There is no doubt that students need special attention as they are growing up for another step. Our church, Hallelluyah Baptist Church organized a program that can better their studies and open their mind to the business world. Before going into the lesson, I would like to explain our body maintenance because if our body is not healthy, we cannot excel in academics.

How do we keep our physical bodies trim? We do it by exercising. It is now a well-known fact that to lose excess weight it is helpful to do more than diet. One should engage in physical exercise as well. Just as physical exercises increase the body’s fitness and health, so spiritual exercises improve spiritual fitness and vitality. The Authorised Version of the Bible translates the verse before us today in this 1 Thess.5:11 way: ‘Exercise thyself rather unto godliness. The word ‘exercise’ in Greek is gumnazo, from which our English word’s gymnasium’ and ‘gymnastics’ are derived.

In this issue, join me in enrolling in God’s Paul wants the gym to start a spiritual exercise programme that believers to do. Hopefully will result in us being spiritually fitter than ever before. As our text for today makes plain, godliness does not just happen. We have to train ourselves for it. An athlete does not achieve greatness in his or her sport by eating badly and not training. And we won’t move forward in our spiritual lives if we neglect to train ourselves in the ways of God. So, the challenge facing us as we begin this issue is to ‘prepare for a workout’. There is no other way to find health for the soul.

Outline for the Presentation

• Introduction: What is academic excellence?
• Component or indices of academic excellence
• How to excel in academics
• The place of mentorship in academic excellence
• The place of mentorship in academic excellence
• How to sustain your academic accomplishment and success
• Conclusion/Declaration

Texts: Isaiah 40: 28-29, 11: 2, Daniel 6:3

1. What is Academic Excellence

• Academic excellence can be seen as a result of study worthy of celebration and emulation.
• Academic excellence can be regarded as proof of fruitful academic effort.
• It can also be explained as an academic success that announces itself
• Academic excellence is also a towering among peers.
• It is being in a class of your own academically.
• It is a way of gaining speed and success in academics
• It is a sustaining productive effort in academics.

2. Component or Indices of Academic Excellence

Good school and good subject teacher

Dedicated parents (Discipline, sponsorship, and encouragement)

Level of investment (finance, Time, Prayer, Counselling, destiny-supportive investments)

3. How to Excel in Academics

• Discipline (Time, attendance, attention, humility, study materials, finance, and commitment): One can excel in academics when one is disciplined. Perseverance (Never give up when you fail an exam). If one can persevere, one will surely excel in academics.
• Choice of study group members (a good one will make you better, a poor one will draw you back). The choice of friends or group of people will determine whether you will excel in academics or not.
• Giving strict attention to minute details notes and surroundings: Your attention to every note taking and the environment of study determines the excellence of your academics.
• Developing a probing mind and act of taking notes while studying as a good reminder: Thorough studying during reading is a good way to excel in academics.
• Focus and concentration (avoid immoral relationships, wild lifestyles, drugs, and too much sleep). One needs to focus and concentrate on studies, and not allow distractions.
• Set your standard (milestone, indicator, lesson learned, the success recorded, way out of failure, etc.)
• Avoid overconfidence (prepare for it as if you have no God, pray as if you have not studied)
• Always follow instructions, they are part of the exam).

4. The Place of Mentorship in Academic Excellence

• Discretely choose your mentor: A person who does not have a mentor cannot achieve academic excellence, whether directly or indirectly. A direct mentor is someone who mentors you directly but an indirect mentor is someone who you can just emulate their good character.
• Take him/her as a family member with high regard and respect: Take your mentor as a friend, family member, or brother and sister from him or her you can excel academically.
• Avoid contempt of familiarity (if it breaks down, usually difficult to fix): Don’t take him or her for granted if you will have to gain from him or her.
• Avoid immoral relationships if your mentor is of the opposite sex: Be careful of immoral sex if your mentor is of the opposite sex. You can result in gaining nothing.
• Be prompt in doing and submitting any assignment (at times it is an index of seriousness): This shows your seriousness in. A student who does his or her assignment and submits it even before the time will score higher marks.
• Be organized in your study, and assignments and answering questions: It is a good culture for students to be organized in writing notes, reading books, and answering questions.

5. Ideal Lifestyle of Excellent Academia

• Simplicity in all things: It is good to simply do all things. It is not possible to kill two birds at a time, you want pleasure and you want excellence in academics. You have to choose one.
• Moral soundness should not be compromised: If you want to excel in academics, you must be morally sound. Your moral exposure will make you disciplined.
• Sound spiritual well-being is of extreme importance: Apart from reading and studies, you must be spiritually groomed so that you can tackle the spiritual power competing with your academic excellence.
• Objectivity and balanced view of all things especially in academic discussion: Don’t be lazy to read and refresh your memory occasionally.
• Avoid and resist anything that can spoil your integrity, career, legacies, and academic castle you may build in life
• Be prayerful, no matter how brilliant you think you may be. Prayer is the key to success.

6. How to Sustain Your Academic Accomplishment and Success

• Maintain a good character and do not compromise humility: Achievements come from good morals and character.
• Be dedicated to your job: Dedication and commitment to your studies and assignments will earn you excellence in academics.
• Do not joke with the third eye (outsiders see you better than you see yourself): Do not neglect the advice that can help you or corrections that can turn your bad attitudes into the right ones.
• Avoid get-rich-quick syndrome (it rubbishes integrity and shortens one’s life)
• Strive always for better visibility, do not be complacent, or rest on your oars): if you want to achieve academic excellence, you will not be contented unnecessarily.
• Do not believe anything is impossible, it is a weapon of the devil to limit your accomplishment Matt 17: 20; Mark 10:27)
• Focus only on your God-given training and passion
• Avoid rebellion in any situation, it is better to quit a system than be rebellious against it
• Serve with your Love your God, and serve Him faithfully with everything in you (Det.6:4-6)
• In your journey of academic life, always ask God in prayer, when the road appears blocked.

Conclusion/Declaration

“The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned, but time and chance happen to them all” (Ecc. 9:11)

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A University Professor, Prof. S. A., Olakojo from Triumphant Baptist Church, Owode, Apata, Ibadan was invited as a Guest Speaker to give a lecture on the topic: “Achieving Academic Excellence and Its Life Application.”

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