After a few years of seeking admission to the University without success, I decided to settle in for a remedial science program. The program was traditionally meant for secondary school leavers with deficiency in any core subjects but it later metamorphosed into one that admits both candidates with deficiencies and those without.
It was on this premise that I was admitted into the program in 2009. The program was for a year after which those that pass are admitted into various Bachelor's degree programs (Sciences).
I did my registration and in the process, I met Abdullahi who guided me in completing the process having done his own earlier. We became friends and exchanged phone numbers.
We were given a prospectus each containing rules and regulations of the program. It was in the prospectus that we were directed to choose electives according to our proposed course of studies. Each student was to offer five subjects. Mathematics, English language, Physics and Chemistry are the compulsory subjects while biology and geography are the electives that every student is to chose one. You can chose anyone but if you are willing to study Medicine and Surgery, you must register Biology.
Abdullahi didn't waste time to register Biology as his own elective while I settled for Geography.
"Are you not planning to study Medicine and Surgery?" He asked.
"Not at all, I have a phobia for human blood and seeing people under distress health wise." I replied to him.
He was surprised at my reasons for not preferring Medicine to any other course. More than 80% of the remedial students filled in Medicine and Surgery as their first choice. And when you look at the few that chose other courses as their first choice, they were afraid of the competition in securing admission in Medicine. They prefer getting a less competitive course of their choice rather than applying for Medicine and be thrown to any department if their scores aren't qualifying them for Medicine.
In my own case, I don't fear such a competition, rather I just don't like Medicine and Surgery. I preferred any course that is mathematically inclined like Engineering.
Abdullahi was surprised at my choice and being different from virtually all others. We studied together throughout the two semesters long program. At the end of the program, I emerged as the second best in the population of over 1000 remedial students.
It was a tradition to admit the best 20 students of the program into the highly competitive Medicine and Surgery.
When the admission committee were reviewing our choices of courses, they were surprised to see one person among the best 20 choose Chemical/Petroleum Technology. They invited me specially and told me that irrespective of whether I wrote Biology or Geography, I was eligible to pick any course of my choice including Medicine.
I appreciated the committee and humbly told them that my choice remained my choice.
Abdullahi was mad at me when I explained everything that transpired to him.
"Why are you so different? Going by the situation in this country now, Medicine is the field where the unemployment or underemployment rate is minimal. Accept the Medicine please." He pleaded.
I let him understand that passion rather than fear of unemployment should be the motivation for one in selecting a career path which he agreed.
When the list of admission into the Bachelor's degree programs was released, I was given my choice course, Chemical/Petroleum Technology while Abdullahi was given his second choice, Medical Laboratory Science. He celebrated it a lot because even the second choice courses were still relatively competitive.
Few weeks after we started lectures for our degree programs, the University conducted convocation for the set of graduating students for that year. My friend joined me to grace the occasion.
The high point of the event was when the nine First Class graduates out of the total 4000 graduates were called upon to climb the podium in the order of their CGPA to shake the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and other dignitaries.
"I wish to be recognized in the same manner in the next five years." I told Abdullahi.
"So, this is your dream. Many first class graduates are out there jobless. I prefer the graduating Medical Doctors to any First Class graduate." He responded.
I wasn't pleased with the way he was going about the whole idea.
"Whatever choice you are making, you need to be optimistic about the outcome and I am confident that I will belong to the group of people that get jobs after acquiring degrees. I think my choice deserves respect just like I respect your choice. I think we can manage our differences properly please."
Realizing that I was hurt by his statement, he apologized and we watched the colorful event to the end before moving back to our hostel rooms.
Seven years later, having lost two years to civil unrest in the city and industrial actions by university teachers, I lived up my dream and I was awarded a First Class degree. The convocation was organized and I was invited to the podium to receive the golden handshake with the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor and other dignitaries.
Abdullahi, who also graduated as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, celebrated the feat with me.
"Today changed my perspective about life. The way I see things may not be the way others see it. Success is not a one way traffic. It can come from many directions." Abdullahi remarked while tapping me on my shoulder for my efforts.
Fortunately, I didn't suffer for employment as I was engaged immediately after my youth service year.
I believe anyone can be different from the majority in his own ways and thought processes. The most important thing is to strive to make a good result out of such differences or uniqueness.