*          *           *

"Ten more minutes!" proclaims a middle aged man inside a large hall. He looks archetypically enlightened, with eyes shielded by an immaculately glazed pair of silver spectacles, similarly strict and surveilling the vicinity like a hawk. He raises his handkerchief to wipe an almost non-existent smudge off his lower nose above a prominent dark and partially grey beard, which despite its thickness somehow ends up looking impeccably groomed and straightened. His arms then resume their position behind his back, firmly anchored to one another by a crossed grip and palms that manage to hold within them a set of lined sheets of paper, a whiteboard marker, smartphone, towel-like handkerchief and a clustered bunch of numerous keys.

Unlike many lecture and examination halls in the university, this particular one is well furnished, well lit and with numerous ceiling fans in addition to two functional air-conditioners, one of which is currently switched on. There are about eighty-five desks evenly spaced from one other and currently up to seventy-two individuals seated by them, judiciously scribbling away with heads bowed down above blotted pages of text. This is their first written essay based test, in mock preparation for their upcoming exams within the next few months and some members of the class are currently overwhelmed to say the least.

A few centimetres away from Prof. Osakwe is an edgy student who seems to be encumbered by the test questions and answer booklet before him. And the intimidating presence of the professor who has been standing beside his desk for the past fifteen minutes has not made things any easier. Thankfully, someone at the opposite end of the hall calls out for an extra sheet of paper and then the professor walks away to attend to him.

"An extra sheet, when you have just five minutes left?.." Prof. Osakwe asks the female student.

"I just want to complete my essay." Janet whispers in reply.

"Alright." He hands her the sheet and she fiercely straightens it out, rules a thick margin and begins to scribble away, in order to beat the time limit. Janet is one of the top scholars of the class and happens to be unlike a lot of others, widely admired for serveral reasons, first because of her contributions to the collective academic welfare of the class and assisting others who have difficulties in ways that are non-patronizing or haughty. Also, she is admired especially by the male members of the class for her regal charisma, stoic yet earnestly warm character, decent behaviour and feminine grace. The only thing missing whenever she smiles, speaks publicly or walks around in class is just a crown on her head. Her nickname amongst the guys is 'beauty and brains'. Many of them have been known to harbour amd discuss about their secret crush on her but directly almost never make it known because they consider her to be somewhat too special or more like wife material than anything else, especially the playboys of the class who have concluded that they would rather not have to rise up to her standards, as they have realized that despite being cordially relatable, she never agrees to cross any boundaries with anyone, even in a casual way and has proven to be too smart to fall for some good old charming male manipulative tactics. Although some believe that she has just not yet met her match, and that when the right charming rogue comes along, she'll let her guard down.

Additionally, unlike many similar nerds in class, Janet happens to have a very outstanding fashion sense that tends to make her appear dashing each day when she walks into the class, even more so than some of the more socially vibrant and gregarious girls of the class who usually opt for more overtly extravagant clothing. Janet's usual M. O. is to appear 'simple yet eleagant', 'minimal effort yet notable attention to detail and style', with make-up, fabric designs and colours that are expertly put together and skin that almost literally glows. This makes her appear a bit too perfect at times. And on occasion, some people in class can get a little envious, and in certain cases, even much more so when she manages to get a significant amount of attention without trying as hard as most and despite being an introverted persona. It doesn't equally help that a lot of guys in class treat her with a lot of  reverence, with some even calling her 'mommy' or 'ma'am' in public. Whenever this happens, it makes her feel quite uncomfortable and averse to occupying that role to the point where she can barely conceive how best to respond. However, over time, with the advice she has received from some of her friends, like Shola with whom she shares some long meaningful conversations from time to time, she has learnt to somewhat lean into the role of 'platonic mother-figure' and see the regular 'mama' reference by males as a term of endearment and earnest respect as opposed to one which inspires sheer bewilderment and an inkling to say 'I'm not your mum'. With time, she has come to rationalize that some guys for certain reasons may psychologically perceive her that way. In the past, she would always tease Shola by asking him how he would've felt if the girls in class were calling him 'daddy', and with a mischievous grin, he would say, "My response would be, don't call me daddy, baby. Call me zaddy."

