ACADEMIC DILEMMA OF A STUDENT MISLED BY PEER PRESSURE
Dear Jarus,
Please I need your advice concerning my academics.
I am studying engineering in a reputable federal university. My first
love isn’t engineering but social sciences courses like Demography and
statistics, economics etc… I picked engineering due to peer
pressure as I was a bright student in secondary school. Since I entered the
university failures have been the order of the day, it is as if my
intelligence quotient started depreciating.My GPA is nothing to write home about, as it falls short every semester.
As matter of fact, I am in 300 Level and my CGPA currently stands at
1.77 and I have failed six courses which total 20 units. And it is
certain I will be on extra year.Now I am depressed!
My exam starts soon and preparation is zero, why should I
prepare when I’m mostly going to finish with a Third class coupled with an
extra year is the question I ask myself.I stopped going to class in the middle of this semester as nothing
seems to interest me anymore. I only photocopy class notes from people
that attend.Sir, I’m thinking if I should cross to another department and start
afresh but isn’t it too late sir? Given the fact that I’m in my year 3
second semester and will be entering 400L next semester.
I once considered crossing to another department after my year 1 but I
thought it will get better but it only got worse.Now I’m 21 and considering starting all over again. Or should I just
struggle it out? As I am currently thinking of not looking for a
corporate job and just go into some others things due to the bad grade
I will be graduating with.Some of my high school classmates are through with Bsc already while
some are in their finals. My younger brother is in 200l already and
I’m thinking of what people would say. And even the insult from my
present classmates here as I am even an exco member in the department, people
nominated and voted me because of my charisma, but my academics is
speaking otherwise.Please sir, I need your sincere advice, as I am at a crossroad.
In fact, I was suicidal in my 200L.
Your blunt advice and probably those of your friends who may have gone
through a situation alike will save a brother’s live and future.Thanks.
Uche
Dear Uche
There are a number of people in your shoes who fell for peer pressure and are regretting it today.
It is obvious that you have irredeemably lost interest in the course you’re studying. Things get tough the higher you go, so if you had 1.77 CGPA at year 3, it will be tough to raise it in even tougher years. Add to that your loss of interest in the course.
I don’t think it is too late to return to the field of interest, even at 21. I will advise the following lines of action.
1, Start processing crossing to 200L in the department of your interest in the school you currently are. If possible, by next session you will be in 200L in the new department.
2, Go and pick UME form straight away and prepare to write UME to start all over again in your department of interest.
I will advise you do both so that if one doesn’t work out, the other will.
You will not lose much in terms of number of years spent in school. In your current course, you have 400L & 500L and the x-extra years which are already guaranteed. That’s a minimum of 3 years. Starting from 200L in a new department of interest means you have same 3 years to graduate. Starting from 100L means 4 years. You haven’t lost much or anything at all in terms of years in school.
You’re 21 now. You should be able to graduate at 25/26. If you can afford it, you may also consider moving to a private university for continuation or as your choice in the UME form. They have faster academic calendars.
If you graduate at between 25-27, or even older, it is not as bad as you think. I graduated at 24. I had 28-year-olds in my class. They are all doing well today. Since you’re looking at corporate jobs, a good number of companies still stretch their entry level age requirement to 28, or some don’t even care about age.
Just pick yourself up.
But the most important factor is YOU. You need to work on your mentality. If you start all over again and let peer pressure make you feel you’re bigger than your new mates, it may not make any difference. Study hard. Never be discouraged any setback.
Meanwhile, go and prepare for your forthcoming exams in your engineering programme. At least, don’t make the 1.77 CGPA worse. It will be easier to cross to other department, if that’s the path that eventually works out, with a better CGPA.
I wish you all the best.
Jarus
I also ran this through our friends’ network and here is an invaluable contribution from someone who has gone through almost exactly same situation in the past:
I refer to your post on Academic Dilemma. That story was me in 2000. Got into school in 1997 and finished in 2003 studying Electrical Engineering. Spent 5 years plus 2 extra years and ended up graduating with a 3rd class. If I had known then, I would have stopped midway and transferred to another faculty immediately. However, i struggled to finish but I knew Engineering was a mistake. So after school and NYSC, I enrolled for ACCA and opted in for the BSc degree that came with it. I was so angry with myself that I finished ACCA in 2 years without having to write any paper twice. I also achieved a 1st Class in Oxford Brookes degree. While studying for ACCA, I looked for a job with a small accounting firm. started with N10,000 in 2005. The experience helped me even in the exams. Now, I have both ACCA and ICAN, with a 1st Class degree in Accounting, I think i have done well in my career as a Finance Professional. I also teach ACCA in one of the foremost ACCA tuition providers in Nigeria. I teach so well everyone thinks i am so smart. No one would even think I left school with a 3rd. All because I did not involve myself in a pity party and decided to still believe in my abilities and follow my interest.That guy needs to find out what really interests him. He needs to be ready start all over again. He is still quite young. There is plenty opportunities to make amends.
Here is another interesting similar case that was suggested as helpful to use by our friends:
It was copied from the page in the Facebook image below:
“We are so sorry, but you cease to be a student of this school.” I got kicked out of school in my 2nd year of university. How did this happen? I studied Business at an Ivy League university in Canada. My first year was really good, after which things just spiraled downward. My grades became super bad. I was distracted with some things and was doing really poorly. Before I got kicked out, I was on probation and didn’t tell anyone at home because I was really scared.Instead of telling people, I tried to work really hard. I found tutors, I prayed, I studied and I had so much faith. I checked my grades and they were bad. I felt like the ground should swallow me. How was I going to break this news to my parents in Nigeria who had been sending me thousands of dollars? I just literally wasted all their money. I was super sad and it was just so shameful. How would I tell people I was kicked out of school? My mum flew over to meet me and I prayed to God to help her understand. For some weird reason, she was sympathising with me, trying to find a plan B. After 2 days, I just started really praising God and dancing. I felt relieved and it felt stupid. You’re kicked out of school, you don’t know what’s next, but yet you’re praising God? I started looking for film schools. (Storytelling and 3D Animation have always been my passion). If the blessings of God make rich and add no sorrow, I knew God was going to make it easy for me.I was going to go to Hollywood for my masters after my first degree in Business, but through this failure, God technically pushed me 3 years forward into my desired industry. 3 months later, I got admitted into a film school in Los Angeles and I started slowly finding my purpose. I graduated with a 1st class degree. If I had stayed in my previous school, studying business, I don’t think I’d have graduated with any class at all. And it was as if God just turned around my shame. Now I’m done with school, I have short films, music videos and have worked with people I never dreamt I’d work with, this early in my career. So overall, God has been good and I think it was all intentional.
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