The last of us: It's almost ending

I survived and you did too.

Dec 24, 2024

It's been a while since I did proper journaling maybe because, December came fully booked:

6th: Convocation

9th: Exams started

15th: Final year Send-off at 1RCF and 2MCF

22nd: 3ACOL, 4STAC, 5ASC, 6PSF, 7CASOR, 8SUCF, 9HOCAF Final year Send-off

23rd: Defense of an assignment

My exams didn't start on the 9th of December; it started the next day and was to run for two weeks. This semester, the goal was to end it all with a bang, at least in terms of my results. However, the not-so-good part was that "the student in me had grown weary," in Daniel's voice, who made this statement with disappointment on his face.
For me, this was the second time after my 100-level that I felt so tired and reluctant to read.

Don’t mind the smile, I was mentally tired

December 6th Convocation
Before this day, pictures of graduates were all over WhatsApp statuses. To the shock of all students, the school filled all the potholes on the track road, cleared the bushes, and repainted some buildings. Two things stood out:

1. The president's wife, Senator Oluyemi Tinubu, was the special guest.

2. Graduates convocated separately from postgraduate students, at different locations and on different dates.

The news about the special guest spread far and wide:
"I heard Tinubu's wife is coming for this year's convocation."
"Ah, no wonder the school is taking all these actions."
"Such an eye service."
"I doubt she will come; she might just send a representative."

On Thursday the 5th, my course rep announced that we would have a lecture with Prof. Nnata at 8:30 AM the next day.
"Who fixes a class on convocation day, three days before exams?" I thought to myself.
However, Prof's class is the type you miss at your own risk, so I eventually went. As usual, he came past 9:00 AM. After the lecture, we had to wait for a while for reasons I can't clearly state. While waiting, we did the usual: took pictures and talked about everything except our true state.

Back in the hostel, I decided to nap before heading to the venue with some coursemates. The first time I attended a convocation was in my 300-level to receive motivation and strength to finish from this school. I wasn't really close to any of the graduates then, but today's convocation felt unique and special. They were my immediate seniors, and I was pretty close with many of them.

My nap was disrupted by Goodness. "The best graduating student is Jerry!" she screamed with excitement. At that moment, I was vexed. How is that my business? i asked myself.
A few seconds later, it dawned on me. "Jerry is the best graduating?" I stood up, used the toilet, and returned to face Goodness. "You mean your Jerry is the BGS?" I asked.
"Yes, you know I can't joke with such news," she replied, eyes fixed on her laptop. Since 300-level, I had always heard of Jerry from Goodness:
"Jerry said I should study the course this way."
"While Jerry was teaching me, he explained the concept like this."
Jerry this, Jerry that.
Although I hadn't seen him before, he had held mini tutorials for some of my coursemates.

"For this reason, I will go to the venue to congratulate him," Goodness declared, packing her laptop into her backpack.

Tolu, Prosper, Goodness, and I walked to the venue, about a seven-minute walk. The sun was hot, but from afar, you could see lines of cars, students roaming, and graduates dressed elegantly, smiling widely and taking pictures. I first approached my roommate from 400-level, Favour. I hugged her warmly and asked about her parents. "They are close by," she said while dialing a number. Favour is the pioneer first-class student from her department.

We approached the canopy where parents and graduates were seated. The valedictorian (Jerry) was giving his speech. We stood listening but kept scanning the crowd for mutual friends.
"I'm really happy for Jerry. I wonder how he feels standing there," Goodness said, doing a happy dance.

We dispersed, Tolu and I in one direction, Goodness and Prosper in another. Once we found a mutual friend, we greeted them joyfully and took pictures. Food was in abundance, and Obioma's family generously shared with all who identified with their son, Chibueyim, a mutual friend. Parents smiled widely. "If anyone thinks it's easy, let them try," a man joked as he passed by a family taking group photograph with their son.

Tolu introduced me to new people, Famous Wealth and Samuel. in the midst of all these we heard that the president's wife awarded the best graduating female a sum of 50 million.

"Why not share the money between the male and female BGS?"
"Women supporting women while demoralizing men."
"That boy's village people have succeeded."
"It might be audio money."

Nneoma, my roommate, was vexed and she succeeded in sowing the anger in some persons "Why would she do that?" she kept asking.
The day ended with us eating dinner, the food from convocation.

On Saturday, 22nd December, I did a 2-hour reading then sacrificed the remaining to frivolous things. I continued this way till a night to my last paper when I read all through and slept for about 4 hours only. That was the right thing to do in order to save my head added to the fact that the lecturers that taught the course were 1% percent harder than rock in their marking.
Before now, the school management released an outrageous memo prohibiting students from every form of celebration, no signing on white shirts, no motorcading and the punishment for disobeying was a year delay before you graduate.
Students whined and complained, but who cares. The first department to "sign out" had to wear Black and black just to escape the temptation of signing on white shirt in the school environment. Subsequent departments wore their whites with a reflector or muffler; however, they had to go a mall outside of campus to do all the celebration.
I wrote my last paper on 20th December, alongside numerous departments making it a massive celebration at the mall. I didn't go the mall, and to make it worst I didn't even take pictures with course mates. Immediately I was done writing I disappeared from campus and appeared on my bed. Here is a snippet of my writing earlier that morning:

