16-year-old Kamsiyochukwu Chinyere Umeh, who came out tops nationwide in the recently concluded Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), has revealed the secret to her success in the examinations.
Kamsiyochukwu, a student of Deeper Life High School, Mowe, Ogun State, scored a whooping 99 out of 100 in Chemistry, 98 out of 100 in Mathematics, 97 out of 100 in Physics, and 66 out of 100 in English, bringing her total score to 360 out of 400 in the UTME examinations, making her the top scorer in 2023.
When asked for her secret to success, she said, “The most special thing I did during my preparation was praying, I prayed a lot. Then, I started early. I started preparation for the jamb exam immediately I entered SS3.” She then went on to explain how she read during the set “prep” times for reading at her school, and still went on to revise on her own during her free time, ensuring she read for hours every day.
Kamsiyochukwu also acknowledged the role played by her school, her teachers, and her parents in helping the students prepare for the examinations through preparatory classes and tests.
“We have excellent teachers in my school. I don’t know, I’ve never seen teachers like the ones we have in my school,” she said, “They want us to succeed at all costs and they are willing to make any sacrifice.
“The (school) environment is conducive, it’s good for us as learners. The school is always trying to provide for us, to make sure that we are okay in all senses- morally, spiritually, physically, health wise, emotionally, in all those areas, so the school is a very good one.”
“My parents were always encouraging me, always supporting me,” Kamsiyochukwu said as she revealed that her parents never missed any opportunities to help and encourage her with her studies, even while she was in the boarding school.
Giving tips to improve the reading culture in Nigeria, Kamsiyochukwu advised that more schools should set separate times for the students to focus on reading. She also mentioned that the environment of the students (the school and the parents) should continually encourage and support the students in this endeavour. However, she said, “If someone wants to succeed, it’s a matter of determination and choice. Whether or not a student will succeed is a matter of their decision, their choice.”
Kamsiyochukwu then revealed she will go on to get her first degree in Chemical Engineering, and afterwards, she wishes to further her education with a Master’s degree in the same subject.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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