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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Otoko Steven Edwards is 22 years old, from Andoni Local Government, Rivers State. He was a former student of Rivers State University (RSU), Diobu, Port Harcourt.
He did the unthinkable when, as a Mechanical Engineering student, he re-took the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and got admitted to read Mathematics because of his love for the subject. He graduated with 4.51 CGPA.
He spoke with The Education Report:
What was your beginning like?
I did my primary and secondary education in Rivers State, Bonny Island, to be precise. I grew passion for Mathematics while in secondary school because I found it very simple.
I had two friends then who were extremely good in Mathematics. They encouraged me and we would collectively solve series of mathematical problems just to improve on our skills. It was really a nice experience.
The teachers at my school then really did so much work. They made sure we understood all concepts and prepared us for numerous Mathematics olympiads.
How did you make 4.51 CGPA?
I have always wanted to finish top in my class and I am someone who really loves academics. When I got into the Department of Mathematics, I heard lot of talk from students within and outside the department, that people don’t make first class and that all you need do is to pray for a better 2:1 or better still graduate with your mates.
Most times, I would just smile and nod in affirmation. When I got my first semester result, I realised I made As and 2Bs, amounting to a 4.83 GPA. All I could see then was my name appearing under a First Class category during convocation.
I had to work so hard on myself, did extra studies both on and offline just to maintain a first class CGPA. The journey was not an easy one, but God really stood in for me. There were even times when I got below expectations, and I felt my dreams would be shattered.
There was a semester I made a 4.41 and another a 4.36. This dropped my cumulative below normal. Realising I had so much work to do, just to maintain minimum 4.50 GPA at every semester, I doubled my study habits.
There were some semesters I would spend majority of my time in the library. During weekends, I would study for as far as 12-14 hours on a stretch and may be 10-15 minutes breaks in between. The higher the level, the more difficult it seems.
I made a 5.0 GPA in my 300 Level and in the first and second semesters of my final year. This pushed me up to maintaining a first class CGPA at the end of the programme.
My HOD, Prof Adol Nwaoburu, my supervisor, Dr Emeka Amos, Dr Davies Iyai and Mrs Rose Ndu, were those who really stood in for me. They encouraged me at every given time and would always give me a listening ear whenever I had an academic issue or not doing something correctly.
I owe it all to them, because they all played major role in shaping my academic career. Every other lecturer in the Department of Mathematics that taught me also played a role here.
What attracted you to Mathematics?
I have always found Mathematics very easy, may be because I had a good foundation in it. My parents played a major role in the foundation laying.
I remember while growing up, my Mathematics teacher in junior high school attended my church. He would always give feedback to my parents as regards my performance. My dad would instruct him to make sure I finish bulks of exercises just to improve on my skills.
I began to develop interest in it at early stage, because the more problem I solved, the more interesting it became. When I got to senior high school, I would spend so much time studying Mathematics courses.
I met with good guys who were also instilled with good Mathematics skills. But, it doesn’t really cost me so much to understand the concept of Mathematics. The field is so flexible that you can even do it your own way.
I wasn’t originally admitted to do Mathematics, just few of my course mates knew about this. My first admission was into the Mechanical Engineering Department and the choice here was as a result of peer pressure and parental influence.
A 1998 movie titled, “Pi,” actually inspired my choice. I could see myself applying real life situations to Mathematics and providing solutions to them. All efforts to transfer from Mechanical Engineering to Mathematics proved abortive. The only option left was to re-sit JAMB and which I am happy I did.
Would you encourage other students to study Mathematics as their major?
Absolutely! There is more to Mathematics than people think. A mathematician is needed in every sector of an economy and most people don’t know this. If one is going to venture into this major, then, one needs to be very intentional with it and look at the real life situation of it. By so doing, they would see the beauty of majoring in Mathematics, be it Pure or Applied.
Can you recall your challenges or distractions in studying Mathematics?
There were no distractions. I already focused my mind on what I wanted and I was intentional about it. For the challenges, nothing good comes easy. One is bound to meet challenges in every journey of life.
I found some courses so difficult to do and most of them are not even elective. Regardless, the target still needed to be met and I was so focused at getting an “A” grade in them.
What is your aspiration and how do you intend or plan to achieve it?
I am looking at getting a scholarship for direct PhD for my graduate studies. My research interest would be on Mathematical Epidemiology (infectious disease modelling). Few years from now, I want to be a professor of Applied Mathematics.
