How I wish, how I wish I could travel through time to correct the ignorance of my past life. Harvey Mackay once said “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once lost, you can never get it back”. Whenever I remembered how insensitive I was during my university days, it drives a chill of regret mixed with sadness within my heart. How I wish I added a little effort! How I wish I disciplined myself! How I wish I read like the student I was meant to be! My wish would have been a reality if only I was focus enough to actualize my aim.
My university days were indeed hilarious and exhilarating, no doubt. I had good friends; friends willing to help build my career, and I also had friends who were willing to waste my career. You have to take note, that no one is responsible to be blame for one’s failure or negligence in life. Fact is “we are the manifestations of the decision we once took”, either in a positive or negative manner. Jonathan Estrin once said, “The way we spend our time defines who we are”. We are the product of whatsoever decision we took yesterday and we are still taking till date.
Thinking back most times, and recalling how I once had the opportunity to make things right, and yet I squandered such opportunities over flimsy excuses leaves a hole in my heart that hurt a lot! Presently nothing can be done about it, isn’t it? The best answer have ever gotten is to move on with these scars thereby amending my ways as I proceed simultaneously into a new time frame of fate. During my university days as a result of complacency mixed with ignorance led to the academic carryover I experience, I took the advices of my seniors in higher level and EXCOS then ungranted. I could remember vividly their words “As a fresher in the university this is the only time and opportunity you have to build up and develop your Grade Point Average (GPA)”. The main reason such emphasis was emphasized on is to help fresher’s like us to study effectively in order to produce a very good GPA. The EXCOS then, of my Faculty (Engineering) organized all manners of tutorials during the day (noon) and at night hours just to encourage student to be proactive, studious and help break down complex topics into ways they can be easily assimilated (this are common trait EXCOS of different academic session usually engage in to help both the new and returning students). Yet with these entire put in place; I hardly even attend the tutorials, I just brush through my handout casually, I was so busy chasing after the clouds (going for unnecessary programs and events show). While other student and level mate of mine where busy studying so immensely. Unknowingly to me, I lost the equilibrium balance between my social and academic life and yet still hoping for a miracle to manifest on my test and exam day. Who does that? Nothing indeed beat the place of hard work and persistence. Dumb of me indeed, it never occurred to me that I was wasting my best time of productivity on irrelevant activities. Although; In my mind, I thought I was giving out my best. The picture seems clearer to me now “What I called my best was but a child’s play”.
Time flew rapidly, before anyone could tell, we wrote our first semester test and exams. Result were released six (6) weeks after completing 100 level first semester, I could only admire and congratulate my friends and those I knew who had a 4.0 – 4.99 GPA out of the standard 5.0 maximum G.P. funny enough some had a 5.0 GPA. Indeed it pays to be focused and at the same time hardworking. An anonymous once said “Tiny problem that can be solved easily develops into a huge one when we ignore it, thus giving rise to confusion and loss of precious time and energy”. Staring at my 2.98 GPA with a two (2) unit carry over course in my result, burdened my heart with a traumatized pain beyond my comprehension and at the same time been motivated to boost my academic Grade point Average in the next semester (second) to come.
Like any other student with the zeal to excel excellently, striving with the burning passion towards accomplishing a mission to have nothing less than a 4.5 GPA in the second semester about to be embarked. Seems some people never learns, so unfortunate along the line I got distracted by friends, worst of all I relocated from the school hostel to off campus just to have the freedom most students so much desire to have. Jim Rohn once said “Discipline is the bridge between goal and accomplishment”. Filled with the zeal to strive forward yet lack the discipline to bring my visions into reality. What a pity isn’t it? I ended up repeating another circle of academic problem. Lacking the effort and discipline needed to bring my visions into reality, evidently is as a result of complacency which led to my indiscipline nature. A little effort was what I needed to avert these problems, yet I lacked that little ‘energy’ needed “The difference between a good grade and an excellent grade is just a little effort”.
However, grace and favour helped me throughout my academic days. During my academic journey; some colleagues of mine were sent away from engineering faculty, some were told to repeat a session. Somehow, I made it to the final lap with my course mate and academic set. But, the pile of carryover courses I had increased to nine (9) units. Graduating with my academic set seems impossible and under probability. The only solution according to the exam officer of my department then, is to study effectively to enable me clear the present level courses and carry over courses of nine (9) units.
The drive within me, to graduate with my set suddenly awakened. Thinking back to my 100 level days till date (500L), somehow I wish that such passion awakened during my days as a university fresher. Taking the cognizance that it is either “a man has a mission to accomplish, or perhaps burning with passion to excel or probably running with a vision, if as a human you don’t find yourself in these categories then life itself becomes a burden of continuous problems to such a man”. Realistically, I said to myself “To prevail over this circumstance I brought myself into, I need to work harder than my fellow course mate as a result of the carryovers. This simply implies that I had more work load compared to my fellow course mate, the much course load I had somehow affected my effectiveness and academic stability. No wonder an African proverb was said “The problem you refuse to deal with today as a result of ignorance will eventually grow up bigger as time proceed, if not taken care, such problem might grow beyond your handling and capacity”. A stitch in time they say saves nine.
The zeal to graduate with my academic set gave me the passion to read with purpose, my motto became “I must graduate with my set”. This alone was more than enough to keep me driving. I did graduate with my set; sadly I didn’t graduate with a good class of degree. Fact is “When the purpose of something is not known, abuse they say is inevitable”. How I wish I discovered my purpose earlier, how I wish I created a purpose for myself then. Perhaps I wouldn’t have ended with those carryovers and suffer the humiliation of re-writing a carryover course with the levels below me. Foolishness indeed cannot be justified but most follow the necessary protocols to be corrected. Till date my errors are still hunting me as result of the low class of degree I bagged out with from the university. It pays to work hard; it pays more than ever to strive to the mark despite all storms and hindrances.
Complacency has always been the catalyst to ignorance and indiscipline. The only solution to complacency is to possess a burning desire to help accomplish thy purpose being discovered or created. The ability for an individual to discover or create a driving purpose is what makes us human.
Olomu Oladipupo Micheal a graduate of chemical engineering department from the federal university of technology Minna wrote in via olomuoladipuposamuel@gmail.com
