ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE – A Presentation by: The Rev. Ayo Adebanwa

Introduction: What is Excellence?
•Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way – Booker Washington
•To excel, is to surpass limitations and exceed expectations.
•God places great value on excellence and instills special gifts in each of us to help us become excellent in certain areas (1 Chron. 26:6)
•Excellence engages and challenges us. It urges us to make a unique contribution
•Excellence is related to reputation. It makes you a good role model (Nehemiah 13:13)…These men had excellent reputations…
•Examination is part of life’s learning process. It is part of God’s package for every man!
•For there to be academic excellence, there must be outstanding success in examination.

Let us now examine the 4 pillars of Academic Excellence:

PILLAR NO.1: PRAYER
•“So then, it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy- Romans 9:16
•…because, pursuing academic excellence is like a race. However, “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill…but time and chance happen to them all”- Ecclesiastes 9:11
•“Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his strength…for by strength shall no man prevail” – Jeremiah 17:5

PILLAR NO.2: PLANNING
•By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail -Franklin Benjamin
•Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone else planted a tree long time ago – Warren Buffet
•When you establish a destination by defining what you want, then take physical action by making choices that move you towards that destination.
•The possibility for success is limited to the ability to arrive at the destination.
•The biggest “enemy within”, is the “enemy” that kills your vision..Proverbs 29:18

KICK PROCRASTINATION out of your life!

PILLAR NO.3:PREPARATION
•Academic success depends upon spiritual, physical, emotional and mental preparation.

SUCCESS – PREPARATION = FAILURE
•It is a wise thing to prepare for an examination as if all depends on you and pray as if all depends on God;
•It is a wise thing to buy textbooks and read widely but with God’s direction;
•It is a wise thing to attain the mandatory course attendance requirements of all your courses to attain academic excellence by way of preparation.

•Opportunity favours only the prepared (Matthew 25:10).
•Preparation precedes activities. Do not wait for things to work themselves out. Get the right people to accomplish your life goals.
•A man who wants to build a house, will first sit down to count the cost before embarking on the project.
•The mind is the “workshop” from which preparation starts and it is capable of turning our plans into accomplishments.
•PRAYER + PREPARATION = ACCOMPLISHMENT

PILLAR NO.4: PERSEVERANCE
•“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown”- Revelation 3:11
•It’s not so important who starts the game but who finishes it” – John wooden
•Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Thus, genius will not..education will not..but persistence will…Calvin Coolidge.

CONCLUSION
•Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is courage to continue that counts” –Winston Churchill.
•A righteous man falls seven times, and rises again – Proverbs 24:16
•To achieve academic excellence, you need to be surrounded with the pillars of 4Ps: Prayer; Planning, Preparation and Perseverance.

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Comments

  1. The Rev E.O. Aiyedero : November 20, 2014 at 4:07 pm

    I totally agree with the posits of the writer. God will continue o give you wisdom for a continuous exploit for Him.

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