GIST O'CLOCK.

Dearest reader, I attended a mask party yesterday and mehn! It was great, and the best part? I performed on stage. It was organised by my faculty, a fresher's welcome party, hence I wrote something that would appeal to the average fresher. Now, you my dear wasn't there, and I wasn't able to get a full coverage of my time up there, so here goes nothing (the written yada I performed) 

Let me know how much you like it, deal?

She opens the WhatsApp group chat. Yet another, “Congratulations, you’ve been admitted.” Her chest tightens, celebration everywhere, but not for her. With trembling fingers, she leaves the group, minimizes WhatsApp, and opens Chrome again. For the third time today, JAMB CAPS.

Her heart feels like a hollow auditorium, and the only beat is panic. The fear spreads across her chest while she waits for her JAMB CAPS to load her status, her eyes filled with hope as she mutters under her breath, “God abeg.”

The dread that this time would be just like last year, when she had to spend the whole year at home, unproductive and miles away from her dreams and aspirations.

But the “Not Admitted” on her CAPS stands tall like some kind of mockery, traumatizing and demeaning.

However, after all that panic, the admission finally arrives. But guess what? UNIBEN says, plot twist. She wanted Medicine, UNIBEN said, “Try another destiny.” She wanted Law, UNIBEN said, “Be flexible.”

Now it’s not that she’s ungrateful. It’s how do you say thank you and still feel cheated? How do you celebrate answered prayers when it didn’t come in the package you imagined?

But again, zero panic, we move.

Fast forward to 100 level. Welcome to struggle nation. Morning classes that start when sleep is sweetest. Running across the big UNIBEN like a lost tourist, getting lost, asking, “Abeg where is 500LT?” every minute.

Standing in the lecture hall like a soldier on parade. No seat. In a hall as big as a stadium. Lecturer sounding like a radio with bad signal. You hear, “Good morning…” the rest? Inaudible.

You strain your ears but you can’t hear clearly, you copy notes that you don’t understand. You’re tired before noon, overwhelmed by evening, wondering if everyone else understands or if you’re the only one drowning.

Stress left and right, assignments like assassins, and the countdown to exams? Just horrific, because tell me how I just resumed and I have only one month to prepare?

But then… pause. Breathe..

Dearest fresher, calm down. You made it here. Look at you, walking on answered prayers. Remember when you could only imagine being in UNIBEN?

Yes, it’s hard. 

Yes, it’s overwhelming. 

But it was never meant to be easy.

Growth is not comfortable. Dreams don’t come wrapped in softness. But you’re here. You survived the waiting, you survived the traumatizing “Not Admitted.” So this too will not finish you.

You’ve got this. 

Welcome to UNIBEN. 

Welcome to your answered prayer.

@favvy_Okwans🖤.