2024 : A year of unforgettable experiences

This year has been a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with so many experiences—some good, others not so great. I wouldn’t say it’s been one of my best years so far, but I am grateful for everything . Life, after all, is a mix of highs and lows, and just being alive and healthy to witness both is something I deeply appreciate.

One experience that stood out for me happened during my third year at the university. Like every other semester, I had to sit for exams across multiple courses—11 of them, to be precise. Two of those courses were taught by the same lecturer. Exam season came, and as usual, I gave it my all. I studied hard, prepared myself as best as I could, and walked into those exam halls with the determination to come out with flying colours.

Later on, the results were finally released and it didn’t turn out to be something i expected at all. In one of the lecturer's courses, I got an E, which honestly didn’t come as a surprise because I didn’t feel confident about that particular paper. But for the second course, I was given an F which definitely means fail, and that came as a shock to me. I just couldn’t believe it. I was certain I had done well in that exam—I had prepared thoroughly, answered the questions to the best of my ability, and walked out of the exam hall feeling satisfied. Seeing that F in my result after i did well in others and prepared well for it left me confused and deeply hurt.

I remember the exact moment I checked the result. It was in the evening, and the pain was very deep. It wasn’t actually a moment of dissapointment , anger, sadness, and frustration for me. The thought of having to retake an exam I was confident about was even more devastating. I couldn't just stop wondering how something like this could happen despite all my hard work.

The following day, I decided to take action. There was no way I was going to accept that score without investigating further. First, I reached out to the Head of Department (HOD) to explain the situation. He assured me he would look into it, which gave me a sense of hope. Next, I messaged the lecturer who taught the course. I told him everything, and i was just trying to understand what could have gone wrong.

His response left me in shock. During our WhatsApp call, he admitted something that made my jaw drop: "I didn’t see your script, so I just gave you any score." I couldn’t even believe my ears. How could something so careless happen in a university setting? This was my future we were talking about, and it felt like it had been treated so casually.

At that point, I knew I needed extra help. I contacted another lecturer who was also a graduate of my school. He was someone I trusted, and thankfully, he stepped in to assist me and after some days, my script was finally found by him. I was so grateful for the help he rendered me and even though I wasn't told the exact score I got, it was clear I hadn’t failed the course. The relief I felt in that particular moment when it was found was something i can't express enough.

This was really an unforgettable experience or me both then I would say it was both a good and bad one. The bad part was, of course, the unnecessary stress and pain I went through. But then it would have been much worse if my script hadn’t been found, because then would have had to retake an exam I didn’t even fail in the first place. Also, on the bright side, this experience taught me a lot about persistence, faith, and hope.

It reminded me that sometimes life throws us unexpected challenges in our way, but we have to keep pushing and advocating for ourselves. If I had just accepted that F without questioning it, the outcome would have been very different and i might not have found a solution or gotten to the root of the matter. I have learned never to give up on myself and to always fight for what I know is right.

At the end of the day, i am actually just grateful that everything worked out. I still don’t see myself as a failure, and I never will. This experience was actually very tough, has made me stronger and more determined to overcome whatever obstacles life throws my way. I will be looking forward to the new year and just hope it brings better and more joyful experiences to my life.

Thanks for reading.

images are from Meta Ai.

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