JAMBING JAMB: My long walk to the University of Benin

By 

Chinenye Unique Ilondu

Graduating from secondary school in 2007, all I could dream of was getting admitted into the University to study my dream course, Pharmacy. I registered for JAMB, scored 248 and I gallantly proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka for my Post-UME thinking, “if I could score 248 in JAMB, why can’t I score same or even higher in Post-UME?” To my utter disappointment, I scored 212. From that point, I just knew that my hopes of studying pharmacy that year had been shattered. I was offered Microbiology which I half-heartedly accepted; at least I was in a University. I registered for JAMB again while in 100 level. My roommates told me, “You have an edge. You are in 100-level in the university. JAMB will be like a piece of cake”, and I believed them.  

The JAMB examination day came and I gallantly proceeded to the examination hall. I just thought to myself that this time, I was going to ‘jamb jamb’. I scored ‘242’ which was lower than I had scored when I was not in the university.  Once again, I was not offered Pharmacy.

I got to my 2nd year in the university wanted to try JAMB again but missed out on the registration date so

I couldn't register. All I wanted to do was to study Pharmacy. I tried to quench the desire but I couldn’t. I love Microbiology but I loved Pharmacy more. Sadly, course transfer was not an option for Pharmacy in my school. The only option I had was to write JAMB again and from my heart, I didn’t want to go down that route again. I had no idea how I was going to study for the JAMB examination and still study for my university exams too. I was so disturbed that period. Eventually, I concluded that the most important thing wasn’t how many years it took me to get what I wanted; the most important thing is that I got it after all. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life looking back and regretting why I never went for pharmacy when I was still young and full of life.

Hearing some interesting stories of people who had graduated from the university and still went back to study their dream courses gave me the hope i needed to try again. I bought the UTME (JAMB) form and registered. I took all my O’ level English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology textbooks back to school, bought books that contained all the past questions in all the subjects and devoted myself to diligent study. I was so sure that it would be my last attempt. I had to resume my 3^rd year before my course mates so that I would have two weeks of intensive study before they came back. I made a prayer to God, “Father, This is my last JAMB ever”. I was ready to stretch myself to make sure I never wrote another JAMB. I was so sure that my prayer had been answered that I started telling my friends that I would soon be leaving them. Almost all of them found it weird that I was already sure I was going to be admitted even before writing the exam. They said “Write the exams first, then we will know what’s next” but I was just too sure!

This time, I wasn’t just going through the pages of the textbooks, I was consciously trying to understand each concept. Though I had always been excellent in Biology and English, I didn’t allow over-confidence get the better of me because I knew that if I ignored them, I wouldn’t still do well. I was not ready to leave any stone upturned  If I was going to get into Pharmacy, I had to have a high score so I set my target to ‘280’. To score 280 meant I had to score 70% in each subject. I started studying the past questions and each time aiming to score 70%. I wanted to be ready a month before the exams and I just had 3 months to study. I set a target to answer four past questions per day hence in 2 months I would have answered all the past questions. I answered the questions, marked and went on to review each question, match it with the answers and check it up in the text book if I had to. I had to get all the facts right.

A friend of mine who hadn’t been admitted into the university at the time tried to discourage me. He told me how he had applied to University of Benin, and had good scores yet he was not admitted. He sincerely believed that I didn’t stand a chance because I wasn’t from the Niger Delta or Edo State. Almost everyone I told discouraged me concerning my institution of choice. At this point, I knew that the best I could do for myself was to find inner strength in myself and encourage myself. A month to JAMB, I was very ready. The day I wrote the examinations, I didn’t even take my books to the venue like we used to do back then when we would read and read till the examination officers called our names to enter the hall. I was so confident. While I wrote, it wasn’t like the previous examinations I had written. It was much easier.

The results were released and I went to check mine. I scored 275! Wow!! I ran from the cyber-cafe to my hostel to tell my roommates. I didn’t make my target but at least I was close. I was so thankful. I couldn’t afford to waste my good score by not performing well in the Post-UME. I studied all the past questions all over again not minding that I still had knowledge of them. I was determined never to write these exams again and I anchored all on God. In my Post-UME form, Pharmacy was my course of first choice, second choice and third choice. It was either Pharmacy or Pharmacy! I wrote the Post-UME and guess what? I was offered admission. Not just that I was offered admission, I was offered Pharmacy and my name was on the merit list! I couldn’t contain myself. I was overjoyed!

From all my ordeals, I learnt a lot about academic excellence. I learnt that being an excellent student is not about the number of pages you read in a day but the portion of those pages you actually understand and can comfortably explain to someone else. Academic excellence is not about the number of sentences and words you can successfully memorize but the number you can remember years after. It’s not about being friends with brilliant people but finding out their secrets and learning from them. It’s not about copying people’s studying style but finding out yours; it’s not about competing with anyone but surpassing your own limitations

Being an excellent student is an everyday choice. It is about having an unquenchable attitude of success. It is about doing a little more than is required of you. It is about knowing which study pattern works for you and sticking with it. It is about realizing that what matters is what you know and understand.

I hope my story has inspired you to strive to be your best. You can always be on the Merit List.  Who said you can’t get admitted into the course of your choice at your very first trial? Many people have done it! Why can’t you? It is not enough to believe that you can, you must enthusiastically work towards achieving it and you will!

Wouldn't You Rather Be Outstanding?