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The first time I came across this word was a few years back in the popular Nigerian family drama series The Johnsons. Ever since then, I have come to realize that it's great to be book intelligent, but it's profitable to be street smart. I say this as one who has experienced what it means to be book intelligent alone, experienced all the advantages and disadvantages that came along, and also learned to become street smart, with all the advantages and troubles that tag alongside 😂.
One thing with being book intelligent is having a lot of knowledge and knowing how to speak the plenty grammar without having practical first-hand knowledge of what you think you know. This oftentimes draws the line for both sides of the coin as the latter feels powerful but is powerless in real life, and the other is usually referred to as powerless but exhibits the much-needed power when required. Teenagers in this category suffer the most, as they are being exposed to all kinds of pressure from society, and those without street experience, find it hard to cope with all the pressures coming in.
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I see this firsthand every day in schools and try to talk to fresher students as much as possible about life in the higher institution. In 2018, I was taking care of a young lady (fresher) who had financial challenges to the point it was hard for her to feed, so I would then help her with the little I got, (with no strings attached) just she wouldn't have to go begging the wrong set of people for money. I was concerned when I noticed she hadn't been in school for a week, and decided to ask about her in her hostel, only to find out she had just been delivered of a baby girl; I was like how did that happen, was she ever pregnant... I never knew she had already made the mistake of asking the wrong people for money even before she met me. I discovered so many guys have had their way with her knowing fully well she was new to school life all in the name of trying to help her out. She had to drop out of school as a result.
I have also had another encounter with two different girls (different scenarios) who were gang raped because they weren't smart enough to notice the conspiracy of their friends... Or you could say they weren't street smart. I tell freshers who are close to me one thing; if you want to make mummy and daddy proud, read your books and pass exams to come out with good grades. But if you want to be the man and woman you will be proud of tomorrow, and also want your children to be proud of, you must learn how to survive on your own, and you can never learn that from a book.
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Being in the jet club and even president at the zonal level was a result of my book intelligence, however, being able to achieve so much as a jet club president alongside other senior offices I have been able to occupy in my short time on Earth, were all because I learned the hard way to become street smart especially in dealing with people. I would rather have a child who's average in class but can handle real-life problems than have one who's buried in books and what is being taught in school. Because even if you never get the chance to be street smart in school, life itself will end up teaching you many lessons that will make you smart if you are a good learner.
Thanks again for stopping by my blog today, until next time.
