I was a terrible student in secondary school. I'm not sure if it was my choice of course (I'd wanted to be a medical doctor, specifically, a paediatric surgeon) or my laziness or a combination of both. Bottom line, when I wrote my final exam, I failed in some subjects and just passed (the last pass grade before a fail) others. Technically, I qualified for entry into any university in Ghana by the entry requirements at the time, but getting in would be tough. Right now, with the revision of entry requirements into universities in Ghana, I don't qualify for entry into any university in Ghana with those grades.
I applied to the University of Ghana. As per advice I received, I chose one of the not so popular courses to guarantee my selection, and then I waited. The admissions list was out, admission letters were distributed, and nothing for me. I understood that when you get dumb grades like mine, you don't get to enter university, but I couldn't understand why I couldn't make it into the university with my mates.
I gave up waiting and enrolled into a remedial school to rewrite the WAEC papers I'd performed that bad in. I started classes, I hid it from just about everyone (it was mighty embarrassing), and then a letter came in the mail addressed to me. It was my admission letter. I doubt I have jumped that high or been that excited in my life.
Turns out I was on the late admissions list. I was one of the few who were admitted after the admission process had been completed. I later (not illegally) found a copy of the original admissions list for my department. Majority of the names had been typed, mine was one of 4 names which had been handwritten.
A remedial student made it into the university without rewriting the WAEC exam, and then went on to be a very good student, after which she went on to be an exceptional student in a Masters programme. So, when I say God is nice, and He likes me, I know what I'm talking about. How I even transitioned from that terrible student to a very good student to an exceptional student is testimony of just how much God likes me.
We all can't be professional writers; we all can't have our own newspaper columns. This right here is my space. I get to be my own writer and editor and everyone else will just have to settle to be my critic.
Blessings.....
ReplyDeleteLove your photo. You are beautiful.
I read this post and I have to say my sistah, please have faith in yourself and your ability. Becareful not to erode your self-esteem with so much negative self-talk. Life is more than getting high perfect grades and it will enlight you to know many professionals - lawyers, doctors etc, failed many exams before earning their degree to practice their profession. Failure is not about beating yourself up and sinking into self-defecating despair, it is about lessons you are required to learn. Its about seeing the missteps so that when you venture out again you will know what paths to avoid as not to fall again. Its a map so to speak to successes because it guides you letting you know what not to do and when its time to try something new.
peace and congratulations.
Thanks so so much Rhapsody.
DeleteI enjoyed reading this post Efua.
ReplyDeleteI've learned that sometimes failure makes us crave success so much that when we finally achieve it, we guard it jealously. :-)
Failure is not always the final verdict in our lives, it sometimes propels us to work harder.
It sure does propel us to achieve more.
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