Teens Meet Outreach

I recently failed to start my Master’s degree program at a top 3 university in Canada. Despite a $15,000CAD scholarship, the remaining fees were somewhat exorbitant (for someone whose “papa no be Dangote or Adeleke”). Plus, I’d have to do all the stress of trying to raise funds during these COVID-19 times. Not everyone is an Aramide who could have gotten by with raising thousands of dollars for her Harvard program just recently.

{Read: Overcoming the Fear of Failure}

This definitely would pass as one of my failure stories. But I have had a thing with these experiences.

I have always wanted to do a Master’s program since I rounded off my NYSC years ago. The plan was to intern for 6 months and go off to the US or wherever relevant for a graduate program then come to Nigeria or stay back to finish my PhD. If that worked out, I should be in the 1st or 2nd year of my PhD program right now. It felt like it was going to work out though.

I had an admission offer from a school in the US just as planned the year I rounded off my NYSC. I even got a 50% tuition scholarship. But how do I even raise the remaining 50%? Months after, I got into another school (top 100 worldwide) and it still did not work out. The scholarship body pulled out just after I got the admission (this is asides three other applications that didn’t work out). I decided to take a break for a year before trying again, yet!!! (sigh)

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I went through that history to show that I really wanted this particular one, and it was looking like here it was finally. Now, I’m not so freaked about travelling abroad but I really just wanted to learn on how to fix some of Nigeria’s challenges from countries that actually work! Is that too much to ask for?

Anyway, to the topic. Days before the admission notice came in, I decided to take a leave from work and travelled (was clearly tensed). It was also going to be my birthday in days, and I needed to prepare for the year. I spent most of this time thinking deeply about both outcomes (get admitted or not) and after a while of deep thinking, reading and just being quiet, I came to conclude that regardless, I’d be fine. Next step was to make plans for both scenarios and outcomes.

Fast forward to a week ago – I sent in that sad mail to the department. Am I sad about it? Definitely! How am I managing the failure (again!), I prepared for it. I prepared a bit well for it. How? I’d go into details in the next part.

But, one take away from this is the fact that:

FAILURE IS BOUND TO HAPPEN! THINGS WON’T ALWAYS GO YOUR WAY. THE SCHOLARSHIPS MIGHT NOT ALWAYS COME THROUGH.

Dapo

Dear young adult, stay optimistic, very very! But know that life simply happens, and somethings might just be beyond your control. Thus, as you prepare for the best outcomes, remember, life happens.

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You are more than that failed relationship, admission etc.

We go dey alright, right?!

Thank you for reading.

Dapo Awobeku
(dapoawobeku@gmail.com)

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{Related: Failure is Not an Option}

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Do you have a failure story? How did you deal with it?