Where Did I Go Wrong?
I found this piece of my old writing, in my scrap book collection. I was cleaning out my bookshelves, during house cleaning. It was one of the series of notes I had scribbled down on pieces of paper, way back in my school days. I was getting into tertiary institution.
Reading this note again, brought back some memories of nostalgia.
*****
It was one of the months of examinations. The month of June and the year was like any other year. Actually, the year was 2,000.
One of those general entrance examinations into the polytechnics and colleges of education over here in Africa, Nigeria.
It is called University Matriculation Examination (U.M.E) for universities. Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Matriculation Examinations (P.C.E.M.E) for polytechnics and Colleges of Education. All conducted by the nations Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (J.A.M.B)
The invigilators arrived for the examinatioins, and were busy checking themselves into their assigned halls, where they would conduct the exams.
Outside the halls, prospective students were busy chatting themselves up. While some saw this event as opportunity to make new friends. Others saw this as opportunity to find their heart throb.
Some are busy reading for the last minute revision. Trying to grasp some information in haste. Some are chatting freely like there is a party going on. Some are just sitting down like worried freaks.
Look closely into their eyes and you can see worry, tension and anxiety written all over the expression on their faces. They have taken all the pains to prepare for this examination. But the outcome is not something they can predict.
In a country, where beating the cut-off mark, does not really guarantee you admission into your choice of university or polytechnic. Neither does how much hard work you have done to score so high.
Because no matter how hard you have studied for this exam, it will take the grace of God and the favour of the gods on your part, to be able to make the admission list into any tertiary institution in the country. There is so much competition for admission spaces.
Rumours abound that so many students qualify for the yearly entrance exams in Nigeria. But with the limited and inadequate tertiary educatioinal institutions in the country, there is nothing much a student can do.
The combined tertiary institutions in Nigeria, can not absorb all of the numerous students, applying for admissions, into Nigeria's accademic institutions annually.
Gba-gam gba-gam ...there goes the bell for the commencement of the examination. All students are allowed to come in and settle down, for the exam to start.
The halls have all been numbered serially and you can easily trace your hall and your seat for the examination, by looking at the number ranges on each door and the desks in each hall, to locate your seat.
Finallly, my hall and my seat was not that difficult to locate. Within a few minutes, I am all seated and ready for the exam in anticipation.
The answer sheets are being distributed and the question papers soon followed. But we must wait until we are instructed to start, before we can start the exams. Otherwise, starting the exam, without being instructed to do so, could attract some penalties.
******
Months later, I got to know I scaled the cut-off mark for the polytechnic entrance examinations. I anxiously awaited the admission letter to be sent to me by post from the tertiary institution. Either my first choice or second choice institution.
It was usually sent by post to all students who have passed the cut off score and given admissions by their tertiary institution. Back then in Nigeria, the internet was not so common.
It was very expensive and not widely popular. Many organisations relied on postal services, as the most affordable means of official communication.
I waited in vain for my admission letter, from my choice institution, which I had chosen on my application, to be sent to me. But it never came.
When the post-man finally brought my parcel, it was from a private tertiary institution, which I neither filled nor applied for. They stated that, it was a provisional admission, because I had met the requirements for admission into their private institution.
The letter stated that the admissions body (JAMB) had forwarded my application for admission to them. For them to seek my consent on admission into their private institution. Their tuition fee was clearly stated, which was higher and more expensive than the public institution that I had applied for, based on affordability.
Disappointed by this letter, I travelled all the way to another state, in the South western part of Nigeria. The location of my chosen institution of my first choice, to find out why I was not given admission, and why I was not sent an admissioin letter.
I did not tell my parents that I was travelling to another state, because of my admission. I was scared that i might get them worried and hence they might stop me from travelling all that way by myself. I had hoped I would just breeze in and make all the enquiries about my admission and then return back to my home state on the same day.
When I got there, I was directed to where I could check for my name on their admissions list. I did not see my name. Though I scaled through the official cut off marks, but my name was not on the notice board admissions list of this public tertiary institution. I was sad and disappointed.
I regretably returned back to the bus station, after asking for directions by word of mouth, all along the way. To my surprise and shock, this time, the park was charging a higher and different bus fair, for the return journey to my home state. I was stranded!
I approached the bus driver and explained to him, that I did not make plan for that extra amount in my travel budget. I had only calculated the same rate for the bus fair, for travelling and returning, and then the taxi fairs within the state. The bus driver would not listen to my pleas.
While I was at the bus station, contemplating how I would get help to return to my home state. After i had been turned down by the bus driver, because my bus fare was not up to the amount they had charged for the return journey to my home state.
Actually, they had charged higer than the previous rate that was originally charged on the same day. It was hicked because of the problem of fuel scarcity experienced in the country.
As I stood there thinking of what to do next, because I had not told my parents back home about the journey I had embarked on my own. A fellow passenger heard my plea with the driver, over the hicked fare. He offered to help and added the remaining amount, to make up for my bus fare.
God bless that young man. He was a student too, and with his benevolence and good heart, I was able to board the bus to return to my home state, with them.
I got home at midnight that same day. I could not call my parents to inform them until i got home. Private personal Mobile phone was not operational back then in Nigeria in the year 2,000 and thereabout.
Back then, there was no rampant security issues with travelling and returning back at midnight. There was no fear of robblers or kidnappers on the highway. Travelling was not so terrible and scary back then.
********
One week later again, I embarked on the second journey to another state in the South Eastern part of Nigeria, to find out if I was given admissions, in my second chosen choice of Institution. This time I informed my parents before leaving home.
I got there, and headed straight to the notice board of the institution and department, to check for the names of those that had been offered admissions, pasted on the notice board.
Sadly again, I did not see my name on the board. The names posted on the board were rather names of indigent students. The names were posted along with their particulars like their scores obtained in the exams, as well as their state of origin.
I was sad and disappointed, that many of those names posted on the board as admitted, had far lower scores than my own score. I scored higher than many of them, but yet I could not find my name on their list.
At first, I was hopeful when I saw that their scores were far lowwer than mine. I had all hope that my name would be there somewhere on the list. But only to be disappointed in the end.
*****
I returned back to my home state, sad and disappointed again, that I was not given admissions. Even by making the cut off marks and haven scored higher than most students that were given admission, but yet my name was missing on the list.
*******
As I look back now, I could only assume that "catchment areas" were either used as the basis for the admissions of the indigenous students who scored lower, than those who scored higer from another region. Or perhaps corruption could have played a part in it. Who knows?
Well, whatever criteria was used, it is difficult to pin it down on any, in a country rife with bribery and corruption.
Where did I go wrong? Should I have put my own state, and be limited in my world view and deny myself all the adventures of schooling in a different part of the country?
I always believed that travelling was part of education. That was one of my reasons for filling other states and region, in my choice of institution, rather than my own state of origin. That was how I lost both admissions, after rejecting the private institution because it was too expensive.
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