys.

About FUTA

Federal University of Technology Akure, popularly known as FUTA, stands as one of the premier institutions for technology-focused education in Nigeria. Renowned for its academic excellence and competitive admission process, FUTA consistently ranks high among the nation’s universities. In fact, it secured the third spot in Nigeria according to Times Higher Education’s 2024 rating, distinguishing itself as the number one technology institution in the country.  

FUTA has grown tremendously, stretching its academic disciplines and research across eight different schools and over fifty academic departments.

Despite its esteemed status, FUTA remains one of the most affordable universities in Nigeria in terms of tuition fees. This combination of affordability and academic prestige makes it a top choice for aspiring students seeking quality education in various fields.

Today, we aim to provide you with the essential information regarding FUTA’s Cut-Off Mark for the 2023/2024 academic session. Understanding the Cut-Off Mark is crucial for aspiring students as it serves as a fundamental benchmark for admission requirements, helping them adequately prepare for their examinations.

Check the list of all courses in Nigerian Universities

FUTA Cut-Off Mark 2023/2024 | Jamb & Departmental

The Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) has officially released its Cut-Off Mark for both general admissions and department-specific requirements for the 2023/2024 academic session.

Prospective students frequently have numerous questions about FUTA’s admission criteria, such as:

• What is FUTA’s Cut-Off Mark for Medicine and Surgery in the 2023/2024 academic session?
• What is the JAMB Cut-Off Mark at FUTA?
• What are FUTA’s General and Departmental Cut-Off Marks for 2023/2024?

If you’re among those with these inquiries, you’ve come to the right place.

But before we delve into the specifics of FUTA’s Cut-Off Marks for the upcoming academic session, let’s clarify what Cut-Off Marks mean and differentiate between the general Cut-Off Mark and the departmental Cut-Off Mark for 2023/2024.

Meaning of Cut-Off Mark

A Cut-Off Mark is a crucial factor in the admission process that not everyone may fully comprehend. Many applicants are uncertain about its meaning, but we are here to clarify that for you.

A Cut-Off Mark is a predetermined score established by an educational institution to determine the eligibility of students for admission into specific departments or programs. The score is usually based on an applicant’s performance in a particular examination. Candidates who exceed the required Cut-Off Mark are given priority in the admission process over those who merely meet the exact Cut-Off Mark.

Meaning of General Cut-Off Mark

The General Cut-Off Mark is the minimum score an aspiring student must achieve to be considered for admission to FUTA. If your score falls below FUTA’s General Cut-Off Mark, you won’t be eligible to register for their Post-UTME, thus missing the opportunity for admission. For instance, if your score is 179 and FUTA’s General Cut-Off Mark is 180, you won’t be able to register for the university’s screening exercise.

Each university has the freedom to set its own General Cut-Off Mark, but it cannot set a Cut-Off Mark lower than the minimum set by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

FUTA General Cut-Off Mark 2023/2024

For the 2023/2024 academic session, the General Cut-Off Mark for all courses at FUTA is set at 180. To be eligible to apply for the post-UTME form and have a chance at admission, every candidate who selected FUTA as their choice in the last JAMB examination is expected to score a minimum of 180. Scoring below 180 will result in automatic disqualification.

Meaning of Departmental Cut-Off Mark

The Departmental Cut-Off Mark refers to the minimum score required for admission to a specific course or department at the university. For instance, FUTA may have a General Cut-Off Mark of 180, but specific departments may have different Departmental Cut-Off Marks. These Departmental Cut-Off Marks are determined based on the level of competitiveness of the course. Each year, the university sets Cut-Off Marks for all courses, though not all departments publicly disclose their specific requirements.

Aspirants and prospective students are advised to check FUTA’s Cut-Off Marks before applying for the Federal University of Technology Akure Post-UTME Screening Form. Here are the full details.

FUTA Departmental Cut-Off Mark 2023/2024

Below are the Departmental Cut-Off Marks for specific courses:

Note: These Cut-Off Marks may vary annually based on the performance of applicants applying for specific courses.

