I struggled to write this story. Truth is, I didn’t really know how to start expressing my experience and feelings regarding my first term in the Senior Secondary School (SSS) cadre of my educational pursuit as a “Senior-Junior” student, or rather SSS “Last Born”, if you know what I mean, hahahaha.
The category of students in my new level of education is known in Nigeria as the SS 1 students. In case you do not know, they are also referred to Senior girls. My first term in school as a senior girl, yes, you heard, senior girl, was indeed interesting and as a matter of fact stressful.
The impression I had before resumption of school, precisely in September 2024, was that all the stress I went through in the Junior Secondary School (JSS 1 -3) was over. Why not? Your guess is probably as good as mine, and in case you still don’t understand, I am now a senior secondary school girl. As I write this story, I cannot say if I was right or wrong. However, something keeps reminding me of the interesting things and telling me to keep on pushing.
To say that I did not expect that it was going to be a fresh start for more troubles in my schooling is an understatement. As things began to unfold, I realized that many of the SS3 students that I use to call my friends were the biggest threat to my education and if you wish to add, my worst enemies. There were those of them that disliked me for no reason. Because of such people my first term in school as a senior student was bitter at a point. It was also a very sweet experience.
I got involved with some other students in a case of gum chewing, but unfortunately I had a snitch amidst my peers who reported me and some of the other culprits to an SS3 student. Learning about this development by the SS 3 students, we were called by the senior of the seniors and the journey of moving from one hostel to another began, and the wait for different SS3 students at the various corners kick started. A good number of them flogged, knocked and slapped us. Few of them gave us other forms of punishments to serve and we did serve them. We cried, wailed and groaned in pain and agony, but reported to no staff, believing it will be over. Personally, I believed as always in my heart that there is no sweet without sweat and suffering. I was also aware I was being punished for wrong doing, bearing in mind that whatever I believe, I need put everything I have to achieve it.
Moving forward, there were other issues and challenges, however, I kept on studying hard, striving and aiming higher to achieve my goals for that term. I did my best and as a Christian and practicing child of God I left the rest for God.
The above notwithstanding, the journey at some points got tough, but the Almighty Lord granted me the grace and I persevered and endured. At some points I failed, but these words
“There is no success without a failure. If I don’t fail, I will never learn and if I don’t learn I will never change and if I don’t change I will not succeed” kept on motivating me.
While we thought we were out of the radar of the rampaging “senior of the seniors”, the SS3 students, and therefore settling down for the real work of learning from our hardworking, caring and uncompromising teachers, and of course some of the easy going, caring and very helpful seniors, desirous of impacting us and the other junior students, the wicked returned again with their deliberate efforts to make the school environment and our stay in the school uninteresting, and by extension frustrate our learning.
Considering that we cannot compromise our learning by allowing the obviously and committed set of senior students bent on frustrating our major goal in the school, we had no option than report to a higher authority. We reported to the hostel mistress. This time the punishment had become more intense and severe. We narrated our experiences so far, including the offence we committed and the judgement the SS3 students passed on us and the punishments that followed. The hostel mistress asked us to go and call all the students involved in the case. After her investigation, which she took time to carry out, she punished them for taking the laws into their hands. She also punished us for bringing contra banned goods to the school hostel. Weeks later, the punishments subsided; and the school at least became more conducive for learning.
While trying to recover from the previous situations and encounters with the senior of the seniors, I had no clue that another problem was knocking. This time it was a different problem. I was elected class captain. At first, I was excited that my mates found me worthy to hold such a position, but had no idea how demanding the post was going to be. Several times, my classmates would shout at me. If they did not lay claim that their name was written on the list of noise makers and were punished, it would be that I did not announce that I was writing names of noise makers, or that I wrote their names despite taking excuse from me. I was also punished at times for the class being noisy.
Beside the challenges of living in the hostel and the responsibility given to me by my class, I also faced challenges with my academics. There was a huge competition in my class. Although the competition was much I never gave up, instead I kept on working and striving harder. At the end, I won some and lost some, but the good news is, I never got discouraged. The reason is, I knew and I was quite convinced I am moving to a greater height and I am confidently aware that nothing good comes easy.
On a parting note, I wish to say, though the challenges came in different phases and batches, I endured, preserved and proud to announce that I overcame all obstacles of the first term of my stay in the school as SS 1 senior student. The term is over now and the Christmas Season holiday is here.
I consider the school holiday and the Christmas Season a time to recuperate from the experiences of the first term 2024/2025 academic calendar. With the lessons learnt; I am happy that I have been built, equipped and prepared effectively for the challenges of the next term, and by God’s grace, I will still overcome the obstacles ahead. With Christ Jesus in me, I am more than a conqueror.
Written by,
Rotkhinen Gobum
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