Dare to be different!!!

A lot of times it can be very difficult to take a stand and do things differently from the norm. But in the end, it usually pays off. Like they say, the end justifies the means.

I'll tell you a quick story.

Many years ago, as a fresh Jambite, one of the many personal goals I had made was to graduate with a second class upper degree. The goal didn't just end there, I was determined to achieve it without having to'sort' any lecturer (those in public higher institutions in Nigeria will understand the meaning of the word better).

The journey started! I remember Business Maths in 100L, that course gave me a major scare in my first and second semesters, because it was Further Maths packaged nicely😀, and we commercial and arts students in secondary school don't do further maths, but somehow I managed to scale through with a resounding E(40) and (43) respectively. A lot of students' venture into 'sorting' started with Business Maths, but with God's help and self determination, I scaled through. By the end of 100L, I was on 3.0(CGPA). Not too bad, but for someone who intended to graduate with a 2.1, it wasn't exactly good enough 😉.

200L came with its own challenges, but slightly better than 100L. I had my first A in this level. That first 'A' was a propeller. It made me realise my dreams were very much achievable. Towards the end of this level, I met the best graduating student of Banking and Finance, and that became my life changing encounter. He mentored, motivated, encouraged and pushed me all at once. Prior to this time, my hope had waned a bit, I didn't see the possibility of getting a 2.1 if I didn't compromise (because people who were rumoured to be 'sorting' seemed to be having better grades). He assured me that my dreams were still very much realisable, and by the end of 200L, My CGPA was 3.3.

In my 300L, the real test of my resolve came. There was a particular lecturer we had been told from 100L that it was impossible to pass his course without doing the needful. It was 'common knowledge' amongst students that without 'sorting', you would fail his course.
I discovered on the day of his exams why it was near impossible to scale through without having to go through the back door. There were thirty five (35) subjective questions lifted out directly out from the textbook. You needed to be some form of genius or 'wizard' to know the entire content of the book word for word. It was very obvious he wanted to us 'see him' after the exams. Even the invigilators he brought for the exam went round each table telling us to 'see them' after the exams. My spirit became dampened. How was I ever going to achieve my goals 😫? I prayed and the Holy Spirit asked me what I had, aside my transport fare back to Lagos, I had 3k left and the Spirit of God asked me to drop it as a seed. This was barely half of the sum, (7k) ,that students were asked to pay in order to 'pass'.
I dropped it(my seed)during a special Singles and Married service at Fountain Of Life Church that Pastor Taiwo Odukoya had come to minister. I decided to 'sort' God instead.
Few weeks into the holidays, I got a call from a fellow coursemate. Have you heard what's going on? He had asked. No, was my response. He then went ahead to give me a full download of what had been happening in school.
Some part time students had gone to the department to report the same lecturer for his gross misconduct and misdeeds, and then the department had proceeded to suspend him pending the outcome of the investigation.
As a result of this, the original owner of the course, a Professor who had been down with health challenges, specifically informed the department that he longer wanted the lecturer to take his course ever again. Wow... it sounded too good to be true. I travelled back to school few weeks later and checked my result for that course, lo and behold, I had 40! This was my best E ever! I knelt down and thanked God in the full glare of everyone around. It was just me that knew what God had done. The testimony however did not end there, this lecturer was meant to take me three more courses in my final year, and I would probably still have E's in all three of them because I didn't intend to compromise on my standards. But guess what? The courses were moved to new lecturers as instructed by the Prof who took them originally, and I had A's in all three of those courses.
It didn't end there, I had a minimum of 5 A's in each semester in my final yea, with a 400L CGPA of 4.2.

At graduation, my total CGPA was 3.67 (Second Class Upper degree), and I was the 5th best graduating student in my department. Rumour had it that the other four names before mine compromised one way or the other, but I didn't mind, I was focused on my journey and the process to becoming a sucesss without blemishes.

I dared to be different, and I discovered that you can be anything you want to be without compromising your values, beliefs and morals. If you don't stand for one thing, you will fall for everything. Take a stand today and dare to be different in your academics, career,business, relationships, walk with God and relationship with people. I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

Happy a blessed, fruitful and prosperous week!!!

Amen

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Happy new week

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Dare to,dream!!!

Still dare to be different