By the end of August, I would have finished up with a process that will earn me a degree in computer engineering. However, as a child I never dreamed of being an engineer, I ended up studying my course not because I liked it, but as they say, life is sometimes like a river, the river could be stormy at times if we must survive we must learn to move with the wind.
I remember how serious I was with my dream, so much so that it was the only thing my classmates were able to successfully mock me with. I had always loved science of any type, but when I grew older, I discovered I had more interest in environmental science. I was 12 years old when I told my mum I would love to be a geologist. But like I said, life happens.
I grew up being the best in geology, I wasn't even that good at physics, it was chemistry for me. To date, I still struggle to understand physics-related courses which is unavoidable in engineering with a lot of credit units allocated to them. I was second best in chemistry and overall best in geology. I saw science as an adventure, and to date, I still wished I studied computer science instead of engineering, especially when people are expecting me to be able to fix gadgets as a computer engineer. They always put me in a bad position telling them am a software engineer, and I don't know jack about hardware.
I'm quite certain I would perform better with great love for my course if I had done a science-related course, although I'm not doing badly studying computer engineering, but it wouldn't have been the same if it was a science-related course because I wouldn't have to deal with much physics and hardware.
In 2016 when I gained my second admission, Computer engineering was the only course three different schools offered me. Only one offered me marine geology, but their fees were too expensive, so my dad had to settle with what he could afford. I remember my dad sitting a 17-year-old me down to explain why I wouldn't be able to study marine geology, it was heartbreaking for me, but I understood if he could afford it, we wouldn't be having that conversation. Though we had our differences in so many matters that period, but when he followed me to the maritime school, overcoming water phobia by traveling on the boat with me only to meet the disappointment of paying a huge tuition fee coupled with everything he was dealing with then, I knew he had tried his best.
My mum also made me promise her I would study my dream course no matter what, so I guess my childhood dream is still a dream until I actualize it by studying geology. I have planned to take a postgraduate course on it when I'm fully settled, and I pray I don't do it in Nigeria because I can't vouch for the quality of education in the system currently, hopefully, if it improves, especially on the stress aspect, I could consider studying in Nigeria.