In social situations and for the most part existentially, Janet happens to be someone who is very self aware. She knows her flaws and how many they are, although she does not necessarily feel the need to share them with others in ways that would significantly leave her vulnerable. She prefers to keep those aspects of her life private and loves instead to look her best everyday, and express her creativity, passion and intellect in what she does and in other aspects of life. Contrary to some beliefs also, she genuinely does not seek to compete with anyone or to make others feel 'one-upped' or personally take pride in being unrelatable. Unfortunately however, her personal carriage, moral values, independent thinking and rising social status inevitably tend to make this the prevailing perception amongst some individuals. Amongst the ladies, she has earned herself the nickname 'miss perfect'.

"Pens up! Alright! Everyone drop your pens on the table and remain seated until your answers booklets are collected from your desks." proclaims Prof. Osakwe. "Osadolor! You'd better drop that pen right now unless you want to mark that script yourself."

As the assistant invigilator goes round the hall to collect the scripts, Prof. Osawke yells, "Your question paper should be placed inside your script before submitting. Osadolor!! I think you want to be stupid today! Just keep that script. Don't bother submitting it. Mrs. Ekhator, collect his question paper but don't collect his script."

Mrs. Ekhator walks to Osadolor's desk and does exactly that. As she walks away, Osadolor kneels down and begins to beg, "Please ma. Please ma.. Please.."

"Am I the one you're to beg?" she responds in a low chiding tone.

As most students begin to leave the hall, Osadolor goes to the professor, and starts to beg, "Please sir.. I'm sorry, sir.. I was writing my name and my MAT number.."

Prof. Osakwe ignores and continues collecting some other scripts from the students in the hall.

Outside, Shola and some other friends of his are gathered in discussion.

Jimmy remarks, "Guy!.. Na exam be dis o!.. How ee go call am test?? "

"I just tire." Robo responds.

"Wetin you write for number two? " Jimmy then inquires, turning to Shola.

"Number two.." he responds, ".. Dat one na mostly data processing nau. I just write mostly on part of the history, core modalities and then types. The way the guy take give us for ee material."

"Okayy.. Na dat one I be wan write.. but I con confuse.. Chai." Jimmy remarks.

Shola then asks the others, "Abeg.. Who answer number four? "

"Guyy.. Number four na problem o." Wilson responds. ".. Na people like Efe and Janet go answer that question."

Robo echoes humorously, "Software Programming Languages.. Java and Python!"

Everybody bursts into laughter.

Wilson then opines, "But las las.. una know sey school na scam sha?? All these things wey we dey learn now, we no go practise dem after school. And even the learning system wey dem dey use for us dey so outdated and useless. We nor suppose dey write about Java and Python. We suppose dey practise the software programming and coding on top computer gon gon. How many times we don even do computer practical this year?? This country na just wash!"

"It depends sha o.. some people go practice or apply some of the knowledge to run computer business." Shola responds in optimism.

Wilson shakes his head, "Guy, Shola.. thank god sey you dey work for printing and graphic design shop here.. Where you for learn design? Na for school here?? Nor be Cosmas teach you, then you con develop the skill yourself?"

"I fer dey learn for one graphic design school for my area, before I even start to work for Cosmas. Na because I don already develop the skill na'i make ee say make I join am, dey work for the shop." Shola responds.

"Okay, but you don already learn and master the skill by yourself, na'i be the point. Ee get anything wey you don learn for school here since this year wey don help you for the work? "

Shola smiles and responds cheekily, "Well… I learnt cataloging.."

They all burst into laughter.

Thomas, who upon passing by overheard their conversation then echoes, "It actually can be useful. It depends on how you make use of the informal aspects or extracurricular process of schooling, and what you choose to do with the degree at the end of the day. There's a lot you can leverage from it."

"That's my guy!! Mr. Thomas himself! The global entrepreneur and sustainability man!" proclaims Shola with a joyous smile, as he goes to put his arm around Thomas and then ushers him into the gathering of boys, "..Please tell us, chief.. how much can be leveraged from a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science."

Thomas laughs, "Good afternoon, guys. Sorry, I just heard you guys talking and yes, Wilson, I agree with what you said. The system is outdated and more ceremonial than impactful. But, with the right focus of effort.. there is hope. First of all, school is mostly a scam for people living abroad where it costs a fortune.. like tens of thousands of dollars. But here, public university schooling is very cheap, hence, its very low quality. However, from an economic perspective, it can be harnessed significantly to our benefit if we are willing to do most of the real work ourselves. And not just hard work, but smart and hard work."

