12/20/2023
Congratulations to me!!!
I am not always keen on celebrating myself because I know my journey has not even begun. However a little bird been singing that I should make a habit of celebrating even the little wins in life.
It’s been a long road here, years ago when I was hawking on the streets if someone prophesied this as my future I would have rebuked them, but I guess no one could have seen this coming. Sha let’s leave that story for another day, one day I will tell my story all of it. For now let’s talk this one
Coming to America I knew from the beginning that my previous certificate was trashed and I had to start all over again.. And I felt ready, after all the shege Akwa Ibom state polytechnic show me, how bad can American school be, I thought to myself, “dey no reach, I sabi English, plus I did mass communication even though i am changing profession it would be a piece of cake so long as I can read” “ tah their fada”
Omo I wrote my first exam to gain admission, these people get mind put listening as an exam (as in they will give you head phone, you listen to the question and answer it) brothers and sisters I did not understand 50% of jack.
I passed regardless, met with the academic advisor and told him I wan do nursing but I don’t have any background in science ( they knew that already from verifying my waec) he said no problem.. he brought out a long list of prerequisite and co-requisite courses that I have to do, then take another admission exams for the actual nursing school.
It was my turn to say “no problem sir, oya register me for all the 11 classes wey dey día” he looked at me and I can sense fear in his eyes, he said are you sure??
In my mind I am like shoo, I did 15 courses per semester in Nigeria, write ten papers up and down, but i decided not to be arrogant and take his expression seriously, I registered for 5 classes.
He gave up, he must have believed I’m a genius or was just being polite.
Covid started they change everything to online classes, there real problem started who send me to register 5 classes, we had up to 10 weekly assignments for each, and I mean these are research papers and quizzes.
Total of 4 exams per class.. how??
Lucky enough professor announced one day, that we can drop our classes if we wanted to without penalty, if we did that before school fees were posted… ah I drop three classes immediately. It will later take me a year plus to finish those 11 courses.
Another battle was getting into Nursing school, it was very competitive, schools were looking for the best of the best (thanks to God I was gathering all the A’s and B’s) but it wasn’t necessarily enough, I studied my eyes out, bought several materials and passed the exams at my first attempt.
I put in my application ( stup!d me applied to just one school) I waited for their reply, created a support group for other students that applied and we waited for the acceptance later. Soon people started getting accepted but I got denied, I was beyond depressed. I had a freaking 3.7gpa like how do you not pick me.
I decided to pick myself up and not let my family people succeed, but every time I attempted to apply to other schools, I’d feel overwhelmed by the fear of denial and quit. ( plus they wanted additional 6 prerequisite courses of their own, I couldn’t. I h@te chemistry too).
Few weeks to school resuming for those that were actually accepted, I got an email to go do a background check immediately ( yeah for nursing students FBI have to check out our background first). I almost did not do it course I thought It was a scam,
I did anyway and waited for everything to be cleared and for the board of nursing to send my blue card (it’s just a clearance card).
Blue card did not come, I called the nursing board and discovered that my family people had somehow messed up my address, I apologize on their behalf and the real address. Finally it came!!!
First day of school I was there in the front row!!!
Okay let me stop here.. will continue in the next post…..
