The Year I Graduate: When Time Had Better Plans Than Mine
I’ve always been that kid who just couldn’t sit still. I remember sitting with my neighbor — who was also my closest friend at the time — dreaming out loud about starting work right after our WAEC exams. “Let’s earn our own money,” I told her, eyes bright with possibility. “We can buy whatever we want!” Looking back, I have to laugh at how eager I was — the moment I finished my last exam that Wednesday, I raced home and pulled out everything I’d learned in English class to write job applications to local schools. There I was, all of sixteen, showing up for my first teaching job the very next week!
You know how people say your past shapes who you become? For me, it wasn’t about following someone else’s footsteps or getting fired up by motivational speeches. My drive came from somewhere deeper — this constant itch to be doing something, anything, to move forward. When I got into university, while everyone else was just trying to figure out campus life, I had this whole four-year plan mapped out in my head. First-class degree? On the list. Job offers lined up before graduation? You bet. Scholarships? Absolutely. Maybe it sounds a bit much, but that’s just who I was — a dreamer with a deadline!
In my first year, I practically lived in the library. But don’t think I was just buried in books — you’d find me everywhere! I wanted it all, and somehow, that crazy juggling act worked. By the time the results came out, I had five scholarships in my pocket!
Then came the second year, and with it, COVID. While the world shut down, my mind opened up. Here I was, barely able to turn on a computer, and suddenly I had all this time to learn. By the time school reopened, I’d taught myself enough about Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint to land an internship at a payment firm. Sure, I stumbled through some Excel functions, but every mistake was just another lesson learned.
Third year felt like everything finally clicked. My grades were solid, and I was jumping between internships like they were stepping stones, each one teaching me something new. Before I knew it, I was balancing a real job with my studies.
Through it all, I kept telling myself this little mantra whenever I felt overwhelmed: “School comes first — everything else is just bonus points.” After all, jobs and skills would always be there to learn, but my degree? That was my foundation, my ticket to wherever I wanted to go.
It wasn’t always perfect, and it wasn’t easy, but looking back now, I wouldn’t change a thing ( I could change one though; having my mum alive). Each step, each decision, each late-night study session — they all led me exactly where I needed to be. Sure, my four-year plan turned into six years, but you know what? Those extra years weren’t setbacks — they were investments in who I was becoming. I didn’t just attend the University of Lagos; I passed through it, and it passed through me. Every additional year added layers to my experience, deepened my understanding, and shaped me in ways I never could have planned for. Sometimes the longest roads lead to the best destinations and my journey? It was exactly what I needed it to be.
