GEY 102

I studied Geology from a rocky department in Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago iwoye in Nigeria. My department was renown for being tough, but I always told myself I was tougher. There was a pre-requisite course I offered in the second semester of my first year in the program. The day we wrote its exam, the head of department then came into the exam hall to address us. He made a remark that it would take a genius to finish all the questions within the stipulated time.  I checked through the questions and they didn't seem difficult to me. I mused to myself about how our lecturers delighted in intimidating students unnecessarily.

I answered almost every question and submitted happily, still wondering why the HOD made the questions appear tougher than they really were. Outside the hall, I observed students gathered in mini groups and many were lamenting. Why the laments when the questions were so simple? I did not know there was a big fire on the mountain. It was later I learnt from other coursemates that there were different instructions for different sections. Instructions like: if options A and B are correct choose C and some other funny and tricky instructions. O my God! I answered all the questions with just one instruction (the first one). I didn't know the questions were in sections, I didn't know there were other instructions apart from the first one. I only observed that I discovered a lot of the questions had more than one correct answer, for these questions I picked one correct answer for each. I knew immediately that except there was a miracle I already failed the course and the implication of failing the course was an extra year as it was pre-requisite to offering main courses in the second level. So I asked God to have mercy and wax a miracle for me. I had so much faith I was sure the Lord would do it. That morning I rushed out of my room without my quiet time.

When the result came out, a larger percentage of the class failed. I got 17%. Seeing my score, tears blurred my eyes, so I hurriedly left the campus to go back home. While on my way home (my house was not far from the campus so I trekked home), a big brother on a commercial motorcycle called out to me. It was his voice that made me know it was him, my tear-stained eyes could not see properly. Many things were running through my mind. How would I break the news to my father, what would it be like to have an extra year, why didn't God wax a miracle for me when He knew it was not intentional...?

Immediately I approached my room's door, I released the tears. I opened the door, jumped on the bed and wept profusely. But I refused to say any foolish thing to the Lord. Through the tears I was thanking Him for knowing exactly how I felt and because He alone understood why He did not cover up for my mistake. My dad heard at home. He talked and talked and talked. He later cooled down and started encouraging me. He even asked if I'd leave my school and go study as a pilot (there was one advert then on admission offers available for those interested in becoming pilots). I said no, that I would go through all I had to go through, that I wouldn't because I failed change schools. Many coursemates switched departments. I stayed put. This thing shook the whole school because almost everyone failed. The Vice Chancellor intervened, but our HOD would not budge.

But I thank the Lord for the grace to praise Him through that difficult time. There was a day like that at a fellowship mid-week meeting, I became overwhelmed and was weepy. I had to hurry out of the fellowship centre to escape to my house which was just a stone's throw from the centre. I got in the room, laid down on the floor and cried, thanking God through the tears.

I was not going for classes as regularly as GEY 102 was a pre-requisite to offering departmental courses in the second level. I was only going to the campus for general courses. One fateful day, I went to school. I was at the department that day to check some people and left. While I was on my way out of the school's premises, I met a friend who was of another department and he told me he saw my name on 'the' list at my department.

'Oh yes,' I replied. 'My name is on the list showing those who will not offer the 200 level deparmental courses.'

He shook his head stating that my name was on the board among those who would offer the 200 level departmental courses. This must be a joke! I thanked him and hurried off to confirm. As sure as the sun rises every morning, my name was there with some other coursemates' who also failed the course. I was speechless.

 Till today, I do not know how the Lord did it. Some said they used our grades to decide who amongst us that failed the course would be pardoned and allowed to offer 200 level courses. Some said other things. All I know was that the Lord changed my story and made the impossible possible. I sat again for that course and made a 'B'.