Prestige versus Purpose.
PhotoCredit: Google
Well...I have always striven for prestige right from childhood.Probably because it created a form of self esteem and status. This surfaced when I had to make a critical decision as a high school student some years back. While my close friends were opting for Art and Commercial classes, I made the decision to go to the Sciences. Not minding contending with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. For me,those subjects were not the issue, I had easy understanding and was capable of scaling through .
My concern at that period was to be regarded as an egghead or as we would call it here" efiwe". Truth be told,there was nothing to prove . As the saying goes,a gold fish has no hiding place. Trying to "buy" people's respect is uncalled for. Respect is earned and not demanded wrongly. What should have been important for me at that time was to check my motive and how it aligns with my purpose.
Science class for me was more of showing off. However, it still paid off because it made me to be on my toes. The atmosphere was competitive. Only the toughest survived the assignments,tests and projects. Some of the teachers were biased as they focused more on those in the Sciences. The Science students were the school's representatives at competitions.
Prestige landed me in a prestigious university but was it a prestigious course of study?Year one was all about self discovery and I kept asking myself what I really wanted. It took me a year after to accept my course. It was even that bad that I was hiding my department particularly when I bumped into old time friends. There was so much sarcasm and "yimu yimu"
"You mean you are studying Geography??? Of what use ???"
"So after science class,na Geography you go study?"
"Why not medicine or engineering?"
Some courses demand respect and carry prestige- True .I never envisioned studying medicine because I could not stand blood and gory sights. Engineering didn't just do it for me. Law was very far from my case. My love for the Sciences on the flip side was as result of research and experiments. That was an aspect that caught my interest. And then, I just stumbled into Geography ( that is another post for another day) and I thought it was a mistake. But that is not same case now.
My journey of four years in the University has changed my orientation.By year two, I knew the essence of being a geographer because I dug deep. I am still digging. I have learnt to accept my course.This bold step made me perform better and relate with people in the academic world with ease rather than with inferiority complex.
I have learnt to be comfortable in my own skin( field) and I am motivated as I look up to people that I admire in my field-my lecturers, celebrities,diplomats,entrepreneurs. Also researched those that were in my field and were representing with the likes of Funmi Iyanda, Omowunmi Akinnifesi ( making particular reference to women because I am one.
During a job interview,I found favour in the eyes of my interviewer because she also read Geography. The interview shifted from work things to similar interests. The topic of discussion was on the relevance of a geographer. I am pretty sure that my geography teacher in Secondary school would be very proud of me to have majored in his subject. The beauty of the subject is that it is not limited . It is virtually applicable in all spheres of life .
Comments