- Lucy Anih began her university journey under pressure, facing exams just weeks after resuming as a Direct Entry student
- A friend once told her it was too late to achieve a first-class — but Lucy refused to accept that verdict and worked hard
- She recorded two perfect 5.0 GPAs across her remaining semesters, pulling off what many considered impossible
When Lucy Anih enrolled at Afe Babalola University as a Direct Entry law student, the odds were not in her favour from the start. She resumed in late November or December, and within weeks found herself sitting her 200-level first-semester examinations in January, barely a month into university life.
Cramming an entire semester's worth of legal material into that short window took its toll. She finished the semester with a 3.29 GPA, which also became her opening CGPA. Rather than crumbling under the weight of that result, she chose to treat it as a starting point, not a verdict.
Source: UGC
"I wasn't devastated though, I was just grateful I didn't have any carry-overs, but I knew it didn't reflect my capabilities," she wrote in an October 2026 LinkedIn post announcing her graduation.
Direct entry student bags first-class in Law
Having been a top-performing student throughout secondary school, Lucy understood the difference between a rough beginning and a fixed ceiling. From her 200-level second semester onward, she approached her studies with renewed discipline, recording a first-class GPA in every subsequent semester. Two of those semesters yielded a perfect 5.0. By the time she crossed the finish line, her cumulative GPA had climbed to 4.57, earning her a Bachelor of Laws with first-class honours.
The turnaround was not without doubt, including from those close to her. At one point, a friend gently suggested that the window for achieving a first-class had already closed. Looking at her transcript then, Lucy admitted the concern was understandable. But she pressed on regardless.
In reflecting on the experience, she identified four lessons that carried her through: building daily habits rather than fixating solely on outcomes, trading short-term comfort for long-term gains, leaning on discipline and faith, and practising patience.
She closed her LinkedIn post with a scripture from Romans 8:28 and a personal note of congratulations to herself:
"Congratulations, Lulu. You beat the odds."
Reactions as ABUAD law student bags first class
Her achievement drew warm responses online.
\Uchechi Victoria Egerue:
"You beat the odds like maddddd!!! Congratulations lucyyyyyyy,"
Ayomide Olanrewaju added:
"Congratulations Lucy. Well Done for the efforts."
Mercy Adeyemo echoed the sentiment:
"You indeed beat the odds. Big congratulations to yoouuu."
In a related story, UNILAG's best graduating student shared how he was rejected by the University of Ibadan, while another graduate staged a one-man protest over unemployment.
LASU BGS shares admission experience
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Lagos State University's (LASU) best graduating student opened up about her admission experience.
In an insightful interview with Legit.ng, the young lady shared her admission struggle, experience in school, and future goals.
Source: Legit.ng