FUTA Departmental Cutoff Marks (Aggregate)

CUT OFF FOR SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY SAAT

CUT OFF MARK FOR SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY, SEET

CUT OFF MARK FOR SCHOOL OF EARTH AND MINERAL SCIENCES, SEMS

CUT OFF MARK FOR SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY, SET

CUT OFF MARK FOR SCHOOL OF COMPUTING, SOC

CUT OFF MARK FOR SCHOOL OF SCIENCES, SOS

CUT OFF MARK FOR SCHOOL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES SBMS 

Some Subject Combinations Of Some FUTA Courses

14. Geology: Use of English and any three Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Biology and Geography. 16. Surveying and Geoinformatics: Use of English, Physics, Mathematics, and any of Chemistry, Geography, Art, Biology and Economics.

 17. Statistics: Use of English, Mathematics and any two of Physics, 

18. Building: Use of English, Physics, Mathematics, and any of Chemistry, Geography, Art, Biology and Economics

 21. Zoology: Use of English, Biology and any two of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.

 22. Pure and Applied Mathematics: Use of English, Mathematics, Physics and Biology or Agric Science or Chemistry or Geography.

 44. Architecture: English, Physics, Mathematics, and any of Chemistry, Geography, Art, Biology and Economics.

 45. Quantity Surveying: Use of English, Physics, Mathematics, and any of Chemistry, Geography, Art, Biology and Economics.

 48. Anatomy: English, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry or Physics.

Check All Courses in FUTA here

FUTA Post-UTME Eligibility

To be eligible for FUTA’s Post-UTME, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Score exactly or above the FUTA General Cut-Off Mark which is still 180.
• Choose the Federal University of Technology, Akure as their first choice of institution during the UTME Registration.
• Possess a minimum of five O’ level credit passes in relevant subjects, including English Language and Mathematics, from GCE O’Level, WASCE, SSCE, NECO, or approved equivalents, achieved in not more than two sittings.

Candidates who did not initially select the Federal University of Technology, Akure as their first choice but wish to study at FUTA and have scored 180 and above in the 2021 UTME are advised to change their selection to FUTA through the JAMB website.

How to Score Above FUTA Cut-off Mark?

Scoring above the departmental cut-off mark is the key to securing your place at OAU. To achieve this, we recommend focusing on your academic preparation, practicing with FUTA Post UTME Past Questions , and maintaining a strong work ethic.

Click here to get free FUTA Post UTME Past Question.

Additionally, keep a close eye on FUTA’s official announcements for any changes in admission criteria.

In conclusion

FUTA is a highly competitive institution, but meeting the required Cut-Off Mark for a particular course is the first step to gaining admission. To increase your chances of admission, aim not just to meet the Cut-Off Mark but to exceed it.

As we navigate the challenging but transformative journey of student life, it’s crucial to discover effective strategies that can make this experience truly remarkable. In the following article, I’ll share eight strategies that have the potential to completely transform your student experience. From mastering time management to building a versatile skill set, these insights aim to help you make the most of your time at university.

Before we dive into the strategies to transform the student experience, I’d like to give credit where credit is due. The insights I’ve shared in this article stem from a YouTube video that profoundly impacted my perspective on the student experience. You can access the full video and its wealth of knowledge here.

In the spirit of learning and sharing, I aim to pass along these valuable lessons so that others may benefit as well.

8 Strategies To Transform Your Student Experience

1. How To Manage Your Time: One of the things you would find completely transformational is running your time entirely on your calendar. You are to schedule things that are scheduled, and then you do what you want with the rest of the time. Almost all successful people in the world live their lives based on their calendar. Schedule things, Schedule what time you intend to wake up, schedule what time you intend to do your assignment, what time you are going to lectures, what time you intend to go to your clubs and societies, schedule what time you will be hanging out with friends. It is really up to us how we want to allocate those 24 hours.
   Let’s say you sleep for eight hours a day, you’ve got 16 hours, Let’s say you attend lectures or work for 8 hours, then it is up to you to figure out what to do with the remaining time. Now, if you are not intentional about how you are using that time, you are going to default to the random shits we do as students i.e. totally wasting time. But if you are at least intentional about it, you can nudge yourself towards acting in a way that you actually want to act.
   Of course, I am not saying it has to be”always” productive, but at least try and be more intentional with your time.
   
   
2. How To Study Efficiently: This is something that no one teaches us. You don’t get taught in high school or university how to learn. It is just something you are meant to pick up and you watch other people do it and you do.
   But actually, there are tons and tons of research people have done, showing methods of effective study.
   
   One of the efficient ways of studying is practicing and testing yourself on what you are taught. Do more questions than re-reading your notes. It is when you test yourself, that you are really studying. You get more effective when you spacely repeat what you are testing yourself on.
   What you read today, try and remember before checking your notes tomorrow, what you test yourself on tomorrow, try and practice it next week. What you tested on next week, try and practice it in 2 weeks time, then in one month time. This is spaced repetition.

