Hey guys!
Today I will like to take you on a journey. A journey marked by moments of pains and joy, seasons of gladness and sorrow. A journey of my undergraduate (university) experience. So sit tight, fasten your sit belt as I take you on this ride.
I graduated from my secondary school in 2019. And while many of my classmates wrote the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams which was to usher them into the university that same year, I on the other hand decided not to write the exam that same year(2019), and this was because I felt I wasn't fully prepared for the examination.
And so, it was until march 2020 that I decided to write the exam. And I got a good score from the exam by which I was offered admission around June of the same year .
However, due to the Covid19 pandemic my resumption was delayed until 9th September 2021. So this already served as the first challenge I encountered on my undergraduate journey _ one year delay.
The course I applied for study was Economics, and I decided to study economics because right from my secondary school economics happens to be my favorite and best subject. But little did I know that the economics I was coming to study is far more complex than what I knew all along
So how was my first day in the university like? My first day in the university was quite full of surprises in the sense that I got to meet some of my course mates who I have been chatting with for the first time. Some of them appeared to be quite above what I expected them to be like, while others were also below what I expected them to be like. Among these course mates of mine was Favour, a lady I have been communicating with long time before resuming. We were already friends even before we met physical in school. And indeed she has been a very good friend over the years. My first day in school was quite hectic and energy consuming. I was standing throughout the first day of the registration, and in my mind I was thinking I could finish my whole registration in one day. But little did I know that that first day was the beginning of many hectic days.
In fact my registration took me over two months to be done with, and this was also couple with the fact that I was not having the necessary funds to complete my registration. At that point I almost differed my admission to the next session but God did not leave me without helpers. With the help I got from a friend I was able to complete my registration before the deadline. And so, my undergraduate journey began properly.
My first lecture left me wondering if the economics I was been introduced to was the same economics I actually applied for. ECO113 which was statistics was quite easy for me, but Mathematics for economics on the other hand was like a thorn in my flesh. I seems not to even have an idea of what was happening in the class. I was always lost in the class when it comes to mathematics for economics. And too bad for me, Mathematics for economics was among my prerequisite courses, so I wouldn't want to fail it for any reason, cause it will mean another extra year for me in the university.
I quite had an advantage on the theoretical courses but all the other courses that involved maths were a problem to me at that time, except statistics which I quite had a good background on it from my secondary school.
So how did I dealt with that one thorn in my flesh _ the Mathematical courses? It has been rightly said that someone's strength is your weakness while your strength is someone's weakness. And so, I found friends who were enthusiastic, and also had strength in my area of weakness. I was ready and willing to learn from whoever is willing to offer me help. I remembered how I spent hours on YouTube just to master integration and differentiation (Calculus). With many nights and days of consistent learning, the thing that was once my weakness has now become my strength. It was after many days of practicing mathematics that I came to the realization that the easiest courses in economics are the Mathematical courses not the theoretical ones.
Our examination arrangement was a scary one most especially for a first timer in the university. The hall was choked up with many invigilators. And the moment the question paper was presented to me my whole body was tensed! I couldn't even write properly because of the tension in my body. And so, after a month I finished my exam.
The moment our results were released the one course I was scared to see the score was mathematics for economics _ I was just very scared. But after summoning courage, I decided to check my portal for my result. And lo, the very course I was scared of I got 'A' on it. Likewise every other course that was related to maths was an 'A' for me. Wow! I was almost in tears, cause the grade of result I got was far above what I expected. It now dawn on me that my sacrifice; my long hours of studies and practice wasn't a waste of time, it has finally yielded a good result.
And so the journey continued with many dark moments and happy moments. The young boy who struggle to keep himself from getting kicked out from the university is now a final year student, just left with a semester to be out of the university. And not just a normal and casual student, but among the best of my department.
The journey was indeed rough, hard, and toxic. Full of many bitter moments, moments of hunger and lack, moments of frustration and lots more. But today I can tell you that I am glad I thread upon this path. This was a journey worth embarking on because indeed, I can see a light in this path that I have choosing.
If that path you have chosen is the right path_walk in it, no mater the challenges that may arise still keep pushing until you wake up one day and find yourself leaving in your dreams reality. The path to greatness is a difficult path and only those with strong resilience can walk therein