He turns to Shola, "Regarding the number of things that can be leveraged.. they are so many, I can't even remember. But in short.. I would say that.. One.. for those of you like Wilson who is learning coding privately, this degree can help provide important certification for future opportunities. It's good to have skills, but when you have a solid degree to back it up, no one will question your expertise and jobs will line themselves up at your doorstep, as you apply. Also, you'll need to create a Lykedin profile for that as well, to access more global opportunities. But even locally, you can get jobs both in academics and contract jobs in IT divisions of both government and private organizations, even banks, especially related to things like cyber security, web design etc. But like Oga Wilson here, you'll need to have personally acquired some extra hard and soft skills related to computer engineering, not just computer science. And like Oga Shola, my chief here, a creative edge and graphic design skills can gain you so many contract jobs or even a full-time job not just here physically but also online and from clients across the world. All you need to do is build a social media presence and a solid brand online. We are so lucky guys! Because social media has made it possible for our generation to connect rapidly and do business without limits. Finally, you can follow the academic route by applying for a master's scholarship to study a computer science or engineering related specialty abroad. Also, if you are interested in sustainability or passionate about social impact, political, economic or environmental  positive change, you can get into social entrepreneurship and volunteering, by creating or contributing to systems that utilize tech and digital innovations for positive change. Guy… career pathways are endless. The only problem is that we are convinced ignorantly by our elders to focus on traditional schooling and conventional career paths in themselves, rather than use education as a pillar to support non-conventional innovations or explore potential related and diversified fields. Because every course of study has subspecialties, that we can combine with the modern needs of the 21st century into building an expertise that is actually more relevant in the modern global economy."

"Chai!! Omo… See why I like this guy?" Shola echoes with a radiant smile, as the others equally listen in awe. "Sorry, chief, please continue.. he adds."

".. Okay, so the most important thing for the average Nigerian youth right now and even some in other parts of the world is not 'education'. The most important thing is actually a combination of two things: 'schooling' and 'enlightenment'. Enlightenment is important for general life fulfillment and self actualization, and includes both psychology, sociology, science, spirituality and other things. But the 'process' of schooling is actually more important than the outcome of 'having a degree' or 'graduating' after completing one's higher education. The informal aspects or extracurricular process of schooling, which includes the hard skills and soft skills we learn along the way are very important. The work experience we gather through things like volunteering.. Starting practical projects of our own related to the course we study.. And the social networks we form and leverage on during our time in school as well. They are very important things that could help us kick start great careers after school and fill up our resumés as we seek out other opportunities. And even if you don't want to work in line with the course you're studying, all you have to do is participate in something that is actually in line with what you really want to do with your future career. You do your actual schooling to get your degree and follow your actual passion on the side simultaneously. At the end of the day, you end up with a Bachelor's Degree and a bounty of skills and work experience, or even a full blown business on your graduation day! If you invest your time wisely, you can't lose. Those who lose in this country's system are actually those who graduate with only a degree and nothing else. So the question is.. what are we doing with our time in school? Are we only investing in school work and nothing else, or are we investing in neither school work nor in personal development? If we want to beat this despicable system, any time that we are not in class or studying, we're supposed to be building our future."

"Wow. Thomas.. So you dey this class since and you never tell us all these things? Na wa o." Wilson opines.

"Ah ahh.. I've discussed this with people before nau.. many all over campus. And I usually share the programs I participate in. How Shola take know sey I be sustainability man? I'm even currently running a Hub for some youth on campus. The thing be sey, many people nor dey really show interest like dat. Na only when dem see sey person travel go Ghana or London or America for international conference, na'i everybody go wan know wetin the thing be. Who never travel, nobody dey send am."

"Ehhn, but as you tell us so.. all this long talk wey you talk.. shebi we listen to you? " Wilson asks. Then he continues, "Ehen.. Because.. dem dey talk sey, if the mountain no come to Mohammed, then Mohammed go go to the mountain."

"Hm. This is a man of wisdom!" Thomas exclaims with a smile.

"Man of wisdom!.." Shola echoes, and everybody laughs.

Wilson continues, "So, abeg.. try dey connect with us.. and try dey talk to us more."

