A student from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has become a beacon of hope and inspiration after sharing his academic transformation from failure to triumph on social media.
Posting under the handle @meloadebanks_ on X (formerly Twitter), the Animal Breeding and Genetics graduate revealed how he overcame the odds after receiving nine F grades in his first year to eventually graduate without an extra year and with a Second Class Lower degree.
“From 9 carryovers… to a Degree. God I could cry right now 🥹,” he wrote. “They saw the GPA. They saw the list of Fs. They saw the odds, and they said I wouldn’t make it.”
His 100-level second-semester results painted a bleak academic picture, with failing grades in multiple core courses such as Introductory Organic Chemistry, Introductory Animal Physiology, Principles of Economics, and Mathematics for Non-Majors. His GPA stood at 0.63, with nine failed courses and several carryovers listed.
But in a follow-up post, Adebanks shared the work behind the scenes that changed his story:
“But what they didn’t see was the grind. The retakes. The resits. The nights I didn’t sleep. The mental battles. The spiritual ones. The hunger to rewrite my story.”
“Today? I graduate with a Second Class Lower. No extra year. No carryovers left. Clean slate. Closed chapter.”
His story quickly gained traction online, drawing over 19,000 likes and sparking a wave of emotional responses from fellow students and users across Nigeria.
Public Reactions
Many users praised his resilience and took inspiration from his story: @Jerale9: “Some go dey para say they were close to getting first class. But diz bro dey celebrate Second Class Lower wen some people no go regard as anything. Diz life sha. Congrats bro for not giving up.”
@Lionway5: “You’ve got madddd discipline for this! Definitely wasn’t an easy task, took a lot of believing in yourself and grit alongside God’s Grace… Never give up guys! NEVER!!”
@adurag…: “Wow! Congratulations, brother. I’m so glad you made it through. I read your previous tweet about your academics. Thank God you bounced back.”
Vanessa Aghafekoghan: “This is actually the most difficult thing to do—standing up after falling. It takes a lot of effort and dedication to do this.”
@RasakLan…: “The most difficult battle to deal with is the mental one, cos I can relate well to it. With your resilience and doggedness, your confidence will only get better. Na man you be my bro. Congratulations.”
@lanre1220: “Can’t even imagine writing your normal semester exam and still reading for carryovers. Welldone my bro, you’ve tried.”
@Roentgenbreed: “All I see is tenacity and doggedness. Congratulations champ, all the best in your next adventure.”
What began as a thread of academic failure ended in a celebration of growth, grace, and grit. Adebanks’ story is a reminder that success isn’t always measured by perfection but by persistence—and that falling doesn’t define the end, but rising after the fall can redefine the journey.
