When Joy Osesanmi locked herself out of social media, slept on campus floors and read through the night, she was not chasing clout or comfort. She was chasing history and she got it.
At just 23, Osesanmi has emerged as a First-Class graduate of Applied Geophysics from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), breaking a departmental record that had stood for more than a decade and becoming the first female student to graduate with a First Class in the programme.
But her journey to academic excellence was anything but smooth.
“I didn’t even like my course at first,” she admitted. “My first year was depressing.”
Originally aspiring to study medicine, Osesanmi found herself in applied geophysics, a course she neither planned nor loved. The disappointment was compounded by the COVID-19 disruption, which sent students home for nearly a year and left her emotionally unsettled when school resumed.
Yet, in the midst of uncertainty, she made a bold decision: if she couldn’t change her course, she would change her story.
Working with near-military discipline, she posted a 4.72 GPA in her first semester, raising hopes of a possible course transfer. When that option collapsed, due to cut-off marks and adviser intervention, she hit her academic lowest point. But instead of quitting, she recalibrated.
From the second year onward, Osesanmi went into what she described as “lock-in mode.”
Once each semester began, she deleted all social media apps except WhatsApp. Movies were off-limits. Nights were spent in lecture halls, reading from 9pm till 6am, sometimes sleeping on campus to save her fare. A personal bike rider ensured she never procrastinated. Once he arrived, she had no excuse not to leave home.
“I did that deliberately so laziness wouldn’t catch me,” she said.
Her strategy paid off spectacularly. By her third year, she achieved the seemingly impossible in a perfect 5.0 GPA in both semesters. This was a feat many believed could not be done in her department. She repeated the performance in her final year, graduating with an overall 4.81 CGPA and carting home multiple academic awards.
Beyond grades, Osesanmi distinguished herself as a researcher and presenter, winning subject prizes, emerging as Best Undergraduate Presenter at the NAPE–NMGS Mini Conference, presenting papers at national conferences, and earning recognition as an OAU Star for three consecutive years.
She credits her success to faith, focus and a tight support system including a mentor-turned-adviser who refused to let her transfer out, friends who believed in her, and a supportive boyfriend who understood that distractions had to wait.
Most importantly, she says, her motivation was personal.
“I just wanted to make my mum proud,” she said, describing her nurse mother as her lifelong inspiration.
Today, Osesanmi is seeking fully funded Master’s and PhD opportunities, with aspirations spanning both industry and research. Through applied geophysics, she hopes to tackle global challenges in sustainable resource exploration and environmental protection.
Her message to discouraged students, especially young girls afraid of science, is simple and firm: “You can do it. Don’t listen to voices that say you can’t just because they couldn’t.”
From nearly giving up in her first year to rewriting records in her final year, Joy Osesanmi’s story is a reminder that excellence is rarely accidental. It is built, night after night, choice after choice.
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