Check below for more articles that explains studying effectively better;

How To Study For Exams – Active Recal

How To Study For Exams – Spaced Repetition

The Art of Reading More Effectively and Efficiently

How To Learn Anything Faster

3. Study With Friends: This is another one of those things that makes those blocks of time in which you are studying more efficient, more effective, and way more enjoyable as well, which is what makes studying sustainable, and fun and creates all the memories and all that fun stuff. Even if you are not studying the same Subject but you sitting at a table together, that process makes studying way more effective because it is fundamentally more enjoyable. Anything you do, doing it with friends makes it more fun.

The other points mentioned below are what you should consider doing when you are not studying

4. Join Clubs and Societies: Think of clubs as sampling different types of experiences. If you spend all your time at the university studying every time, you are missing out on a lot of other life experiences and career experiences that could potentially get you ahead in life.
   It’s what you care about, but that could also add colors and vibes and that magic sparkle of enjoyment to your life as well.

5. Learn skills in the Universal Toolbox: The Universal toolbox is a toolbox of skills and techniques that, if you learn how to do them, even to a basic level will help you out in life in a way you can’t imagine. Something like that would be Public Speaking. Whatever career you happen to be in, being confident in public speaking is just ridiculously helpful for doing better in your career, and also having a more interesting life.
   
   Being good at negotiation is another one of those things because life is based on negotiation. If you are better at negotiation, you are better at negotiating raises, you are better at selling things, and whatever you are doing in your career, you are better at putting yourself forward for new things.
   You can also learn the basics of how to edit videos, you could learn coding or design, or how to write a good presentation.
   These are the things you could be spending time on, on your non-studying time, working on these different skills.
   
6. Experiment More With Side Hustles: The reason for this is that when you are a student, this is the perfect time to experiment with different side hustles, where the stakes are pretty low.
   Now at this point, some people are very anti-side hustle, they are like “University is for enjoying yourself, not for trying to make money” But, would you say No to having extra money when you are working?
   
   Most people find themselves in a job that they don’t actually enjoy, that doesn’t provide meaning and fulfillment. Especially in a place like Nigeria where there are not really jobs out there for university graduates. If you have the skills to make money on the side, then you are not tethered necessarily or stranded after your university. You already have what you can do, and likely enjoy making money.
   
   You should be experimenting with side hustles, learning how to build a business, and learning the skills involved in making money. That means that at least in that part of your life, you have more autonomy, you have more control, you have more choice.
   See;
   6 Side Hustles Ideas For Students
   
7. Take More Photos: It will be so nice to look back on those memories of seeing you and your friends hanging out or studying or whatever that might be. There is really something nice about being able to relive those memories of student life by virtue of having taken photos.
   
8. Surround Yourself With Energizers: You know that feeling where some of the friends you hang out with,  really lift your energy levels, but you might have some friends in your life, whom you hang out with and it dampens your energy levels
   It is better to nudge more time towards the energizers. It is less about time management and more about energy management.
   If you are surrounding yourself with people raising your energy level, it just makes your whole life more enjoyable, but it also gives you more energy to be able to apply to your studies and also apply to the important things outside studying.
   Whereas, if you are spending your time with people draining your energy, then you have less energy to give to your studies. And now,  you have to work harder and it feels less fun and you have less spare time on other things we’ve talked about above.
   Not really saying you should cut off yourself from friends draining your energy, but at least, nudge your time towards the people that are lifting you up rather than the people bringing you down.

Conclusion:

Your time as a student is a precious phase in your life, filled with opportunities for personal growth and lifelong memories. By incorporating these eight strategies into your university experience, you can enhance your journey and lay a strong foundation for a successful future. Remember that the actions you take today will shape your tomorrow.

Our Turn!

If you get to the end of this article, I like you to leave in the comment section “What did you take away?” and in particular, “What action point will you take?” It is somehow pointless if you are not going to take some kind of action away from this. I would love to hear, a bit of accountability from you and me. Share them in the comment section below, let’s learn together!

Mine, anyways, I can say what I learned is living in my calendar, as a way to manage my time, and also my takeaway from this post is joining clubs and societies, I will also take to attending more Church programs also, these are my action points. I need to take action immediately. Let me hear yours too!