By Abidemi Gbadamosi
Are you still in doubt of how to properly deploy prepositions ingrained in expressions bordering on academia? If yes, you can as well avail yourselves of the undermentioned lowdown, with a view to propelling your communicative prowess to appreciable heights.
Bola is a student of the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro.❌
Bola is a student AT the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro.✔
Going by the fact that a student/pupil studies AT an educational institution, one can only be a student AT same. In the same breath, I could say:
Esther is a student AT the Obafemi Awolowo University. ✔
Gbemisola is a student AT the Adeyemi College of Education. ✔
Chishom is a pupil AT Mayflower Primary School.✔
Fatima is a student AT Queens’ College. ✔
By striking contrast, one can be a student OF a course/subject/discipline.
Esther is a student OF biochemistry. ✔
Flourish is a student OF business administration.✔
Francis is a student OF history. ✔
Gbemisola is a student OF Literature. ✔
As a corollary to the aforementioned stance, the right preposition that connects students to departments or faculties is IN.
Hannah is a student IN the commercial department at Mayflower Secondary School.✔
Paul is a student IN the Faculty of Management Sciences at the University of Lagos. ✔
Pursuant to EARNING/RECEIVING/GETTING/HOLDING/BEING AWARDED (The general reader should be reliably informed that these are more appropriate verbs than “BAGGING” ) a degree, suffice it to say:
I am a graduate OF the University of Abuja (This is converse to saying, “I am a student AT the University of Abuja”). ✔
Hadassah is a graduate OF the University of Texas. ✔
Last but not least, one would invariably become a graduate IN whatever discipline going forward. Here goes:
Bimpe is a graduate IN electrical engineering.✔
Sarah is a graduate IN mass communication.✔
Good morning, everyone. I wish you all a phenomenal July.