Staylite Diary: How My Unexpected First Semester Results Impacted My Journey

My first result as a LAUTECH student was not encouraging and has been my worst result in the last four years I have used it. My first examination was after the long pandemic break that happened as a result of COVID-19. The timetable for the examination came just a few days after the festive break and I had to buckle up within the little time to catch up with my course handouts. I gave in all my best at every instance of the day, covering up pages in the morning, noon, and night.

Afterward, I collected my results and became very depressed when I realized that the so much effort I had put into studying showed little effect. I believe I was more serious than some people, at least more brilliant than some of my mates. Then, I got angry with myself, my lecturers, and God. My first semester result as a University student was a second class lower which made me cry for days.

I showed my result to my School Father, who instead of consoling me, told me to cry all the cry I could and he would talk when I was done. After many tears, he spoke and one of his statements I held onto throughout this journey of mine till now is ‘‘The horses are prepared for the battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord,” which has been a source of encouragement to me.

He encouraged me to put God first in everything, even to guide and lead me, and from his encouragement, I decided I was not going to give in to the first-semester result that has destabilized me but to be resilient and do better.

I also have a friend called Sam, who always sends me past questions and classwork and we solve them together. We have been each other's accountability partners in academics. We both advise ourselves to know and see where we’re failing and how we can do better. We have been keen not to compare each other's abilities but to encourage and steer each other’s appetite for excellent grades.

Through my journey, I have been putting in new efforts each semester, and changing my circle of academic friends when I discover we no longer have the same interests. My efforts has been through God’s help and the Spirit to choose my friends. I have learned not to compare myself with others, to choose friends with the help of the Holy Spirit, and to have reading and accountability partners.