By Aliyu Tijani, MD, MPH

Osun State University has built a reputation around quality education, academic growth, and the pursuit of excellence.

As an alumnus of the university, I remain proud of the intellectual culture that shaped me and of a learning environment that challenged students to aim high. But as important as academic performance is, one question deserves more attention: how often does our university education truly prepare students to confront real problems beyond the classroom?

Grades matter. They help students remain competitive, qualify for postgraduate opportunities, and signal discipline. But grades alone are not enough. A transcript may open a door, yet it does not always teach a young person how to identify a community problem, design a response, build partnerships, and sustain action in the face of uncertainty.

That distinction has become clearer to me over time.

Since my years as a medical student at Osun State University, I have come to appreciate that some of the most valuable parts of education are the moments when learning moves from theory to application. It is one thing to understand concepts in public health, medicine, leadership, or systems thinking. It is another thing entirely to apply them in ways that improve lives. My time at Baylor University as a Master of Public Health graduate further reinforced this reality, confirming that education is most impactful when it is practicum-based rather than predominantly theoretical.

That lesson stayed with me long after graduation.

In the past year, I founded Impact Project Africa, a nonprofit initiative focused on addressing hunger, poverty, and sexual health awareness among university students in Africa. Building this project has required more than good intentions. It has demanded problem-solving, community engagement, strategic thinking, persistence, and the ability to respond to real human needs with practical solutions. Those are not skills developed by lectures alone. They are strengthened when students are exposed to practicum-based learning, mentorship, and experiences that force them to connect knowledge with action.

I still remember how certain moments during my training at Osun State University pushed me to think beyond memorization. The real value of education became clearer when learning required critical thinking, adaptability, and responsibility. Those experiences did not merely improve academic confidence; they made it easier to believe that it was possible to build something meaningful after school.

That is why universities should be careful not to create a culture where students only ask, “Will this help my GPA?” without also asking, “Will this help me solve problems when school is over?”

Too often, students avoid courses, projects, or experiences that feel demanding because they may threaten a perfect grade. That is understandable. But it can also be costly. The world after graduation rarely asks for exam scores alone. It asks whether graduates can think independently, lead teams, communicate clearly, understand systems, and create solutions where none exist yet.

If higher education is to remain truly transformative, then students must be encouraged not only to excel academically, but also to engage in learning that stretches them beyond comfort. Universities should continue to reward excellence in the classroom while creating stronger pathways for field experience, innovation, service, and social impact.

The future belongs not only to graduates who performed well on paper, but to those who can turn knowledge into action.

That is the kind of education that endures.

Aliyu Tijani is a public health professional and Environmental Systems Educator with the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. He is also the founder of Impact Project Africa, a nonprofit initiative advancing student well-being through action on hunger, poverty, and sexual health awareness among university students in Africa. Email – [email protected]