‘How I got nine A1 in SSCE’

A 17-year old student of Unique Heights Secondary School, Omole Estate, Lagos, Joseph Lambo, who scored A1 in the nine subjects he wrote in the just released Senior School Certificate Examination, (SSCE) has attributed his success to hard work and God.
Lambo who was named after his late grandfather, Dr Joseph Lambo, former Chairman, Board of Traditional Medicine, had A1 in Marketing, Further mathematics, General mathematics, English Language, Civic Education, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Computer Studies.
Speaking on how he achieved the feat, the young Lambo said, “I give all glory to God over the academic achievement. Most of the time, when I feel that something is difficult and unattainable, I just pray to God and I believe that God always helps me to achieve it.
“I have always been coming first in school. The SSCE was like a challenge because all the examinations, where I had been getting the best results were internal examinations. People did not know that I could repeat the same feat in an external examination. The best result in my school last year was seven As and it was a challenge for me to surpass that.
“Apart from that, I had to read hard. Sometimes I slept 4am and woke up 6am just because I was reading. I was also able to succeed through the help of my friends and I thank my parents for their financial and mental support throughout. I also give thanks to God “, he said.
For Lambo who says he wants to study Medicine, it was not just all reading; he also had time for extracurricular activities, especially sports.
“Apart from academics, I watch and play football. This even helps me in my academics. I am motivated to work hard by watching footballers because the amount they earn is unbelievable. Sometimes, I just feel that if I work hard I could be known or be celebrated as much as them. Apart from football, I am also good on the computer. I used to make games but had to stop so I could put more efforts in my academics. I still hope to use my knowledge of computer and coding in future so that it could help me after finishing school.”
Thanking his parents, Mr and Mrs Michael Adegbola Lambo, for their roles, Lambo said, “From primary school, my parents have always been a determining factor in all my achievements. My father and mother always spend time to help me in my assignments and they paid for one lesson or the other for me apart from paying my school fees. The support and the motivation they have been giving me are helpful. I don’t think I could have done what I did without them.
On why he wants Medicine rather than computer engineering, which he also loves, Lambo said: “Initially, I wanted to study computer engineering, but after researching a bit, I discovered that I could learn about it outside the university. The course that actually appeals to me is medicine and I would study computer engineering outside the university. Having knowledge in the two fields would be helpful to me because the world is moving and we cannot do without computer engineers and doctors.”
Although he scored 275 in the 2017 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), Lambo said he would have done better but for problems in his examination centre.
“I have written JAMB and I scored 275, but the computer I used had problem and I could not start until 30 minutes after others had started. Also, there were errors in my English Language paper, the nearest in meaning was opposite in meaning and I lost about 40 points because of that mistake,” he said.
Lambo chose the University of Lagos for university education; but he is also seeking scholarship to study outside the country.
“I have applied for scholarship within and outside the country and I have written many examinations to that effect. I have been reading since I finished. I still have some scholarship awards examinations to write in October and November and if they work out, I hope to have full scholarship awards to study in the United States of America (USA).”
Sharing his philosophy of life, the teenager said he believes in setting and achieving goals.
“I believe that one should set goals and be determined to achieve your goals in life. Nothing can stop me from being the best. When I was in year nine, I was not a sport person and someone once said football was not for me; so I decided to prove the person wrong. There is nothing I cannot do if I set my mind on it. I was the captain of the soccer team. So, the mentality one should have is to be the best in whatever you do and don’t settle for anything less,” he said.
Thanking God for her son’s achievement, his Mother, Mrs Olubunmi Lambo, said his result was not surprising.
“Right from his days in kindergarten to primary school he was always the best graduating student. He started to be the best again from year seven at Unique Heights, which is the secondary school, till he graduated. So, when the SSCE result came out, it was not a surprise because we had been expecting him to be the best, but all the same, all glory goes to God.”
She believes her son’s performance is hereditary.
“I would say it is hereditary because my father-in-law, the late Dr Joseph Lambo was the best in his field as a medical doctor. My son was named after him. Also, my husband was the best graduating student in his time in the University of Lagos. My other children are like that too,” she said.
Credit: The Nation