What would you do with your time and yourself if you had about 2 years to spare with no real responsibilities?
Hi there Ladies!
It's me again. The me that sounds like she complains about everything. Well, it's the country I live in. It's all her fault. I take that back, it's not her fault at all. She's doing very well for herself and standing tall despite all odds, but her rulers? The greedy bigots in charge? You wouldn't want to hear the half of it.
It now seems as though I've resolved to fold my hands in defiance and expose the atrocities that go on here (at least the one that affects me directly) until there's real positive change. Until things start to turn around for the better. The world must know... oops! What world? This little Hive audience of mine? Haha I better shut up lest I begin to sound like a Martin Luther King wanna be.
Yes yes, you must be used to it by now, I tend to derail. Anyway, I was trying to lean on you to lessen this burden that I carry. I am trying to lean on you. By the time I'm done from this post, I'd have successfully leaned on you. I really hope you don't mind.
As per the question I asked, here's context. Remember how I told you about my first degree in Human Anatomy, and how there was a lot of time lost to the pandemic and the strike action by University staff in my bid to obtain this degree I'm now pursuing in Law?
Here's the story if you're reading me for the first time
Well guess what? Nope, it's not good news. I thought I was done losing time, it appears I am not. Quite unfortunate. Yes, if things don't go well, 2 years is the new and extra time threatening to be lost. Why? How? Well, as a result of the accumulated time "lapses", there has been a backlog for a while and our seniors have had to skip taking the Bar exams for another 10-11 months. In order words, we will have to wait on them so 11 months multiplied by 2 ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ that's us, in waiting. All the times I've thought about it, I've felt like quitting. I mean all that time and you can't move forward because over here, the LL.B certificate is almost useless and you can't really do much until you've written and passed the Bar exams. So many things in my life have been on hold just waiting, waiting to pass the exams and now I do not even have the opportunity to write it sooner than later. Somebody get a remote control and pause me already, let's make it official!
I do not know how common our education system is but for clarity, over here, the university curriculum is divided into two semesters. In final sessions, the second semester exams are referred to as degree exams and in the Faculty of Law, there are only 3 courses to be written. Yep, just 3. Now this is the frustrating part, the last degree exams were written in November of 2022. I mean that month and December and the first two weeks of January should be enough to grade about 300 papers yeah by a minimum of 12 lecturers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but 12 is the least. Any system that works and is genuinely concerned about the future of the younger generation would go out of their way and expedite the process, by say, engaging 30 or more lecturers to do the marking (with or without extra benefits). There's always a marking scheme which they predominantly strictly adhere to so how can it be so difficult? But naa, how can they Professors and Doctors and Masters of the Law stress themselves this one time and do the right thing to advance education. "I don't even get paid well or on time so what's the use?"
Most of the time I do not even blame the lecturers, I blame the corrupt system. If there was no strike lasting almost a year in the first place, if they even got good pay and aren't being owed salaries as I write, then we would not be here.
The only silver lining is the rumours or even less, the assumption that the two sets of graduating students would be merged and sent to Law School based on merit, as in high-GPA students first. Knowing this corrupt nation, of course other factors would come into play such as high ranks and wealth. But then again, there's a quota. Each university must submit 250 names only (or thereabouts) and a class can have almost 400 students. 😂 this is like another whole story. Tonnes of students get admitted, they get robbed of their money with the various entrance fees and then frustrate their stay or do the unthinkable to meet quota requirements. I'd rather not delve into that ugly scenario.
The pandemic and strike years lost was still a pain in my a$$ when the news of them graduates missing out on Law School came. After I heard, I've been so sad and flashing my life back and forth, worrying too much, trying to fit in plan Bs nd Cs and just basically feeling down and useless. When it comes up in conversation, people always say,
"don't rush, nobody's rushing you, take it slow, there's nothing out there yada yada!
Yo! It's not a rush if you're basically just hoping to walk as fast every other normal person. It's like telling a dog going as slow as a snail not to rush when he complains that he's slow while the other dogs are easily getting to wherever they need to be and on time too 🙄. I am not rushing, I just need to get where I need to be when I want to get there. So many factors come into play to one's detriment, especially in this country, if they are slow. Funny thing is I'm not even slow, the system for the average man is forcing me to be slow. It's depressing.
A lot you want to achieve just hangs and keeps hanging and hanging until it loses value. Quick example, I've always had the mission to bridge the gap between demand and supply of food items in Nigeria. We are a rich nation with vast arable land and good enough weather yet we can't feed ourselves. We import things like apples even though we can grow it. Because names and titles are a big deal here and an even bigger deal than one's actual brilliance, I've failed to get a loan to begin growing crops for commercial purposes, but I'll get listened to almost immediately if I'm a lawyer who wants to own a plantation. Now I can't help until further notice and as much as the goal is to help, you also think about the huge first-timer profits as everyone has their greedy eyes on our oil and fail to see the gold that agriculture is. There's been a recent awakening of how profitable the sector is and as much as that's a good thing, I also will feel defeated and left behind when it starts booming and I'm not among the firsts to tap into it. The competition rises and there's barely even recognition for original ideas (that won't be so original anymore), which were just incubating and couldn't be followed through.
Nigeria does kill dreams. Faster than insecticides kill insects.
Anyway,
I've always wanted to pursue a career in entertainment, being a passionate actress that I am and having the nice voice I've been told time and again, *go well*. I also dream of being on talk shows or podcasts and what not, and you know just using my talent more casually and expansively than being an uptight lawyer would allow. Maybe in those 2 years, if the merger assumptions are wrong (which by the way proposes to start in June), I'll look into these areas more seriously. And what's more, I'll find that I sleep, eat and drink Hive 😅. Now I'm looking forward to it. It's never easy having to pop in here and pop out without spending quality time.
At this point, I've successfully leaned on your shoulders and I feel lighter. Many many thanks for reading.
Please feel free to leave a comment, I'd really appreciate your thoughts and inputs.
Until next time.
Lots of love. 💋
PS: go well is Pidgin English for very good or very nice.