A lot of people might be wondering what I mean by 'credentials' or 'potentials'. You do not need to bother yourself with a dictionary; we will be using some OAU students' definition of these terms. Your credential is supposed to be your certificate while your potential is supposed to be what you know or have in your brain.
Recently, I noticed my time here is running out fast. I suddenly got scared that I will not get to write this before I leave. It was common in my first year to hear and listen to students say things like: 'OAU is the best university in Nigeria';
'my older sibling said if one graduates with a third class from OAU, such a one would be preferred ahead of a first class graduate from some other schools';
'woh, my dear, it's not about your credential, it's about your potential(this is mostly from senior colleagues).'
To be fair, some of these statements might be true to some extent but I've discovered over time that negligence has been the watchword of such students. No wonder someone once said Nigerians can adapt to any situation no matter how bad.
Some students of OAU create a shield for themselves when they discover they can't attain their academic goals. They move about in the illusion that it is not their credential that matters but their potential. Who said so? Wouldn't it be a great thing to have both your credential and potential? DON'T BE DECEIVED! Gone are the days when people want to hear what you know. They want to hear what your credential says first. There might be lots of factors that might make a person settle for just their potential; that's not bad. Should everyone then tread the same path?
If you still have room for change, change. Strive for your credential and of course your potential should be intact. If at the end you have one, then you'd know you did your best. Strive for all round excellence.
Go, get it!
MizDee
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