Yesterday, 3,223 undergraduate students matriculated at Babcock University in Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.
The institution also recognised Kelvin Eke, a Software Engineering student, with the highest 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) score of 349, as well as others with the highest score of 15 points out of 15 in the 2023 Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board (JUPEB) programme.
They are Miss Eunice Alade from the Economics Department, Deborah Adebajo from Software Engineering, and Saviour Bassey from the Computer Science Department.
In his remarks, the President and Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ademola Tayo, explained that the matriculation exercise was to acquaint the new students with the basic principles, norms and the core values guiding the institution as a centre for learning and character molding of students.
The core values, he noted, also show the vision of the university, which is to build servant leaders for a better world.
According to him, “as fresh students, it is expected that you will abide by all rules and regulations of this institution and participate in all activities of the university. You must be fully committed to your studies and justify your selection out of thousands who wanted to come and study at this noble institution.”
The VC urged them to be good problem-solvers, saying that it is the purpose of research.
“Make new questions and find the answers to the questions yourself, then you can see a new horizon. I ask you to recognise your capabilities, not as the weapons of competition or conditions of victory for yourself, but as the social capitals that you can share with your community. The more you utilise and share, the bigger the social capitals become,” Tayo stressed.
He advised the students to find their purpose by setting their sights on excellence and working tirelessly to achieve it.
He added, “be deliberate about your personal growth. Make conscious efforts to apply yourself to learning; not just to pass your examinations, which are important, but to attain skills that will help you in the future. These are the attributes that distinguish a well-rounded individual.
“I charge you to set your own standards. Don’t live by another’s standards- standards set by some unknown persons on social media. Work to attain goals that you have set for yourself- goals that would outlive you in value. Who you were yesterday should serve as a yardstick to measure your own growth and progress. Not everyone has his or her entire plan all laid out yet. So, take things one step, one day at a time, being accountable to yourself and to God alone.
“It is good to learn, and learn what is learnable and valuable. Enjoy learning. Our campus life enables you to learn not only knowledge, but also attitudes. Our campus enables you to share viewpoints and learn different norms and tastes.
“Take time to ask yourself: How will I live my life? What kind of person should I be? The values you set for yourself and the intellectual, emotional, and cultural assets that you accumulate should support you throughout your lifetime.”
