By Ogundare Favour

Two University of Ibadan students cracked MTH 102 ; and they want you to know how

In recent years, before a single lecture is delivered, before a single textbook is opened, thousands of University of Ibadan students have already failed MTH 102 in their minds.

The warnings come early; from seniors in departments, satellites in hostel rooms, from whispered conversations that travel faster than any course outline. This course is hard. People always fail it. Even if you scored 99 in JAMB Mathematics, you still cannot pass MAT 102. By the time students sit in that lecture hall for the first time, many are not learning calculus. They are managing dread.

In the 2024/2025 academic session, 2077 students across Over 10 faculties registered for MTH 102 (formerly MAT 102, Elementary Mathematics II). For many, it is the course that defines their first year.

Over 81.3% of students who sat for the examination narrowly escaped carrying over that course

Indy Press correspondent Ogundare Favour spoke with two students who did not just pass the course but scored a very high score. Akano Hazeem, a 200-level Computer Science student, scored 98 in MTH 102. Omole Ooreoluwa, a 200-level Mathematics student, passed with distinction. Together, they share what worked, what didn’t, and why the most dangerous thing about MTH 102 was never really the mathematics.

Please introduce yourself. What is your name, course of study, level, and briefly tell us about your experience with MTH 102.

Hazeem: My name is Hazeem, and I am a 200-level Computer Science student. My experience with MTH 102 was quite tiring but also very enlightening. I started studying before resumption, but at that time I only covered the basic ideas and did not fully understand how demanding the course would be at the University of Ibadan. As the semester progressed, I realised that MTH 102 requires serious effort and consistency. It was challenging, but it also helped me grow academically and mentally.

Ooreoluwa: My name is Omole Ooreoluwa, I’m a 200-level student in the Department of Mathematics, University of Ibadan. First of all, I want to attribute everything to God ; my success in this course isn’t really because of me, it was through God’s grace. At first, I felt afraid because of what seniors said about the course. But later on, as we went through a few concepts, I realised that for each topic, you really have to understand the concept. Understanding the concept keeps you grounded. Once you get it, you can handle any question in your own way. That part is very, very important.

Many students consider MTH 102 one of the most difficult 100-level courses. Did you initially feel the same way? What mindset did you adopt going into the semester?

Hazeem: Initially, I did not fully see MTH 102 as a very difficult course. I believe that nothing is truly hard on its own ; it depends on how you approach it. Many students already have the mindset that the course is hard before even starting it, and that makes it seem worse. My mindset was simple: I wanted an A. Not necessarily a very high score at first, just a solid A. Later on, I realised that with better preparation, I could aim even higher.

Ooreoluwa: Yes, at first I still felt doubtful and scared, but I knew I had to give myself courage to get through the course. Fear can destroy a lot of things. When you’re fearful, you feel like you can’t do it; and that makes things worse. So I faced my fear, made myself believe I could do it, and focused on practicing questions from that point. That really helped me stay confident and improve as the course went on.

In your opinion, why do many students struggle with MTH 102 ; and what did you do differently that helped you excel?

Hazeem: Many students struggle mainly because of fear and poor preparation. The phobia around the course makes people feel defeated even before they begin. Also, some students limit themselves to only one textbook or lecture notes. What I did differently was use several textbooks; especially Indian textbooks I had never encountered before. I later discovered that many of our test and exam questions were drawn from those books. I can confidently say that about 80 percent of the questions we were given were questions I had already seen and solved before.

Ooreoluwa: The first thing I would say is failure to understand the concept; to really know what the concept is. Mathematics is not something you cram. It’s something you must understand, because the questions will change. Knowing what we are doing, why we are doing it, and when to apply it gives you an edge over everyone else. The second factor is fear. Sometimes seniors even help feed that fear ; saying things like, “You cannot pass this course. Even if you scored 99 in JAMB Mathematics, you still cannot pass MAT 102.” Statements like that lead students to settle. They stop aiming for an A and start thinking, “Let me just get a B and leave this course.” When you aim high, even if you fall short of exactly where you planned, you still land somewhere great.

What specific study strategies helped you master the course?

