UPDATE: Precious Umeh, UTME top scorer speaks on how she emerged top

The authentic top scorer in the 2022/23 UTME exam, Miss Precious Umeh, who finished from the Deeper Life School, Moye, Ogun State was a guest on The Morning Show, on Arise News Television on Friday.

Miss Umeh scored a total of 360 marks out of 400, having scored 99 in Chemistry, 98 in Mathematics, 97 in Physics and 66 in English.

The emergence of Umeh from Anambra State came in the shadows of the brouhaha raised by 19-year-old Mmesoma Ejikeme who had claimed to have scored 362 votes, a claim that has since been disproved by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB which organized the examinations.

On the special thing she did to emerge top, she said:

I think the most special thing I did was praying. I prayed a lot. I started preparation for the UTME the moment I entered SS3. I started reviewing past questions, reading my books. You know in Deeper Life High School, we had lots of classes, tests and mock exam. They tried to get us to use our time well.

Personally, I read my books, solved a lot of past questions trying to familarise myself with the kind of questions that they could bring out. I prayed too.

My reading habit, in school we have set times, in the morning, in the afternoon and in the night. We call them preps. So, there is morning, afternoon and night preps. That’s where I do majority of my reading. After the night prep, I do a little reading in the night from 30 minutes to one hour.

Asked about her school, given that the school also had five other students who scored 340 and above, she said:

“Let me start with the teachers. We have excellent teachers. I have never seen teachers like the ones we have in my school. They are so willing, they want us to succeed and they are willing to make any sacrifice…some of them, they come over to the school, leave their houses sometimes as early as 5.00 a.m. and can go home as late as 9 or 10 in the night just trying to teach us, drill us, so that these children are set and prepared for the exam.

For the school environment, we are very involved in spiritual activities. We pray, we have services, and I will say the environment is good for us.

The school is always trying to provide for us making sure that we are okay, morally, physically and health wise.

Despite her love for literature, Miss Umeh insisted that she would remain a lady of the sciences
“I am going to UNILAG but I am actually considering other options but UNILAG remains my first choice for university, and then I am going to study Chemical Engineering and after that I am looking forward to a Masters outside the country and then my PhD outside the country.

Reading of literature is what I like doing but is not what I want to pursue as a study, it is like a hobby for me.

On the influence of her parents on her reading culture and how this culture can be improved:

My parents have been my major encouragers and then my school. My parents were always encouraging me. I am a boarder and our parents are allowed to call us at weekends my parents never missed and were always trying to find out how I am and supporting me.

During my SS 3 I didn’t have many holidays but the few that they gave us, anytime I went home, my parents were always on my neck asking me to always pick up my books. My parents mean the world to me.
On how others watching can improve the reading culture, she said:

“I feel if someone wants to succeed it is a matter of determination and choice. In schools, they can also set times for students to read. I also feel that no matter the environment if a student will succeed or not is really their decision, their choice, the student has to be determined, and the student has to choose to succeed.

After the student has made that choice to succeed, the environment of the student can also help by encouraging them, and throwing in incentives from time to time.

On her role models, Pastor W.F Kumuiyi and Dr Ben Carson?

“Dr Ben Carson is one of my role models because, despite his background and where he came from, he has achieved much. I think I have read all his books, Gifted Hands, Think Big and The Big Picture. When I read those books I felt so inspired and said I want to be like this man.

Then, Pastor W.F. Kumiyi, he is my greatest role model. When we have Deeper Life services, anytime he comes up I feel so awed by the way he carries himself, how he talks and how he is not afraid to say what needs to be said and the respect people have for him.

I have not met him personally, but I will really like to!