We have come again into a season of graduations and congratulations. As our tradition is, we are bringing you stories of people who have proved themselves hard working and have excelled in the academic field, especially as foreign students in Russia.
We are joining them to celebrate and we also hope to glean some things from them. Stay tuned for insights on how to navigate life and even finish school with honours despise the many challenges around. This is an encouragement for students out there to keep pushing. We believe your hard work will pay off!
Hello,
Please tell us about yourself, and where you are from.
My name is Ridwan A. Adebayo, I am from Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
What course did you study?
I studied Mathematics and Computer Science at the People’s Friendship University of Russia, which is popularly known as RUDN.
Did you originally envision yourself studying in Russia and the Russian language?
Like every child finishing high school, my priority was getting straight into a university. I didn’t even imagine myself studying outside the South-West of Nigeria, let alone overseas.
Oh wow, interesting. Life always has surprises in store for us.
You finished with honours, was that the goal from the start or was something you saw was possible along the line?
It wasn’t initially my goal, and I think that’s the reason it was still possible despite the hardships. Let me explain.
Generally, I don’t like to fail tests or exams and that was my focus throughout my first year. When I got to the second year and started seeing all my results in one place, I thought, “Everything looks okay; I should keep focusing on not failing”. I kept on trying my best. It appeared as a concrete goal to graduate with honours around the second semester of my third year.
That’s nice. Wonderful how things turned out.
What does it take to graduate with a first-class degree?
Hmmm, it takes a whole lot. So much so that I don’t even know where to start. As I mentioned earlier, one needs to know what they want and maintain focus. It takes resilience, hard work, sacrifice, and dedication.
What or who kept motivating you?
This question is deep, or rather let me say personal. What kept motivating me was a fear of disappointment and failure. My friends and family definitely motivated me; in fact, when things got tough, they were the ones I turned to.
The pressure on me to graduate with honours, not just a first-class, was immense. People would jokingly say things like, “That red diploma is ours, not just yours,” or “I’ve booked the red, I will be the first to take a picture with it”.
These comments might have been fun for them, but for me, they created a lot of pressure. I started to ask myself, “How will I face these people if I graduate with a blue diploma?”, “How will these people see me after having such high hopes?”, “What if I can no longer get the red one?”. At this point, I’m sure you understand the kind of pressure I was under.
Also, I was a leader for most of my years of study, so leading by example was definitely another motivating factor. I give a big shout-out to my mother- the one who made me believe I can do things that even I wasn’t sure I could do. Her efforts have truly shaped me into who I am, and who I am going to be in the future.
Hmm, the pressure truly must have been great.
It’s general knowledge that your school is competitive and Moscow is a bustling city, did your lifestyle in Moscow in any way impact your studies and how?
My lifestyle in Moscow is simple, or at least I believe so. I focused on what brought me here and prioritised my responsibilities. The simple lifestyle made it easy to stay focused on my studies and make decisions.
Did you have any side jobs or hustle even as a student?
Well, I mean, who wouldn’t? I’ve had my fair share of hustle. I had about 2 to 3 side jobs while I was a student.
What would be your advice to people reading this?
My advice, passed down from my mother to anyone reading this is: “Whatever is worth doing, is worth doing well.”
Well, we agree totally with what he has said. Truly whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. Once you put your mind to it, you can get it done. Approach circumstances with this mindset and watch how things will work out for you.
Have an awesome week ahead!
One Response
Alihamulillah for everything Almighty Allah has done for me and my family, I don’t have much to say than to thank Allah for Mercy over you yoruba adage say ale fi ipa nursing lol dodo, a le fi ipa fun lomi mu it means you prof to be a good boy who always ready to leasten to an elderly person, willing to help others
Finally, I am priod of you my dearest one and keep it up and always put God first and last you will always reach your goals
Keep it up dear