Hazeem: My main strategy was deep practice. For a topic like integration, I did not just solve one type of question. I studied each topic and its subtopics carefully, practiced different methods and approaches, and made sure I understood why each method worked ; not just how to apply it. I also compared solution styles across different textbooks so that no question would look strange to me in the exam.

Ooreoluwa: One important strategy is moving from simple to complex. When you see a very complex question and don’t know how to approach it, start from the basics. It amazes people when someone can solve a complicated limit using Taylor Series yet cannot solve something that only requires direct substitution ; that happens because the basics were skipped. Learn the fundamentals properly. They matter more than people think. Another thing is courage. Even if you don’t understand everything immediately, start with the questions you know first, then come back to the difficult ones. Believe that you can eventually understand them.

Can you walk us through your weekly study routine? How did you stay consistent throughout the semester?

Hazeem: MTH 102 took up a large part of my daily study time. Almost every day, I revised or practiced something related to the course. I did not wait until tests or exams before reading. Each week, I tried to complete topics gradually and revise older ones. Staying consistent was possible because I treated MTH 102 as a priority course and gave it more time than many others.

Ooreoluwa: I cannot say I had a strict timetable; it was more about deciding what topic I needed at a particular time. If I realised I was lagging behind in functions, I would decide that was what I needed to study that day. And I never skipped topics. My mindset was: study everything, just in case it comes out. You just need to balance your courses so that one does not negatively affect the other.

How did you handle difficult topics or moments when you felt stuck or overwhelmed?

Hazeem: Whenever I felt stuck, I went back to the basics of the topic and re-studied it from another textbook. Sometimes one explanation is not enough ; seeing it explained differently helped me understand better. I also reminded myself that feeling overwhelmed does not mean I cannot understand it. It only means I need more practice and patience.

Ooreoluwa: Those moments will definitely happen. When they do, the best thing is to ask for help. There will always be a senior you can reach out to. Nowadays, technology also helps ; you can use tools like ChatGPT. However, don’t depend on it completely, especially for mathematics, because sometimes it gives wrong answers that look correct. Before using such tools, you must already have some background knowledge. If you don’t have the foundation, you won’t even know when the tool is misleading you. It is safer to ask seniors, lecturers, or knowledgeable colleagues first.

As exams approached, what was your preparation strategy ; and how did you manage pressure in the exam hall?

Hazeem: Before exams, I made sure I had analysed all the topics and subtopics in MTH 102 and covered everything. I practiced questions using different methods so that no question would surprise me. Because I had already seen most of the questions beforehand, I went into the exam hall with confidence. To manage pressure, I stayed calm and focused on one question at a time instead of rushing or panicking.

Ooreoluwa: After covering the syllabus to a reasonable extent, the next step was solving past questions. I also attended mock tests ; like the FASAW mock and the MAT 101/102 mock organised shortly before the exam. Mocks are important. Do not be scared of them. Even if you perform poorly, don’t be discouraged ; they are meant to show how prepared you are. The exact question may not repeat word for word, but the pattern often repeats. When you recognise the pattern, you can apply the concept you already understand. There is a saying: it is better to practice before the exam than to practice during the exam.

For students currently struggling with MTH 102 or preparing to take it ; what is your final advice?

Hazeem: Do not fear the course. MTH 102 is not as hard as people make it look; the phobia is what makes it difficult. Start early, use more than one textbook, and practice many questions. Study each topic and subtopic deeply and learn different ways to solve the same type of question. If you do this consistently, you will not only pass ; you can score very well and stay confident throughout the semester.

Ooreoluwa: Start early. And when you start early, don’t waste that time; use it to learn the concepts properly. Attend every lecture. Even if you don’t understand anything in class, still attend. Write down everything the lecturer writes, then go home and go through it again. Whatever is taught in class will reflect in tests and exams. Also, don’t assume any topic won’t come out. Learn everything equally. And above all; trust God. Pray for wisdom and understanding. Sometimes the things people say about a course can affect your mindset so deeply that what should be a course starts to feel like a curse. Don’t let that happen to you.

Although they have tried to demystify the course through their experiences, there is still a larger concern in regards to approach to studies and the education ecosystem of the University of Ibadan.