2014, I got admitted to study Medical Lab Science with connections from the provost of Federal Med lab school and many well known lecturers in the university even though my waec and jamb were excellent (2 As, 5 B3, 1 C4 and a score of 246 in Jamb).

I don’t even know who or what was directly involved. . But when I started, I was very unmotivated. I really can’t tell why. Maybe wrong associations, maybe cos it wasn’t medicine, I don’t know. 

After the first semester of 100 level, I left the university. One of the lecturers who aided my admission begged me to rescind my decision or at least to defer it. In her exact words, ‘I’d regret my decision’. Still I left without deferring. 

My widowed mum was terribly heart broken. I was hers and my late dad’s pride. I was the most intelligent of her three kids. I remember telling her that ‘School na scam, if I do business, I go make am quicker’. She always told me and my siblings that we weren’t cut out for business life. Still I ventured into photography. Spent 6 months in training to become a pro photographer. In 2015, I bought my own Nikon D3200 camera and a second hand hp laptop. I started meager jobs. I was earning small cash here and there. To be a top photographer tho, I needed equipments; a good Speedlite, good zoom and prime lenses, not my ordinary 18-55mm kit lens, soft boxes, and so on. And these would cost money. Money I didn’t have. My camera and laptop were the only thing I could afford then. 

Few months later, I started regreting my decision of leaving school. I would see my former coursemates in town and they’d ask questions on why I left, but I really couldn’t provide any tangible reason for leaving. One even showed me some of my first semester grades and I was almost in tears ’cause I did very well. I was almost getting depressed late 2015. 2016 came and it started just as dull. But just before the closing date for Jamb registration was due, I bought a form. Same course (Medical Laboratory Science), same university. This time around, I would do everything low key without asking for anyone’s assistance. I wrote jamb and got a score of 259. I checked on jamb portal when admission status began to be checked and lo and behold, I was admitted. I called my mom and even though she was happy for me, she told me, she wasn’t gonna sponsor my admission this time. I was heartbroken but I can’t blame her to be very honest. But then, we started hearing news that our admission would be cancelled because of accreditation issues. In fact, our names weren’t included in the school’s admission portal. School started and still, no news. But I was convinced God was giving me a second chance, so I started attending lectures even though we didn’t know our fate. Two weeks before exams, our accreditation issues were resolved and our names finally appeared on the school’s portal. Medical lab sci, biochem, and slt had this problem. So two weeks was added for us to receive short additional lectures, while others were writing exams. That was how my second chance began. 

I’m presently in 300 level. Today, my former coursemates would be inducted as MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS. I couldn’t sleep at all. I would not go to the induction as I may not be able to control the tears. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AMONG THE INDUCTING STUDENTS, BUT I THREW IT ALL AWAY. The most painful words anyone can utter in life are, “HAD I KNOWN”. Don’t make costly mistakes that would make you say these words!!!