You know, it's beautiful to sing the praise of being a Graduate From tertiary Institution. "Straight outta Poly or Uni", congratulations in our comment section on every social media platform,done and Dusted! Left right and center, let's not forget the association of "Mama I made you proud". These Moments are good, Live it. But what nobody talk about are the Mental and Environmental stress we had to go through to get to where we are today.
After secondary school, My choice of school was either a university or university. I always felt Polytechnic was for losers. I wish i could go back and tell my younger self to relax, you are in for a treat! I enrolled for jamb exams, yet University didn't find me worthy. As a young girl, I blamed myself, I questioned My self worth. Was I not smart enough? Is my best not good enough? After feeling disappointed, I knew I wanted to go to further my education so I grudgingly picked up a National diploma form at Delta State Polytechnic,Oghara. Time for classes were from 5am! No enough chairs to sit on.
Did I tell you? There was a mistake with my choice of study, my chaperone applied for mass communication instead of Banking and Finance. "What doesn’t you kill, makes you stronger. As Human, one of our characteristics is Adaptation. I learnt to Adjust and Adapt with the new environment, as a young girl, it was like a new world to me. I was timid, suffered stage fright, it was difficult to find peers I could call my friends. One thing is certain in a tertiary institution, your age grade ended in secondary school. These affected my Academic performance badly, but I managed to scale through to ND 2, which was my Second year at the polytechnic. I was adjusting perfectly, or so I thought. My last semester results came out and I had two extension, meaning I had to go back to take those exams. I felt discouraged, I couldn't tell my parents, I knew they would be disappointed. I called myself a failure, I questioned myself again. After so much self pity, I decided to confide in my brother to help me relay the message to them. I had concluded, I won't be going back take those exams, I would forfeit that admission.
After so much self pity, It was time for jamb exams again, I bought the form, took the exams and applied for Delta state University. While I was in my journey to Start again. A friend of Mine encouraged me to take the exams I had failed and apply for a Higher National Diploma, she held my hands and told me everything will be alright. She had faith in me when I didn't see it best to believe in myself. May we Have such friends indeed and may we be such friends.
I wrote the exams, It came out excellent and I went back for my Higher National Diploma(HND) at Delta state polytechnic, Ogwashi_uku a year after. . We know how When God come through for us, the devil tries to bring in " What if". I didn't let it get the best of me despite the environmental change, expensive food stuff, the community didn't have enough water supply. Still I was serious with my studies. My first year(HND 1)there was no carryover, everything went smoothly. I was overjoyed and ready for my second year(HND 2). Well, my First Semester HND 2 came with potholes. Lack of money, there were days daddy couldn't send me money so I had to sort out myself from the money I got from my business . I was having the lowest CGPA among my friends even though I was the one assisting them in the exams, I practically told them answers to the questions. My mantra was "You never leave a soldier behind" but I was the one with the weakest Grade anytime result came out. I cried but I picked myself up immediately. I did the extra work in my second semester, did the best most Human beings could and my results came out better!
I am not where I ought to be but I am grateful for now and where I'm headed. I graduated with a good results, Got cleared and I write to you from the Bunk of My Nysc Orientation camp(Ebonyi state) with a sense of Pride and Joy.
What these years have taught me is that, failing, shortcomings and everything in between are all part of success not the opposite of it. Hello Dear, It only gets better!
Dear undergraduate, How did you handle that course you failed? Did you tell Mum and Dad? How did they react?