How discipline, determination aid academic success, by commissioner

Delta State Information Commissioner, Patrick Ukah, has identified discipline, determination and diligence as the main ingredients students need to achieve academic success.

Speaking at a graduation lecture in honour of the Class of 2016 of Trinity International College, Ofada, Ogun State, on the topic “Discipline and Diligence: Ingredients of Future Leaders,” the commissioner listed these as the three indispensable values or virtues that cannot be done away with by success-seeking students.

Quoting Carl Zuckmayer, a German playwright, who posited that, “One-half of life is luck, the other half is discipline, and that’s the important half,” Ukah said, “Discipline in this lecture is voluntarily adhering to specific tenets and precepts or codes of conduct to help you achieve a set target or goal. Discipline here is not induced by a second or third party; it is rather an intrinsic desire to say to yourself that this is what I want to do whether I feel like doing it or not in order to reach my destination. The destination, in this case, is that of improved academic grades, career success, spiritual upliftment and other well-thought-out targets. For without discipline, you wouldn’t know what to do with luck.”

Ukah, who said discipline is also defined as a willingness to make sacrifices and obey rules in order to get results, added that it was also the “ability to do what is right when it is right. Ability not to do what is wrong – what is inimical to your dreams and purpose for living.”

While urging them to avoid procrastination, which he described as the greatest self-made enemy to success, he counseled, “Areas where you need to discipline yourselves among others, include, oversleeping, laziness or idleness, addiction to television, attendance to frivolous entertainments and the likes, yielding to pressure to do what is wrong, flocking around bad friends, etc.”

The commissioner, who said there was no short cut to good and enduring success, informed the students that, “Diligence helps you to actualise your abilities, discover more potential in yourself and puts you on the track to greatness. The more diligent you are, the more you will discover about what you can do. Do not be afraid of doing too much, else, you will always do too little. What you see as difficulties are most times opportunities disguised as work.

He charged the students not to be afraid of failing in the course of trying, adding that, “A truly determined individual sees failures as learning stops that help him to be extra vigilant and guide him in making more informed decisions with regards to his way forward.

“Success therefore, will be one’s ability to move from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. Determination will take you where knowledge alone will not be able to,” he advised.

A total of 160 students, who have completed their studies in the 2015/2016 session graduated from the institution. Activities marking the graduation also featured presentation of scholarships and awards to the very best among the graduating class of which Abuah Amaechi, emerged the valedictorian. For her efforts, he got N1.6m scholarship to Global International College, Lekki, Lagos State, a sixth form college.