5:33 AM, I took a break from reading.
I am playing Ese by Nathalie Bassey, while lying on my bed. It's my last paper as an undergraduate.
Thank you, Jesus, for showing me mercy, for giving me the grace, and for friends

6:02 AM, I'm sitting on the barricade of the reading room, the sky is bald, like someone who has worked tirelessly throughout the night and it's so cold

A little rewind, I did my send off on the 15th right between exams. Before now I was so worried about two things
1. The outcome of the event due to the financial difficulties
2. How I will dance. Surprising right? actually I can't do a proper dance to save my life, and I didn't walk to look awkward while others are dancing.
Interestingly, it turned out so amazing, first the dress which I made myself turned out pretty outstanding, then the gifts, awards and food was in abundance. All my close friends came around. I was filled with so much joy that I could share all the money in my account, but then I had only 2,500 Naria. I danced so well; I really did although my friends thought otherwise.
"Kindness, why weren't you dancing?"
"Ah, maybe you didn't see me"
"You call that thing you were doing dancing?"
Now I'm worried about how I will dance on my wedding day. maybe i will register for a dance class before then.

Surprise!!! My cousin, Joshua, sent me a huge sum of money.
"Freshest graduate! how you dey" he yelled on the phone
"Joshua! I am okay"
Oya send me your aza, make I send you something, you know life no suppose hard"
"Normally na, thank you so much, tomorrow like this, I go shut down town" I said laughing before bidding him goodbye.
Happiness sealed my heart; I wasn't expecting such amount.

Saturday 21st, I and my close friends went outing. A trip that was planned months ago. I can't scribble down all that happened during the trip, but I am truly grateful for friends.

Sunday 22nd, was another special day. Churches and fellowship were sending their finalist off. I had friend scattered around, they had honored me at one point, and it was time to do so for them.

First, I went to All saints, so late, I was actually the last person to step into the church, I am very sure of this. I came in when the finalist were been awarded for their diligent service. The Church was so scanty because more than half of the students had ran home.
I took pictures, greeted acquaintance. Honestly, I was never involved in anything here at All saints, aside from attending on Sunday mornings, so, I really didn't expect people to know me, but they did.

ACOL was my second destination. Like before I was one of the last persons to step in and the church was literally empty. this was my first church on campus, even when I changed, I occasionally attended their Friday bible study.
"FUTO is your steppingstone to success" the Chapline said after the finalist had danced to the altar.
The hymn 'God be with you till we meet again' was sang by the church as the chaplain prayed for the finalist.
At this point, I felt emotional. I remembered how little we were when we came in as freshers. But now in our midst, we have persons who served in the SUG, faculty and various departments, people who served as chapel coordinator, cadet leader, media head, choir masters and Mistress, people who established business and the list goes on and on.
One-time naive freshers, now masters in various fields, and if not masters, then individuals who have lost all form of naiveness, at least in this environment.

As the certificates and gifts were being presented, the choir kept signing on a soft note, but on a high pitch if the person been called was a choir member while the brigade drummed so loudly if the person was their member.
After here, I went over to presbyterian student fellowship to honor a close friend.

Sadly, I couldn't attend all, so I got an apology letter ready just in case I am queried.

At night, we stayed awake in an attempt to finish up an assignment that was given a month ago. It wasn't a usual kind of assignment; it was more of a practical to identify the bioactive component of uncommon herbal therapies. We couldn't complete it that night, the defense was 9:00 AM and we are the first group.
I was so scared, "what kind of question was he going to ask?" 25 marks was at stake here.
When I checked other groups, their work seemed more excellent than ours like they have been preparing ages for this. I felt so disappointed in myself for doing a substandard work.
To clear my head, I had to scribble my thoughts down;

12:16 PM 23rd 2024
God knows, I am more tired now than I was in the beginning.
I feel like a fool
So insufficient, Unproductive

Well, this doesn't really matter, so I will take a deep breath, stand before engr. Azeez and defend an assignment I know little to nothing about.
If I am asked about the one I know nothing about, I will tell of the one I know

That was exactly what I did, it worked pretty fine.

That afternoon, the Department's executives organized a mini celebration for the final year students. The attendance wasn't that good as many students have gone home, but once again, commitment and diligence are being appreciated. The staff Adviser presented the certificates and awards of which I got one.
Next time, I will be more committed to the little tasks given to me, but for now I needed to head back to the hostel, pack my luggage and get ready to leave campus for the Christmas holiday.

As early as 7:00 AM, I was already on transit.

Truly, it has been a long month, as some point, I felt like a fool, other times I felt like I was greater than seven men,
sometimes I cried - like that morning I called a cousin to send me 5,000 Naria so I could repay someone I was owning,
other times I laughed so hard- like when we talked about ourselves in the room.
Sometimes I wanted to give it all up - like when I wasn't understanding anything from a course I had the next day,
other times I had zeal huge enough to take me to the peak of Everest- like when my mentor said he was proud of the progress I have made thus far.

In all, I survived each day, and you did too.
Merry Christmas to you dearest reader.

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