"No wahala. No wahala." Thomas responds. Afterwards, he proceeds to leave their midst, but then he remembers and snaps his fingers, "Actually.. Ehen.. Actually, I will be speaking at an SDG and social impact program next week.. on Saturday, at the west wing of the school auditorium. So if you guys can make it, please try and come. There will be some fantastic speakers there."

"Ahh.. Boss.. We will make it!" Shola responds, raising both arms and bowing slightly with a wide smile.

*        *        *

Glossary:
"Guy!.. Na exam be dis o!.. How ee go call am test?? " - "Man!.. This was a full blown exam though!.. Why would he call it a test?"
"I just tire." - "I have no words."
"Wetin you write for number two? " - "What did you write for question two?"
"Number two.. Dat one na mostly data processing nau. I just write mostly on part of the history, core modalities and then types. The way the guy take give us for ee material." - "Question two.. I think that was mostly about data processing. I wrote mostly on part of its history, core modalities and then the types. Just the way he presented it in his material."
".. Na dat one I be wan write.. but I con confuse.. Chai." - ".. Oh, that was what I wanted to write too.. but I became confused.. damn."
"Abeg.. Who answer number four? " - "Please.. Who answered question four?"
"Guyy.. Number four na problem o." - "Man.. Question four was a serious problem."
".. Na people like Efe and Janet go answer that question." - ".. Only people like Efe and Janet would answer that question."
"But las las.. una know sey school na scam sha?? All these things wey we dey learn now, we no go practise dem after school. And even the learning system wey dem dey use for us dey so outdated and useless. We nor suppose dey write about Java and Python. We suppose dey practise the software programming and coding on top computer gon gon. How many times we don even do computer practical this year?? This country na just wash!" - "But at the end of the day, you all know that university is a scam right?? All these things we're learning now, we're not going to practice after school. And even the system of learning used for us is very outdated and useless. We're not supposed to be writing about Java and Python. We're supposed to be having practical lessons on software programming and coding on a computer. How many times have we even had practical computer lessons this year? This country is a shame."
"It depends sha o.. some people go practice or apply some of the knowledge to run computer business." - "It depends though.. Some people will practice or may apply some of the knowledge to run a computer business."
"Guy, Shola.. thank god sey you dey work for printing and graphic design shop here.. Where you for learn design? Na for school here?? Nor be Cosmas teach you, then you con develop the skill yourself?" - "Man, Shola.. it's a good thing you currently work at a printing and graphic design shop here.. Where did you learn designing? Was it here in school?? Wasn't it Cosmas who taught you the basics and then you developed the expertise yourself?"
"I fer dey learn for one graphic design school for my area, before I even start to work for Cosmas. Na because I don already develop the skill na'i make ee say make I join am, dey work for the shop." - "I actually was first learning at a graphic design school in my neighbourhood, long before I started working for Cosmas. He asked me to join him to work at his shop because I had already developed the expertise."
"Okay, but you don already learn and master the skill by yourself, na'i be the point. Ee get anything wey you don learn for school here since this year wey don help you for the work? " - "Okay, but the point is that you had already learnt and mastered the skill yourself. Has there been anything you learnt here at school in the past year that has helped you in your work?
“..So you dey this class since and you never tell us all these things? Na wa o." - “So you've been in our class all this while and you've never told us most of these things?” 
“..How Shola take know sey I be sustainability man? The thing be sey, many people nor dey really show interest like dat. Na only when dem see sey person travel go Ghana or London or America for international conference, na'i everybody go wan know wetin the thing be. Who never travel, nobody dey send am." - “How did Shola know me to be a ‘sustainability’ man? The thing is, many people don't show so much interest in learning. They only care when they find out someone has travelled to Ghana or London or America for an international conference. Then, everybody wants to know what it's all about. When you haven't travelled yet, nobody really wants to listen to you.” 
"Ehhn, but as you tell us so.. all this long talk wey you talk.. shebi we listen to you? " - “Well, but at least now as you've told us all this.. giving us your long speech.. we did listen to you.” 
"Ehen.. Because.. dem dey talk sey, if the mountain no come to Mohammed, then Mohammed go go to the mountain." - "Yeah.. Because.. they say, that if the mountain doesn't come to Mohammed, then Mohammed will go to the mountain.” 
"So, abeg.. try dey connect with us.. and try dey talk to us more." - “So please, bro.. try to connect with us.. and talk to us more.”
“No wahala. No wahala.” - “No problem. No problem.” 

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